In most professions, people are sacrificing a large amount of themselves to go to work each day. They are practically a servant to their boss, and have to do what they say, dress appropriately for their workplace, and worry about letting too much of their true selves shine through. This is not necessarily true of sex work, because women in the industry often feel they are paid to be themselves. Generally, these jobs either have independent contractor status or are completely illegal, and it can seem from the outside looking in, that it is not an actual job.
Except every sex worker knows that it is . . . .
Many women enter into sex work because it is a way to make money that does not involve having to give up as much of themselves as a vanilla job does. Picking your own hours and getting paid on demand ini cash makes it seem less work-like than a square job. But to make money, you have to make the commitment to yourself as your own boss. If you look at your job as owning your own business, it will lead to more financial success.
- Show up on time. Set your schedule and stick to it. If you say you want to get to work at 8, get there. Don’t rush around for house fee changes, or show up after midnight because you were too tired to get there on time. There is no job that would keep you if you showed up three hours late consistently. Be on time for yourself, and money will be there for you.
- Be consistent. Depending on your goals, you will know how much you have to work. If your plan is to be in the industry for one or two years to start a business, or get out of student debt, then it may be more helpful to work everyday. Because you have a short term goal, it would be helpful to work as much as you can, and only with necessary breaks. However, if you plan for sex work to be your career, you may want to work 4 to 5 days a week, use slow nights as your “weekends”, and take quarterly vacations. Use your days off for self care, including learning, exercise, and spending time with family and friends.
- Know what sells to your customers. Everyone has a demographic that they can sell to. A lot of this depends on your age, looks and body type. If your customers are interested in women who wear lingerie, do not wear sporty outfits to work. If you have a younger base, the trendy “instagram baddie” style may work for you. Also, be mindful that many older customers do not like tattoos, so if that is your base you may want to limit the new tattoos you get at least while you are in the business. You cannot possibly appeal to every customer, so make the most out of those customers that will pay for your services. Market yourself to your demographic at all times, so you can reach the greatest amount of sales.
- The greatest advice comes from yourself. You are the queen, and the leader of your own destiny. What I have given here are just some guidelines so that you can start to realize your own potential and become the boss you are meant to be. As you progress, you will start to know what you need to do and what you need to look for. Remember, it is not just about you, but about the customers, who will spend the money on you. Also, remember no man has ever done what you are doing, so taking advice from male support staff (managers, bouncers, DJs) is almost worthless. Though they have been in the surroundings for a long time, they generally do not have any experience in being their own boss (which is why they work for a strip club owner), and do not have much helpful advice.
One of the most important parts of this job is that you run your own business, and you must treat it that way. This is not the dumb college job where you just show up and you are paid $8.00 an hour. You have to be in control at all times, adapt to changes in your workplace, and be intuitive of customer responses. This is a way to make a large amount of money, as long as you respect your work.