I don't think you would be selling out. I think you should give it a go. There is an up side to working for an agency in any field...less ground work, they bring your business to you and why couldn't you keep your current clients on the side? Just be firm with your schedule requirements and try it out! Good luck!

Flip a coin.

No, don't listen to me.

Maybe the best thing to do at this point is just to get to know the people of "E" and go from there.

i want to be a fly on the wall that is your life.

Is there any obligation? You could always give it a try and see how it goes... Also, make sure you can keep your own independent contacts and appointments.

There's no free ride in our life. You can earn more through the agencies but you also should pay something for that.

Ooooh, this is a tough one, definitely something I've been struggling with myself. Since you are wholly devoted to your career as an escort, maybe you should stick with being an independent. For someone with less time to spend cultivating clients, an agency might be a better fit. But then, I've also heard stories of agencies getting increasingly demanding timewise. And since you started out independent, you might find an agency stifling. But the money and pre-screening is so tempting... Really, you're the only one who can make the decision. Its a crapshoot, for certain.

Would you rather deal with the hassles of the money, scheduling, and other random crap or not?

A good decision process is based on information. It's always best to gather intelligence beforehand. Talk to people who already work for E, or people who know people who work for E. Try to keep a low profile while doing it. You want info that isn't just the usual company line.

What's that? You already thought of that?

Well...alright, then.

I agree on talking to other "employees."

I would suggest some caution. Remember that the agency is getting more out of it than you are.

One question is are you happy with the money you're making now?

Control is the other big risk. Agencies like to have control. That's what gets them started in the first place. They'll want to control what clients you see, what services you perform (to a point).

They also bring some legal power to protect you with. If you get into trouble, they'll cover you. But...there is a reason for that. Flying solo you control your own risk. You know what's legal and what's not, and can choose when to go...above and beyond. Be ready for the agency to tell you to do something that you know better than to do. They'll say, "don't worry, we have an army of abundant and overfed lawyers to protect you."

And, for the record, there are some lines of work where agencies are NOT a benefit.

Do what YOU want. Do what YOU would rather do. Personally, I'd rather work for myslef, answer to myself, bitch to myslef then have to answer to the "Man." Screw that. Be your own person, do your own thing. My 2 cents.

Well all I can say is I wish I was more ballsy and could let myself get into the escort business because I have three little ones to take care of and very little money to do it. As far as your dilemma... if you are happy with the way you work now, no agency, no set schedule, then I'd stay that way. But thats just me. : )

Working with an agency is not like working with McDonalds. Approach this like an executive position with a Fortune 500 company. Learn about the company, decide what you need and expect before hand, decide where you can negotiate, then go for the interview. Never make a decision immediately and never settle for less. Prepare, be professional, and knock'em dead. It is always possible to have your cake and eat it too, start licking your lips.

Play hard to get. They're obviously interested in you. See just how valuable you are to them.

Hello,

I go by the nickname 'The Journo', I would like to take a little bit of your time to tell you about what I do.

The Journo site was created solely on the basis of brushing up on my journalistic skills and furthermore putting myself 'out there'.

I think your site has the potential to score highly.

To submit your website, blog or journal; please leave your site URL via our comment boxes after every entry or send it to my email.

Many thanks,

-the journo

Always remember: the agency is not doing this for free.
If you just keep that in your mind you can always take a closer look at their offer.

Live free, man. Be your own boss.

Hey Alexa,
This seems like a standard job change dilema to me. Try considering the following:
1. Would they be a good company to work for?
2. Find out what other, similar employment oportunities have as benefits/are paying.
3. What do you like/makes you happy about your current job? What obligations (to the employer) are you OK with and what are you not OK with?
4. How much money do you really need / want to earn?
5. Construct your requirements for an IMPROVEMENT in your LIFESTYLE from the above.
6. Take those requirements and demand them (in a nice way) at your interview. This makes you more desirable as they have to compete for you.

This is how I've approached jobs in the past and has landed me some very beneficial work.

as long as it doesn't turn into any other kind of job. otherwise what would be the whole point, you know?

if you're happy where you are, stay where you are. if you don't like answering to anyone and you want to come and go as you please, agency isn't the way to go. if you want to kick back and let someone else screen your shit, and for that give them a cut, etc., then go corporate.

other than the money (which you could make more of i bet by just working more) and the pre-screened clients, what're the other benefits? are they worth the drawbacks?

if it came down to the line between you and some big money client, whose interests would the agency protect?

i'm sure different agencies have different protocols. you want to be with the agency that sees you as an asset, and not a commodity.

what you could do is work for this agency for a while and once you get a steady flow of regulars leave the agency but be sure to give you contact info to all your regualars. then you cut the agency out and still get all the uppercrust clients and you will be making a ton of money,

I would say do what you wish, and I agree with the advice given as such...

HOWEVER!...If you go with agency, since they seem to want you, I would insist on a written document within the contract that both parties have signed that allows you to quit at any moment and keep any money you haver earned. In other words, you can't get penalized or bullied into staying with them if it doesn't work out. It's called CYA baby, CYA. Good luck!

While I've worked for one or two agencies before, I've never worked for an escort service, but I don't se how I would be so ba o o to he interview at least. You could find out about things like health insurance and such, unless you already have some.

To me, frankly, it doesn't sound too terrible. But I don't know how I'd feel about a company that contacted m out of the blue and refused to even discuss any of the financial advantage to signing up with them. That seems kinda sleazy. And as you point out, you're happy where you are, and can choose to work or not. Plus, you don't need to wory about making a good reputation for the company.

But what do you plan to do when you can no longer make enough money to support yourself as an escort? If you work for an agency, when that time comes, is there some sort of, I dunno, retirement package?

I don't really know how it all works, but these are certainly questions that I would be wondering.

I say there is no harm in checking it out and see how legit this woman is. Who knows, you might like it. And if you decide to leave, you might take some new (rich/famous) clients with you.

Stay independent. Lets say, for the sake of argument, that with you working for E Agency, your clients would be paying twice as much. They're paying 2X the usual price for the same product. So, either A)they're paying for the name of E Agency or B)your product is really worth that price.
I say tell the girl from E Agency to take a hike. You'll keep your independence and you'll keep all the money you're working for.
You don't seem to be doing too badly right now and, barring any more incidents like last week, you should do fine in the future via word of mouth.
Heck, maybe you should get some other girls together and form your own agency.

shit, this is an easy one. If you dig doing it on your own and happy with the bills you're paying, fuck working for the Man. I'm just sayin is all.

I don't know enough about what you do and how you go about vetting your clients. You don't need me to tell you you're in a risky business. So as I see it, if they are kosher I would go into partnership with an agency if they could overcome the majority of the risks you're currently underwriting yourself. So they make, that's the trade off for you to be more comfortable and develop what you do. Yes, you'll lose some control but the payback looks a good exchange to me. I'll be honest, you come across as a nice person and friendly too, your blog makes great reading as Belle's did, but your occupation seems more risky than a steeplejack's to me ;-)

You're young, and making lots of money. That's great. But in your shoes I would ask myself a few of questions:
--How long do I want to do this sort of work?
--How many more years can I realistically expect to earn the kind of money I'm earning today?
--How long do I want to put myself at risk in a risky business?
--What happens to my "skill" if I ever want to settle down?

If you're saving a good amount of your money now, and you feel your investments are safe and productive, that's great. If you're NOT saving, you should seriously consider it.

If the Agency offers such things as investment plans, 401K's (can such entities offer such programs? I don't really know), and the like, it might be a way for you to save for the future.

Life is a cabaret, and you're just having a ball, and I think it's great. But don't forget to look ahead to when all this "fun" turns to "work".

Investigate and make sure they pay. A friend of ours did this for a while and only got a quater of what she was promissed.

Try and talk to others that work for the agency. See if what they're saying is infact true.

It sound like what Human Resources does they're interviewing. They make their company look like a dream then upon your first day, you find out you just sold your soul tot he devil...

Maybe that a bit extreme but I think you get my point. References. References. References.

I'd find out if there is some sort of contract or commitment. I'd try it out for a while (just to see) I mean more money and possible hotties is nothing to turn down especially if you're already doing the work now. That way if it sucks you can exit and bring that clientele right back to you and be on your own again. Good luck girlie! ;)

I envy your job for the freedom it provides. I'm not sure that the agency would be the best idea. If you are doing well with money for now, why make a change?

Heidi Fleiss there might have a point, but I understand wanting to be your own boss, too. Hmm, that is a toughie.

oh my god, you guys are SO awesome! thanks for all the great advice - there's a ton of food for thought here. i'll think it over and give you an update sometime next week. love y'all! :)

xoxo,
a

The only thing that I would add to the tons of good advice you got is that if you decide to pass make sure they don't want you either.

Having in mind the risks of your bussiness and that you and they share a very competitive market I would also consider the risks of making ememies.

If you are considered a competitor, they might try to eliminate or harm you so I would try (if possible) to make them think that you are no threat.

You might lose some self esteem, but we all will have lots more to read.

find out if you can set your hours, set your standards so to speak. i am sure they have "contracts" with their "employees" and you can arrange to do what you want when you want. it's worth checking into atleast.

Two words: Health Insurance. If you get a contract and, after reading it you are interested, run it by a lawyer. Get his or her advice and then if they want you see what kind of benefits they have. Is there a potential 401K plan where they can match your contributions? Do they have dental? If not, would they give you Human Resources help to begin one? I don't know how old you are, but you can never begin early enough to think about your future. As a teacher I can tell you that the best reason to teach is for the benefits. Base salary is low, but I live a life that is approaches that of someone who would make %25 to %35 more than my base salary.

Good luck and remember, to an agency you are a laborer. If they treat the other laborers well and take care of them, then it may be worth your while. If they treat you like a woman who, once the wrinkles come and you get a few sags they just chuck you out, then you have already answered one-half of the question. Look around. Are there any older women there? Ask questions. It's clear they want you, so be nosey.

Good luck.

Look into it, make sure you get to know everything you can about the company before hand.
If they look decent, go for it.

I wouldn't do anything to make me lose my independence.

I would be suspicious of how they got your information. And it sounds like they want to interview you, not the other way around. In your line of business, especially since you are doing so well, they should be pursuing you.

But more information is the best way to make the decision. In the end, go with your gut. It won't lead you astray, but I think you know that already!

ok will edit a bit: ogot lost in the intro

"Hello?"

"Are you Alexa?"

A woman's voice speaks.

I wonder, does she want to arrange a threesome with her boyfriend?

"Yes, who is this?"

stay away from kathyrn: one of your clients probably works for the service and is detailing the independents : most services in nyc actually are part of a cartel. the money is funneled through them check cashing joints: often, the agencies are right above the cashing places, the largest one used to be on 32 st on the east side. the money is now marked out the ATM's and tracked through the system to delinate the circulation of illegal trade. this is not a good time to be with an agency as homeland security is coming together towards a crack down on organized crime which may hit prior to the election. Katheryn may also be a cop. so be careful and kind of change your numbers and have your doorman watch out for wierdos. use cabs.

in terms of illness, your odds are better with the average joes you are dealing with. with the agencies, your odds of exposure to gonorhea, Chlamydia, or HIV go up. there are statistics in europe on this.

OK, there is a plethora of comments here and I started to read them to see if I'm repeating what anyone said, but then my ADD got the best of me, so I'll just say what I think (since you did ask) and if someone else said the same thing....to that I say, great minds think alike.

Meet with her so you have nothing to lose. You can see what she/her agency has to offer and then you're in a position to make a well-informed decision.

Good luck

blogger from out there,

thanks for the comments. i incorporated your suggestions into the story. comments are always welcome, especially since i'm new to this whole blogging thing! :)

xoxo,
alexa

If they decide not to pay you for any reason, what's your recourse?

Alexa - my comments will most likely reflect those above in some shape or form, but you need to look at this two ways; a business decision and a life style choice.

Looking at the business decision, what are they offering and what are the costs (note the fancy use of plus and minus signs as I see it):

+ They handle all of the marketing. In your profession, that's probably a tough thing to gauge the value, especially in NYC. But the fact they're doing it, it removes the burden.
+ They're doing the book keeping.
+ They're doing the scheduling.
- You're most likely a subcontractor given the laws of NYS and its view of the profession. This allows E to distance itself as a booking agent only, limiting its risk. I'm not a lawyer, but its pretty easy to see. A contractor means no health plan, all of the book keeping, and a loss of a percentage.
- Will you truly be making more? Yes, they can potentially charge more, but so can you. If you instituted a plan that for every new client, you raised the rate, etc.
- Will you control the clientele? Most likely not, and E is, at its core business, a body shop. How much screening are they going to do.
- Will you control the schedule? Most likely not, and I would bet you spend a lot more time at work.

If you work the numbers, I'm sure the money in your pocket will be more, but most likely not worth the cost to the other aspects of your life. Plus, with the right marketing, and the ever steady, if not increasing need for your type of attention, you should be able to stay plenty busy.

Lastly, as recommended above - save and invest. You sound smart, so most likely this advice is not needed. But in case you haven't done so, find a good accountant who you can work with and put together a realistic living and investment plan. Given your business and the potential for return, I would see no barrier to building a nest egg over a relatively short period of time that you may even be able to live off of the return in a few short years when, perhaps, this career is not as desirable to you.

Damn the man! Freelance is the only way to fly.

I personally would go as follows.

they contacted you, they want you. don't forget that fact, especially if you're anticipating a bit of a struggle over money, power, scheduling, etc. they asked YOU, you didn't seek them out. don't let them lose sight of that.

I would also say scope out the business, but I'd keep no low key about doing it. let them know you're checking them out, but also be suave enough so they don't think you're spending every waking moment searching on google. :) drop a few hints, enough so they're aware but not so much that they think you really give a shit.

I would even go so far as to say, given the fact that she's so confident in her company, that they prove it. it's not enough to hear "we can make it worth your while," fuck that. make them show you before you even sit down to meet.

and I wouldn't call back for two weeks. :) but that's just me. play the power card. if it backfires and they say no thanks, then you've not really lost anything at all, but if they buckle then you're gaining more than you would've had you just said "okay!"

Do what makes you happy. This is often an easier decision than we think. Life is for the living, that means right now.

Make your decision and don't look back. It's worked so far, right?

I'm curious...do they offer health benefits? That would be a big selling point for me if I chose that profession...

Hey, i say, live free.
Be your own boss. Trust me, working with an agency is like having your hands tied. There are rules, what u should/shouldn't do.

Yes, they might provide u with more opportunity, but i feel u have quite a no. of happy clients (tat's how the agy noe u)so, by the word of mouth, i think i'd bring chances too.

Anyway, a hear-say is always more mysterious, more desirable...

Agency make u look like a product..

You sound like such a cool girl. I love your life, you lucky biatch! Keep giving me the good stuff.

Go with it, and if you don't like it quit. Bit of luck you earn a little more and gain a good experience. Best luck, you love it even more than your current life. Either way you're on to a winner.