Wonderhussy wrote:
My current business model:

Thoughts from fellow models and photographers?

I think what your posting means is I should be scheduling a trip with you because of the great value. What the weather like in November?

Wonderhussy wrote:
Is this a fair price? Recently I've had several people tell me I'm selling myself short, and that I should double this rate. But I'm not sure the market would bear that.

Are the people telling you this the people who actually book you or are these just friends and family or people who follow you on FB or read your blog telling you this? The reason is, it's very easy for people to tell you to charge more when they aren't paying for it.

The ultimate question then, when it comes to understanding your market, is if someone is willing to spend $500, are they willing to spend $600? If they are willing to spend $600, are they willing to spend $750? Only you can answer that question.

The truth is, you have a very loyal following of GWCs on your blog and FB page, and these guys lap up everything you do like starving dogs. As such, these guys just say anything as a means of desperate adoration toward you. Not that it's a bad thing per se...you've captured a very good market in Vegas with these guys who travel from far and wide who want to shoot with you, but ultimate question to any of these people who say you should be charging more is, "OK, if I should be charging more, then when would YOU like to book a shoot at $1000?" That's the key. It's easy to be an armchair quarterback when they don't understand your business model or don't understand your market.

Personally, for what you do, I think $500 is a great rate and a fair rate, but you can always add on things to that to get the price up a bit. I know you are using your gopro a bit more now. Perhaps offer a service where, for $50 more, you can setup the gopro on a stand and record their shoot for them? Since you have their contact information, another idea might be to make a calendar at the end of the year with some cool photos you've shot that year and sell it to these guys for $25/each. This helps them remember the cool time they had with you AND it helps with your marketing to get you booked again with these guys the next time they come to Vegas...hell, they would be looking at you every day for a year!

So just raising your prices is very short-minded thinking. There are many other ways to make money from your clients other than just charging more on the front-end.

Dorola wrote:

I think what your posting means is I should be scheduling a trip with you because of the great value. What the weather like in November?

When I have been to shoots in the nearby Arizona desert in November the temperature has been in the 70s to 80s.

Wonderhussy wrote:
Is this a fair price? Recently I've had several people tell me I'm selling myself short, and that I should double this rate. But I'm not sure the market would bear that.

Shot By Adam wrote:
Are the people telling you this the people who actually book you or are these just friends and family or people who follow you on FB or read your blog telling you this? The reason is, it's very easy for people to tell you to charge more when they aren't paying for it.

The ultimate question then, when it comes to understanding your market, is if someone is willing to spend $500, are they willing to spend $600? If they are willing to spend $600, are they willing to spend $750? Only you can answer that question.

The truth is, you have a very loyal following of GWCs on your blog and FB page, and these guys lap up everything you do like starving dogs. As such, these guys just say anything as a means of desperate adoration toward you. Not that it's a bad thing per se...you've captured a very good market in Vegas with these guys who travel from far and wide who want to shoot with you, but ultimate question to any of these people who say you should be charging more is, "OK, if I should be charging more, then when would YOU like to book a shoot at $1000?" That's the key. It's easy to be an armchair quarterback when they don't understand your business model or don't understand your market.

Personally, for what you do, I think $500 is a great rate and a fair rate, but you can always add on things to that to get the price up a bit. I know you are using your gopro a bit more now. Perhaps offer a service where, for $50 more, you can setup the gopro on a stand and record their shoot for them? Since you have their contact information, another idea might be to make a calendar at the end of the year with some cool photos you've shot that year and sell it to these guys for $25/each. This helps them remember the cool time they had with you AND it helps with your marketing to get you booked again with these guys the next time they come to Vegas...hell, they would be looking at you every day for a year!

So just raising your prices is very short-minded thinking. There are many other ways to make money from your clients other than just charging more on the front-end.

This strikes me as being VERY wise advice.  He is suggesting that you upsell an existing customer rather than raise a barrier to acquiring customers.  I do think, though, that the calendar idea is worth more than $25.  Adam, I hope you're teaching a marketing course at UNLV.

Managing Light wrote:
This strikes me as being VERY wise advice.  He is suggesting that you upsell an existing customer rather than raise a barrier to acquiring customers.  I do think, though, that the calendar idea is worth more than $25.  Adam, I hope you're teaching a marketing course at UNLV.

Nope, but that's where I attended my marketing classes! Thank you!

Wonderhussy wrote:
My current business model:

For a $500 day rate, I will pick up a photographer from his Vegas hotel and drive him around the desert for 8 hours total, stopping at three unique desert locations to pose nude (red rocks/slot canyons, dry lake bed, abandoned industrial site). Total shooting time at each location around 1.5 hours. I drive, and will even cover gas (most of the time, the photographer ends up filling my tank for me, but it is not a requirement).

Is this a fair price? Recently I've had several people tell me I'm selling myself short, and that I should double this rate. But I'm not sure the market would bear that.

My understanding is that most full-time freelance nude models charge around $100/hour...which is basically what I'm charging, if you go by total shooting time. But at the same time, I am (to my knowledge) the only model who does this kind of thing in my area (I understand that most women would not be comfortable spending an 8-hour day in the middle of nowhere with a complete stranger).

Thoughts from fellow models and photographers?

It is nice to see a business savoy model appears on MM.  Good for you.  I would not want to sse you rise the price but rather make it ever better values for both you and the photographer.

Team up with another model and add one more photographer.  It will make two teams.  It will give twice amount of opportunity for the paying customer, and add value to business model.   

Just a reminder, hire the model yourself and make sure the non-compete agreement is in place.  You don't want anyone to steal your ideas and your clients. 

Good luck. 

Wonderhussy wrote:
My current business model:

For a $500 day rate, I will pick up a photographer from his Vegas hotel and drive him around the desert for 8 hours total, stopping at three unique desert locations to pose nude (red rocks/slot canyons, dry lake bed, abandoned industrial site). Total shooting time at each location around 1.5 hours. I drive, and will even cover gas (most of the time, the photographer ends up filling my tank for me, but it is not a requirement).

Is this a fair price? Recently I've had several people tell me I'm selling myself short, and that I should double this rate. But I'm not sure the market would bear that.

My understanding is that most full-time freelance nude models charge around $100/hour...which is basically what I'm charging, if you go by total shooting time. But at the same time, I am (to my knowledge) the only model who does this kind of thing in my area (I understand that most women would not be comfortable spending an 8-hour day in the middle of nowhere with a complete stranger).

Thoughts from fellow models and photographers?

I know the rumor is that most free lance models make that rate but, I don't think full day rates would equal out to that hourly rate. I also agree that if you currently have a market, then why price yourself out of it. Could be your rates that are keeping you busy in the first place.

edit: Whoa, you are the model, in that case, yes, I think you could increase your rate but, I wouldn't double it. Maybe just up it some and then ask the photographers, (as part of pre shoot negotiations,) to first fill up your tank and purchase water to drink before you head out to the desert, (logistical things that will help!)

Jen

barepixels wrote:
why not slowly increase your price and see if the demand drop off?

For what she is offering She can get double that. The point being she is throwing out there a extreme bargain.

Caitin Bre  wrote:
Update please
How is the offer going?

I'm hoping that she's too busy working to respond...