Question for Seanchei

[Kramer]

Hello, I was wondering why you never had a photo shoot with Madison/Christine in LA??? Im sure you know of her. She was in TP10. A real beauty. :P

I used to subscribe to Yum for a long while but I found the pics to be too softcore.

[GroobySteven]

Not sure who she is - can you post her pic?

SMY is mainly a solo girl site which is it's intention.
thanks
seanchai

[Adam_Thompson]

Seanchai, I would be forever grateful if you could give some tips on how to get in on your side of the business..like running a pay website..or even how to sell photoshoots..any tips would be appreciated. I have been developing ideas for a t-girl site that has NEVER been done before. I think I'm on to something too....I have so many ideas actually.
Thanks sir.

[GroobySteven]

1. If you want to be a photographer - then go shoot! If you're looking for exclusively working with a site like our photographers do, then contact me at admin@grooby.com with samples and location as well as details of you're equpiment, we only look for photographers in area that aren't covered already.

2. Starting a site. Unless you have a huge budget ($100k+) or have an idea which is so extremely different from anybody else out there OR have some special way of marketing, then don't do it. Most sites fail because they can set up but then lose their way in not being able to maintain while gaining members over a year or more to make them sustainable.

Sorry if it sounds negative but I'd hate to be thinking about getting into the business now.
seanchai

[Adam_Thompson]

Thanks alot Seanchai...I had no idea sites cost that much. I definitely plan to do some shoots soon, also some movies. I have been in contact with a few girls in Indiana, Chicago, and Canada . I have a buddy who has done shoots of like 17 ladies to far and some amateur movies. All the ladies are older, he calls it T-Milfs...his sister hangs with alot of girls who shoot for him really cheap cause they are friends

[Kramer]

Thanks for the time seanchai. Im having a problem posting pics. The girl in question was mentioned in an earlier thread. I'll bring it up to the front page. There are pics of her there. Thanks :)

[hondarobot]

Adam, I think Seanchi is over-exagerating things a bit on the cost of start-up.

Anyone with a good idea can make something work if they try hard enough.

email me at hondarobot@yahoo.com. Lets talk, I've got lots of ideas too, and all the equipment, and access to the girls (at least here in Minneapolis).

Jeff

[thanos]

I've heard others say the same amount was needed for start-up, so I tend to believe seanchi. For some reason I think he knows of what he speaks.

[GroobySteven]

Adam, I think Seanchi is over-exagerating things a bit on the cost of start-up.
Ok maybe $70k-$100k you could start something up.
Whatever, long gone are the days when you can start a site with a few sets and build.
Figure Three months:
Figure site design minimum $2000
Visa set-up $600
50 girls to start site minimum $25,000
First 8 weeks at 5 new models a week $20,000
Google or other advertising - $1000-$2000 per month - 3 months $3000-$6000
Server - anywhere from $1000-$3000 a month depending on size and speed. $3000-$9000 if renting.
Password protection, hotels, gas to get models, lingerie/photo expenses,etc

It's reasonable for a site with out any background or built in market (ie; you're not linked to existing sites or DVD's or are a named model/superstar) could have 300 members after three months at $20 a member (income =$6000 a month - credit card fees of approx 14.5%.
You can start to see the sums...
[/quote]



Anyone with a good idea can make something work if they try hard enough.

If only this was true 3 out of 5 of my great ideas wouldn't have failed despite having a shit load of work and money put into them!

I support anyone who does have a good idea especially in this community and there are plenty of webmasters and models out there that I've given advice to, however my main advice would be....do this as a hobby with your spare income and if it becomes a sucessful business then all power to you, start it as a business plan and there is a chance not only to lose everything but for it not to be fun, which is often the making of a good website (fun).

seanchai

[thanos]

On a sidenote, we have mangled the spelling of your name twice in this post alone seanchai!

[Ts Laura]

it can get expensive and you can run into alot of unknowns also when doing a site, i shut down to info sites years and years ago because the cost to run the free info was becoming a hassle. but i have several friends that have started and shut down several sites because of issues with content or lack of getting new content, you can have a great idea and at the same time you see it as a cash cow but remember it takes alot of effort and work to get going and alot of time on your part to get successfull, the more income you start to make on the site the more work you end up putting into it. some girls get away with there own sites because of when / how they got started and they had the time to invest into making it a success.

[hondarobot]

I'm just thinking back to reading your recollection of recieving your first check from members when you started your bbs site (or whatever it was).

You got a check for $2000 (or whatever) and you said you puked at the bank.

That's the start of the dream (which is kinda amusing in it's own way), I can't see any reason to fuck with anyone else who wants to chase there own grand ideas.

Someone has an idea, more power to 'em.

Listen to negatives, and you'll never make it happen.

On the other hand, I'm the last person anyone should listen too, I'm the patron saint of the lost cause.

:)

[GroobySteven]

On a sidenote, we have mangled the spelling of your name twice in this post alone seanchai!
Haha - most people think I'm Chinese!

[GroobySteven]

I'm just thinking back to reading your recollection of recieving your first check from members when you started your bbs site (or whatever it was).

You got a check for $2000 (or whatever) and you said you puked at the bank.

That was in 1996 and there were only two shemale sites out there.


That's the start of the dream (which is kinda amusing in it's own way), I can't see any reason to fuck with anyone else who wants to chase there own grand ideas.
Listen to negatives, and you'll never make it happen.

Whose fucking with anyone? The guy asked advice and I give it to him - I think being realistic doesn't mean being negative. I'd rather give him realistic advice from my experience than sell him a pipe-dream only for him to lose his money. I've mentioned in my opinion what you would need to do to build a site that works, it's your choice to take that advice or not.




On the other hand, I'm the last person anyone should listen too, I'm the patron saint of the lost cause.
:)

Hmmm, er, erk, ya!
seanchai :shock:

[Vicki Richter]

Personally I think that the straight porn market is really the way to get rich. Shemales are a niche and our market is limited a lot. But I know sites like Bridgette Kerkove's and Asia Carerra's have made $300k a year. That is exceptional.

Steven got started in the era of Danny's hard drive. Today she wouldn't be worth a fraction of what she's built. I look at Seanchi as more of a pioneer who took the risk to put porn on the Internet and it's paid off for him.

The girls gone wild tapes have made a fortune. Talk about a low startup cost. Go somewhere and get a few dozen shemales plastered so you don't have to pay them anything for the video you shoot and you might be on to something.

[geekmeat]

Hey
I think shemale porn has come a long way but something or someone dramatic is needed to cross it over further.
By the way vicki what are you doing to parlay you big AVN win into megabucks?

[Overlord Abomination]

I say give it a try, Do as much as you can without filing for bankruptcy. I agree most people see Shemales as a niche But then again there are alot of people who see Interracial sex as some sort of Niche. People proclaim they watch it because they like the different contrast. Nothing is as it seems nowdays,even straight sex.

[GroobySteven]

I look at Seanchi as more of a pioneer who took the risk to put porn on the Internet and it's paid off for him.


Thanks...but I was really just horny and trying to get some free pics...seriously.
:?

First thing I'd suggest any prospective webmaster to do is consider a referral site. Something like (but not like) HungAngels.com - I have a few of my own referral sites, to my own sites which bring in $2500 a month for next to no work or outlay. If you can make that work...
seanchai

[Ecstatic]

50 girls to start site minimum $25,000
First 8 weeks at 5 new models a week $20,000
These figures confuse me seanchai: isn't the 20K figure for the first 8 weeks at 5 models/week already incorporated in the 50 girls to start the site at 25K?

BTW, as is the story of my life, I got into web design in '96 and by '97 was working for a 60-million-dollar software company. But I didn't have the foresight to develop a shemale website then, when it would've been smart to do so. Props to seanchai for seizing the moment, and then riding it for all it's worth ever since. Ya done good, seanchai!

[Ecstatic]

On a sidenote, we have mangled the spelling of your name twice in this post alone seanchai!
Haha - most people think I'm Chinese!
seanchai, isn't your name a variation on the Irish "shanachie" (minstrel, troubadour, bard)?

[GroobySteven]

Ecstatic - in my opinion, you'd need 40-50 sets to start a site and then maybe 4-6 a week depending on content. They were all loose figures and not intended to be set in stone, just a guideline.

seanchai - yep Celtic storyteller.
seanchai

[Ecstatic]

Ah, I see: a site should open with 40-50 sets in place (+/- 25K) and have 4-6 updates/week to continue, with at least 8 weeks' inventory in place (+/- 20K). Thus you really need 80-90 sets to start, with half going up at launch and the rest following on a regular weekly update schedule.

Do you think a biweekly update cycle would be sustainable, or would it have to be weekly?

[GroobySteven]

Do you think a biweekly update cycle would be sustainable, or would it have to be weekly?

Some of the biggest sites do bi-weekly. We done it for years but when we switched to weekly updates the retention rate for members increased substantially. Let's face it, it's a mild addiction for most of us (some a stronger addiciton) to see something new in what we like, so 2 weeks is a long time to go to stop you looking elsewhere.
seanchai

[Bigguy]

I would think if a site started up in Brazil or Thailand they could get the models much cheaper and the start up costs would be much lower.

I wonder how much bandwidth the major sites use in a typical month. 9K a month sure seems like it would get you a whole lot. The cost of the bandwidth keeps dropping, my host gives me almost seven times what they did a year ago.

Thinking back I wish I had started something back when I first got the internet in '96. So much less competition back then with huge market growth.

[Ecstatic]

Thanks, seanchai. Sounds like it would be smarter to update with 4 sets weekly than 8 sets biweekly. I remember when you did biweekly updates and moved to weekly, and you've been building it since (Brazilian-Transsexuals now offers I think 5 sets instead of 4 sets weekly).

I hear you, bigguy. I got into the web professionally in '97 after mucking about for a while, and it's been good through the late dot com era and since, but I certainly envy seanchai his foresight to get into TS sites then.

[GroobySteven]

I would think if a site started up in Brazil or Thailand they could get the models much cheaper and the start up costs would be much lower.



1/ Yes they could.
2/ You'd still have travel and hotel expenses.
3/ You'd have to make contacts - easy in Thailand - not so easy in Brasil if you don't speak the language.
4/ More people are wanting US porn. Hence, the returns/members are larger on US sites than Asian and Brazilians.

Ok enough of this...anyone who wants to join a seminar or have private consultations may contact my agent at the University of Shemale Porn Sites (USPS).
seanchai

[rocklob]

WARNING, YOU WILL NOT, REPEAT NOT, find insights into producing shemale porn at www.usps.com !
You may, however, find excellent rates for bulk mailings. :D