2024 is over, the New Year is here, and you’re ready to get started with a bang!
But hang on a minute. Your bookings are motionless, and your cash flow is at a standstill. Where are all the clients?
January can be a difficult time for any self-employed individuals, including sex workers. In this blog, we’re looking at how you can navigate the month and the drop in income without panicking.
Why January can be a quiet period for sex workers
January can be an extremely quiet month across all industries. People tend to spend more in December and then save or get by without excess spending until the all-important January payday.
This means less money spent on eating out, entertainment, clothing, and sex work services.
Think of it this way: if a punter has overspent in December while celebrating Christmas and the New Year, they won’t have as much disposable income to spend in January. They’ll have to wait until their next wages come in.
Of course, this can be very frustrating for sex workers, especially if your income has dropped way below the usual amount.
But it’s critical to remember that this pause is temporary. Most sex workers experience a drought in January every year, and it always picks back up after a few weeks.
Planning for quiet moments in January
January is more or less always a quiet month, so many sex workers plan in advance to ensure you have enough income or extra marketing to get them through the month.
We’ve spoken about how to survive quiet periods before, but the advice is necessary to briefly repeat – especially for those who are experiencing their first New Year as a sex worker.
To get through January dips without stress, you can:
- Put money aside months beforehand to cover your living expenses
- Ask clients about January bookings a month or two in advance
- Gently nudge long-term clients at the start of the month to tell them your availability
- Do more marketing (e.g., on social media or OnlyFans) to pick up last-minute clients
What if you haven’t planned for a quiet month?
It’s all good and well to know how to prepare for a quiet start to the year, but if it’s already January and you haven’t planned, there’s no use being told you should put money away in advance.
Firstly, don’t panic. It might seem stressful right now, but you will make it through the month and have enough to cover your basic expenses.
Escorts who haven’t planned for a quiet January can supplement their income by creating extra OnlyFans content or exploring online sex work. These avenues allow you to work and earn from home, so you won’t have to worry if your bookings are quiet.
However, they also require online marketing to drum up views. So, you’ll have to dedicate a little time to establishing a social media presence or advertising your links online.
Don’t fancy starting a new sex work side hustle? Don’t worry – there are other ways to supplement your income throughout January without creating a new online business.
For example, you can start selling old clothes on resale apps. This will not only earn you some extra cash but also clear out old junk that’s been sitting around for months.
You can also decrease your spending. Like the quiet clients, spend less on entertainment and non-essential products until your bookings return.
Should sex workers lower their rates in January?
When bookings drop off, it’s tempting to drop your rates to encourage some extra interest.
This is always a controversial topic, as some sex workers are happy to earn less to ensure they earn something, whereas others believe you should never lower your rates, as this may tempt clients to push boundaries.
If you lower your prices in January, raise them again when demand picks back up.
Don’t let any clients guilt you into keeping them lower. After all, they’re not industry professionals or experts on the subject. This takes confidence and strong boundaries, so consider exploring these before you make any changes.
Know how to spot January time-wasters
You might also experience more time-wasters in January. These are clients who ask about services, try to engage in long conversations or ask about prices when they don’t actually intend to book.
Time-wasters can pop up more in January, as for some clients, this gives them a thrill without having to book and pay.
At first, the interest might seem nice, but dealing with punters who don’t intend to book takes up valuable time that could be spent marketing yourself or working with genuine offers.
Signs of time-wasters include:
- Not getting to the point
- Trying to “sext” or have a sexual conversation
- Avoiding screening processes
- Not sending enough information in the first message
- Asking for naked photos or a dirty call
Basically, if the punter doesn’t send enough information or acts unprofessionally, it’s best to put their message on the back burner.
Should sex workers get a non-sex work job in January?
When money is tight and demand is low, it’s tough to sit tight and wait until interest picks back up again.
For this reason, some sex workers rely on non-sex work jobs (also known as “civvie jobs”) to make some extra income at the start of the year. Popular examples include hospitality work, childcare, or other zero-hour contracts that you can pick-up with ease.
Some sex workers may also want to consider freelance professions, such as digital marketing, editing, or translation. Of course, these are only possible if you have the right skillset. But if you do, they’re worth considering as they’re flexible enough to work around any sex work bookings that do pop up.
The takeway
No matter how much experience you have, seeing client spending drop in January is never fun. However, you can get through it,, and the big paydays will return sooner than you think!
Hopefully, your January is busier than usual. If you have some spare time, keep learning about sex work and running a business to top up your knowledge.
