How to Get Free or Cheap B2B Services by Brice Ashta
When I entered the dance world, I was clueless – to be honest, I still kind of am – and often got things done by asking other people for help or aiming high and hitting low. The act of self-promotion was no different. While some dancers have had years to establish themselves and their careers and thus have regular income, for many of us, getting a return on our promotional investments (in the form of business cards, fliers, and advertisements) is simply not that simple. In fact, even some of the most established dancers still hold regular 9 to 5 jobs in order to pay for costuming, studio rentals, and travel.
A starting dancer may be looking at tens of thousands of dollars for start-up, between costuming, travel, rental, promotions, and plain ol’ paying bills until they can pay it through dance and related activities. If you plan to become a vendor, the start-up cost is even higher, with inventory and a POS system – plus licensing and insurance. The good news is that some solutions exist for dancers who can’t afford this.
Freebies
To begin with, any new business is entitled to some kind of freebie. Printing companies will send you a few free business card samples so that you will choose to do business with them. Office supply stores often run a promotion for free goodies for individuals, and businesses are allowed to use these, too. Additional savings can come from coupons and rebates, which are often abundant, especially for things like technology. Check out a service like Retail Me Not for easy online coupon opportunities any time you buy a computer.
Sponsorships
Sponsorships are often thought of as a sports-only gig, rather than being in dance. If a football team needs a new facility, they can name their stadium after a company (or simply put up logos) and their home is subsidized. Surfers, skateboarders, and even bicyclists get sponsorships to pay for travel and contest entry fees. Another example is that of cars – many companies will pay people to drive new cars around, if they agree to place the company’s logo on the body of the vehicle.
In dance, however, it simply takes the same principle of giving the company something in return (such as promotional time) in order to get something for free or very cheap: the Bellydance Superstars, for example, are sponsored by MAC for the agreement that they would use and discuss MAC make-up in their Tribal Fundamentals video.
If you decide to make an instructional video and should need make-up, try a local shop, beauty school, or even a national company, for sponsorship. If you are performing, they may sponsor you, as well, as long as you agree to promote them at your convenience and their benefit. The thing about this is that you must pick a company whose products you enjoy, or else you won’t want to use them, or promote them.
Promotional material (for them!)
When it all boils down, the same principle applies almost everywhere: if you earn them more money, they will be willing to spend money on you and a relationship with you.
For a while, I needed promo photographs taken so I could design some fliers and posters (as well as my website). I had never worked with a professional photographer before, so I had no idea what to expect and I wasn’t sure I wanted to pay a lot of money for photographs considering that I wasn’t sure what to do when I had the photos taken.
Fortunately, a week or so later, I was discussing this with one of my friends, who hooked me up with a hobbyist photographer who happened to specialize in taking pictures of people and also had a contest coming up that he needed new entries for.
I agreed to sign a model contract with him so he could enter the contest, if I was also allowed to use the pictures for my own promoting. He agreed, and I got professional-quality photos taken for free.
Websites happen in a similar way. If you need to pay less for your website, ask if the designer would be able to exchange a backlink to their website for a discounted price.
Getting a reduction on your bills is a blessing when you are first starting out (and after that, too). While some people may view trying to get a reduced price as you being cheap, many will recognize it as necessity – something you have to do in order to eat tomorrow – and will bend with you. Do not take cheap and free things for granted, however, and always return the favor. If a promoter helps you, you should offer your services for a lower price when they need an entertainer for a party.
About the Author
Brice Ashta is a tribal fusion belly dancer and writer from Denver, Colorado.
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