Advice on services and what to charge?

[MaristellaMeri]

Hi there,

I'm just starting out on the path of professional mermaiding. There doesn't seem to be anyone else doing it in my area which is good for a start and as a nanny and nursery worker, I know a lot of children and their parents so I've got some contacts already. I'm practicing in my tail regularly and am feeling fairly comfortable in it now and have managed to create and acquire a decent bank of props. I've also started looking into performers insurance so no need to worry about that one! I'm now working on a website and will use social media to promote myself but I am really stuck with deciding on the services I offer and how much to charge. I'd like to focus on children's events and local community events, maybe running underwater themed craft workshops for dry gigs because I have a background in the arts. I don't even know how to begin listing my services and have no idea what to charge around here. I'm in the south west UK so it is fairly rural and relatively affluent but I could definitely not charge as much as if I were in a city. Because no one is doing this or anything similar locally, I have very little to base my prices on. Any advice on how to figure out what to charge and generally what type of services to offer would really be appreciated. Thanks!

[PearlieMae]

There are plenty of resources here on mernetwork...use the search function or the Professional Mermaiding forum index:

http://mernetwork.com/index/forumdisplay.php?37-Professional-Mermaiding

Also "feeling comfortable" in your tail is not enough. For the safety of yourself and others, you need to be a very strong and capable swimmer.

[MaristellaMeri]

I've found the Mernetwork and fantastic resource for advice, thanks for the tip. I've also found Raina's videos particularly useful. I guess I'm hoping for a bit of specific advice from UK based Mermaids about their services and what they charge in similar types of area to mine, hence the post.

Obviously safety is paramount. This is an ongoing process and although I consider myself a competent swimmer, I am well aware I need to ensure I am confident and safe in my tail. I guess what I meant is that I can see I have made progress from my practicing regularly. :)

Anyhoo, thanks for the advice. I'll continue my research on the forums because there is so much information and I'm drinking it up! If anyone from more rural areas in the UK has any suggestions, I'd be greatly appreciative also. Thanks.

[PearlieMae]

Good luck! :highfive:

[MaristellaMeri]

Thanks! It's coming together, slowly but surely! I've decided to base my prices on what other children's entertainers are charging in this area since no one is mermaiding around here and I'm doing a 'test party' free of charge as a favour to a family I work for as a nanny so I can experiment with what things work and do some self promotion along the way! It's exciting!