Business Ideas for Magicians

by Donna Eigen
Transform your magic skills into a profitable business.

Transform your magic skills into a profitable business.

Burke/Triolo Productions/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images

Creating a business based on your skills as a magician will take more than smoke and mirrors. You need business goals, knowledge of your potential audience and a realistic expectation of your earning potential. Although some magicians end up playing in Las Vegas and appearing on television specials, the majority make their money through less-glamorous performances, such as playing children’s parties or entertaining in night clubs. There’s no trick to starting a magician business. It just takes some ambition and a little ingenuity.

Magic School

Offer classes for children after school or during the summer. The kids will enjoy learning magic tricks and it will keep them occupied while their parents are working or running errands. Say in your class description that, while pulling flowers out of your sleeve may not be an essential life skill, learning magic teaches confidence, presentation skills and critical thinking. Offer classes through a recreation department or school system to gain exposure and credibility in the community.


Hire yourself out for private parties and events and adapt your material to the audience. A magician is a real treat at children’s birthday parties. You can offer simple routines for young children and more sophisticated material for older kids. Adults also love magic. Be the toast of the party at wedding receptions, adult birthday parties, anniversaries and other festive occasions.

Corporate Events

Offer your services for conferences and events, and customize your routine to include topical news relevant to the audience. If the business is undergoing a change in structure, incorporate that in a vanishing act. Or tie in an upswing in business with tricks involving multiplying rabbits or flowers.

Nightclub Entertainer

Hire a booking agent or do your own promotions and contact nightclubs and similar venues. Promote your services to restaurants and dinner theaters looking for reliable acts they can book and advertise on a regular basis. Working on a cruise ship is a way to take a paid vacation while honing your performance skills.


Create a demo video and upload it to YouTube or a similar social-media website so potential clients can watch a performance. Create a website and post your video and contact information, along with ideas for parties and events. Create business cards and a marketing brochure and distribute them through photographers, florists, caterers and party planners. Join a professional speakers’ bureau to help market your act and match you to event planners and organizations looking for particular talent.

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  • Burke/Triolo Productions/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
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