Thanks for posting this Alison, I’m sure many will find it enlightening. My costs are similar at 200/day (more on tour) but that’s including the things you said you left out such as toys, clothing, nails.
I don’t think Alison was asking for operational advice, she’s well established, knows what she’s doing and has a network of other providers who can help if she wants that. And I agree with Inara, some of the guidance offered sounds a bit amateur-hour.
Yes, we know about shared incalls. I share mine but it’s not as simple as some are saying. For one, we have to stay under the radar of the building admin. And a lot of the business in Ottawa are last minute and short dates. It’s possible to rent here and there where another lady can get reliable prebookings with deposits. And for two to work side-by-side taking same-day bookings, it can becomes like air traffic control tower. And not always worth a little rent to have to turn away your own clients.
The idea that we just load Google docs instead of a website is very unprofessional, ineffective for SEO and against Googles policies especially since the passing of SESTA & FOSTA. Imagine if any other business had a Google doc instead of a unique domain and site? Would you trust that business?
Towels and sheets cost money to launder, so I’m assuming that’s your laundry cost, mine is similar.
Of course you should include your internet and phone costs, name one other business that doesn’t? And how many serious business use text Apps as opposed to a real number? They do not because clients need to trust that you’re not going to evaporate. I know some SPs do use them, no judgement as I did too when I first started, but it’s much, much harder to achieve things like deposits and longer bookings.
No we don’t get enough great business from TERB. For Ottawa, I personally find TERB delivers almost zero clients from the advertising section, only from reviews and a bit from comments in the forums. In Ottawa my top referrers are Twitter, the OIC website, other providers, LL and Tryst in that order. I’m going to be renovating my website next year to get more organic results from SEO as that’s the one area I think I’m really missing out.
More useful activities are reducing costs with a really good cash-back credit card, maximizing Twitter with a traffic analyzer and social media app, SEO, bulk purchasing supplies, developing a client list (mailing list etc) and offering loyalty incentives, offering packages & referral incentives, having unique bonuses, offering new services... In other words, we’re treating this as a serious enterprise and already know how to tie our own shoelaces.
