Dear Mistress,
Whenever I contemplate this line of work, I cringingly recall myself as a rookie stripper, purchasing a leather corset and whip to see if I could attract a more broad range of clients. Boy did I ever learn quickly that SM services are way more of an undertaking than I could wrap my wiggling ass around. "E," a colleague who describes herself as more of an SP, who specializes in Domme services, offers some judicious commentary. "It's not clear to me what ‘skills' this person has to share," she says. "A dominatrix is not just a woman who's kind of aggressive in bed. Pro Dommes are very skilled."
It is also de rigueur for most pro Dommes not to sleep with their clients or perform nude, so that's not even the main issue. You will notice that many Dommes are extremely committed to their business, and offer an array of services. Look here: www.mistressincontrol.com/mistresscanada.htm.
"Your writer needs to be much more clear on just what her menu will offer, and then she needs to be certain that she actually has the skills to deliver. Dildo training, CBT [cock and balls training], flogging and whipping, bondage, body worship... all of these things require a certain knowledge and expertise to be safely and sanely administered - and these are fairly basic offerings."
As any sex provider will tell you, servicing couples alone makes for a scanty marketplace. "With already restricted services, and no clear experience or expertise in actual Domme services, I see no reason why a couple who had done their research would choose this person over a number of more experienced providers in the city," says E.
She also points out other practical issues: "Where is she planning on doing her entertaining? Incall or outcall? Does she have access to a dungeon? And where is she going to place her advertising? Will she have a Web site? Does she understand the legal ramifications of what she's doing? Does she understand how to take the proper precautionary measures to provide for her personal safety? Has she thought about how this might affect her personal and professional relationships outside of the business? Has she thought about how working in the sex industry will effect her own psychology? Working in this industry is not cost-free."
Despite this, E says you shouldn't give up on your plan, if you're really into it. There are services providers of all stripes making good cash and there's always room for one more. But I have to agree with her assertion that you don't seem to know very much about the sex industry and how it works. "For her personal safety and her psychological well-being, she needs to know exactly what she's getting into before she gets in over her head."
In other words, it's great that you're a kickass bitch in bed, but that's just the beginning. As a start, I would take a look at some of Canada's top Mistresses' Web sites (many can be found at the above Web ring) for prices, services and general attitude tips. Don't bother calling anyone unless you plan on paying them for their time and experience, which will run you, according to Patricia Marsh, one of Canada's most illustrious Dommes, $250 an hour.
