Corporate Events Pricing

[Candy Faces]

Hi All!
I am new to this site! I have a question about corporate pricing (more $ for an event). I have a friend who wants to hire me for a kids xmas party for a big company. She thinks my rate is too little ($65/hr for the 1st hour and $35/hr for addl hours). I am not sure what to charge. Any suggestions??!!

[MandiIlene]

Many times corporations have the money to spend and you have to think about what the next person in the phone book would charge also. In my area others will charge starting at 75 an hour with no discounts for multiple hrs.

You also have to think that at that kind of event you are going to be painting your butt off, so it is decent to charge your hourly rate and not discount for more hours because you wont be working any less. This is the time of the year to make money with this business, so make sure you are making as much as you can!

I would go for 75-95 an hour and no discount for multiple hours when you talk to them, and if they say that is not in the budget, remind them you are a professional and you use quality paints, have spent hours researching designs and safety info for this and if at all costs you can't book the gig for 95 an hour, then go to 75, tell them its a special discount for (insert reason here) and do what you have to, to get the gig. Working is better than not, but don't give it away.

~*~Mandi~*~

[Alison]

Candy - Your prices are way Low.  You know, we can't compare our prices to the prices of someone with a steady Job (like secretary or cashier).  Nobody pays us for running our office, figuring out our travel-plans, billing and bookkeepping.  And we also pay for supplies, sometimes costumes.  And other things - I just can't think of them all just now.  Because it's unnecessary.  All I'm saying is that we work Without Pay for many hours before and after the paid event. 

I, for one, work More Than Full Time of 40 hours per week, and I do my hours at any time day or night
that would accommodate my customers.  I don't know how old you are, but I do this as my Profession.  I am a grown-up - I need to pay for my own food, shelter, family, life...  the same as a grown-up who'se worked her way up the corporate ladder with benefits.  Even if I was paid your $65 for the first hour and $35 for additional hours, if I was being paid to actually be at a Real Big Event for TEN hours (That's a good number of actual gig-hours in a week), that would only be $380 - Before Taxes.  Have you been to the Grocery Store lately?  I wouldn't even have enough money for food at that rate - forget about a house, a car, kids' educations, clothes, retirement......

[Alison]

And doing whatever you have to do to get the gig?  I don't do that either.  
If you are willing to work cheaper, you will be working cheaper.  But you will have a bottom-line.
Whatever that bottom-line is, that's really what your price is.  

If I was working cheaper, I would be missing chances to work at the normal rate.
BTW, I don't Raise my prices when an 'easy mark' comes around either.
I'm fair and dependable.  If someone hires me, they won't ever find out
that someone else got me cheaper.  Integrity.