How Many Different Activities

[Alison]

A while back, I started practicing 'Miniature Sillouettes' - never 'finished to market it.
And a friend recently suggested that I might want to get into 'Voice Overs'.
I already offer more than one type of Party Art,
and I find myself scattered.

Do you think it's beneficial to offer more than one activity?
Like, people might hire you for glitter-tattoos OR face-painting if you offer them both
Or they would just hire you for face-painting if that was all you offered.
So you would only need one set-up, one set of supplies, and one area of expertise.

Lol - even this message is Zhe-Ahrt.  Represents how scattered we can feel if we are offering so many different activities.

So the question here is - To diversify or Not to diversify?

[Sherry]

I think that the more you have to offer the better for booking more events.  I've had customers ask me what else I offer and have asked for specific things that I don't offer.  Some have asked if I have clowns, or if I can lead the children in party games, etc.  I know it could only help my business if I had more to offer, but the question is, do I really want to offer more?  At this time, I don't, because it's more work for me.

[GaFacepainter]

I'm of the mind that the more you can offer the more opportunity to get work. The down side I could see is the customer who calls up and wants you to facepaint, twist ballons, and put on glitter tattoos for thirty kids and she books you for an hour. I'm guessing it could work, but you had better have your ducks lined up, and your customer fully understands what you can do in a hour for them.

[Shannon Fennell]

Ultimately I think it depends on:

1) Your ability to do it well
2) Your available cash to purchase the required equipment and supplies
3) Your ability to market it appropriately while maintaining your other services
4) Your time availability to practice and complete related projects
5) Your storage space for all your kits, set-up and supplies
6) Whether it fits with your other business offerings

Is it better to be a jack-of-all trades and a master of none??  Depends if people will pay you to perform ALL of them!

I'm thinking of things like storytelling, clowning, puppetry, games, theme parties, dress-up parties, silhouette cutting, craft parties, name painting, etc.

I offer a variety of "different" things but they are all MAKE-UP related.  I'm a make-up artist - so, I can do things with make-up products.

- Face Painting
- Body Painting
- Temporary Tattoos
- Glitter Tattoos
- Airbrush Make-Up
- Special Effects Make-Up
- Beauty/Glamour Make-Up
- Film/TV/Editorial Make-Up
- Theatre Make-Up
- Pre-Natal Belly Painting
and also related
- Costume/Character Design and Construction

These are all "Make-Up"... People book me for one service at a time.  If someone wants, for example, Face Painting AND Glitter Tattoos at the same event then they have to pay for the additional artist to do the tattoos - I only do one thing per job.

For theatre, there may be several different services incorporated in the gig but that is all part of the job and usually not all done simultaneously by just one person, there is usually a crew!

Yes, I also have different kits!! 

- Face Painting kit (large gigs)
- Face Painting kit (clubs)
- Body Painting kit (usually is in my studio, but can be packed to travel)
- Tattoo Kit (all tattoos - lick n'stick, inks, and glitter)
- Airbrush Kit
- SFX kit
- Travel kit (for conventions etc.)
- Beauty/Theatre kit
- Hair kit

I don't really look at any of these, though, as "different" services... they are the services that I offer as a trained make-up artist.

Occasionally I wonder if adding something else, non-make-up, would be good... but then I consider how much time I have "available" and ditch the idea!! :

[Wildcatfin]

I agree with Shannon - no offence but clowns etc who offer a range of things never tend to be good at many of them. Many parties I worked at have a magician who also does terrible balloon twisting (or vice versa), on the side. Hearing 'what is it - its a sword" repeatedly to kids etc is a bit depressing, they know its rubbish!

Plus all that extra kit to lug around - shudder.

I only offer f-p, body-p, preg-p,and/ or glitter tatts. if they want crafts thats a whole different booking;  do offer a lot there but NOT together with f-p. its too much of a hassle to do all - most parties don't have the time and I refuse to rush things and do a naff job at all just to fit it all in. Had 1 woman trying to book  activities for a 2 hr party for 7 year olds; I TOLD her that wouldn't work, too much in too little... but she booked 8 entertainers. I had a queue as did the good balloon twister and the rest twiddled their thumbs...

I stick to what I do well so the client gets quality. If they want more things they have to book me for longer or hire someone else as well.