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Citychick
04-11-2010, 01:20 PM
Thus even if somebody enjoys working in their chosen 'straight' profession, the wisdom of investing $80k in college tuition plus 4 years of 'lost opportunity cost' ( by studying vs working full time) to qualify for a professional job that now only pays $40k per year must be questioned objectively.

~

Yes 100% agreed, I only wish I'd thought about these factors before wasting my money on University !

Melonie
04-11-2010, 03:54 PM
^^^ I would never classify a college education as a 'waste'. However, these days it's fairly probable that a college education can be classified as a 'bad investment' !

And where 'serious professional dancers' are concerned, passing up earnings opportunities during peak dancing earnings years ( i.e. in her early 20's ) to obtain a degree that could just as well be obtained after she retires from dancing ( in her late 30's ) is even more questionable from a purely objective standpoint. Reason #1 is that for every extra $1000 earned by dancing instead of attending college, she's likely to receive $2000 thanks to compound interest earnings by the time she retires 15 years later. Reason #2 is that, when she retires from dancing and perhaps seeks a 'straight' job, a 15 year old college degree followed up with zero recent work experience in that field isn't of much value to a prospective 'straight' job employer, at least as compared to a recently obtained degree and zero work experience.

~

camille27
04-12-2010, 11:15 AM
melonie, i think you made a great point about the SPD in today's market. i think it is possible to bank still, but contact levels are higher, work shifts often need to be longer, and a lot of the flexibility that attracts many dancers to the job is lost. so i find that my hourly average is lower than it was, my number of weekly hours has increased, and my need to change locations (and be in club chat scouting new locations constantly) has increased as well.

so for me, the more seriously i try to take dancing, the more i realize that seriousness sucks.

Zinaida
04-12-2010, 11:54 AM
^^Heehee it does. Another thing is that even when you're banking, money just doesn't stretch so much anymore.

I have older friends that are always like: 'Don't do what I did back in the day! I was making 200,000 a year and I blew it all!' and I'm like, 'I'm not making 200,000 a year!'

Melonie
04-12-2010, 02:39 PM
so for me, the more seriously i try to take dancing, the more i realize that seriousness sucks

yup ... this is one of the reasons I decided to retire ! There is no question that the exotic dancing industry has been in decline for some years. However, this industry still does offer an earnings potential that is extremely hard to match ( at least in terms of 'legal' career alternatives LOL ). Yes being a successful 'serious professional dancer' today does take more effort, more research, more time etc. than it did 10 years ago. But that situation certainly isn't unique compared to many other 'straight' professions either.

Nuclear Martini
04-17-2010, 07:57 AM
From what I've been reading - It will be extremely hard to find a tolerable job after dancing. You make excellent money and are worshipped by guys in the SC. Outside of the SC, you will be an overworked, underpaid and underappreciated lowly employee bossed around mercillesly by the same fat balding middle-aged guys that used to worship you in the SC, and you'll have to work for many many many years to climb up the corporate ladder.

The only sensible solution is start a small business. You're already operating as an independent contractor/small business, so you would be applying these great skills you've acquired. The possibilities are limitless, but here are some examples of sexy-themed small business ideas: strip-aerobics and pole dancing studio, promotions company using female models (i.e., bikini girls wearing company logos to promote a company/sponsor in bars and night clubs), partybus with stripper pole and dancer giving guests a tour of the major strip clubs in the city, sexy hair salon for men (e.g., http://www.sexy-scissors.com/), etc.

Everything you said in that first paragraph is so true!

This past year I stopped dancing and returned to bartending and waitressing ( I am in college full-time). I wish there was some kind of small business idea I could afford which would generate enough money for me to live off of. I just dont think I have it in me to work for someone else and tolerate people treating me like a second-class citizen everyday.

Strip-Aerobics and poll dancing studio- sounds like a good idea but I was never one for poll tricks.

Promotions Company- I LOVE this idea.... I wonder how much it would cost for me to build a good website. I could find girls at my college who would do this for very little money. I need to consider this one.

Melonie
04-17-2010, 07:57 PM
Strip-Aerobics and poll dancing studio- sounds like a good idea but I was never one for poll tricks.

Promotions Company- I LOVE this idea.... I wonder how much it would cost for me to build a good website. I could find girls at my college who would do this for very little money. I need to consider this one.

Unfortunately, like other discussions about the 'golden age' versus the present day, increasing gov't regulations have made it far more difficult to turn a profit on businesses such as these today versus 10+ years ago.

Where the pole dancing / strip aerobics is concerned, there is now a big issue with insurance costs and approved facilities. Gods forbid, if one of your 'students' should happen to have a heart attack you could spend the next 5 years in court, plus handing over 50% of every dollar you earn for the rest of your life to the 'survivors'.

As to becoming the webmistress of any sort of adult website these days, the 'Tracy Lords' law now exposes you to federal felony sex crime charges if one of the girls you 'employed' turned out to actually be underage ... or a host of other technical reasons. I used to run my own pay website / webcam, but the increasing costs and even more rapidly increasing potential liabilities prompted me to shut it down ( I also refused to hand over 50% of my hard earned website/ webcam profits to a 'professional' website / webcam hosting service in order to shift those potential liabilities ).

jack0177057
04-19-2010, 05:14 PM
Where the pole dancing / strip aerobics is concerned, there is now a big issue with insurance costs and approved facilities. Gods forbid, if one of your 'students' should happen to have a heart attack you could spend the next 5 years in court, plus handing over 50% of every dollar you earn for the rest of your life to the 'survivors'.

Litigation is always an issue with any small business, but the risks can be managed to some extent. Setting up a corporation or LLC and doing everything through the corporation or LLC is one way to protect you from personal liability. Another ways to reduce risk is having the students sign a release/waiver of liability and a statement that they understand the risks involved and assume these risks,... that they have consulted with their doctor regarding any health risks posed to them, individually, etc...


As to becoming the webmistress of any sort of adult website these days, the 'Tracy Lords' law now exposes you to federal felony sex crime charges if one of the girls you 'employed' turned out to actually be underage ... or a host of other technical reasons. I used to run my own pay website / webcam, but the increasing costs and even more rapidly increasing potential liabilities prompted me to shut it down ( I also refused to hand over 50% of my hard earned website/ webcam profits to a 'professional' website / webcam hosting service in order to shift those potential liabilities ).

The promotion idea I suggested is not an "adult" business. It basically consists of sexy women in bikinis or scanty clothes - like you see in low-rider magazines or auto shows, to promote a company. They can promote a beer, cigarretes, boutique stores, etc. in a bar or night club - they show up, look very sexy in tight-fitting logo shirts (with Hooter-style shorts, mini skirt or bikini bottom) and hand out free promotional stuff. They can also be hired (dressed in more classy attire) to be hostesses or "embasadors" in various other promotional affairs, trade shows, conventions, etc. (i.e., they open the doors to guests, smile and greet them, sign them in, direct them to the appropriate meeting room, etc.)

To reduce liability, these girls should need to be contracted with as indepedent contractors and not hired as employees.

Want to see something very creative? The dating gurus and the VH-1 show "Pick Up Artist" suggest that a good way to pick up woman at the bar or club is to have a hot girl by your side. This gives the dude instant credibility - he's got to be ultra cool to be with a girl like that, right? Other women see him as better looking and interesting, he's already been "pre-selected". So, why not make a business of it:

http://www.wingwomen.com/

pussyinboots
05-04-2010, 08:21 AM
I've been watching this Thread for a while now and I have to say that it's one of the most interesting and well contributed to that I have seen anywhere on the Forum. Especially the thoughtful and wise words contributed by Melonie.

I'm in my mid 40's now and I have only just (well, in the last 2 years) found what REALLY wanted to do in life. I'm no 'spring chicken', but I do have great legs and pretty feet (no arrogance or vanity intended), so I model high heels, and make good money at it. I also took a 3 year Counselling course and now also work as a D & A Counsellor. I'm in the process of launching a High Heels Fetish website, and I couldn't be more fulfilled now if I tried.

However, my real point is that in the previous 25 odd years, I worked in a variety of jobs including Sales and Hairdressing (to pop stars) and a whole raft of other short term jobs - but I ALWAYS made sure that I saved some money.

I guess that's what I was trying to say really.

I didn't live beyond my means, I didn't waste money on 'trinklets' (although I did drink alcohol like it was going out of style), and I always made sure that I had food, decent clothes and a roof over my head. Anything else was a bonus, and a lot of luxuries were paid for by boyfriends in any case.....then of course, my husband.

My life has never been boring......but I've never really had a 'plan' either.

So I guess what I'm saying is don't feel bad about not really knowing what you want to do while you're young. Just enjoy what you are doing while you're doing it, and look after number one - so that when the bags DO start to appear under your eyes, you've got an Insurance Policy already saved.

ArmySGT.
05-06-2010, 04:34 PM
I just wish I had some sort of side-gig(back-up plan) to invest in.

I guy I know put 10,000 in the online course "Invest tools". He sits at home and does stock trades. Well enough that he has in fact paid off the class. starting at the bottom of the 09 stock crash helped.

As an independent online day trader you won't have that difficult to explain employment gap, should you decide it is time to go back to the regular work force.

*edit* add to this Business classes whether that is a Business Administration Bachelors degree from a brick and mortar school or Dancers Wealth course. How money works ( I can't download Melonies brain or I would), and how to make money work for you; can't be a bad career choice even if it is one or two classes a semester as a part time student.

Melonie
05-09-2010, 03:44 PM
I guy I know put 10,000 in the online course "Invest tools". He sits at home and does stock trades. Well enough that he has in fact paid off the class. starting at the bottom of the 09 stock crash helped

Indeed, investment skills are part of the 'serious professional dancer' equation. But in reality investment skills are quite a way down the 'priority' list ... which IMHO goes as follows ...

#1 priority - do what is necessary to maximize dancer earnings potential during peak earning years ... meaning anything from a willingness to dance 5 nights a week, to a willingness to travel where the 'money' is, to a willingness to undergo plastic surgery. Money earned early carries with it the power of compound interest.

#2 priority - organize your business in a manner that legally minimizes tax liabilities ... meaning anything from forming an LLC in a business-friendly state to changing legal state of residence to professional accounting practices. Money 'lost' to the tax man unnecessarily equals nights worked / private dances given for 'nothing', and money 'lost' to the tax man cannot be saved or invested. This is especially important in light of the IRS crackdown on small 'cash' businesses and in light of the 2011 income tax rate increases that will hit 'serious professional dancers' very hard.

#3 priority - SAVE as much money from your earnings as you reasonably can. This can encompass everything from swearing off non-essential purchases, to minimizing local costs of living, to preparing your own food while dancing on the road. However, this does not mean scrimping on 'essentials' i.e. a reliable car.

#4 priority - invest smartly. Indeed, it has essentially been a no-brainer for amateur investors to earn money in the US stock markets since last year's 'bottom'. But as seen in the past week, it is also possible for amateur investors to 'give back' a whole lot of their US stock market gains in extremely short order. IMHO investing smartly involves, at its core, making conservative and risk adverse investments for the long term ... which in my own case involve gold and currencies other than the US dollar. Also IMHO investing smartly does involve making high profit potential high loss potential speculative investments from time to time ... but such speculative investments should be limited to a certain percentage of total nest egg value in order to limit black swan loss potential.



Just enjoy what you are doing while you're doing it, and look after number one - so that when the bags DO start to appear under your eyes, you've got an Insurance Policy already saved.

or you've got the ready cash to go see your plastic surgeon and have those bags removed LOL !!!

pussyinboots
05-09-2010, 04:37 PM
or you've got the ready cash to go see your plastic surgeon and have those bags removed LOL !!!

Yes...absolutely!!;D