Yup. What Elizabeth said.

Go where the buskers go. Watch each act several times on several days. Note that skill acts don't do as well as dangerous skill acts. And funny dangerous skill acts do better yet. Cute acts: kids tap dancing, singing dogs, whatever, do best. (So hire a cute tap dancing kid and be his monkey.)

Figure out how they gather a crowd. There are an infinite ways to do this. Fire, nudity, loud and funny noises, being fun to watch, etc. Establish your character first. No character? Okay, you're a supersized version of yourself: funnier, more charming, bigger movements, you are the SUPER SNAKEBOARD GUY, and you are not only going to knock their socks off you're going to snap their thongs and twiddle their jockstraps.

Note that the ones that ask for money (never coins or change) get more than those who just put out a hat. Don't say what you need, say what your act is worth and what you want them to give.

Now go out there, get on your snakeboard, grab your hoop, stick large pins through each cheek (barbeque skewers are better) and come back a star!

Most important - have fun; very obviously and sincerely have fun.

Pay at least as much attention to your audience reactions as you do to your act. That means you have to know your act cold. Then modify your act, one element at a time, until you can't find a way to make your audience respond better. Perseverence furthers. Then do an entirely new act.

And as Scotty Meltzer says, the first hundred shows don't count. (Look him up.)