Dancing during a recession

[Samba]

Has anyone done it? Were you forced to work extra shifts, or take a second job? I'm curious how people dealt with it since we seem to be headed that way.

[Sophia_Starina]

You mean we aren't in one right now?

[Samba]

Well there's a thread in Dollar Den about it. As far as I'm concerned it feels like we are, but I'm not well versed in economics. All I know is money seems tight and prices are going up.

[Miss Jessica]

You mean we aren't in one right now?

No shit.

I am worried about how much worse it's going to get... especially since I'm contemplating dancing again (when, not sure).

[Samba]

^^ That's kind of why I'm asking. I may go back to dancing, and the economy is a lot different (read: worse) than the past few years.

[Miss Jessica]

Yeah, it's been a year (almost) for me. When I quit I was doing well. Many co-workers I talk to tell me it is getting tougher, but the girls who know how to make money are still pulling in a good amount regardless. But it's tougher and some have been working extra hours or shifts to make up for it. For the ladies who aren't so up on their hustle, it is really taking a toll on them.

[Samba]

There are always going to be people with money to spend, so there will be money there for the taking. But when Joe Cumstomer* has a really tight budget for clubs, goes less frequently or not at all, there is less money to go around and I would think many girls do feel a difference.

* a typo, but it cracked me up so I left it, but I don't mean guys looking for extras.

[TheTempest]

You mean we aren't in one right now?

OK I'll admit I didn't go to dollar den (I have trouble reading it... it's too smart for me) but my DJ at the club says for a technical recession the economy has to show negative profit margins in two consecutive quarters. This hasn't happened yet, although I'm sure we've had non-consecutive quarters where companies lost a shit ton of money.

[miabella]

we're in a recession that may turn into a depression. in fact, it is likely to do so.

as far as dancing goes, it's a cash business, and the value of cash drops quite a bit during recessions and depressions, so that means you need to earn even more money to 'break even', heh.

houston was in a recession of sorts post-katrina. i did very well, but the average dancer did not. i suspect the same is true more generally. top earning types should be ok, but marginal dancers will probably really suffer.

[Sophia_Ashley]

I agree with everything said.

I"m not doing my insane nights anymore, where my avg after tip out was 800.00 that was until Feb? Somewhere around there.

I make now (new club with new rules mind you) an avg of 500 a might. That's a median. I dont bother selling vips anymore (mostly because I don't even want to lose the lap dance sell). I've found that in just selling "dances" I'm staying afloat. I'm a hustler but obviously not a top earner at my new club because I don't bother with VIPS or anything.

It's scary and the only thing I can think is more grinding and clubs with lower rates are what's going to at least survive. Iv'e gotten creative in my dances. I don't grind but I'm flying all over the fucking place.

I couldn't see working in a high house fee club working out. Not in the long run. i hope to god we somehow bypass a depression. For many reasons.

[holiday]

Joe Cumstomer

hehe.

I do think money is tight right now, but it isn't terrible. I started dancing in 05, and while it seemed like I made more then, looking back at my books, I am doing a lot better now - even this month. I do think that money came easier then but there is still money out there.

Although, I'm nervous about this summer a little bit, I had 2 shifts in the last seven days that were really, really bad for me - like less than half of what I usually make. And it was sort of an abnormality. I usually stay consistent.

I know gas is a topic of conversation at work for guys - gas prices, the recession, blah blah blah, and I know that I need to change the subject when they start talking about that stuff, you know, try to keep the recession out of the strip club.

[i.breathe.in]

im doing about the same as i always have, but i have my hustle down good. thats the thing with titty bars, the guys that spend a lot arent affected by the recession becuase they are usually high rollers. so if you work at a club that caters to the high rollers, it wont be much an issue.

now if you work over at a smaller club that caters to blue collar/average joe types then yeah you might be in trouble. also depends on your areas economy. im in ne ohio and shit dont get much worse then here, lemme tell ya.

[misslizzy]

It's scary and the only thing I can think is more grinding and clubs with lower rates are what's going to at least survive. Iv'e gotten creative in my dances. I don't grind but I'm flying all over the fucking place.

I remember someone posting a while back in a thread about dirty clubs that when times get tough, the super upscale clubs with the perfect 10 type girls and the gross dives full of girls with extras menus are the ones most likely to survive.

It's middle of the road girls like me that I'm worried about. My hustle is pretty good, but, not everywhere I work, and bodywise, I'm probbly only about a 7. My great dances could possibly save me and make regulars for me if I didn't travel so much for my ther job.

[KamrynAnne]

im doing about the same as i always have, but i have my hustle down good. thats the thing with titty bars, the guys that spend a lot arent affected by the recession becuase they are usually high rollers. so if you work at a club that caters to the high rollers, it wont be much an issue.

now if you work over at a smaller club that caters to blue collar/average joe types then yeah you might be in trouble. also depends on your areas economy. im in ne ohio and shit dont get much worse then here, lemme tell ya.

word.

[TheTempest]

I have to say, my average has dropped. It is better than it was a month and a half ago when I took time off (I made $38 one night ) but I'm still only making about $200 a night.

I'm off to study hustle hut!!!

[anomar]

Would it be possible to work a part-time job somewhere with excellent benefits to offset the bottom line? Starbucks, say? I think it was Paige that worked at Blockbuster or Hollywood video... in any case, I know that with some major corporations it's easy to get hired and easy to qualify for excellent benefits... if you can do that a couple days a week, it might make stripping less stressful.

[TheSexKitten]

I bet Texas is doing damn well. They have a gigantic surplus right now from the oil & cattle industries.

I'm heading back to work tonight since 3 weeks ago. I'm hoping it'll be good, but my club recently switched to complete air dances too so... well, we'll just see what happens!

[holiday]

Would it be possible to work a part-time job somewhere with excellent benefits to offset the bottom line? Starbucks, say? I think it was Paige that worked at Blockbuster or Hollywood video... in any case, I know that with some major corporations it's easy to get hired and easy to qualify for excellent benefits... if you can do that a couple days a week, it might make stripping less stressful.

It's a good idea, but those entry level jobs pay complete crap. I mean, even if you are making $10 an hour (which would never happen) and getting medical insurance it would make it worth it. Say you worked at your part time job 15 hours a week, that's like $600 a month BEFORE taxes - and medical insurance is, what - AT MOST $200 a month - so that's $800 a month is for 60 hours of work, $13 an hour. And that is way worse than stripping, I mean if you make only $150 for a 6 hour shift stripping, which I think we can agree, would be a bad night, that is still $25 an hour.

Anyway, I have thought about it before. Because it would be a nice option. I mean, almost down time from dancing, but still making a little money.

[miabella]

texas doesn't have an oil surplus. the oil companies have 6-8% profit margins.

think about that.

it's record LOW margins, even though the dollar amounts are record HIGHS.

means the US dollar is being cratered in value.

and texas (at least the bit of it i used to live in) is looking more and more ready to give up alcohol sale income (which is millions and millions of dollars each year) in the long term to shut down the bulk of the stripclubs there.

[TheSexKitten]

Well it's economy is doing damn fine compared to the rest of the US. It just sucks that they can't handle some adult entertainment

[alessandra]

I don't know... I work in a what would be considered a "middle class" club overall, although it's the nicest club in the area, and I'm still doing pretty good. I keep expecting to go in one night and *boom!* recession has hit and there is no money to be found, but it hasn't happened yet.

The only real change I've seen is how many more girls are auditioning, whether they're from other clubs that have shut down or travelers, I've never seen this many girls try to work at my bar! We already have enough dancers

[miabella]

Well it's economy is doing damn fine compared to the rest of the US. It just sucks that they can't handle some adult entertainment

my point is that it's NOT doing 'damn fine'. straight jobs are hard to come by in tx, and stripping income is dropping same as the rest of the country. there's no magic 'oil money' boosting things. girl who work in tx clubs where very rich men visit are getting along, and girls with regulars, and girls with super-excellent hustle. all the rest, more variable numbers, and often overall drops in shift earnings.

and ON TOP of the poor economy, parts of texas are pushing to shut down stripclubs in the long term.

there's no boom in tx going on, or better than average ability to get straight jobs OR make stripping money.

[xoxoGracexoxo]

^^Yeah, sorry, definitely no boom here. The "sin tax" didn't seem to hurt clubs around here as much as expected, and has been overturned, but will probably come back up next legislative session.

I haven't worked in a few weeks, so I don't know how things are at the club at this exact moment, but we muddled through the spring OK. You definitely need to have your hustle down these days.

[Crys]

I work three nights a week, and I'm one of those average girls. My income at the club isn't as much as a lot of other people's, but I was doing ok, had money in the bank. Lately, I've been lucky to make $100 three nights in a row. I think twice last week I made less than $80. But I've heard a lot of girls at work talking about how they'd just be happy with someone giving some eye contact, and my club generally caters to more upscale folks, though we do have our average frat boys. Lot of past top earners are struggling, it seems like.

[TheSexKitten]

Alright guys. I meant to convey that Texas is doing well financially in comparison to the other 49 states. As in, it is technically not heading toward a recession, or at least as fast as other locations. I'm assuming the rich are the ones profiting, which would explain the lack of average joe/jane jobs. Have I worded it just precisely right yet?