The Number One Priority When Starting a Professional Cuddle Business

(Hint: It’s not business cards.)

One of the hardest parts of getting started is knowing where to start.

Whether it’s a new hobby or a new career, it’s sometimes hard to know the best way to begin.

Professional cuddling is no different. I’ve seen so many cuddlers struggle to figure out exactly what they need to get started.

For example, I’ve seen new or aspiring cuddlers:

  • Focus most of their effort on physical marketing, like business cards and flyers. Trouble is, those aren’t always the most useful marketing tools in our digital age– and they’ll likely end up in a drawer collecting dust (not that I know from experience or anything).

  • Worry about looking professional, so they hire photographers to capture their cuddliest side. But if you’re just getting started, it’s more than likely a selfie or two with a midrange smart phone will do the trick. If you already have access to that, hiring a photographer might be a bit superfluous to start.

  • Want to make sure their cuddling space is cute, cozy, and inviting. That’s definitely a nice-to-have, but most people won’t care what your cuddling space looks like as long as it’s clean and comfortable. When I first started cuddling, my space was my cramped old bedroom in a three-bedroom apartment with two roommates. (And sometimes, there was still a sheet in the corner covering up a pile of dirty clothes so they couldn’t see my mess. I 100% had my iSht together in my twenties). This was my setup for years, and nobody cared.

  • Feel like they need to get ALL the training and/or do ALL the research before they can get started. I do recommend getting some training before diving in, but it’s way too easy to fall into a research black hole and stay there forever. I’ve talked to people who have been looking into doing professional cuddling for years, but have never really taken the first step.

Don’t get me wrong, you’ll need to focus on branding, photos, your cuddling space, and deepening your practice eventually. But they don’t need to be your number one priority when you’re getting started.

Instead, I recommend you figure out the answer to the following question:

What will you do when someone raises their hand and says they want to work with you?

Seems simple, right? But there’s so much more to it than just saying “yes.”

You’ll need to think about:

  • Communication. This might seem basic, but knowing how you plan to communicate ahead of time will make you more responsive. How will you contact your clients? How will you share directions on where to go and how to prepare for their session? Will you work over email or over the phone? If you’re using the phone, will you use your regular phone number or a Google Voice number?

  • Safety. Safety starts before you ever meet with a client. Ask yourself, what do you need to do in order to feel safe working with someone? What will your screening procedures look like? (Pro tip: DON’T schedule someone immediately just because they want to schedule with you!)

  • Scheduling. Figure out how you want cuddling to fit into the rest of your life. Will you have a set schedule, or will you just work sessions in where you can? How long will your sessions be? How much advance notice do you need for a session– hours, days, weeks? The more specific you can be with your clients about your schedule and sessions, the more reasonable expectations they’ll have.

  • Location. While some cuddling sessions take place online these days, most still happen in person – so where will you be cuddling? Will clients come to you, or will you go to clients? (Remember, you don’t need a fancy place, as long as it’s clean.) If you’ll go to them, how far are you willing to drive? Will you charge some sort of travel fee?

  • Sessions. Knowing how you’ll settle into a cuddling session will make your first time less awkward for everyone. What does arrival time look like– whether it’s your client coming to you or you going to them? How will you start cuddling? Will that process look different in your later sessions with someone as you get familiar with them? How and when will you accept payment, and how can you make that process as smooth as possible?

  • Wrap-up. Ending a session gracefully is an art– and if your client is satisfied, more sessions will likely follow. How will you bring your client out of your sessions gently? How will you follow up (which takes us back to Communication)?

Prioritizing your process before a client says “yes” is vital if you’re going to move forward with your own business. When you get a request, you can just go through the process, knowing what the exact next steps are.

If your answer to any of these questions was “uhhh…”, make it your number one priority to figure out some solid answers— and know that those answers may change over time. (Many of mine have changed over the past five years.)

Marketing and business skills are important, but running your practice so you feel like the professional you are is important, too. Tending to logistics will put an ease into your business that your clients will feel– after all, these are the parts they come into contact with the most.

I got deeper in all of these topics in my guide, Design How You’ll Work as a Professional Cuddler. It has 32 questions on all of these topics designed to give you the confidence to move forward in your professional cuddling practice with confidence and a sense of professionalism— and your clients do notice both of these things.

Once you’ve nailed those things, the rest of the branding, photos, and cuddle room decorating will be there when you need to do it.

Samantha Varnerin