The Business Behind the Show

The audience sees the performance. You know what it took to get there.

The emails. The negotiations. The travel arrangements. The rehearsals. The money you spent before you earned anything.

In my first post, “Why I Built MYSHOWBIZ for the Age of Ownership,” I shared how booking my own tour led me to build MYSHOWBIZ. I needed a better way to handle all of that while still having time to create and live my life.

Maybe you’re feeling that same pressure.

Here are five places to start making ownership practical.

1. Give people one place to find your work

Someone asks about booking you. What do you send?

Facebook? Instagram? YouTube? Your website? A handful of links and instructions on where to find your best material?

I’ve had to think through that myself. I want someone to see what I do without making them search for it.

Your MYSHOWBIZ profile brings your bio, media, credits, links, and booking contact information together on one page. You choose the material that tells your story and shows what you can bring to an audience.

When you confirm a gig, MYSHOWBIZ asks whether you want it posted to your profile. You decide what becomes public.

Take a look at what you’re sharing now. If someone wanted to book you today, could they easily find what they need?

2. Know what you’re taking home

A booking fee can sound good until you add up the costs.

Musicians. Travel. Hotels. Rehearsals. Equipment. Promotion.

I need to know what’s left after I’ve paid for everything it takes to deliver the show. Otherwise, I can work hard, stay busy, and still wonder where the money went.

Some shows are worth doing because they introduce you to a new audience or help build a relationship. But I want to understand the cost before I make that choice.

Keeping track gets harder when you’re on the road. You pay for gas, grab a meal, check into a hotel, and suddenly you have receipts in your pockets, your bag, and your inbox.

With the MYSHOWBIZ receipt scanner, you can scan receipts as you go instead of saving a pile to sort through when you get home. Keeping those records together makes it easier to review your expenses and prepare for tax time.

Start with your most recent gig. Put the income and expenses together, then ask Coach:

“Help me review this booking and see what’s left after expenses.”

And on your next trip, scan each receipt while it’s still in your hand. It’s one less thing to catch up on later.

3. Get clear about the deal

When someone wants to book you, it’s exciting. You’ve worked to get that opportunity, and you want it to happen.

But there are questions worth asking before you say yes.

Is it a guaranteed fee or a door split? Who pays for marketing? When is payment due? What happens if the show is canceled? Can the venue record your performance or use your image afterward?

Those details affect what you earn and what you’re responsible for.

Upload an agreement and Coach helps you work through it and prepare questions or proposed changes. You can also upload previous contracts to give Coach more context about the deals you’ve done before.

You stay in control of what you ask for and what you accept. If you need an attorney or another qualified professional, you can go into that conversation better prepared.

Pull out your last contract and see how many of those questions it answers. If something is unclear, make a note to ask about it before your next deal.

4. Keep your booking inquiries and calendar together

A booking inquiry comes in, and the first question is usually simple: “Are you available?”

But answering means checking more than the performance date. There may be a rehearsal, a travel day, or another conversation about that same weekend. I need to know what I’ve already committed to before I offer someone a date.

MYSHOWBIZ brings your booking inquiries and schedule together, including events from your connected calendar. As an inquiry moves toward a confirmed gig, you can keep track of where it stands and how it fits with your other commitments.

For me, that means less jumping between messages and calendars, trying to remember what I told someone.

Next time an inquiry comes in, check the days around the date before you reply. Give yourself enough time to prepare, travel, and arrive ready to do your best work.

5. Decide where you want the work to take you

It’s easy to chase the next booking without stopping to think about where all those bookings are taking you.

Do you want to tour more? Work closer to home? Develop a new show? Earn enough to bring someone onto your team?

Your answer can change which opportunities make sense.

If you want to build an audience in a new city, a booking there may deserve extra consideration. If you want to finish a recording, you may need to protect time for it before filling your calendar with more shows.

Ask yourself:

“What do I want the next six months to make possible?”

Then ask Coach to help you work through the steps. You may need to update your materials, revisit your fees, reconnect with buyers, or make time for a project you’ve been putting off.

Choose one goal and one thing you can do this week to move it forward.

Start with what’s in front of you

You don’t have to organize your whole career in one afternoon.

Update your profile. Scan a receipt. Review one agreement. Check your calendar before replying to an inquiry. Take one step toward your goal.

That’s how you begin to get a handle on the business.

MYSHOWBIZ brings those pieces together, with Coach helping you prepare, understand your options, and decide what needs your attention.

You’ve already put years into your talent. You deserve support for everything it takes to keep that talent working.

You are the star.

In my next post, I’ll share more about working with Coach and the questions I bring to it in my own career.

Start your workspace at MYSHOWBIZ.com.

MYSHOWBIZ. Where Creativity Means Business.

By Elijah Rock, Founder and CEO of MYSHOWBIZ