I was wondering realistly how well some can do with a vent routne? Is it possible to earn a decent living without working 14 hour days. Now that I am out of work I don't really want to go back to driving a truck 14 hours a day. My old boss wrongfully terminated me so he lost in the hearing so I have free time on my hands and at least a check still coming in, so I feel like this is a perfect time to give it a shot.

I was also wondering about if its possable to perform and build puppets and stands and travel cases to sell or am I biting off to much?
thanks for the input
Kevin

Making a living performing - sure, there's enough people doing it, takes time though.

As for building puppets and such....don't expect to make a living off of that, that market really dropped some time ago with no sign of recovery that I can see. Anyone interesting in making stuff to sell, I only suggest they do it if it's something they enjoy doing as a hobby anyway because the money isn't there.

Kevin -
Realistically - Jeff earns $30 million a year, Terry earns $20 million a year, many earn six figures, some earn less. They are all realistic. The question should be - are they realistic for you?

Give yourself an honest evaluation - how good is your act currently? How many shows do you do? How much do you charge? How much do you need to earn? (Keep in mind, your business expenses will increase and you will need to cover insurances and retirement - so you have to include them.)

Now ask yourself - how many shows would you have to perform at your current rate to meet those expenses? Is that a realistic number? Would it be possible to do more? (Profit is your friend.)

If you can't make ends meet at your current fee - how much would you need to raise it? Is your show worth that? How can you make it worth more to clients? Would your current clients pay that? If not, what market would - and do you know anything about that market?

You may not want to work 14 hours a day - but when you start, chances are you will put in a lot of long hours. The difference is that the return will benefit you - not a company that employs you. It is a business, and a small business owner wears many hats - so make sure you are aware of what is involved or you'll be looking for another job.

On the last note - my personal feeling is there is more money to be made as a performer than in selling props - if you are good. Crafting and marketing props takes time away from promoting and improving your show - where the returns are much greater.

Tom's summary has nailed it pretty well.
His take on the expectations versus the realities of life in show biz is one of the clearest and most rational I've seen.

When I decided (at a relatively young age) to pursue show bizzz, everyone whose opinion I respected (including my mentors in the biz who themselves had achieved great success) said "it won't be easy".
Not what I wanted to hear, but they were absolutely right.

A journeyman performer will surely experience a lot of ups and downs, but the rewards along the way can make it worthwhile.
It does take a big commitment, a fair amount of sacrifice, and a good deal of hard work.
In some cases, though to a far lesser degree, it even takes a bit of plain old luck.

But ultimately, Edgar Bergen's advice on show business also sums it up quite well (and I'm paraphrasing here): ":...success comes when preparation and opportunity meet."
To me, that advice is spot on...most especially the _preparation_ part.

Thanks guys,
I am not afraid of working long days I just don't like doing it anymore to make someone else more money. I am at a point in my life where I want to be my own boss again. I use to run a construction co but my divorce from my first wife closed that prety quick, so I do know what it takes to build a business. What the scary part for me is is that I know nothing about show biz. I am at a point right now that I am still working on a routine. I apologize for that I should have been more clear.

I am the type of person that will shoot for the top and just keep plugging along. If I never get as big a Dunham or Terry that's fine.

Right now with the way I am living I would only need about 600 a week to survive, that's why I tought this might have been a good time to go for it. Because I have a family it makes me a lot more cautious about things and therfore I don't take a lot of chances. Well to be completly honest with you I am sick of being that way and I don't want to have regrets later on.

I hope this makes sense to everone and again sorry I wasn't clearer in my first post

Thanks
Kevin

Kevin,

Do you know the Prospect Café in East Hartford? My father used to own it. Just curious. I'm originally from Newington.

Kevin,
Go to the Library and check out everything on the Guerilla Marketing series by J. Conrad Levinson, it's the only marketing & Sales books you will need. Follow what the books tell you to do. If your Library doesn't have these books go to Amazon and buy them used, they are all paperback anyway. Let us know how you are doing...
Bill

I have heard of it but not real big into the bar scene. Where is it. Kind of hoping not to be in this town much longer I have been in East Hartford for 10yrs now and it has gone down hill real bad. Do you know mayberry village?

[/quote]I have heard of it but not real big into the bar scene. Where is it. Kind of hoping not to be in this town much longer I have been in East Hartford for 10yrs now and it has gone down hill real bad. Do you know mayberry village?
[/quote]

It's on Main Street. Although my dad owned it for 12 years or so (he sold it around 2003), I cannot say it was my type of place, either! Mayberry Village doesn't ring a bell, but perhaps I've gone by it.

Double post

Lol they must be having issues here every post I have made this evening has been double posted.

Yeah I do remember the place now was in there one but that was about it. So why did you ever leave this wonderfully over priced state.....lol

What Tom said.

I'm fortunate enough to make a very nice living as a professional entertainer, but it's a lot of hard work. You not only have to work hard, you have to work smart. My personal opinion is that your show is the most important thing. If you have a great show, people will want to see it, and they will pay you for that privilege. If your show sucks, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to make any kind of a decent living.

My 2 cents.

Doug

Exactly! Although I can't say that much in south Florida is what I'd deem "reasonable", we don't have a state income tax. Plus, while you guys are enjoying Christmas in November, it is currently a beautiful, sunny, 77-degree Sunday down here!

I agree with that, I wouldn't deem anything "reasonable" here in Florida either.
My first shock was when I went to register my car and motorcycle here. Just the car alone cost me 454.55 for registration, and that was only for 1 year - in NY where I came from, it would have cost me 112.50 for 2 years!
So we don't have state income tax, but they sure make up for it in other ways.

Yes, it is much nicer here in the winter, but that's about the only plus I can give it (besides the lack of state income tax).
The majority of the houses here for the most part are so cookie-cutter, and to me, no matter what, they lack the warmth of the old homes up north.
And something that's really stood out to me, after living in two different houses since I've been here - neighborhoods don't feel like "neighborhoods". In both, you can go out any time of day, you might see a vehicle go by now and then, see someone walking their dog, but for the most part, you go out front, you see cars in driveways and it's about the only clue you have that other people live there - otherwise, you often feel like no one else lives there, you don't see people really out.

Whoops, sorry, got off track there, but the timing of the posts about the difference happen to come along when I've been feeling the differences and wondering if I shouldn't have stayed where I was (and go back now).
We now return to our regularly scheduled topic.....

LOL don't worry about it. Most of my life is off track.

Dave, you are completely correct. As we are currently in the market for a house, I really miss the charm of parts of New England!

Kevin - thanks for not minding me going off-track.

Keith - as much as I know I would be asking myself in the winters "why did I do this again?", I am looking at houses too, back in upstate NY where I came from.