The following AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE is subject to change at any time and at the sole discretion of the site owner and operator. Please visit the site regularly for updates.
I moved to Mérida in December of 2019 and made a 13 year dream come true.
I sold all of my possessions including my house, my car, and my art so that I could begin a new life. I transitioned my business to a trusted friend. I knew I would need to keep working after I moved to Mérida. I had no idea what I was going to do but I knew I would figure it out once I arrived.
For the first few weeks, I tried to settle in but couldn’t find some of the daily, necessary information I needed. I chatted with other expats who expressed the same frustration I felt. After speaking with quite a few people, I realized there was a need for daily, basic information. With that in mind, I decided to start this site – Life in Mérida.
The first and foremost priority of the site (was, is and always will be) is to provide factual, current and specific answers to frequently asked questions about living in Mérida as well as helpful tips and advice.
Now, like any other blogger or influencer, I also had to decide how I wanted to monetize the site.
I started thinking about monetization in a completely different way and how I might be able to help other local business owners too. Over the years, I’ve made trades or exchanges with people and service providers. This barter system has been around for thousands of years and has served humanity quite well, in my opinion. I felt like this system could be good for my business too.
I began trying out different service providers such as car rentals, hotels, dentists, hair stylists, pool cleaners, and handyman services, just to name a few. These were all services I both needed and could advertise IF (ONLY IF) there was a good fit.
I always pay FULL price for services when I am reseaching and vetting. In this way, I ensure quality, customer service, consistency and that expectations are met. For me, these are the most important things I can do. Once I have fully vetted and have confidence in the service provider, I will recommend them.
My trusted service providers “AFFILIATES” are recommended and referred in the following ways (included but not limited to):
With the barter system in mind, I asked my trusted service providers if they were interested in this kind of referral system. Without exception, all of them were interested as they recognized the value.
In my experience, a business can pay for advertising which can be hit or miss, or they can partner with people who know, like and trust them. In this example, the referral is much stronger and supported so that it creates a win-win situation.
This is the intention of all of my affiliate agreements: to create a win-win situation for both parties in a barter type trade.
In regards to the advertising listed above in THE REFERRAL PROCESS FOR AFFILIATES, I receive a variety of compensation including discounts, trading services for advertisting and article writing, writing or advertising fees, special discounts that I can pass on to others, as well as providing discounts and special offers to affiliates to ensure that the trade is of fair and equal value. I think this is a very important part of an Affiliate Disclosure – to be completely transparent.
If you have comments or questions in regard to anything that is not covered on this Affiliate Disclosure, please email me: amy@lifeinmerida.com