Feast or famine

[Sherry]

In this business it seems like it's either feast or famine for me.  Last weekend, I was literally slammed... which is hectic, but great.  Now this weekend, it's been dead and not a bunch of phone inquiries either.  Even if I'm not getting bookings, if I'm getting plenty of calls, then I know it's only a matter of time.  With no calls, it makes me worry.   

[sparklingfaces]

I know what you mean! I hate that! I recently raised my prices as I was way too busy, now it seems like everyone is scared away...

I think the only thing to do is hang in there, I mean what else can we do?

[Sherry]

Yes, I think so.  I finally received an inquiry today, so that got my hopes up.

I recently raised my rates too.  I was nervous about it at first and it did seem like no one was calling for maybe 2 weeks and then things picked up as usual, so I'm glad I stuck it out with the rates thing.

[Kristal]

Isn't it terrifying when you finally raise your rates - even a little - and it feels like there's nothing?!

I upped mine by $10/hr after Vegas. It's a bit different because I offer fp and balloons together for birthdays all the time, and while I'm cheaper than the really good twisters here (the amazing twister I buy my balloons from starts at $170/hr for our city), I'm pricier than most face painters (I charge $100/h; there's a painter an hour away who charges $150/h, but most 'good' ones here charge about $75/h - and there's the random Craigslist painters who charge $30-40).

I get a pretty good mix of people who don't think I charge enough, and people who are blown away by how much I charge, so I think it's a good compromise, haha. The one change I may make in the future (well, two, really) would be A)instead of saying $100/hr, and how long depends on the number of kids + location, to saying $200 for a 2 hour party for up to 15 kids, and B ) adding travel rates. For some reason it occured to me that doing a 2 hr party 54km away (over 100 km round trip!) probably isn't the best thing to do...haha.

Wow. Did I go totally off topic.

What I wanted to say is, yes, stick with the new prices - it will happen! You guys are great, and people know quality. My June is absolute mayhem - not too bad this week, but next week I have 7 events -man!! In 6 days! I don't even know if that happened when I was working for a big event company...haha.

[Party Picassos Facepainting]

Pretty dry here too. Thinking about distributing flyers and bus cards through some of our wealthier neighborhoods. Will be doing my first craft show over July 4th. It's just a one day thing. But get this, I have to sell something tangible or they won't let me face paint. It's not an art or craft.

The nerve! I have a degree, been an artist for over 25 years and it's painting. But hey, I am considering making ten tacky crafts, overpricing them (so no one bugs me) and just paint faces! Looking forward to this event. It's 2 hours from home, so I don't expect many future business from this. But we are an unemployed household right now, so $$$ would be real nice!

Also, just did a bday party for 1 hour for $85. They kept rushing me around to do as many kids as possible. "make it smaller," "make it simpler," "we have 12 minutes left1" It was fun and I did loads of arms and legs. Only 2 faces, but the clients were happy. Right now in our lives 85 bucks isn't so bad.

[Sherry]

Ugh, I just had a party like that.  I so prefer the full faces.  That's fun for me, so when I had that party recently, it's was almost all simple cheek art stuff.  It wasn't as much fun for me, but they were happy, so I guess that's what's important and I got a tip to boot.

I don't understand that craft shows thinking.  I've always thought that face painting was a craft.  You know, the craft of face painting.  Learn your craft, practice your craft, blah, blah, blah.  The word craft always comes up for me. 

[reginanewsum]

I just did a three day Gizzardfest, my boards on one side of my tent had aout 60 cheek offer pictures for $4.00 each, the boards on the other side of my tent was full face designs for $8.00 each, and I offered eye art designs for $5.00 each.  I hate cheek art, but at a family festival I feel if I don't offer them, the child may not get a chance to get a painting. I painted not one cheek art at all. About 25% eye art and 75% full face designs. I HATE cheek art!  I can do two or three full faces to one cheek art!  Now some parents did come into my booth both toting a large beer in their hands and complainted about the prices being too high, even the cheek art! I heard one mom say after her three kids picked a full face design, if it was $1 you could get it done! Why the nerve of her! Save that money mom for the next beer I thought to myself! Craft shows are the same way! I did craft shows for almost 30 years, woodcraft. I would see moms mostly walking around with tons of yard signs and hand made t shirts that they had bought and the kids would get nothing. I was not a face painter at those shows then, but I do remember vendors being face painters (mostly with the wrong paints) and they were just sitting watching the crowd walk by! So now that I am a professional face painter, I will NOT do any craft shows! Family festivals and city festivals are fine to do, I have been doing lots of them, also they do have craft vendors at some of the fests that I have been doing but I ask them not to put me with the craft vendors, and it has worked out very well for me. Explain to the organizers that you want to be in a heavy traffic area because you are an entertainer and not in the middle of craft city.

[Sherry]

Location, location, location.  It's all about location and visibility isn't it?  I once did a city event and since they hired me to be there, I really wanted to do well.  The first day, they stuck me way in the back.  People would have to follow a little sidewalk trail to get to me.  They were only having me charge $3 per face.  Since I was charging so little, I really thought I should be busy, but sales were almost nonexistent.

The next day, they moved me up front and I had a line the entire day.  Yay!   

[Wildcatfin]

Totally.
In HK I always seemed to have 1 empty fortnight followed by insane week and a weekend where i had 4+ bookings and painted for over 20 hours/ day at the weekend. We even tried to see if it was 'auspicious days' which can affect bookings in HK, but no...

Scary way to run a business isn't it:)

catx

[artsyface]

Hello
I know what you mean. I have back to back events in one day then the next week-end I have nothing! I do have to agree, I will most of the time work with my customers, if they want a deal. With this economy everyone is looking for a deal! If they give me a referral I will give them or the next person a percentage off!