Hi everyone,
Just wondering, when busking, do you put your business card on the table so that anybody can take it.
Or just give it out when somebody ask for.
How's your opinion?
Thanks.
YuYen

I'm a part-time busker: I only busk locally (Washington DC area), in between regular gigs. (When I'm not busking I do both children's and adult shows.) Therefore, I am always interested in picking up a gig, if I can, while busking. I do not put out business cards when busking, but instead incorporate a reference to my business cards in my closing pitch, when I ask for money, inviting interested persons to hire me to perform at their parties as well as leave a donation. Typically, at least one prospective client will come up to me at the end of a show and ask for my business card, thereby giving me the opportunity to sell my regular show while we're chatting. The truth of the matter is, however, that although I have received a number of follow-up calls over the years from prospects who've taken my card , I have never booked more than a handful of shows in almost 10 years of busking. The reason is that people who drop two bucks or five bucks into my hat have the expectation that they will be able to hire me really cheap--much cheaper than I will work. I think people who see performers on the street connect them with homeless panhandlers, even if they aren't, and can't make the psychological leap to valuing their services at normal commercial rates.

Interesting point.
What can we do to change how they see us?

YuYen

I carry my cards on me while busking, but I don't go out of my way to put them into the hands of my audiences for many of the reasons started above. If someone asks me for one I give it out- cards are relatively inexpensive (although I have made excuses to NOT give them out to people who annoy me, or ask for my card after not tipping me -pretty revenge is the best revenge, right?)...

Yu Yen: I long ago stopped trying to change how people view me. These days I just do the best show that my modest skills will allow while having a good time doing it. The rest will follow, or it won't... There is nothing I can do about that.

That was supposed to be PETTY revenge, not "pretty"...

This whole, "People who see me on the street think they can hire me cheap," argument I've never bought. People call/email me, I tell them my price. They don't like it, who gives a ****? It's not inflated, they've seen my show, they've seen what goes into the hat. Call it attitude, but I have never, ever, had someone balk at paying that price. Then again, I could give two ****s about booking private shows and I think people sense that. What I charge per hour is not based on one hour, but based on the fact that to show up at someone's house and do a show means I'm taking away four hours from being on the street, and in those four hours, I'll more than likely make that same amount or more, while also spending an hour or two in the bar with cute traveling musicians.

That said, I use MOO cards. Any pic you have up on Flickr can be used as your graphic. I have the holder they offer on my keychain. The cards are small so you can pack a bunch in. The only people I've ever seen complain about the small size of the cards are other magicians, and while they may brag about the amount of shows they're bringing in a) I've never heard of them and b) their cards look like a piece of crap they banged off on the xerox machine at work and didn't even bother to buy a guillotine cutter to trim them with. Spend the small amount of cash, be honest, passionate and sincere about the work you do, and the rest will take care of itself.

Business cards... you bet.