People who would want more than 1 hour or 2

ThickBeauty97

So I highly support if you want to book. I'm new-ish to the platform. I'm kind of trying to make it a grind as I can't physically hold a job because of my physical disabilities. So respectfully, I'm more so looking for people who want more than 1-2 hours than those who are just looking to cuddle a little bit. If that makes sense.

magpie17201

Just make it buy one hour, get one hour free.
So if they book 1 hour, then they get 2.
And if they book 2 hour, then they get 4.

Auroradream

Well, here's my two cents. I have discounted rates starting at 3 hours. I also let the potential cuddle client know that as they're booking. Or take the one-two hour booking, share an amazing cuddle, and if it goes great, they can re-book or extend the session.
Once you're established as a provider with good karma reviews, it's easier to book longer sessions. All of mine are 2+hours except for the occasional introductory session.
Side note... Cuddles that last over 2 hours require thoughtfulness and planning. A great cuddle atmosphere! It helps if you know someone's favorite music, snacks, pets, etc.

CuddleDuncan

It makes perfect sense because you are right: 2-4 hour sessions are the sweet spot for most people. Unfortunately new clients are understandably cautious about booking long sessions with professionals they have not already met. And there are many clients (like me) for whom cuddling is a very significant expense and longer sessions are not affordable. (Two 1-hour sessions in a month do me a lot more good than one 2-hour session.)

I would suggest a somewhat high 1 hour rate, but with a right-at-the-top-of-the profile offer of some kind for first timers, to encourage the clients you want. But remember that lots of clients will only ever book once, irrespective of how good a session they have or what offers you make: that is their perogative. For example, all one hour cuddles come with the option of a one hour extension for half price.

You are free to have whatever pricing structure you like, and only by experimenting with it will you find the one that works best for you. Use your imagination. You will not achieve perfection, but you can certainly bias your business in one direction or another. Neither will it happen straightaway: it takes time to build a business and clientele.

Some professionals have a strict 2-hour minimum. However, this cuts out a lot of potential clients and from what little I know of you I'm not sure it's the right approach for you. These professionals tend to be higher priced to start with, and look at cuddling as a sideline that's only worth doing if it's sufficiently lucrative.

There is a lot of helpful information in the sticky topics at the top of the Professional Cudding board.

MeltMyWay

I offer a free 30 minutes to add on to their next session if they book 2 hours or more. I also offer that for any clients that have to book a room since I can’t host.

Just remember if you take the suggestion of buy one hour get one free at a higher hourly rate … i believe people can search by the hourly rates so a lot of people will not see your profile if it’s out of their search range and won’t see your message even if it’s at the top of your profile.

I’m in the same boat as you. I had started this as a side gig but am now in a need to make it my only gig, at least til I get through some surgeries and rehab from them and then I can go back to working as a nanny or assistant. I had tons of clients in the beginning (new face I’m assuming was why) but I took a few months off over winter when the family I worked w had Covid then my roommate had it then I had it for 6 weeks. Coming back to it has been really slow. I suggest trying to find an additional way and not rely too much on just this … flow of clients can change rather quickly.

Best of luck!!!

Cuddlesofcuddle

If I was a client searching for a cuddle in your area this thread would definitely keep me from booking with you. It seems like you're Just looking at potential cuddlers for how much they have. Not showing that a cuddle if only for an hr is special or something you enjoy.
The way you come across is important. There is a pro forum where you can ask these types of questions with other pros who share the "grind" mentality.

TeddyCuddle45

I'm glad I got a good cuddler who is compassionate and understanding about pricing, which is why I have no problem tipping when I can. I'm a firm believer in taking care of the people who take care of you. But some of these people ask 250 for an hour, I better be a reborn human for that price. I get it we all want to make money an be compensated fairly, but having some compassion can go a long way as well. Just my two cents. Different spokes for different folks, am I right

@TeddyCuddle45 The pros I have met who charge a lot do so because the market where they are will bear it or because they only want a small number of regular clients. A pro who is charging $250 an hour and getting no business isn't likely to stay at that price.

TeddyCuddle45

@WriterGf hey I can respect that but to me it's ridiculous, my mentality is cuddling is for everyone, so it should be affordable for everyone. Don't get me wrong I could go spend 250 but do the cuddles really justify the price, in my opinion, hell no. I'm kinda looking at it the same way I view selling my art, I could charge a pretentious price, but my work is to be enjoyed by everyone hence I make it affordable for everyone. Yeah some people are gonna charge more that's fine, I just think it's ridiculous. I am by no means trying to insinuate someone is greedy or terrible for charging so much for a cuddle, I just think it's overvalued is all lol.
But that's with everything in life there will always be people willing fork out the big bucks, so take advantage of it if you can.
I also should factor In if someone is just strictly using cuddle therapy, or using cuddle therapy in unison with other forms, I could understand paying 250 if you are only doing cuddle therapy.

But, like art, this is the kind of thing that has no set value. The value is whatever someone is willing to pay for it. If someone is willing to pay $250 an hour for a cuddle, especially if they have the option of other pros who charge less, then it's not overvalued to them.

Personally, I can't imagine paying over $24 million for a Babe Ruth jersey ... but it was worth that much to somebody.

And while I think the idea that cuddling should be free for all is a noble sentiment, let's face it -- pro cuddling only exists because the demand for (particularly) male-female cuddling far outstrips the supply. And I don't see that changing, particularly given the percentage of enthusiast women who end up fleeing this site.

TeddyCuddle45

@WriterGF I completely understand that, but I have my opinions on some things, and other people have theirs, and I respect that. That's the beauty of mature conversation, we can disagree without anger. But like I said there will always be people willing to fork out money, take advantage of it if you can.

starrynitecuds

@ThickBeauty97 Your profile is nearly 2 years old and lackluster. You have no karma. Where's YOUR personality in it? If you want something, you need to work for it, invest in it. It's not going to fall in your lap.

"Small" jobs add up!

You work in the service industry. You need to build your clientele and establish yourself. Dissing clients you think aren't lucrative enough is bad business. I'm not sure who's giving you business advice, but you should probably cut them loose. Anyone who's successful will tell you, as a newbie, DON'T walk away from a potential client because they're too small. The big talkers with grandiose promises are usually just that: big talkers. Here, there, everywhere.

Can you imagine a brand new lawyer opening a practice and saying they only take million dollar cases? Or new event planners who refuse smaller parties? Event planners know the value in developing relationships (which lead to more work.)

My boss makes about $25,000 per month on "small jobs". Those are our bread and butter clients. I love them, there's a good relationship. We don't diss them, especially since we know they are referring us.

Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, 'What's in it for me?'

xandriarain

I specialize in longer sessions I charge $150 per hour for the first three hours and then each additional hour is another $50. If you are looking to make this, your full-time work, your best bet is to get your clients to be consistent. In the long run a client who books and shorter session once a month will bring in more money than a client who books an eight hour session once a year. That being said, I only do sessions that are two hours and longer because I host in office locations and have to drive for each and every session whether it’s in my office or in a clients home. I also do a 30 minute consultation for new clients and I launder and change the bedding for each and every session, so anything less than two hours isn’t worth it for me. But I certainly get a lot of two hour sessions and they add up. If you can get your own website and payment processor and booking software, you can also offer things like memberships and bundle deals, which keep clients coming back consistently.

TxTom

What @starrynitecuds is saying is,

"Better are small fish than an empty dish."

Carrie_Anne

I find it really interesting and enlightening that so many people prefer a longer session. Most of mine are booked/paid as one hour and that was always fine with me. Sometimes it would go longer. I was never a clock watcher. I never set a timer. I think that is rude & disrespectful.
But I’m in a different situation than most of the younger cuddlers in that I have way more spare time. Quite often though, my clients said they really appreciated not being rushed out.

So I let the session naturally evolve, and usually about after an hour + 10 minutes, it was ready to conclude without making a big deal about the time. That always worked for me, Though I’ve also had quite a few two hour sessions and some overnights. But those involved actual sleeping!
I would be pretty uncomfortable trying to have a 3 to 4 hour session Maybe I just am not good at sitting still for a long time! And I would worry about the cost for someone else, I would actually be concerned about someone spending $300-$400 to Cuddle with me! That just seems a crazy way to spend that much money. Yes, a couple of times I did have long sessions. I guess they could afford it and I didn’t question it.
But also, it seems like over that period of time the client might start wanting more and I didn’t want to deal with that.
(But actually, I am a good caring cuddler, believe it or not! Based on my comments here, you may not believe me Read my karma lol)

starrynitecuds

@TxTom that's definitely a part of it!

As a new Pro, I've only had a couple two hour sessions. My rate is on the small side compared to some I've seen here. If I were retired and my children were grown, I'd be more open to overnight sessions. I typically stay about 30 minutes or so over, much like @g_w_t_w . To cuddle someone and leave at the direction of an alarm just seems so impersonal. Just like doctors and therapists, we should absolutely consider how our bedside manner can affect another person. They are more than dollar signs, they're people paying for an intimate service. I understand life can be difficult, and can demand certain costs from us. This does not excuse taking advantage of vulnerable individuals. 250 an hour sounds so terrible. Continuing sessions as I've done so far, I'd make enough extra just to stick back for savings that I otherwise would not have. I will not turn down a one hour session as I know how difficult affording bare minimum service can be. I don't offer discounted services, yet, but for longer hours I'd definitely consider it. I'm still learning, and am open to constructive criticism.

CentralFLCuddle

I never stay in the bed for the entire time when I do 4 hours sessions. We usually change positions every 20-30 mins and get up about every hour for water and pee breaks or a snack depending on the timing. I’d go crazy if I had to stay in the bed the entire time. Heck, even for 2 hour sessions, I usually suggest a quick water or pee break in the middle if it feels appropriate.

xandriarain

Since several of you mentioned watching the clock, I just wanted to add my two cents on this topic. In my experience the clients who frown upon “clock watching” are often the ones who want to push both professional and platonic boundaries and keep you way past your original booking time. Since I am time blind, and there have been times where my clients and I nap together it is essential to have a timer or you could accidentally fall asleep overnight. Furthermore you shouldn’t be apologetic or shy about the fact that you are in fact a professional providing a service and that there are boundaries. There is a graceful way to handle the timer going off. I wear a watch so I can remain cognizant of the time and give my clients a warning that the session is up in about 10-15 minutes. That way they can intentionally choose how they want to end the session and mentally prepare themselves. Now if they are mid sentence when the timer goes off I will let them finish what they were saying and we can always wrap up the conversation as they are getting ready to leave. There have been times where sessions have gone a bit past the timer due to the conversation but it important to have a sense of time and know when the session was supposed to end or you could accidentally go way past the time that was scheduled.
Additionally, setting a timer, allows me to watch the clock less because I don’t have to keep track of the time manually.

sg89

Ok. I don't see a question, this is more like an advertisement.

Carrie_Anne

@xandriarain
First off I’ve always had great respect for you and what you accomplished in cuddling!

Im always sorry when anyone has to deal with improper behavior during cuddling, obviously.
Sorry that has been your experience, but it is completely different from mine so that just goes to show how unique we all are.
They know not to push anything with me. I make that perfectly clear.
It’s just that I like to be relaxed and I want them to be as well. I can’t even imagine staring at a clock or a timer waiting for it to go off during a session.
One thing that I will add, the shorter sessions mean that if someone has bad intentions, they usually don’t have time to get going on that lol.

I think I always wanted to provide a type of Enthusiast vibe, Mutual caring, actually It didn’t always happen and that would get me down.,

(but I needed to be paid for my time and effort, If I wasn’t cuddling, I would have to be doing something else to earn money during my time. And if I had a different job then obviously I wouldn’t be available to Cuddle.)

But again that’s what makes us all unique and we each provide a different experience. I didn’t need to book a lot of sessions, I didn’t need to earn a lot of money, I didn’t consider it a job or a business. I just wanted to be a caregiver.
😊🤗

Carrie_Anne

@sg89
I thought the exact same thing! In fact, a lot of posts from new Cuddlers seem like advertisements!

@Kimset I don't have a dog in this fight, but I have to add I have never met a doctor or therapist who didn't hustle you out when your time was up.

@WriterGF please stop comparing professional doctors and therapists to cuddlers. They went to school for many years to earn their certification.

Carrie_Anne

.

@lonelytauros I wasn't. Kimset made a reference to pros needing to be aware of their bedside manner when it comes to timing, in the same way doctors and therapists have to do theirs. I was simply pointing out that in my experience doctors and therapists are extremely strict when it comes to timing, so maybe not an apt comparison.

TheFunCartel

@WriterGF I think most people have reading skills and saw that you tagged the person comparing doctors and therapists to cuddle pros. It was very obvious. It’s as if if some people went to school for years and still can’t read for context or comprehension. Perhaps we should have certification for that!

Anyway, I enjoy your posts for the common sense and sanity you bring to most threads. And I wish you well in your job search—it is trying out there I know.

@TheFunCartel Thank you, I appreciate the sentiments.

Morpheus

Since several of you mentioned watching the clock

Where are the clock watching comments? The only ones I see are from 2 people @xandriarain and @g_w_t_w Maybe I’m missing them.

Clock watching and setting a timer are two completely different things. Setting a timer is perfectly acceptable but checking the time on your watch or phone every 10 minutes is highly annoying.

starrynitecuds

@Morpheus No experience with the timer/stopwatch thing, sounds annoying. Is calendar-watching a thing? Because I'm IMPATIENTLY counting down the days until my next friendly cuddlerama.

MeltMyWay

Here’s why I set a timer …. For safety a friend always knows where I am, who I’m with and
What time I’m supposed to be done. If I don’t talk to that person within 15 min after my session is supposed to be over they will start heading to the location while trying to reach me by phone. It just so happened once that I got carried away chatting w a client and my phone was on silent instead of dnd … so I didn’t hear my friends calls coming in. He ended up driving to the hotel and had called the client. If client didn’t have a ring tone that said the number calling out loud … then my friend would of been knocking at the door next