How to Verify Credibility of a Child Talent Agency

Credible talent agencies help children reach their full potential.

Legitimate talent agencies can help your child make the next big step in their acting, singing or modeling career, but fraudulent ones can drain your financial resources, only to disappear afterward. To avoid wasting money on scams and save your children from disappointment, you must thoroughly check any talent agency you are considering. You need not be a detective examining every single detail about a business and the people behind it, but a few simple actions can help you determine whether a talent agency is a credible business or a fraud.

Instructions

1. Check to see whether the agency advertises in local media, on the Internet or even through "scouts" at shopping malls. If you find a child talent agency advertisement, make sure it is not a scam -- reputable agencies often do not advertise.

2. Visit the agency's website. Most reputable agencies will have a professionally-designed site. If you come across a poor-quality website or blog, or can't find an Internet presence at all, consider other agencies.

3. Research the agency through the Better Business Bureau's website. The BBB's database also can tell you whether companies have invalid addresses and phone numbers. Choose an agency that you know is established.

4. Check the telephone number and the address of the agency. Even if they are valid, they may belong to a residence. Be wary of a talent agency with no business offices.

5. Ask the agency if it has a valid talent agency license, as this is mandatory in certain states. To learn whether your state requires agencies to have a license, contact your state's Labor Department or check the state-by-state requirements list on the Association of Talent Agents website.

6. Get references about talent agencies from reputable photographers of your area. Because of the nature of their job, photographers have close professional ties with talent agencies and will know about those that are credible.

Tips & Warnings

• Many states maintain a database of licensed talent agencies within their jurisdiction. For example, the California Department of Industrial Relations offers online access to its talent agency license database.

References

• Modeling Scams: How to Find a Reputable Modeling Agency
• Better Business Bureau; Are Modeling and Talent Agencies the Real Deal?; September 2010
• Alba Model Information: Typical Model Agency Scams

Resources

• Association of Talent Agents: State-by-State Breakdown of Talent Agency License Requirements
• California Department of Industrial Relations: Talent Agency License Database