don't know what to do...Help

[MsMollie]

Hey Sherry!
I absolutely love,love, love, your pics you submitted. You are great...

I also need some advice...I have a really good chance at getting to face paint for a Main Event fascility. I'm not sure if you have them where you live, but it's a big building that has bowling, skating, arcades and all sorts of things for kids. They have an established party plan that they offer but when I talked with the manager, he told me that they were thinking about adding a face painter as well. My question is...do i charge them my going rate?...or, do I ask them to adjust their pricing? I don't want to lose this but I don't want to compromise myself as well...I seriously doubt that any parent is going to want to pay for a face painter "after" they have already laid out money for the party at Main Event....what can you suggest to me?

The manager wants me to send him my brochure that I made up as well as my business card. I also have an appointment on Monday to talk with the manager of a bowling alley. Still don't know what to do...Help

[Sherry]

Hi Mollie,

I took your post and turned it into it's own topic.  Hopefully others will chime in with any advice they might have for your situation as well.   

I've never worked with or for a facility like this, so I'm not exactly sure what I'd do in this position either.  Since you're meeting with him soon, take some time to think about what you need to be happy with this job.  What your minimum would be before going in.  Taking into account how far away it is?  How many hours you would normally be booked?  I know it's a bit trickier when you're first starting out and are hungrier for business to get yourself out there. 

Where I am now, I'd probably charge my standard rate of $75 an hour and let them tack that onto the price to the customer, because I wouldn't want to be turning away other customers on a busy Saturday and getting a possibly lesser rate.

  One idea, when the subject of compensation comes up at the meeting would be to try to find out what they had in mind first and go from there.  You'd know going in what your minimum would be and they might end up offering more than you were expecting.  Wouldn't that be great!

Just some thoughts.  I'm so glad for you and I hope it goes well!     You'll have to let us know how it turns out.   

[MsMollie]

thankyou for that advice, sherry. I forget sometimes about the "new topic" thing...will try to make a concious effort to remember...sometimes i even forget which forum area i'm in before i add something...lol. Anyway, i will try and let you guys know how it turns out...my husband always says..."make me an offer I can't refuse"...seems to work for him....by the way....i live about an hour away from there....my area is more conservative and country...this is part of the city so people are more free with their money.....will keep you posted...thanks.

[reginanewsum]

I have face painted at a couple businesses like you are taking about when I first started out. I wanted the job so bad to show the people of my area what I could do! One did not want to pay me by the hour at all! So I offered him this, I did a pay as you go face painting, I charged from $3.00 (simple cheek art) to $6.00 (full face designs) I worked  my behind off for four hours! I made $210.00. So I averaged $52.50 per hour.  But in our agreement, I was going to do the first time like that, to let them see if there was a demand or a want for face painting and to see how much money would come in. He was already charging $15.00 per head to get in, so he didn't want to raise the price of admission.  And I paid him zero money to be there. After that he paid me $50.00 per hour for only two hours. I couldn't get him to go up, so I only did it three times alltogether.  The other business had a one time event, and they paid me $40.00 per hour for two hours and I got to put out a tip jar, needless to say kids don't tip! At a restrant that I paint at, they only pay me $35.00 per hour for two hours on kids night. But I make any wheres from $40.00 to $60.00 in tips for the night, but the parents tip!They will always ask what do they owe me, and I tell them it was taken care of by the restrant, and most leave a $5.00 bill in my BIG SEE THRU GLASS TIP JAR! But I put arount $20 in it to start! Always pad your tip jar first! I stick about 8 to 10 ones in it and a couple of 5's sticking up!  I don't get my $75.00 per hour of my normal charge but I do get close to it, and it is only about 4 miles from my home.  If I have to pay a fee or a percentage to paint at the event, I never pay more than 10%, talk them down on the percentage! One business wanted me to give them 50% of my final take of money, I said thank you for your time, but no thank you, I am not working for free unless I choose too! Get tuff on the subject

[MsMollie]

Thankyou so much for that information MsRegina!....sounds like you know what you are doing. I will definately take that into account and use it!

I am in the 'very beginning' stages of this and still trying to a gig....so if that tells you how new i am!....I would rather have 'indoor' events than have to be at every outside event that comes along. I'm not trying to be a millionaire at this...just make extra money and have fun doing it...i may be almost 60 but my brain doesn't think so!...i feel like i'm a teenager..lol!

[reginanewsum]

your welcomed Miss Mollie! Hay we are all getting old! But we are still young at heart! I am 54 years old a,d retired. I just started doing face painting in this manor in July of 2009, but I am not new to art, I did woodcraft and air brushing for 30 years prior to this. I worked in a factory for over 30 years and did around 25 to 30 art shows a year. So that is how I learned to tell the difference from some thing on the table to sell, to selling yourself as an artist. I tell them if a space rent is owed, I am an artist and an entertainer, not a craft vendor! Works almost every time! There is no need for you to spend money and put yourself in the red! Nor do not pay for advertisement! ISend pics to the local newspaper, and they write articals on face painting! Gets my pics in the paper in COLOR with my name and number to contact for FREE!  Hang up flyers at places where kids go! Call your local parks and recreation and talk to them, go to all the bowling alleys, kids arcades, fun parks to get gigs. In the beginning I contacted churshes and volunteered my time, just to get my name out in the public. I mush rather be outside in the fresh air! oh come on summer.Where do you live? Have you done any gigs yet? Do you have a protfolio started? How do you show what designs you do?  Paint on yourself and take pics, wait about one month and paint that same pic on yourself! why? To compare your work? has the design changed much? I am sure it will, because practice is the key to it all! Practice on your arm! Practice comma strokes, thick and thin lines, swirls and curls, once you mastered all of them, you can do anything! Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions, or if I can help you in any way, I love to share with any one! have a great night. my e-mail address is reginanewsum@aol.com

[MsMollie]

Hey fellow Texas woman! I was so happy to see you replied again!...do i sound desperate?lol!..Let me tell you how my day went....I went to this bowling alley as I had an apt. with a lady there...she told me that they had lost everything due to Katrina and had only been open about a year and their business was just about back to normal...

I approached her with a business card, a brochure, a portfolio and a confident tone in my voice.
 I told her all the advantages of hiring me to facepaint...entertainment for the fidgety little ones waiting to bowl, (or not) bringing in new business and something that no other bowling alley offers, etc....She thought it was a cool idea...especially when i mentioned "Cosmic Paint"(i love blacklight and she does too).

We talked and talked.....She didn't know how she could fit it into her budget since she already had prices in place for parties and wasn't sure how she would pass this on to her customers...change her prices or what....I mentioned that if her customers had something new, that not only would they be happy, but they would book more parties, and it would also bring more business.....After all, no other bowling alley offers this sort of thing....

I told her that my prices were pretty firm (I was sort of giving her a break since i have to travel almost an hr. to get there.)but that I was willing to work out some sort of deal that would benefit both of us..whether it was by the hour or party or whatever....Anyway, she wanted time to think about it....(probably will never hear from her)....so all i could do is thank her for her time and leave.....

So anyway, we will see....

[Alison]

What about having the manager add the price of Face-Painting as an Option to the people who are booking Parties?  If they want it, they can pay an extra ________ (Fill in the blank with Your Regular Hourly Rate Plus a Commission for the Venue)

[MsMollie]

not a bad idea..however, this place has their prices set and they aren't cheap either...i seriusly doubt that  a person will want to pay an extra $50.00 or $75.00 an hr. after they have already shelled out over $100.00...but then again, you never know....i think that the place should half the cost with the customer and pay my rate....which the hourly rate I have stated on my brochures is $100.00 per hr....i would probably drop it a little but i have to travel almost and hr. to get there....

[Alison]

Hello ~  Have you been living in the woods?
Yes - People ALWAYS pay for the venue
and the food
and fancy dresses
and gifts
and sometimes other entertainers like magicians and dj's -
decorations,
music -
And Then they order face-painting -
Pleased that it's probably the cheapest thing they provided for the party.
Even at $100 per hour.  Extra.  In addition to the place and the food.

I hope my wording doesn't come across as insulting - I'm sure you haven't been living in the woods - I was just trying to bring you into the Party Industry.  This is what it costs to make a party.  If they want Entertainment, they pay for it.  If they don't have Entertainment, it seems like there's nothing to do but eat at the Party

[MsMollie]

Gotcha girl...however, you have no idea about the area where i live...very podunk and conservative...now, if it's in the city, which is about an hr. away...now, that's a different story...i agree with you about the pricing...i'm not sure just how much i can get away with here....i did leave my prices set at $100.00 per hr....i basically tell everyone that i'm a professional and use high quality paint, etc..not apple barrel from walmart.

we will just have to wait and see....i am going to be in a heritage day festival...it's free to be there so that's really good...but i was also told today that there would be another face painter there.!...made me so mad....i told them, "that's why i asked in the beginning"...duh. I was told "no" that i would be the only one...but they also told me that this person was more of a body painter, tatoo person...whatever!...we are supposed to be at opposite ends of this thing...we will certainly see....thanks for the advice....