Singing telegram team with several performers

Individuals planning surprises, corporate event planners, restaurants and venues wanting entertainment.

You charge customers a set fee per booking and pay performers a share, keeping the difference to cover marketing, costumes and admin.

• Organizing schedules and people
• Marketing and sales
• Judging performer quality and managing reputation

• Check whether your performers count as contractors or employees under your province's rules, as misclassifying can be costly
• WCB/WSIB coverage may be needed once you hire, so check your provincial board
• Commercial general liability insurance that covers the work your performers do
• Public performance music licensing through SOCAN and Re:Sound, so check what applies
• Reputation risk if a performer cancels or underperforms, so keep a backup list
• Check provincial and municipal business licensing, and Quebec's French-language requirements if you operate there

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $500 to $3,000, depending on your marketing, booking tools and insurance. Monthly revenue is estimated at around $800 to $4,000, depending on how many bookings your roster covers, especially on busy dates.

Check whether performers count as contractors or employees under your province's rules, and whether WCB/WSIB coverage is needed once you hire. Also check commercial general liability that covers their work, SOCAN and Re:Sound licensing, business licensing, and Quebec's French-language requirements.

Estimates start at about 10 hours a week for bookings, scheduling and marketing. Useful skills include organizing people and schedules, sales, and judging performer quality. Keep a backup list in case a performer cancels, since reputation is at risk.