What’s It Like to Be a Professional Line Stander? Patience Pays Off
As a professional line stander, you'll earn $25-100 per hour waiting in other people's places at popular events, product launches, and government offices. You'll need to pack essential supplies like a folding chair, power bank, snacks, and weather-appropriate gear for potentially lengthy stays. The job requires exceptional patience, reliability, and strong interpersonal skills to handle both clients and fellow line-waiters. You can maximize your waiting time by reading, doing remote work, or listening to podcasts. While the concept might seem simple, successful line standers turn this unique service into a profitable business through strategic planning and diversification.
A Day in Line Standing
While most people dread long queues, professional line standers welcome them as their office space. You'll find yourself arriving at your assigned location hours, sometimes even days, before an event begins. As a line stander, you're essentially selling your time and patience to those who esteem theirs differently.
Your day typically starts with checking the weather forecast and packing essential supplies: a folding chair, power bank, snacks, and weather-appropriate gear. You'll need to document your position regularly through photos or live updates to your client. Line sitting requires strategic planning for bathroom breaks, which often means befriending nearby line standers to hold your spot.
Patience pays in this profession, both literally and figuratively. You'll earn anywhere from $25 to $100 per hour, depending on the event's popularity and weather conditions. While standing in line, you can maximize your time by reading, working remotely on your laptop, or listening to podcasts. The job demands physical stamina - you'll spend hours on your feet or sitting on hard surfaces. Despite the challenges, you're providing an important service to busy professionals, ardent fans, and anyone who'd rather pay than wait. Similar to gig economy workers, you'll need to carefully manage your work-life balance and develop strong self-direction skills to succeed.
Building Your Line Standing Business
From humble beginnings to a structured enterprise, turning line standing into a legitimate business requires strategic planning and adaptability. If you're looking to make money in this unique industry, start by registering your business, as demonstrated by Skip The Line's formation in August 2017.
Building a reliable team of line standers is crucial to your success. You'll want to recruit trustworthy individuals from various sources, including social networks and local shelters. Not only does this provide employment opportunities, but it also secures you have enough staff to handle multiple clients simultaneously.
Your pricing strategy needs to reflect both market demand and service duration. Consider implementing a tiered pricing system - for example, $25/hour for individual or paired assignments and $35/hour for larger groups of 3-4 people. Supreme Court hearings, which can stretch up to 3-4 days, might command premium rates of $40/hour.
To guarantee long-term sustainability, diversify your services. During challenging times, like the COVID-19 pandemic, expand your offering to include complementary services such as delivery and personal assistance. This flexibility helps maintain revenue streams when traditional line standing opportunities diminish.
Similar to franchise owners who must conduct extensive research before making business decisions, aspiring line standing entrepreneurs should thoroughly evaluate market conditions and competition in their area.
Navigating Different Queue Environments
The art of professional line standing extends far beyond basic business operations into commanding various queue environments. As a line stander, you'll need to command different queuing cultures and protocols that vary significantly from venue to venue.
When you're standing around at Supreme Court hearings, you'll coordinate with other line standers to establish rotation schedules, ensuring everyone gets adequate breaks during multi-day waits. In contrast, British queues demand strict adherence to etiquette, where you must remain vigilant against queue jumpers while maintaining a polite demeanor to avoid social confrontation.
Your success in line standing hinges on your ability to read and adapt to each unique situation. You'll need to balance assertiveness when defending your spot with diplomacy when interacting with other people in line. This might mean staying alert during overnight product launches, maintaining professional composure during heated government office queues, or adapting to event-specific rules that organizers enforce.
Remember that different venues present distinct challenges. Whether you're dealing with weather conditions, crowd dynamics, or venue-specific regulations, your adaptability and situational awareness will determine your effectiveness as a professional line stander. Much like crisis management skills in law enforcement, your ability to stay calm and focused during chaotic situations will be essential to your success.
Essential Skills and Equipment
Successful line standing demands more than just the willingness to wait - it requires a strategic combination of personal attributes and practical tools. You'll need exceptional patience to handle long hours of waiting and resilience to manage various weather conditions and challenging situations. Being trustworthy and reliable is indispensable, as clients depend on you to handle their time-sensitive needs professionally.
To excel in this profession, you'll need to equip yourself with essential items that make extended waiting periods manageable. A comfortable portable chair, weather-appropriate clothing, and sufficient snacks and water are non-negotiable. Don't forget entertainment options like books, tablets, or portable chargers to help pass the time productively. You should also carry a small first-aid kit and any necessary documentation required by venue policies.
Your adaptability will prove invaluable as you expertly navigate different queue environments and changing client demands. You must stay informed about current trends and be ready to adjust your services accordingly. Remember to maintain a friendly demeanor while adhering to queue policies - your professional reputation depends on both your waiting abilities and your conduct. Like modern carpenters who have seen workplace fatalities decrease by over 65% since 1970, professional line standers must prioritize safety and awareness of their surroundings.
Pricing Your Line Standing Services
Once you've become proficient in the practical aspects of line standing, setting the right prices for your services becomes your next priority. As a line stander, you can expect to charge $25 per hour for individuals or pairs, while a group of people consisting of 3-4 members will cost $35 per hour. Most lines require a minimum two-hour commitment, though they typically range from 2-10 hours.
You'll need to be flexible with your pricing strategy to maximize making money in this business. Consider factors like event popularity, line length, and group size when setting your rates. You can attract more clients by offering discounts to those who book in advance or use your services regularly. Despite COVID-19's impact, you can still maintain a steady income with 20-40 client groups monthly.
To help clients save time while ensuring your profitability, evaluate your pricing structure regularly. You'll want to stay competitive while reflecting the value of your service. Remember that clients are willing to pay for convenience, especially when it comes to avoiding long waits for popular events or product launches.
Like professional gamblers, maintaining detailed financial records is essential for tracking income and ensuring proper tax compliance.
Dealing With Difficult Situations
Standing in line professionally comes with its share of challenging moments that you'll need to traverse skillfully. As a professional line stander, you'll encounter various difficult situations that require quick thinking and a level head.
You'll face people looking to cut the line or challenge your position, requiring you to maintain composure while firmly enforcing queue rules. When dealing with difficult situations, your conflict resolution skills become essential, especially when mediating disputes between other line sitters or handling disagreements about personal space and belongings.
Weather can be your biggest adversary - you'll need to prepare for extreme conditions by bringing appropriate gear and supplies. Whether it's scorching heat or freezing rain, maintaining your professional demeanor is indispensable. Additionally, unexpected venue changes or product availability issues can throw your schedule into disarray, so you'll need to communicate these challenges clearly to your clients.
Remember that your reputation as a line sitter depends on how well you handle these challenges. Stay calm when faced with impatient or rude clients, and always approach conflicts with a solution-oriented mindset. Your ability to manage these situations professionally will set you apart in the industry.
Similar to busy bartenders, you'll need exceptional patience and the ability to remain composed under pressure while dealing with difficult customers.
Growing Beyond Local Lines
Taking your line standing business beyond local markets requires strategic expansion and adaptability. One of the most lucrative opportunities you'll find is in Washington, D.C., where you can plunge into Supreme Court hearings. With limited public seating, clients will pay up to $40 per hour for this service, making it a significant money-maker for your business.
To handle the increased demand, you'll need to build a reliable team. Recruiting 8-10 line standers from your social circles and local homeless shelters doesn't just let us expand operations - it provides meaningful employment opportunities. This team structure allows you to tackle even the most challenging assignments, like Supreme Court cases that require 3-4 days of continuous line standing.
When faced with challenges like COVID-19, diversification becomes vital. Adding delivery and personal assistant services to your lineup helps maintain revenue streams. To keep growing beyond local lines, focus on marketing through customer reviews, newsletters, and Google Ads. This multi-channel approach will help us secure more contracts and establish your business as a trusted service provider in multiple markets. Like cruise ship workers who earn average annual salaries of $59,250, professional line standers can build sustainable careers through dedicated service.
