For many models in Chattanooga, Tennessee, a mother agency is the one you first begin working with. They help you learn the industry, build your portfolio and give you guidance on how to navigate the industry and be successful. This may be the first contract you ever sign and also one of the most confusing to understand. Mother agencies are often in smaller markets and local to where the model is living. Once the new faces have gotten their feet wet by working locally in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the agency will often promote models to other agencies in larger markets such as New York, Los Angeles and Miami or even to overseas markets like Paris, Milan and Tokyo.
Like all agencies, mother agencies run off commission (about 10%-20%) not only on the jobs they get their models directly, but also on the jobs their models get from their other agencies. Think of this basically as a “finder’s fee” for placing you with the other agency that is also booking jobs with you in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Typically, models get 20% deducted from their check for each job they book and the agencies split it 50/50. So, your mother agency will get 10% and the agent that booked you for the job will also get 10%. However, this is where knowing exactly what your contract says is very important to you. The rates deducted from your check by your mother agent may be in addition to whatever the secondary agency charges (typically 20%), meaning you could be losing up to 30%-40% of your paycheck per booking. While regular commission rates are usually added on top of the rate a model will be getting paid for a booking, mother agency commissions are often taken directly from the model’s paycheck.
With mother agency contracts in Chattanooga, Tennessee it is also important to note how long the contract is binding. Some contracts only last a year or two, but others can last the duration of your entire career. You also do not have to sign a mother agency contract at all. You can have different agencies in different cities and whoever books the job for you is the one that gets the commission from your earnings. This can be ideal because you don’t have to keep track of the negotiations between your agents.
