Personal Assistance Advice?
Hey everyone!
I'm an ex-escort who has worked with an escort agency that represents porn stars from its inception and did a lot of work for the owner including a ton of market research, website design, ad copywriting, and consulting on issues such as screening and booking, customer service, hiring, etc. I had A LOT of hurdles to overcome and had to deal with some major limitations, and yet the agency has been relatively successful to say the least. I put in a lot of hard work and learned quite a bit along the way. My help with the agency is not needed as much now since there is multiple ads written on file and there are many returning clients.
So now I'm starting my own biz to help independents with various services such as screening/bookings, marketing/advertising, and general consulting. I know I could open an agency with the skills that I have but it's just not appealing to me. Besides, I admire indies! But I also understand the workload can be a lot to handle.
What I would like to hear is feedback from independent escorts who have a personal assistant or who hire for outside work. Where did you find your personal assistant? How did you choose her (or him)? What do you love about them? Does having a personal assistant have any downside for you?
My current plan for payment is a small percentage for my work (much smaller than an agency) and working only for high end providers to cover bookings and all marketing. I'm also thinking that letting them book regulars through their phone is fine and I would not receive percentage for that. Does this seem reasonable or do you have suggestions for other methods of payment?
I'm also offering my services a la carte to fit with anyone's needs. Anyone ever pay for copywriting or other marketing services? I'd be interested in hearing about your experiences.
Re: Personal Assistance Advice?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ad_Astra
Hey everyone!
I'm an ex-escort who has worked with an escort agency that represents porn stars from its inception and did a lot of work for the owner including a ton of market research, website design, ad copywriting, and consulting on issues such as screening and booking, customer service, hiring, etc. I had A LOT of hurdles to overcome and had to deal with some major limitations, and yet the agency has been relatively successful to say the least. I put in a lot of hard work and learned quite a bit along the way. My help with the agency is not needed as much now since there is multiple ads written on file and there are many returning clients.
So now I'm starting my own biz to help independents with various services such as screening/bookings, marketing/advertising, and general consulting. I know I could open an agency with the skills that I have but it's just not appealing to me. Besides, I admire indies! But I also understand the workload can be a lot to handle.
What I would like to hear is feedback from independent escorts who have a personal assistant or who hire for outside work. Where did you find your personal assistant? How did you choose her (or him)? What do you love about them? Does having a personal assistant have any downside for you?
My current plan for payment is a small percentage for my work (much smaller than an agency) and working only for high end providers to cover bookings and all marketing. I'm also thinking that letting them book regulars through their phone is fine and I would not receive percentage for that. Does this seem reasonable or do you have suggestions for other methods of payment?
I'm also offering my services a la carte to fit with anyone's needs. Anyone ever pay for copywriting or other marketing services? I'd be interested in hearing about your experiences.
I found my assistant by posting a thread on ter for any info on a personal assistant. I no longer have an assistant because I don't have much business anymore so I can handle the workload myself. But when I did have her, she was amazing with my clients. What I really liked was how great she was with speaking with guys. Clients would even mention during our appointment how wonderful she was. I also liked that she didn't take a percentage from any of the appointments I had. She only had a set weekly fee. She also had a large mailing list and she would send out a monthly newsletter to guys. It REALLY helped.
I suggest if you go this route that you advertise on one of the boards or on backpage. There are ladies who want an assistant out there but it's hard to find out who provides this since it's not advertised anywhere.
Re: Personal Assistance Advice?
+1 Indiegirl's suggestion to post on escort boards, especially closed, provider-only boards. This'd prove you're an insider and not some poser. You can also link-exchange with other escort resources like photographers and web designers. Or, advertise on escort ad malls.
Escorts can be a little leery of support services. I've had friends who've paid for marketing/screening and the so-called assistant took the money but didn't deliver. As long as you have a good reputation in the community, you'll go a long way. I've gotten my assistant extra work just from recommending her. She does this part-time. I found her through word-of-mouth.
Do you have a professional website? If you're doing this on a full-time basis having a website would help establish your credibility. Same way that an escort invests in her presentation, an assistant services website would show that you're serious about your business and not some fly-by-night. If you're doing this part-time then a website won't be as crucial if you have a network in place.
The US-based assistants whom I know charge between 15-20% of gross. Some include advertising in that fee, but more commonly ads are a separate cost. One issue with the percentage model is the assistant may push for higher volume at the cost of the escort's comfort level. I like the weekly flat fee model. That way the assistant is guaranteed a steady income and there's no pressure on the escort.
I've paid for ā la carte services such as market research and copywriting, but I found that writing my own worked best, more of my personality showed. This is a good service to offer as many ladies either don't want to or simply can't write. If you're tech savvy and creatively-inclined you could also offer ad or banner design, minor photo editing, etc.
I've also paid for consulting separate from my assistant. This is a good service for escorts who want advice but not assistant services. A resourceful girl can do a lot of research on her own, which I did, but there's still a ton you can learn from an industry veteran. There're a lot of things that aren't and can't be discussed on open forums. And sometimes even smart newbies need personal hand-holding and moral support.
I'd be interested in a service that gives you access to a large, opt-in client list.
Assistant pros: helps keep wayward clients in line, good buffer for time wasters, sounding board for ideas, source of advice
Assistant cons: some clients hate dealing with a 3rd party
As a former escort and agency booker you have the advantage of knowing how things really work, so you've got a head start. It also helps to never burn bridges and maintain good relationships. I still happily recommend to other escorts the assistant/agency whom I worked with when I first started. Good luck with your new business and let us know how things go!
Re: Personal Assistance Advice?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
indiegirl
I found my assistant by posting a thread on ter for any info on a personal assistant. I no longer have an assistant because I don't have much business anymore so I can handle the workload myself. But when I did have her, she was amazing with my clients. What I really liked was how great she was with speaking with guys. Clients would even mention during our appointment how wonderful she was. I also liked that she didn't take a percentage from any of the appointments I had. She only had a set weekly fee. She also had a large mailing list and she would send out a monthly newsletter to guys. It REALLY helped.
I suggest if you go this route that you advertise on one of the boards or on backpage. There are ladies who want an assistant out there but it's hard to find out who provides this since it's not advertised anywhere.
Hi indiegirl! Thank you for sharing your experience. Yes, I am planning to advertise on backpage and ter. There are a lot of indies on ter and I have lots of experience on that board so I'm pretty familiar with it. I like the idea of a flat weekly rate. I would definitely be open to offering that method of payment. It's a great idea and I'm glad you mentioned it.
Re: Personal Assistance Advice?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Aether
+1 Indiegirl's suggestion to post on escort boards, especially closed, provider-only boards. This'd prove you're an insider and not some poser. You can also link-exchange with other escort resources like photographers and web designers. Or, advertise on escort ad malls.
Escorts can be a little leery of support services. I've had friends who've paid for marketing/screening and the so-called assistant took the money but didn't deliver. As long as you have a good reputation in the community, you'll go a long way. I've gotten my assistant extra work just from recommending her. She does this part-time. I found her through word-of-mouth.
Do you have a professional website? If you're doing this on a full-time basis having a website would help establish your credibility. Same way that an escort invests in her presentation, an assistant services website would show that you're serious about your business and not some fly-by-night. If you're doing this part-time then a website won't be as crucial if you have a network in place.
The US-based assistants whom I know charge between 15-20% of gross. Some include advertising in that fee, but more commonly ads are a separate cost. One issue with the percentage model is the assistant may push for higher volume at the cost of the escort's comfort level. I like the weekly flat fee model. That way the assistant is guaranteed a steady income and there's no pressure on the escort.
I've paid for ā la carte services such as market research and copywriting, but I found that writing my own worked best, more of my personality showed. This is a good service to offer as many ladies either don't want to or simply can't write. If you're tech savvy and creatively-inclined you could also offer ad or banner design, minor photo editing, etc.
I've also paid for consulting separate from my assistant. This is a good service for escorts who want advice but not assistant services. A resourceful girl can do a lot of research on her own, which I did, but there's still a ton you can learn from an industry veteran. There're a lot of things that aren't and can't be discussed on open forums. And sometimes even smart newbies need personal hand-holding and moral support.
I'd be interested in a service that gives you access to a large, opt-in client list.
Assistant pros: helps keep wayward clients in line, good buffer for time wasters, sounding board for ideas, source of advice
Assistant cons: some clients hate dealing with a 3rd party
As a former escort and agency booker you have the advantage of knowing how things really work, so you've got a head start. It also helps to never burn bridges and maintain good relationships. I still happily recommend to other escorts the assistant/agency whom I worked with when I first started. Good luck with your new business and let us know how things go!
Hi Aether! Wow, thank you for all the helpful advice! Your idea to go on provider-only boards is a good one! I doubt I can get on the ter provider-only board since I'm no longer working as an escort, but I can think of a couple others. Link exchanges would definitely help, not just to get biz but also to provide a solid network for providers looking for related services.
I do have a website, I just finished it a couple weeks ago. I'd like to polish it up though, having given it some time to settle. I just started a twitter account and plan on creating a blog this weekend for it.
I was planning on charging 15% not including advertising fees. I think 20% is a little steep and bordering on agency fees. But I would be willing to work for a set weekly price too. It might be the better way to go. I would never overbook or send someone to a client who didn't pass thorough screening, but how is anyone going to know that? This business is too risky to take gambles so I would be willing to allay fears with a set weekly rate.
As for ad copy, it makes sense that most write their own ads for the reasons you mentioned. I'll be offering this service but not relying on it for a steady income. Same goes for consulting. I'm also offering my web designer's services for website and banner creation.
Unfortunately, I do not have my own large client list. But I know from working with agencies that it only takes about six months of steady advertising to get a large list of screened clients. I'd be willing to work towards this as a long-term goal. It's another great suggestion!
And the last point you mention for me to consider is that some clients don't like dealing with a third party at all and is a big reason why some of them see indies. I'm not really sure if there are any "solutions" to this problem or not except just being a helpful and trustworthy assistant. I'll think on this some more.
Thank you for sharing your insights, I really appreciate it! :)