This may be the very first post of its kind, ever, and one of the too-rare positive, uplifting posts in this forum. I need to call out Jade Rose for coming through honorably on a loan I made her some months ago. First I'm gonna brag on her, then I've got some suggestions if you ever find yourself contemplating lending money to a provider.
Jade needed money for her wisdom teeth extraction and approached me hesitantly and politely. I agreed to help, partly out of self-interest because I've come to love her oral skills. She accepted my terms without haggling on either part, and honorably came through with her end of the deal although it took some time both for her recuperation and our mutual schedules. There was never any drama or reluctance to do the right thing. In fact, in keeping with her overall, flawless TCB, she even reached out to me proactively to offer another pre-paid session when she hadn't heard from me in a while due to my own schedule. Jade is an honorable, positive asset to this community.
That said, if you're a hobbyist contemplating lending money to a provider, the first rule is Don't Do It. And with THAT said, here are some best practices for you:
--consider this money gone. Like sitting down at a blackjack table, know how much you're prepared to lose and mentally treat it as spent, never to be repaid. If you will need that money back at any time, then see the first rule. You shouldn't expect cash-for-cash repayment to begin with, rather, services for cash. (BTW, there's at least one provider who offers prepaid packages of appointments; don't do that, I can tell you from personal experience.)
--has she ever been flaky in any way? If Yes, then see the first rule. If she's habitually late for cash appointments, what do you think she's going to do for the bartered appointments?
--understand exactly where the money is going. If it's going to routine expenses such as rent, then this isn't a loan any more, it's verging on a sugar daddy relationship and that's a separate conversation. It also tells you that her repayment will be slow since she doesn't have her life together for a disciplined budget. A loan should be for a specific, rare event like a medical treatment or car repair. In these cases, if you wish, you're able to provide a credit card number to the vendor, rather than bringing a load of cash to the provider.
--agree on clear, simple expectations for repayment. Say you provide $1,000.; then make a deal for four or five, one-hour appointments, or perhaps one overnight. Don't mix and match half-hours, BNGs, etc. Running tabs get blurry and that leads to frustration for both parties. Re-re-redefine when an appointment is prepaid and then when the deal is done.
Would I lend again? To Jade - sure, no question. She's honorable and smart. To another provider - probably not.