The problem
Children's entertainers sell the same few slots every weekend: Saturday and Sunday late mornings and afternoons. Parents ask to 'pencil in' a date, then book a soft play instead, and the slot sits empty. If an entertainer loses 2 parties a month that way at $239£180€214A$346C$338 each, that's $479£360€428A$691C$677 a month, and arranging each booking by message takes about 20 minutes.
What the AI does
Setmore is booking software. Its Pro plan adds deposit collection, text reminders, a second reminder per booking and custom service availability. Set up each party package, such as a one-hour show or a two-hour party with games and a disco, as a service with the times you work, and take a deposit at booking so a date is only held once it's paid. Parents book from your website or your Instagram and Facebook booking buttons, and get reminders before the day.
A worked example
A children's entertainer in Birmingham runs about 10 parties a month at $239£180€214A$346C$338. They move bookings to a Setmore Pro booking page with a $67£50€60A$96C$94 deposit to hold the date, and stop pencilling in.
Before
About 2 'pencilled in' weekend slots a month lost when parents went elsewhere, and 20 minutes of messages per booking
After
Dates held only with a deposit, and 1 extra party a month assumed in slots that used to be held for a maybe
What it's worth
About $144£108€129A$207C$203 a month in profit from 1 extra $239£180€214A$346C$338 party in a slot that used to be held for a maybe, at an assumed 60% margin after travel, props and balloons. That's against about $5£4€5A$8C$8 to $12£9€11A$17C$17 for Setmore Pro: $5 (about $5£4€5A$8C$8) a user a month billed annually, or $12 (about $12£9€11A$17C$17) monthly. Card fees on deposits are charged by your payment provider, and the time saved on messages isn't counted.
How to set it up
- Set up Setmore Pro and add each party package as a service with its length and price.
- Set custom availability so only your real party times show, leaving time to travel between parties.
- Turn on deposit collection and say in your terms when the deposit is refundable.
- Add the booking button to your website, Instagram and Facebook, and send the link instead of pencilling dates in.
- Turn on text reminders and test a booking with your own phone.
What goes wrong
- Setmore's text reminders depend on your country, with 500 SMS credits a month per Pro team member. Check UK texts arrive during setup.
- A deposit needs clear terms: what happens if the child is ill, the party is canceled or you can't make it.
- Keep the booking form to what you need to book. Collect details about the children separately and securely.
- Pro is priced per user. A second entertainer on the team doubles it.