The Business of magic

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The Business of magic

Postby Tubbycranker » Aug 6th, '07, 17:02



I have been thinking of this for a couple of months now, however, since reading Stephen Wards post of "Performing Magic to the public" I though I'd share this idea to see if it grabs any interest...

I'm sure that there are a number of magicians out there who are excellent performers that are lacking in a little business acumen, and likewise, there are a number of people who have good business knowledge but are somewhat less developed than others with regards to the performance / entertainment side of the business.

Personally, I fall into the latter category. I am catching up with those of you who have been studying magic since you were old enough to hold coins and cards as fast as I can but I often scour the boards here at TM and glean a lot of helpful tips and comments.

I have often thought about taking something I love i.e. Magic and using it to generate a second income. More for the love of doing it than the desire for the money if that makes sense. This is a very long term goal for me, but it does not stop me from thinking about things from a business side of things as well as a magical one.

Would there be any interest from others in a forum (private or public) based on the subject of business?

Here are a few ideas...
General Business Practice i.e. running the business, contract, invoices, customer relationship management etc.
Effects for the business / corporate magician e.g. Storm Force 7
Incorporating effects into sales / marketing presentations

Currently, I perform some effects for customers that I visit, just to create a memorable meeting with them. I am now exploring designing simple effects tied in to the product I am selling or the message that I'm trying to send out.

These are only a few to see if there is other interest (or not!!!). I see this as perhaps a chance that I may be able to share a few business ideas - as they say what goes around comes around!

Regards,

Stuart

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Postby Stephen Ward » Aug 6th, '07, 21:13

hi my friend!

first off i would get the Martin Sanderson DVD ' The business', just looking at your other question and will update this post soon. I was thinking that the three pad items our Seige sells are great for corporate as you can custom the pads. Just got mine today and they are ideal. Will post more soon.

Edit: I will start with corporate effects that work for me (your needs may be different)

1 Storm Force 7 Trade Show version - Well, what i say really? This is ideal and easy to make. You can make this up in minutes and it is cheap enough to be able to offer a bespoke version for each client. Resets really quickly and easy to do.

2. Revelation (Wayne Dobson) The best way to give out a clients business card. They WILL want to keep it after this routine.

3. Any version of Blackballed (odd ball body language etc) Great for sales as you can talk about body language and how to spot signals that people give off.

You may want to make a small office in your house where you can keep all your booking details and forms etc.

Martin Sanderson's DVD contains a very good lecture on the business side and to be honet i highly recommend you get this as it answers many of your questions. Remember to get P.L.I as some bookers and agents will insist you have it.

Getting a good promotional pack is a good idea, it seems expensive at first but pays off in the long one. My new pack is being designed as we speak so i can't show you one yet! My pack is an A4 glossy folder with an A4 8 page glossy brochure, a DVD, testimonals, business cards and booking forms. Talking of business cards (and Martin mentions this) i would get good ones as they reflect on you. Mine are 400 gram matt laminated cards.

You may want to think about advertising in teh places mentioned in my essay. they all work well and the prices are resonable.

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