Primer for New private party girls!
Okay this is based on my own experience having done private parties at different times over the last 4 years...
1. When applying make sure you can actually meet the managers and/or owners of the agency. Never sign up by phone or email.
2. Ask to watch a call being booked by the booker so that you are confident they are actually doing the verification using the blacklist, and getting all of the customers information...
some agencies just hire not so attractive girls who have hot voices to handle the calls.. but they work from their home so you never get to see the booking process.
3. Dont work for any agency that doesnt take your security and safety seriously.. to most agencies however they dont really care if you turn up dead as long as they get their money.
4. Watch for any sign of them underbooking or overbooking girls.. if they send 1 instead of 2 or 2 instead of 4 the customer usually isnt happy.. especially if they paid for more and sometimes you need 2-3 girls to keep 20-30 guys happy. Also if theyre overbooking-- it cuts into your money.. like if they have 5 guys and send 3 girls. bad sign!
5. Where do they advertise? are they just on craigslist (when it was doing adult)... then run like hell...
do they advertise in mainstream or have organic advertising?
do they get alot of calls from just being around... thats a good sign if theyre re is good.
6. Does the owner work from his home (or his moms home- like one guy in Denver does) or a shady location-- like the other guy in Denver who lives in an extended stay motel.
7. Do they make you go crash other promoters events to book gigs.. like is done by the same guy in Denver)
8. Do they make you attend weekly meetings and fine you for not going and all that.
9. How do they pay the split? I would never work for an agency if Im not getting 75-80% of the fee. They really do very little for me.
10. Can I use my own driver and security?
Just some things to think about!
Private parties can be profitable and fun-- you have guaranteed money upfront and can make more but there are safety issues and marketing issues.
Re: Primer for New private party girls!
I agree with most of those. The ones are watching the booking is something I don't think is as important. When I booked parties I rarely had anyone around. If they had wanted to, fine but they didn't need to be. Working from a home really isn't a big deal if a company is starting up. I've worked for agencies that had home offices. I did too when I started.
The rest are things dancers need to be aware of. When I first started I worked for a company that ripped me off on money. Not only didn't I get paid upfront, I had to tip them 25% of what I made. I ended up making $80 for two shows total. I quit this company after this and started my own. I was always generous to my dancers (I booked males and females) and hired bouncers to go with them, unless they had their own. I also met the dancers before I hired them and rejected ones I didn't think could be dancers. I never took any tips, nor did I ever require them to attend events or weekly meetings (in fact never had one).
Re: Primer for New private party girls!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
AmyLynne
6. Does the owner work from his home (or his moms home- like one guy in Denver does) or a shady location-- like the other guy in Denver who lives in an extended stay motel.
10. Can I use my own driver and security?
He has his own place now, but it isn't good. Going to check out the "office" is a good idea.
I always used my own security. I don't necessarily trust agency security.
A few other things:
1.) Its a good idea to make sure they have a business license & require all staff & independent contractors to have any licenses required by their industry. You can call the business license issuing office to check if they have a business license. Generally the Sheriff's department will know industry required licenses. If the agency doesn't care about you or other staff having licenses that are government required, go to a different agency, because they won't care about what is legal or not in other areas either... like extras.
2.) Check around for the company's reputation. You can do a background check on the people running the agency, & call the Sheriff's department (tell them you are looking for an agency to work for) & ask if they've had problems with the agency you are interested in working for.
3.) Ask if there is "training pay". Some agencies give you less than 25% of the fee you were booked for while you are on "training pay". This is more a BS excuse to make more money for the agency, particularly if you are a seasoned dancer.
4.) Any agency that wants you to talk your own calls, you probably shouldn't work for. A professional agency wants the same people answering their calls so they are consistent in the methods used to answer the phone.
5.) See what their "blacklist" methods are. Some companies just keep their own lists & don't check beyond that. They should be checking places online too.
6.) Ask about security issues. Do the security personnel come inside? Wait just outside the door? Wait in the car? Consider your own security, as well as if these people will act as the M.C. for any parties.
I'm sure I'll think of more later.
Re: Primer for New private party girls!
Are you talking about Jay or Cedric?
Theyre both bad news. cedric still owes me 400 dollars.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kylea2
He has his own place now, but it isn't good. Going to check out the "office" is a good idea.
I always used my own security. I don't necessarily trust agency security.
A few other things:
1.) Its a good idea to make sure they have a business license & require all staff & independent contractors to have any licenses required by their industry. You can call the business license issuing office to check if they have a business license. Generally the Sheriff's department will know industry required licenses. If the agency doesn't care about you or other staff having licenses that are government required, go to a different agency, because they won't care about what is legal or not in other areas either... like extras.
2.) Check around for the company's reputation. You can do a background check on the people running the agency, & call the Sheriff's department (tell them you are looking for an agency to work for) & ask if they've had problems with the agency you are interested in working for.
3.) Ask if there is "training pay". Some agencies give you less than 25% of the fee you were booked for while you are on "training pay". This is more a BS excuse to make more money for the agency, particularly if you are a seasoned dancer.
4.) Any agency that wants you to talk your own calls, you probably shouldn't work for. A professional agency wants the same people answering their calls so they are consistent in the methods used to answer the phone.
5.) See what their "blacklist" methods are. Some companies just keep their own lists & don't check beyond that. They should be checking places online too.
6.) Ask about security issues. Do the security personnel come inside? Wait just outside the door? Wait in the car? Consider your own security, as well as if these people will act as the M.C. for any parties.
I'm sure I'll think of more later.
Re: Primer for New private party girls!
I completely forgot about the training pay. Years ago I got a call from an agency who had heard of me. They wanted to pay me training pay 10 years after I started dancing! Um, no I don't "need" training. The license one is good too because this often separates the legit agencies from the scam artists.
Speaking of security, find out who pays them if they book them. When I booked parties and a girl didn't have security I paid the bouncer out of what I made. I then told them they should tip the bouncer on top of it (I didn't set an amount). If she had a bouncer, then I gave her the additional money hopefully to pay him. However some agencies don't do this. They expect the dancer to pay for the bouncer and split the money they paid her.
Also, ask what kind of party it's going to be. I mostly do single dancer shows with no toys, etc. I don't do explicit shows of any sorts and do not do anything sexual like sex. However, I have gotten to parties where they were expecting these kinds of things.
Re: Primer for New private party girls!
Training Pay is another bullshit way for the agency owner to make money! Unless he's discounting the customer dont discount the girl in training and as if you need training!
Re: Primer for New private party girls!
Speaking of training pay, reminds me of another bs thing and that is "down payment" bs. I once interviewed at a company that required a down payment "to assure dancers show up". Total bs.
Also, when interviewing at an agency NEVER pose nude or dance nude. I ran an an agency and yes I would often ask them to do an audition and maybe strip to their bikini. However, nude? no way. The only reason I would have them audition (and strip to bikini) is see if they could move and could handle it. Also, to see if they had decent bodies. This only happened after I found out several dancers I hired were terrible at parties. I didn't enjoy this part but would tell them I had no interest in them sexually, it was strictly jobwise. I did this for the male dancers too, but oddly they usually wanted to dance nude in front of me (I declined).
Re: Primer for New private party girls!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kellydancer
Speaking of training pay, reminds me of another bs thing and that is "down payment" bs. I once interviewed at a company that required a down payment "to assure dancers show up". Total bs.
The agency I work for required me to give a down payment, but since I always showed up and gave her (the agent) the money that belong to her, she just gave me the money back after the probation period.
I would not call it BS 'cause there were a few girls who would not pay her the agent fee.
Re: Primer for New private party girls!
Never do training pay! Just more money for the agency owner or pimp wannabe.
Re: Primer for New private party girls!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jay12
The agency I work for required me to give a down payment, but since I always showed up and gave her (the agent) the money that belong to her, she just gave me the money back after the probation period.
I would not call it BS 'cause there were a few girls who would not pay her the agent fee.
But was that before they planned a party? This one "agency" wanted money in the interview without telling me they'd find a party. If it was a situation where they asked for money when they booked a show I'd consider that legit.
Re: Primer for New private party girls!
Wow I'm surprised agencies can get so shady! Two of the agencies in WA are fantastic, run by girls who work for them. They don't take a % either, just a flat fee of $50.
Honestly, if I had to go through all the bullshit these other places have you go through... I'd probably go independent.
Re: Primer for New private party girls!
Amy, it was the first of the two names that I was referring to as having his own place. Although, it is totally disgusting... & that is an understatement.
Re: Primer for New private party girls!
well duh its Jay. the shadiest and creepiest of all agency owners.
Re: Primer for New private party girls!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
AmyLynne
Never do training pay! Just more money for the agency owner or pimp wannabe.
It wasn't training pay, but a security deposit.
Didn't you read the line that said "but I got the money back after the probation period", in fact I didn't even paid the whole amount.
Well, the one I work for is legit 'cause they have license, the owner operates from her house, I've visited her house, and I trust her. Plus, if she owns me money, she always gives it to me back (like if I have a booking paid on credit).
Re: Primer for New private party girls!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kellydancer
But was that before they planned a party? This one "agency" wanted money in the interview without telling me they'd find a party. If it was a situation where they asked for money when they booked a show I'd consider that legit.
I already did some bookings with the agency before paying that deposit, but like I said in a previous post, I got that money back eventually because I actually paid all my fees.
Re: Primer for New private party girls!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jay12
I already did some bookings with the agency before paying that deposit, but like I said in a previous post, I got that money back eventually because I actually paid all my fees.
Then that seems fair. I was talking about an agency wanting money before they would book parties. It was also an agency I had never heard of either.
Re: Primer for New private party girls!
It doesnt matter if you got it back. Its bad business to have to pay a deposit for a job. It givs the pimp or pimpette motivation to just keep it or find a reason to keep it.