Several questions I'd like advice on

[kcmckay]

This is very long I'm sorry but read on at your own risk

Ok here is the backstory. I've been doing PC for close to 2 years now. I love it. I started strong and fell off but kept it going. Went inactive first summer an reactivated in August. Kept Active since with at least a catalog show each month. It seems I've never had more than 2 shows hold a month and usually only one is a cooking show. I'm looking good as far as active status right now. I have 2 shows on books for Sept though one might fall off, still trying to contact host. I've got 2 for October and 1 in November. I'm not too worried about december yet.

So on to the topics. I'd really planned to focus on the business and find recruits and try my heart out to earn Disney. Well this week I was on vacation from my other jobs and didn't too much with PC!:eek: I know not my original intention. However I guess I just needed the break. I work at a bank Full Time and also work PT in a subb shop. I was working 2 nights and Sunday mornings. I cut a night out for sake of PC. Also starting Monday I'm doing a boot camp excercise thing for 9 weeks Monday and Wed. We are also in the process of looking to buy a house. We are in crunch mode on house because we'd really like to qualify for the tax credit. I also took some time during vacation to pack up some things that are non essentials to save time when I'm back to being busy busy.

Ok so my dilemma with PC is this. I want to continue but kind of want to slow it down a little. I really need to focus on the house right now. Once we find a house and get settled hopefully (well with my say definitely) with my very own PC office space where I can truly get organized I will refocus on PC and work harder on my goal to make that the FT breadwinning job for me.

I'm still going to focus and do the best shows I can and work at getting bookings. However, I don't want to have so many that it's too much. I basically need advice on following:

How do I control my schedule without losing potential hosts?

How do you manage to only work the nights that you are available?
Ex. I changed my night to tuesday and 2 of my hosts couldn't do any other night of week that I could do. I had planned on thursday, Friday and Saturday to be my show nights that I was available. But I didn't want to lose 2 shows!:(

Will potential recruits actually want to sign under me when I'm slowing my momentum down?


Thanks any and all advice is welcomed.

[Judybabe]

As far as the scheduling of nights goes, just have your calendar there and block off "Taken" the nights you are not available. Use sticky notes. don't explain that you are working other jobs, just that these nights are free and these are 'taken'. Or try saturday afternoon for a show.

I don't think with your current averages of shows you will have a problem getting over booked. Your calendar will reflect that and stretch out the shows as you can manage them.

Good luck on the house.

[NooraK]

The good and bad thing is that the days you have shows on tend to breed bookings for that same day. If you have a show on a Tuesday, the guests there are likely to book a Tuesday because they're free (they came to the show right?). It's hard to get there, but once you're there, you'll be good.

To get there, like Judy said, just let them know these are your free dates. Start by asking "would you prefer a weekday or a weekend show?" If they say a weekday, then say "I do my shows on Thursdays and Fridays, which would work better for you?"
"Friday"
"OK, I have the 18th and the 25th available, which would work better for you?"

If you control the conversation, you control your calendar. If you just ask "when would you like to do your show?" you leave it up to them, and you have no control.

[raebates]

I do exactly what judybabe and Noora said. I ask either/or questions. I mark my days as "unavailable." They don't need to know why I'm unavailable. I just am. Don't be afraid to stick to your guns. Don't explain. Jsut tell them what you have open and let them choose.