Just trying to get an idea if most people are able to actually make a living off this site and hopefully get an understanding on which areas benefit the most.
I am not a pro. Though, I highly doubt they can make a living off of it. Part of the reason many charge like $60/hr. It's not a steady work. So, one doesn't know if any, when they'll get a new client.
Where as for example a little over minimum wage for example: $20/hr. may be more livable if it's a steady work. If full time then it might be livable. If part time then may get someone there half way, and so they need to complete it with other work, etc.
I just saw you are a man. This along with other factors, might decrease your chances. Your location might also decrease, or increase depending on the demand/population/etc. Other factors about you also have the potential to increase/ your chances. Edit: by "chances" I mean how many clients you are able to have thus, impacting how much you make. end of edit.
So, it's not really a simple thing to determine. You can give it a go. Hopefully you get to meet the right people that your service would be of benefit! Vice versa. ?
This is just partime for me, and it’s very off and on. Some weeks I have 3-4 sessions in the works then nothing for 3, who knows why??
I did this full-time for about 9 months while I was recovering from a job I hated and did for 4 years. I didn't really make that much, but that isn't the reason I do this work anyway. I've got a job that pays alright even if right now I can't take as many hours as I want. I intend to never rely on professional cuddling as an actual occupation, because it just doesn't make sense yet - it's just something wonderful that I like to provide my extra time and creative energy to.
In my opinion, this industry is not yet fully fledged for a lot of people to be doing this full-time (at least where I live). I always say that I'd be evicted or homeless if I relied on this to pay my bills, and it's true, because in Calgary and in Alberta as a whole for that matter there is not a whole lot of widespread demand for this. What little demand there is is already being met by either CAPC or Cuddle Party, and they have been around for years longer than I. Plus there is a very active and saturated sex industry to compete with, as well as people who offer "more", and for those who think I need to compete with that, I'm not interested in seeing them. A lot of the inquiries I get don't follow through, or they don't match up with my intents. I've probably talked to hundreds of people over the last 2 years about my services, and do you know how many regular people I've had off-site out of all that? Maybe a dozen or less, and not all of them see me anymore.
I agree with @kleen on the frequency of appointments being unpredictable. Most of my regular clients don't book more than once a quarter, maybe once every couple of months. Some are from out of town and others are financially strapped. Others try it once and decide it's not for them, which is totally fine. Other times, I'm getting tons of inquiries on the ads I post online and maybe out of 20 who send an email, only one will actually get to try out a session with me because the others raised too many red flags. It can be exhausting, it's usually a lot of work for less return - but boy does it feel good to actually have an amazing session with an awesome person. If I accepted every single proposal I've gotten on this website, I'd have at least 15-20 karma reviews by now. Unfortunately, I've got to have some sort of standard and I'm not willing to book with those who make it clear to me that they are not here for the right reasons.
I recently had to move back to my hometown to be with my stepdad while we travel back and forth for his doctor's appointments and whatnot. That's one other reason I can't do this full-time. I have a job here in Brooks as a rehoming/adoption counsellor for the animal shelter. If I (stupidly) chose to abandon that job for something I really can't put on my resume at this time nor rely on for stable income, I'd be kidding myself.
Some harsh truths to keep in mind: *Female professional cuddlers generally get most of the business. *In rural areas, you're unlikely to find any business. *If you live in a metropolitan area with 1 million people or less where there are already many places to go for this, you will have a harder time standing out *If the sex industry is active where you are, you will be bombarded by people migrating from those spaces to our movement, thus resulting in more inquiries and less client turnout *If you can't travel long distances, or can't host, you will have even less business *Cuddling full-time will take up the majority of your free time because of all the behind-the-scenes work it requires *What you make from your business is best spent reinvesting in your business so that you can keep clients interested and coming to your service - don't expect to keep a lot of your money and be successful forever at the same time.
There's a lot more I could say, but I'll top it off with the fact that if you really want to go full-time, prepare to entirely dedicate yourself and most of your free time without a guarantee of ROI.
Thank you for the question, and very clear answer
Welcome to owning a small business in general. Even if the industry were mature the answers would still be the same.