New to the Biz

New to the biz? Welcome to the BUSINESS of Show Business!

If you are just considering getting your child started in the entertainment industry, much of the information on this site may seem a bit overwhelming. This section is just for you!

How the Entertainment Industry is DIFFERENT than other businesses:

Success in the entertainment industry does not follow the normal career ladder of other occupations. Many will try to sell you a “path to success” or “secrets to fame”. Many will tell you that their acting school, their system, their agent, manager, photographer, competition, theatre group, etc. is THE connection you are looking for that will take you to the next step on that ladder. They might even tell you that “Getting Discovered” will shoot you to the top of the ladder.

Here is the truth: There is no ladder. Rather, there are many zigzag paths to success in this industry. It’s different for everyone. That’s why you will often hear conflicting advice on how to get started and how to be successful.

Lesson Number One for Parents and Families

Lesson number one: even if your child is planning to do this as a hobby, you are opening a business, and you would be wise to handle it like a business. You will now have the dual role of parent and of CEO.

How the Entertainment Industry is the SAME as other businesses

The entertainment industry is called showBUSINESS for a reason. Think like an entrepreneur! These things are common to starting any business:

Don’t spend any money you don’t have to. Choose your expenses carefully.
Make sure you have enough capital (start-up costs from parents) to finance the business, knowing that you might never get it back.
Make sure the venture is something your child loves and is committed to.
Have realistic expectations and allow enough time for the business to grow.
Do your research to avoid getting scammed. Make sure to do “due diligence” on anyone you consider working with as a business partner.
Educate yourself about every aspect of the business.
Be organized. You will need to track your business expenditures and revenue, and pay taxes.

Lesson Number Two: Trust and Verify

Lesson number two: learn who to trust. Our kids all need a “village” and a support system, but you need to trust good people and verify what they tell you. As an example, here is a 2021 article in the Company Town (aka entertainment industry) section of the Los Angeles Times that supports and verifies what we are sharing on this page. You’ll see we provided independent sources at the bottom of most of our articles for this reason — we’re helping you trust and verify.
Explaining Hollywood: Your Child Wants to Act. What Do You Need to Know?

Learn more

BizParentz help alert child actors and their families to scams

Sadly, talent scams are predators are a real concern for showbiz families. The good news, is that these problems are 100% preventable. Learn how you can protect your young performer by reading the articles on this website and watching the feature film An Open Secret. It might feel intimindating and scary — we get it. Just grab the knowledge a little at a time. You can start here:

Safety & Scams

Once you have a list of recommended teachers, start doing your homework to see which teacher is right for your child. A teacher is someone you will need to trust with your child’s emotions, and with your child’s safety (you won’t be in class with them).

Acting Classes

Learn about agents and managers for child actors

An acting resume is a MARKETING TOOL. It is designed to show what you CAN do and the experience that has been obtained via prior work. It is designed to sell. It needs to be short enough, with big enough print for someone to be able to READ it.

Resumes & Research