I’m sure that your local Yellow Pages have several booking agents for all types of talent.
Why not call them and act as if you’re a host of an upcoming party and would like to see if they have any celebrity look alikes available.
This will give you a good idea of how many of the local agencies even handle this category and what your competition might be like. You can also find out what they typically do at an appearance and how much is charged.
Keep good notes and once you’ve gathered all your info, call asking what their procedure is for hiring performers.
I work as a children’s entertainer and when moving to a new location, this gives me a baseline for local rates and how much competition exists in my category. Obviously, the first time I call as a potential host of a party, I block caller ID.
When I lived in Philly there were several different agencies that had Ben Franklin impersonators available. But afaik there wasn’t an agency that limited itself to ONLY impersonators.
In Vegas that would be feasible financially but I doubt it would be in most of the rest of the country.
Are you anywhere near the Mouse’s kingdom? If so, there should be no lack of agencies.
In the rest of Fla. It really depends on population size.
The other possibility is to look if there are any acting schools or places offering acting classes. They would likely be aware of which agents/agencies have a good reputation and treat their talent fairly.
From my experience, not every one/place which lists itself as an agency is someone you would want to be working for.
Another thing to keep in mind is that people in other talent categories such as magicians, clowns, tarot readers, face painters, etc. can also be a good resource for you and a phone call to any you can find couldn’t hurt.
Since you are not direct competition for them, most should be willing to give you accurate info on local talent agencies, rates etc.
Look for their ads in Pennysaver or free Parents magazines or on the free bulletin boards in supermarkets. Also, if a magician, for example, can afford a yellow pages ad that likely means he’s had enough experience and success to be a source of good info. Same for clowns, etc. Most local people who are in the business are usually pretty friendly since they encounter each other at larger events and usually helpful to newcomers who are not their direct competition.
But you should definitely try to find out how many other Mariah look alikes working professionaly within about a 2hr. drive radius from you and what the going rate is.
The first step in starting any business is to do market research for your local area. It will serve you well for the future.
Good luck.
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