Many years ago, an enterprising woman saw the need for organizing the many facets of promotional modeling done within the various department stores in New York City. No one had thought of using an agency, because promotional models could be supplied from the few who had experience in the field, and at that particular juncture, there were only a handful. Those models were to promote the product as well as model it. The market was expanding so rapidly that there simply weren't enough trained people to fill the need. The entrepreneur started to collect the names and telephone numbers of the women whom she knew had done a little modeling; she contacted some who she thought would suit the needs of the companies who would hire the models. Due to the demand being by the week or even by the day, her agency had a nice little business going in almost no time at all. The models merely registered and then were contacted when this sporadic work arose. There were dozens getting work through this agency daily, whereas everyone without an inside connection had to scramble around looking for work through the manufacturer's offices every Monday. It really was a great idea; it benefited models and the companies that needed these particular models on short notice. The fees were usually a small percent of the daily income, as almost all of this type of promotional live modeling was and is paid by the hour. This particular agency is the simplest and least complex of them. The agent was continuing her work as a promotional model and supervising the agency as well. Specializing in a certain field worked for her because she knew that field very well.
This pattern has occurred repeatedly in people's transitions from modeling into owning agencies or managing models. The model who believes that he or she has a knack for business (and that is strictly what agents are all about) could put to use all the experience from the modeling years.
CREATING AN AGENCY
You will probably start with renting or buying some business space. If you plan to have several divisions within the agency, you will need a reasonable amount of space. If you intend to specialize, you can get by with as little as one room with a receptionist, secretary, booker, and you! The bare necessities are the needed equipment. How you attract your clients and models will be your most challenging problem, due to the intense competition.
You have to make certain that your chosen location will have the aura of chic, as that is the product that you are selling. If your office is too far from a high-class neighborhood, neither clients nor models will take you as being adept in your field. Organization is very important, too; you want to keep close track of your models and your clients.
If an agent isn't extremely busy, he or she will be out of business. Working on a percentage can be a pittance unless you represent hundreds of models on that percentage, and then you can be assured of more than a lovely income.
As a model who plans to enter the business world, you have to arm yourself with a completely different way of thinking. You will do well to take a few business courses and scan the general information in the course offerings from business schools. There are also advisory boards whose members are retired business executives. Their wisdom could guide you onto the right path without endless trial-and-error.
Financially, you will have to consider the rent, telephone, receptionist, bookkeeper, secretary or two, advertising, cost of furnishings, salaries of employees, taxes, many booking and telephone operators for your models and clients, and general office and business machines. You should visit an agency or two comparable to the type and size of the agency that you are planning. As a current (or past) model, you have a good idea of the inner workings of an agency, but if you've been working as much as most models, there are a lot of details that would have slipped by you. That was what you were paying your agent to do, to see to the smooth running of the agency so that you were free to do your end of the work.
Many modeling agencies in the large cities are located near one another. The most chic area of the city usually is where you'll find them. Unfortunately, that means that to move near them, you'll have to pay the highest rents.
The modeling business being what it is guarantees tough competition among modeling agencies for the advertisements. The money to be earned is so stupendous that every agency is vying for a larger and larger slice of the pie. If they weren't aggressive, there wouldn't be any jobs for you or them, and they'd be out looking for other work if they couldn't handle the struggle for power.
It is not really possible to know if you have the type of personality that can cope with all the wheeling and dealing, but it's certainly not a consideration to take lightly unless you are planning to have the one and only agency in an entire area.
STARTING A MODELING SCHOOL
Owning a modeling school could be a great deal of fun, accompanied by equally hard work. Depending on its location, a school could need certification from state boards and from local boards. To find out the requirements in your area, write to your state's capital for that information. A modeling school is also considered a business and thus has to pass certain standards according to the Bureau of Consumer Frauds and Protection and the Better Business Bureau.
In New York State, "dancing, music, pure or fine art, dramatic art" need not be licensed by the state, according to the New York State Education Law, Section 5001. This ruling pertains to New York only and thus should be a consideration for anyone contemplating the opening of a modeling or charm school in New York State. Other states have different requirements.
You have to judge whether the area in which you want to locate will support a school of this nature. In some areas, you might find a mere handful of students, which would necessitate your expanding the school to teaching other curriculum, expanding to include other age groups, or folding. The possibilities all should be carefully weighed before investing a penny. Some sections of the country still do not take any interest in fashion.
After you have tested the waters and found the area to be amenable to the idea of a charm or modeling school, select the location and amount of space accordingly. You may hope to get contracts for advertising from local merchants after you produce a few polished models who could work for them. This bit of confirmation might help you decide if expansion plans could be part of your near future.
What courses will you offer? Can you teach them all yourself? If this is to be a very small enterprise, then you probably can do the instruction.
Finances should be a major consideration. It may take quite a while to get out of the red. Schools can be very successful, but expenses can also be high-rent payment, insurance, telephone bill, receptionist, advertising, textbook (usually one of your own making), electric bill, rental for video equipment, cameras, makeup, faculty (usually professionals in specialized areas), and allotted amounts for guest lecturers to keep the instruction up-to-date. Fashion itself is only that if it is fresh and new.
Publications on fashion around the world also have to be included in the budget. Imported periodicals are very expensive, but they are so important in learning where fashion is established and what each country contributes to the overall look that is created. Exposure to the fashion world should include both imported and domestic publications.
Instructing is very different from modeling, of course. Patience is indispensable, and the desire to help someone else to learn and understand is the priority. If you think that you would enjoy teaching, you could even do some volunteer work in that area. Though it obviously would not be like giving your own courses, it might provide insight into a field that really is not known for its ease. There have been hundreds of masters in their own select fields who not only realized that they were miscast as instructors but also truly hated the teaching end of the professions that they adored as performers.
Give serious thought to the possibility of running a school; then if you still feel that you'd like to try running a school but loathe the instruction part, you could hire instructors and enjoy the administration end of things.
HOW MUCH COULD BE MADE FROM OWNING OR MANAGING A MODELING SCHOOL OR AGENCY?
The smallest agencies in the tiniest towns make the most insignificant incomes in their chosen fields due to a limited clientele and, often, lack of general interest in fashion. When you look into the possibilities of opening a modeling school or agency, look through the past few years of the local Yellow Pages and see how many schools and agencies have not continued to exist in your area. There may be very good reasons why the area does not have any modeling establishments. The economy has caused hundreds of these businesses to fold in the past few years. Agencies and schools of modeling that were fairly well established have suddenly disappeared from sight. So thoroughly investigate any area where you think that a modeling business may be just the thing. There is potentially a great deal of money to be earned in the business end of this field. The cleverer you are, the better your chances of success.
A modeling agency in a small town could make as little as $20,000, while a modeling school could possibly do the same or better. A medium-sized city would have more people from which to draw both students and clients. For an agency to survive, there have to be both merchants in goodly numbers and models from which the client can choose. The risks are greater and so are the potential profits.
To give you an idea of how an agency makes its money, consider the following: An average model in a medium-sized city is currently making about $15,000 per year. The agency should have at least a few dozen models capable of this income. The agency collects between 20 and 25 percent of their job incomes as its fee. Given all the expenses of running the business of the agency, the money could be pretty tight. Certain areas of our country are still doing a large amount of the entire modeling industry. New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, and a handful of the middle-sized cities are the main hubs. These centers seem to be the better business spots for starting an agency or a school of modeling, although you also encounter greater competition from other existing schools and agencies by locating there.
Several famous models have opened their own agencies in these largest of cities and are doing very well. In fact, many of the most well-known modeling agencies in New York City are owned and run by former models. They are very successful businesswomen and extremely adept managers. Supermodels are rare, but super-modeling agents and their agencies are even rarer. However, you may be that one in millions who has the shrewdness and business sense to start a large agency and keep it afloat.
There are also smaller agencies, specialist agencies, and even an agency run as a franchise. You might want to consider these possibilities, too.
The most popular franchises are the modeling schools, and the income in these would depend greatly on your ability to attract students. There would obviously be better locations than others. These schools are scattered over the fifty states, as required by the population centers. The lowest-paying ownerships or franchises would run around $25,000 per annum, and the largest incomes in owning your own modeling agency would be well up in the millions.
Owning a modeling agency is not everybody's forte. The stress is incredible and the competition deadly. You may want to look into possible related work other than owning or managing a modeling facility, but you are your own best judge. There are very successful agents out there. You may have it in you to be one also!
