A Rockford provider I know has been coasting on regulars for a while, but she told me that due to waning income she's going to start posting to backpage again soon.  Naturally, she is worried about the dangers associated with that, but she doesn't know what else to do.

Since I don't know very much about this business, I suggested that she sign up for an account here, and ask her fellow providers for advice.  However she's not very tech savvy, and so I'm asking on her behalf until she gets an account here.

First of all, where should she advertise?  Most of you say that backpage is a bad idea.  Fair enough, but what should she do instead?

Second, what's the best verification for the area?  I've seen some posts about RS2K.  Is that a good idea?  Or is there something better available?

Thanks guys.

I'm speaking as a new provider getting established and what has/hasn't/is/isn't working for me:

On Backpage- I did a lot of website research (other providers, hobby boards, provider how to's, etc...) and realized that TER is one of the best places to join and be apart of. But since you need 3 reviews to have a provider account (which probably won't be an issue for your friend), and TER gents (wisely) are wary of non-reviewed girls, I wished that I would've done BP under the radar, got reviews, THEN made the leap to advertising/participating on TER.

It appears that there are two schools of thought regarding BP on TER
1) 2/10 times it's a great place to discover new talent, great deal from a legit girl, etc
2) 8/10 times it's a scam, dangerous, sketchy, etc

BP is a catch 22. I've seen some quality girls here on TER who advertise there, and I've done it a few times when I have 1-2 set appointments one day and want to take another. Screening and verification are an absolute always, anywhere, and on BP the emphasis couldn't be any greater. I did put my number in it once, but won't do that again; my best advice is to post on BP with an email ONLY. That's the best way to initially separate the wheat from the chaff, but no guarantees though.

The TER/RS2K/P411 type crowd that do use BP, I imagine, probably look for the following in a BP ad:
-Good grammar with a catchy headline, but not all those hearts and asterisks crap
-Link to an actual site (even if it's not a super tech, super cool one) and/or ad elsewhere. I was using Cityvibe premium, but it wasn't bringing me much biz (2 for an entire month) so I let it lapse this month and just got an Eros this past week (have gotten 5-10 inquires in just a few days)
-Again, imo, I think just having an email address and not a # shows that you're look for serious and quality inquires, even if you may lose out on a few calls b/c they don't want to/can't email.

On RS2K: To advertise on RS2K, you have to have a provider or hobbyist reference, which for a new person like me who hasn't seen a member yet/no provider friends who advertise there, is tricky (though I imagine your friend probably won't have the same issue). But since clearance for one can beget another (for instance, I discovered TER and P411 simultaneously and when I inquired about joining P411, they asked if I had a ref or belonged to RS2K or Date Check), RS2K is good and has a specific Chicago board that many hobbyists belong to.

All in all, I think the best places to advertise and network simultaneously in this area are TER, RS2K, Date-Check, Eros and P411. The providers I've observed seem to belong to all or a combination of the above. Throw in BP here and there depending on circumstance and you should be fine.

On using TER: I'm not a all that savvy either, but the site's easy to use and between the folks on the local board and the newbie board, there's always a helping hand. Until I have reviews I do pay for it, but between TER and Eros, it's paying off since I have the ability to communicate, advertise and network.

Hope that helps

R.R.

Thanks for all the replies everyone, including the replies via PM.  I will pass along the link, so that she can read what you have written.

A few minutes after posting the thread, it occurred to me that this really isn't any of my business.  So I also want to thank you guys for not screaming at me about that, and letting me realize it on my own.  Sometimes it takes some time for me to see the obvious.  : )

Thanks again.