talkmagic.co.uk

Well I finally did it. My haters will be please/sad/mortified to know I actually went out and spent four hours going up and down the high street, searching all the local bars and restaurants.

In the end only a few seemed promising. One place (Pizza Expresss if I'm honest... is that bad?) seemed interested in getting me for special occations. The Brandling Arms however loved me! The staff were all in their twenties and kept asking me to perform.

I was asked how much I charged, and I said I'd do a week free... but when they inquired further I had no idea what to say, so (stupidly) I said £12 an hour. o.O


I have just been informed that this is insultingly low. And I want other peoples opinions on what a good rate is PER HOUR (don't give me all that "per gig" rubish :p)???


I think I've found a bit of work atleast. Tomorrow I am trying Loch Fyne, a fish restaurant -very upperclass- and I'm silently praying for a job there. :p

Tom
xx


Edit:
Now my feet hurt

well, shockingly, i've heard of certain "pros" - who charge fifty quid an hour...which is still out-of-order low...under-cutting other professionals...

its an insult...

anyway - look, you are young, want experience, eager...i take it it will be for your mentalism presentations...

i can't give you any advice on per hour - never worked in that scenario personally...my small gigs are/or rather were (until family stuff took over) - a fixed rate for the evening...

well done for getting out there though...

my instincts say, purely for the experience alone, £25 an hour...they book you for two, you give an hour extra for free...just for the first month or two...but thats just what i would do personally, in your situation....

Here is a question.

How do you plan on increasing that money? I am assuming you have a website (cheap and easy to make these days.) and business cards (again also cheap and easy to make.).

Both of those things would most likely help increase your work experience because somebody would see you perform, then after you talked to them, you'd hand them your card, and they'd call you for possibly higher paying gig ( Wedding, Business Party, etc.).

That IS usually what most pro's do.

You should be looking at £100 ish for a few hours (that's only if it is a regular gig) don't look at it as work, instead think of it as advertising yourself. Most of my work comes from restaurants, from weddings to corporate work. Just make sure you have lots of business cards ready and give out as many as you can.

yeah - but I'm guessing that tom wants a mixture of experience, dealing with people, and a bit of money as an extra bonus for now...

he's got plenty of time to go pro...maybe just for now, something small and lowkey might be best...

and there's nothing wrong with him just signing an index card or something and adding a phone-number...

step-by-step and all that...seems a shame to go blustering in with business cards and websites before you are ready...

Just curious, but why is it an insult?

If a person can provide that service at that cost is that not their right to do so? Just because everybody else has tonnes of outgoings and costs that ramp up their charges doesn't mean everybody has to do the same does it? Yes granted the person is maybe undercutting themself in that they could probably ask for more and not be out of line, but if they are happy to work for that amount in order to get work regularly why should that be anybody elses business?

well...maybe some of the full-timers like lee smith can give you a proper answer...

i can't really say what i'd like to on here...

I just have one thing to say, Eshly..

Wear better shoes next time.

IAIN wrote:well...maybe some of the full-timers like lee smith can give you a proper answer...

i can't really say what i'd like to on here...

Regular bar or restaurant work is great if you can get it, and as Tony said look at it as networking and experience rather than the fee. You will never get paid what you get for a regular gig while doing this type of work.

Depending on the type of venue how busy there and how you sell yourself etc will vary on what they can afford to pay a magician.

I have had many residencys the best one being once or twice a week and I was getting £275 for two hours ( tho I always stayed longer) If you show willing and you put in the effort to show as many customers as possible they will be more likely to keep the magic a regular feature and be happy to pay more.

An average residency (in my experiance) Will be prepared to pay around £150 for a couple of hours. (agian if you sell it well you will get more)

I would say charge a minimum of £75 per hour to start and when the venue see's what a difference you can make then you can re negotiate the fee.

Again, I make my money in corporate world and I look at residency's as practice and networking but to be honest I might not be doing the sort of work I am now if it wasnt for my experience and retaurants and bars, and I still meet many of my best client in these venues.

I hope this helps? and I am sure there are plenty of people on here that are able to give you more advice.


Lee.

I could go on and on, but this should give you some kind of idea.

£12 per hour is far too low. It does vary a lot from gig to gig, a regular resturant gig, you can charge less than a one off and it does also depend on where you are in the country. The Londonites will be charging far more than a magician in the sticks can get away with.

There are two problems with asking a low price, one is that it makes you appear ameture and second is that once you've set a price that low, it's very difficult to raise the price in the future.

Congratulations!

I'm with Spooney, well done for getting out there and hopefully finding yourself some work

Don't go into Loch Fyne nervous because you think it is very upper class. I eat in the Kenilworth branch all the time, it's a smashing little restaurant but super upper class it is not trust me! Just thought I'd mention that in case your belief that is too posh for you would make you nervous when you approach the staff.

Ohhh it's not too posh at all, the reason I'm nervous is because it's the PERFECT place to work! Good tips, good atmosphere, no drunkards (give or take a few) and to top it all off the girl I fancy works there. :p

I am in the north, so not a Londonite, and I am thinking of asking for between £25-40 an hour. Think that's good?