When we talk about body shops, we are usually thinking about the repair of crashed cars, but in the world of the professional model, agencies could very well be called “body shops.” Agencies are the bread upon which the butter, in the form of a model’s career, is placed. It is next to impossible for us to get any type of paying job without the support of a good agent or agency to represent our talents to the buying public.

There are many good and reputable agencies in our world. These are the people who will help when help is needed and encourage when encouragement is all that can be provided. The good agencies pride themselves in being able to put a positive spin on the life of their models. When you sign with an agency what you should receive is a total assessment of your assets and suggestions about removing any defects that might be apparent. Goals should be set, a plan made and put into place, and an agent assigned, which will give you a step up on the competition. The agency thus becomes your management company and they do want you to be successful.

A word about contracts is in order. Top talent will be given exclusive contracts which will vary in terms based upon one’s experience. Please realize that these contracts are very important papers and will impact your professional standing in our community. Agencies make money when you work and usually bill a customer a set rate for the service of the model. Contracts outside the exclusive contract are just as important. A mother agency contract will allow the model to be placed with a larger agency within the area. Non-exclusive contracts allow the model to sign with other agencies, usually outside of a certain city radius. Non-exclusive contracts permit the model to work in various cities, across the United States.

Everything is not positive in the area of agencies. Many young and vulnerable models fall prey to the dark side of our profession. Our industry is in a constant state of flux where changes are always happening. Old agencies are either closed or merged with other agencies and new agencies just seem to spring up overnight. Nothing good can come from an association with a scam artist. A model will be considered lucky if all that is lost in dealing with a scammer is money. There are too many other bad things that can happen to an unsuspecting young person. Be very careful out there.