Tldr of article posted on twitter:
Guy makes ai sex companion of his girlfriend, posts it online, is making decent money, gets some negative press, stripe realizes his business and (obviously) cuts ties. Finally the developer is on a personal crusade as his companion is now apparently a movement or something. Switches to a 3rd party Romanian payment processor.
Downvoted because this isn’t a blog posting sub.
I’ve enjoyed the difference in responses between this post and r/web_design
I’ve enjoyed the difference in responses between this post and r/web_design
I’ve bartended several events under my friend’s company. Actually just got covid from my last gig on Saturday, fun stuff. :/ anyway…
I’m also curious about the best way to advertise my services.
Referral was honestly 100% of their business after the first year. Every wedding you are basically meeting 50-100 people. Make a great impression, and someone will know someone getting married.
Also your website seo and a couple local wedding websites should get you started. Though your first job might be through someone you know personally.
I read somewhere that a good price point for weddings is $4 per person per hour.
Perhaps we had the wrong pricing model, ours was certainly different. We charged hourly for wages, and everything else was quoted based on requirements. If you can make $1600 for 4 hours then go for it!
One job I did was 300 people, 3 bartenders, and we charged $20 an hour (10 hours) and made a little over $600 in tips each (though that’s a rarity in successful tips). We did little to no setup and brought almost no gear. Bartender who set it up pocketed a small fee (under $200) for consultation and getting the crew.
Another job we had 2 of us for 140 people. Same wage, made closer to $300 in tips each. The company though did all of the liquor ordering, mobile bar stand, equipment, plastic cups, setup in the morning, even rented two kegs… basically everything had a cost and a small margin on top of it depending on the workload. The owners didn’t bartend that gig at all, just setup.
If the job was token/tickets or open bar, we charged double hourly wages.
Any and all advice/tips/warnings welcome
Have a detailed contract for starters. Be very clear about what you do and don’t do. We are not being paid to clear tables and that needs to be specified. If you are not supplying glasswear, have it in the contract.
Jobs over 45 minutes away had a travel charge (depends where you live)
Always ask if you are being fed. I’ve yet to not be fed at a wedding.
If event/family is ordering alcohol, discourage having large varieties of beers/cooler/etc. It is a pain to keep cold, stock, and tell guests all night. Anything over 8 unique items basically sucks imo.
It takes experience knowing what amount to order. (Laws vary all over I presume). It’s better to order too much of everything. Anything unopened can be returned (law depending). Sometimes you make a delicious drink (paloma for example), and people start asking and wanting that drink they saw go by. Next thing you know a quarter of the event is drinking them. Family figured there weren’t any tequila drinkers at the event, yet by 9pm you run out. Not cool. (Fine if it’s near the nights end)
Cans are better than 2L. Something to note if family is bringing in the pop.
Finally, say no if need be. You’ll start noticing the cheap clients. They’ll want to take advantage of your service (contracts are key). It’s stereotypically one of the mother’s, and she’ll say “well at this wedding they did this”. Stick to your pricing, and pass on shitty jobs.
Ultimately the company shutdown after 6 or so years. It was a great side business, booked solid, but they decided it just wasn’t scalable. Money was great, but slow in winter and owners wanted their weekends back.
Hopefully that helps. I wasn’t an owner so take my knowledge with a grain of salt.
I get it. Younger years I promoted hard, but realistically my social network was not my target demographic. Sure I got a little extra boost, but my product also wasn’t refined, and I found genuine feedback difficult to receive. Often friends are too kind to give real criticism.
I would say make a post on your Facebook or whatever platform. It never hurts to let people know what you are doing. Don’t direct message friends (I’ve deleted lots this way), don’t make weekly posts (also blocked), spend your time marketing to your actual demographic.
Tldr: yes announce it, don’t spam it.
My digital invoices technically allow for payment through a button click, but I still agree that your clients are using the word invoice wrong.