413047-Underground-Commercial-Sex-Economy

Operational Costs
A lot of money made was spent back—hotel rooms, hair, nails, tampons. (A1)
I invested into a trucking company, mortgaged the house, and financed the Mercedes
Benz. Clothes, jewelry. clubs. (G1)
Costs varied significantly across respondents; some pimps reported very low expenditures on operational
costs, while others invested a high percentage of their earnings back into the business. Figure 7.3 provides
a breakdown of the percentage of respondents who reported expenditures on specific costs.
Figure 7.3 Business-Related Expenses
While respondents documented their operational costs to varying degrees, some expenses were commonly
reported across pimps. For many respondents, pimping was a lucrative business that allowed its
participants to make purchases and investments beyond their own basic living expenses and the costs of
maintaining a business. Still, other respondents felt that pimping was not a lucrative field that could
support lavish lifestyles, given the operational expenses associated with the sex market. One respondent
stated, “People thought you can make a lot of money in that lifestyle. About 65 percent [of pimps are]
trying to support a drug habit. [The] other 45 percent [are] trying to make a living, period” (E5). The data
below includes estimations provided by respondents regarding the costs of operating their business.
Cars and Transportation
Transportation and cars were the most frequently cited business expense reported by respondents; 66
percent of interviewees reported incurring business expenses related to cars and employee transportation.
Respondents explained that they maintained personal cars to both attract new employees and transport
employees to call locations. Overall, transportation fees could add up significantly; respondents also
reported business expenditures on gas money and car rentals. Depending on whether the majority of
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