Here is the blog I set up to brainstorm marketing our magic shows. The idea here is to develop a business operating system for promoting and managing our magic shows. Though I really enjoy talking on the Cafe, it can be difficult to handle a really focused on-going discussion, so I set up this blog. Let's begin:
Up until now, I've been managing my shows using a simple calendar system and have been getting most of my business from my web site and referals. My intention was to use ACT software on my new laptop to keep track of everything, but it turns out that ACT 2006 isn't compatible with Vista and I don't want to spend the extra $170 to upgrade. So I started thinking about exactly what I was intending to do with ACT to promote and enhance my business.
So what is the bare minimum I need to keep track of in order to have a working business:
- A way to reach new customers
- Products to sell
- A way to keep track of my schedule
- A way to keep track of expenses and income
- Keeping the customer happy
At this time I do the following things:
- Reach new customers through my web site and handing out business cards
- I mostly sell my kid's birthday shows and strolling magic
- I keep track of my schedule with the calendar in my MSN account
- I track my money by keeping a file of receipts and check stubs
- I try to keep the customer happy by doing the best show I can
This is all very basic, and is working to a degree, but is a far cry from how I envision my dream situation as a professional magician. Now my goal is to refine this to be an almost automatic business system that I could pass on to an employee to run when I am hopefully too busy performing gigs to do everything myself. Consiquently, I need to refine:
- Getting business
- Products to offer
- Schedule management
- Accounting
- Customer management
And, here's where the brainstorming can come in. Let's discuss each of these aspects of business individually and see how we can best handle each. Please share as much or as little as you like.
3 comments:
Hey there:
A little background on me. I'm a pro, going semi-pro magician/juggler. Up until a few years ago, I was doing 200+ shows a year. Then my son Connor entered the picture, and I needed to get off the road. I am now a Realtor in Springfield IL, while still maintaining 100+ show schedule. It's enough to still pay the bills, and keep me close enough to home to sleep in my own bed every night. I get to build my Real Estate business on the off days. Its working very well for now. I see getting off the road more and more as each year goes by.
Let me start by asking you a few questions about where you would like to go with your business. I've found that the best way to set a a business plan is to know exactly where it is that you want to be at the end of the plan.
Let's assume that your plan will be 12 months long, starting May 1.
1) How many shows do you want to do in the next 12 months?
2) How much money do you want to make (gross) in the next year from shows?
3) How far are you willing to travel?
4) What kind of show(s) do you do, and what is your primary audience. I think I know this, but I want to hear your answer anyway.
5) If things were perfect, how would you describe a week of your life?
Please take the time to answer these questions, then I'll respond with some things that have helped me solidify my path, and help me attain my goals on a yearly basis.
Hi Richard,
Great idea for this blog. I am in much the same boat as you. I have been a part-time pro for about 16 years now, but hope to make the jump to full time very soon.
Currently, I use ACT 6.0 on my PC with Windows XP. Up untilr ecently, I have been tracking income and expenses with a simple Excel spreadsheet. I just took advantage of an offer through Staples where I bought Quickbooks SImple Start, which will end up beign free after I get my $80 rebate. I have not even installed it yet, but I am hopign it will help me streamline my cash flow management.
Currently, I work Renaissance Festival in the summer months, and fill in the rets of the year with kids birthdays and other miscellaneous bookings. I advertise in a local parents magazine, and that gets me about 10 shows a year.
I hav recently been hired to do some colleges, as well as put on a few theatre shows, and am transitioning more towards mentalism and hypnosis, which are higher profile, better paying gigs.
Hi Brent,
Act! 2006 is actually what got me started with all of this. I had bought the software and installed it on my desktop. I then got an old laptop that ran 98, but Act wasn't compatible. So I broke down and bought a new laptop with Vista expressly to manage and build my business. But Act still wasn't compatible. I started thinking about putting together a database with Access to run my business, and as I thought I found I really only had a vague idea of what I wanted to accomplish. So I set up the blog. I figured by just being open about how I was going about things, people with a lot of experience could offer advice and people moving to the next level like myself could learn along with me. Hopfully this thing will grow into something valuable for people starting out.
Thanks - Richard
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