A great idea to help people...

[mjr]

I've got a great idea for a presentation/talk that I think could help people in their daily lives. Since it's a presentation/talk, I'm not looking for a "one-on-one" situation, but rather a group setting.

I'm pondering who I need to contact right now, what I need to do to put this together, and whether or not I should charge, and if so, how much. I mean, I could do it for free on a Saturday afternoon or something, but I think the information is worth something. The issue is the balancing act. I wouldn't want to overcharge and discourage folks from coming, but at the same time, I don't necessarily want to do it for free (though that's not out of the question).

Once I get it done, I'm thinking of contacting local school districts, and maybe focusing on the "older" kids (possibly high school), since they would probably be better at implementing it on their own, but at the same time younger kids could benefit, so I could also do one for younger kids, but have a parent come with them.

I'm also thinking of coming up with just a general one (for everyone), and I don't think it'd be that difficult to come up with two (slightly) different sets of material, since a lot of it will overlap anyway.

I want to put together a solid presentation. I'm confident I can do that. My concern is people walking away from it going "I didn't get anything out of that" or "I'd never do that".

So what are your thoughts?

[Pixelated]

It sounds feasible. You should certainly charge in most cases, at least a nominal fee (I'm not sure whether you want to charge on a sliding scale or what). If you are talking to people on assistance, or the homeless, or at-risk youth, you could consider making those talks freebies.

As for the "I didn't get anything out of that" my primary suggestion is -- have a handout for each person. It doesn't have to be (shouldn't be, in fact) the size of an unedited version of War and Peace. Just a page or two with the primary points you want to get across. (That's another reason you'll want to charge in most cases. )

Overall it sounds like it has potential. Keep us updated!

[mjr]

I wouldn't necessarily be able to tell the income level, because I really don't know who would attend. Right now I'm thinking of talking to my local library about possibly doing this during the summer. Unfortunately the library is temporarily closed for some minor upkeep (recarpeting).

I'm not even sure I know how that would work. If I'd have to pay the library, give them a cut, or whatever. It would really only be a one-day talk/presentation, and I think I could make it an hour or so (that's my plan, anyway).

I'm planning on making a video of it, so that I could possibly use it as a promotional item...

I was originally thinking $20/person, but you have me re-considering that now.

[MoonCat]

Actually the income level can be predicted by the venue. If it's done in a library in a low-income part of town (or any other venue in that part of town), you can be pretty certain that most if not all of your attendees will be low-income.

If you do it in a pricey part of town, like a new hotel, convention center, etc., same rule applies.

Keep in mind that if you charge more for some talks than for others, eventually people will learn that they paid more than someone else did, and some of them may try to make a stink about it and complain to/about you. It's just the way some people are.

[mjr]

Actually the income level can be predicted by the venue. If it's done in a library in a low-income part of town (or any other venue in that part of town), you can be pretty certain that most if not all of your attendees will be low-income.

In this case, though, I don't think I can necessarily predict things. There's only one library in the town where I live. I could make certain assumptions about income level, but I don't know how accurate (or fair) those assumptions would be.

Keep in mind that if you charge more for some talks than for others, eventually people will learn that they paid more than someone else did, and some of them may try to make a stink about it and complain to/about you. It's just the way some people are.

In this case, you're absolutely right. However, I was thinking about approaching schools, and if they liked the idea, having the school pay a flat rate for however many students to attend.

[Pixelated]

However, I was thinking about approaching schools, and if they liked the idea, having the school pay a flat rate for however many students to attend.

If you are starting off primarily at schools, a flat fee sounds like a good idea. It could cover your time plus any expenses (if you decide to offer handouts, for example) or just your time. If you find yourself expanding your venues, you could then look at higher charges, based on the venue and any additional costs that you yourself have to pay.