Wow, noticed bookings have gone down down down for all Entertainers in my area (including myself). Through these tough economic times, what can we do to keep our businesses (Entertainment) going? I am getting ready to cut my fees (just like so mnay of my fellow entertainers have)just to get work. What are some strategies to get work for ours shows in these hard times? I'm thankful that I use Axtell puppets in my magic shows, at least that makes me unique and different!

1. Send Christmas cards to your old customers wishing them a prosperous New Year. Include a couple of business cards for them to pass on to clients that may need entertainment.

2. If you do lower your fees I would suggest a "Schedule next year's show by the end of this year and get 20% off." (Or whatever selection.) This gives an urgency to scheduling for next year and you will be able to piggyback off of these earlier bookings as well. For example if a school books you early you won't mind giving them a discount because you can contact other schools near them for the same day.

3. Phone calls: "Hello. This is Tony Borders, the ventriloquist. I was with you in 2006 and just wanted to let you know about my newest website at www.TonyBorders.com." As you plan your calendar please let me know if I can be of service again. Thank you, and have a Happy New Year!

1. Although I wouldn't recommend it, another option is to have a NO RISK show. Book a show and have tickets sold. You keep the first X amount of dollars that come in and then split anything beyond that with them as a fundraiser.

2. Have an anniversary price. "I have been doing shows in the area for the past 5 years. To celebrate I am slashing my fees back to the price I was charging in 2003, when I was first trying to get known in the area! You are getting experience for the price of a newcomer! It's like getting Michael Jordan for the price of a rookie!"

Ron is going to get onto me for posting the same concept in multiple stages, but I can't think of everything at once.

Another marketing idea: Let people know about your NEW show or a new character that has been added to your show.

Have a "Name the Puppet" contest with some of the schools you have been to before. The name chosen will earn a free assembly for that school. If more than one school submits the same name then the school that sends the form in first (or respons via your website first) with the winning name will be chosen for the free assembly.

Do free shows with these other entertainers and get free publicity. Comedy night fundraiser. Belly Laughs. A Magical Holiday. etc. Admission is $6 per person, or $15 per family. Bring a canned food item and receive $2 off the admission price!

The trouble is if you cut your fees and the phone's not ringing then you are going to lose.My plan for 2009 is to make a bigger show that i can charge more for. The people with the real money are les hit than your average punter. At least that's my plan but I'm also going to be as flexable as possible.

I was finding birthday parties dropping off dramatically and so I switched focus and now kick myself for not doing it sooner. I now focus on family functions, schools and libraries now and have been getting bigger and better shows since.

I am busier this Christmas than I have been for the last few years. Since I started marketing to schools and libraries, I have done a bunch of preschools with more to come. I also just booked a tour of 29 libraries through the interior of BC for next summer.

I am doing fewer shows but making more money.

I have also been finding ways to get in the paper and have gotten some good exposure lately.

It's really simple - if area stops working, shift the focus and market harder, including as Tony said, past clients.

Marketing is a percentage game. If you send out 1,000 letters to school you may get a 1 or 2 % response. If the economy is down the percentage goes down (and the postage goes up). You just need to enlarge your BORDERS!

Congrats on the library bookings so early in the game, Neale! A good time for a library mailout in California is January and February. We have library showcases that cover half the state so the mailout needs to come BEFORE the showcase. If you're in the showcase you can say, "Look for me at the showcase." But few of our libraries schedule summer shows until February. (Not always the case.)

Libraries choose by the medium and by your referrals. They don't mind if you are new, but you must have some great referrals. If you don't have them then offer to do a couple of free shows. (You can actually just book the room for free and advertise the show yourself) and get quotes from the parents and kids after the show. You can advertise the show in a Parent Monthly publication and in the newspaper's calendar section. Our newspaper has an online calendar for entertainment that is a must.

I agree that all marketing can be a numbers game. My point was that if one market is slowing down, change focus and maybe take the marketing up another notch.

I do agree with you, Neale. It's the spinning plate type of work. If we can't make 6 figures (buy the book to see how) doing one thing you may be able to find 5 things that will each bring in 20,000. So think, "What could I do as a part time job that would pay 10,000 per year or more?"

One thing that was not mentioned is that you can cut your time and offer a cheaper show. Bronze, Silver, Gold packages for example. Bronze is a 30 minute ventriloquism show. Silver is a 30 minute ventriloquism show AND 15 minutes of magic! Gold is a Silver Show PLUS a gift bag of magic tricks (or whatever) for a dozen partygoers. Additional gift bags available for $ each.

The GOLD package could be a balloon animal for each child (TAKES TIME) after the show.

The point is, you have three different prices so you are likely to book one of them. I have never done this, but I may consider it very soon. Many people have good success in booking the deluxe show.