Whats the real value of a manager?
I'm trying to assess what the actual value would be of finding a manager for my band, and looking for outside perspectives. We've reached a point where it feels like we need someone else to help manage opportunities and scale what we have going on, but I'm not really convinced its worth it.
Over the past few years we've been able to put out several releases and plan short tours around the region we're based in. We don't have a major following by any means but have slowly and steadily been building dedicated fans. I feel like we have become really proficient in managing ourselves: we're able to plan & execute consistent releases, tour without losing money, we post consistently, run our website merch store and so much more (on top of working other jobs as well).
Every time we tour it feels so worth it. Our live set gets so much better, we put in a lot of effort to make connections, and almost every gig seems to result in a new opportunity. We love to gig, and we love to meet people. It feels like the right move to get on the road more, but the reality of booking and organizing these runs is grueling. It really feels like if we want to travel farther and more often, we'll need another person. It would also be a huge help to have someone else who can help in other areas besides booking that preoccupy us so we can try to be even more active on social media and write more- someone who could apply for grants for us, update our website, etc.
My main hangup is obviously paying someone else to do what I know we can do. My bandmate and I are extremely dedicated, organized and always willing to push ourselves. The idea of giving someone a % for any less effort just seems horrible, and like we would be wasting time. We've worked with plenty of managers and bookers on the opposite end, where they reach out to have us open a show for one of their artists and most of the time we're better at communicating than they are.
So what do you think, is it worth it to try and find someone who can match our energy and give us a boost of energy or is now the time to just dig even deeper than before and try to take it to the next level independently? Is it even possible to find someone who could care about the project in the way we do?