Erin’s Face Painting Tips - SF Competition
Email this to Your Friends!
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
The following is an entry sent in for our monthly Silly Farm Supplies Competition!
“Face Painting Tips” - SF Competition
Sent in by Erin Wainwright
My name is Erin, elementary teacher and face painter located in Montréal, Canada! Since I wrote on your Blog last, my small business has picked up and I am actually doing quite a lot of work! Since I started off quite small, with very little money, I’ve decided to divulge how I got my small enterprise up and running.
SAFETY FIRST!!!
I searched the net and learned as much as I could about safety. Being a teacher has taught me a lot about liability, and since children are most often who we paint, you can never be too careful.
I spoke to my bank and found out that I could purchase public liability insurance through them. I did not start taking jobs until I knew I was fully insured.
I learned what paints were safe to use, and how to properly clean my brushes and sponges. I use a mild anti-bacterial soap on my tools; I make sure that everything is COMPLETELY DRY before putting it away for long periods of time.
Since I was starting off on my own, I did not actually have heaps of money to invest. I began researching free advertising sites that would allow me to post pictures and contact information for free. I found the following websites extremely helpful! craigslist.ca , kijiji.ca , mypartyplanner.com , eclassifieds4u.com , classifieds.ivarta.com , olx.ca , classifiedads.com , isell.com , buysellcommunity.com , canadianbusinessdirectory.ca , partypop.com , peoplefield.org , ifind.ca .
To figure what to charge my clients… I called other face painters in my area to give myself an idea of what my prices should be. I have two pricing systems in place now. I charge by the hour, but the cost of a party with a limited number of people is lower than a large event with an unlimited number of faces to paint.
I bought perforated business cards from a local paper store and began printing my own cards and brochures. I always make sure that when I’m at a party or event, that my cards and brochure are visible. People often just pick a card up, even if their child isn’t getting painted.
VOLUNTEER AT SCHOOL EVENTS!!!
Since I’m a teacher, this one was easy. I painted at the end of year event at my school, I made sure that everyone I painted got my card and through this I was able to reach many potential clients.
I sometimes paint my nephew and give him my cards when he is invited to a friend’s birthday party, that way the other parents can see my work and give me a call if they are interested.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE!!!
I needed to find a professional face painter’s kit, and I wasn’t having much luck in the “real world”. It is easy to buy individual cakes in our local stores, but I was having a hard time finding large kits. I finally found the SNAZAROO Canada e-commerce site, run and operated by Ontario’s own Dotsy the Clown. www.dotsytheclown.com . I am very happy with their service and I intend on using their website as much as possible to replenish my supplies.
I wanted to be as self-sufficient as possible, so I bought my own portable pic-nic table, parasol and buckets. This way, when I arrive at an event, all I need from my client is access to water.
It is also very important to have a cell phone with an answering system. I make sure that my phone is turned off when I’m working and that my business name is on the voice mail. This is professional and allows you to get back to people who may have called.
I hope that my story will be of help to those who are just starting out. My initial investment to start my business was about $600.00 and I turned a profit after my sixth job! I wish everyone who is in this field of work the very best! I love what I do and I hope that I get to continue working as a face-painter for a very long time!
Sincerely,
Erin E. Wainwright
Maquillage Faceforward Facepainting
Montreal, Québec, Canada
514-603-0692
erin@erinwainwright.ca
www.erinwainwright.ca
_______________________________
Thank you for sending this in Erin, those are some very helpful tips and its great to hear from you again! I’ll be posting the rest of the entries until the end of August when I announce the winner. To find out more and enter the face painting Silly Farm contest click here.
Please leave a comment if you want to ask questions, or just want to offer encouragement!
Happy Face Painting,
Philadelphia Tivoli
P.S Click here to learn face painting designs with step-by-step with photos and instructions!
Email this to Your Friends!
September 29th, 2008 at 6:51 am
Erin- you’ve inspired me to get marketing! I just did a website and now have all the paraphenalia. I have done several parties but want to start handing out business cards. I might even ask about the Apple festival coming up- but it’s intimidating to go do it all by myself. Have you done any festivals yet?
September 29th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Hi Kim,
Yes, I worked at a town street fair this summer! I ended up being completely swamped! I worked for 6 hours straight with no bathroom break! Although I don’t recommend this to anyone, it was an amazing way to get my cards out there. I rented a space and charged a per-face fee. I was also hired by Parks Canada to paint at a public event in downtown Montréal. I’ve learned to always have my business cards out on my little table, that way parents and kids can help themselves to them without having to ask me for them.
September 30th, 2008 at 6:24 am
what did you end up paying for your space at the festival- I don’t know what is fair. That was my worry- 20 kids staring at just me and having to deal with $ and no food or bathroom breaks- I want to do it- just sounds daunting!
October 1st, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Erin-
Thanks for the wonderful tips! As a new clown, I had to learn balloon twisting. While practicing, instead of throwing the balloon designs away, I would punch a hole in my cards and slip the rolled end of my best balloon designs through and put them in a large trash bag. When I went out (shopping, etc.) I would pass out balloons for free. People were calling left and right!
Kim-
I just did my first festival. Man, it was a blast! It can seem daunting unless you see it as an adventure and learning tool. I would suggest that if you are working alone that you use a money pouch thingy (I don’t know the correct word) that runners sometimes have around their waist. When the kid sits down, they pay you first. My husband helped me and I’m glad he did because when the kids saw the designs, the line started forming and I worked for hours without a break! Here are some tips:
Make a sign listing your prices and bring something to put it up. There may not be anything available from festival staff so bring your own just in case.
Use the bathroom before you go and only drink little sips from your bottled drink. I didn’t have to use the bathroom until I was ready to go 5 hrs. later.
Only do limited masks for large quantities of kids (e.g. princess, butterfly for girls; cats, super heroes for boys). Masks are quick and simple. A few colors, some tears drops, accents and glitter and it’s over. Keep the styles and colors different to avoid look-a-likes. I charged $3 each, but I should have charged $5 because of the amount of paint used and work involved.
I used each end of the sponge for one color. One end would be black only and the other end might be red only. It kept things clean and simple.
Keep the kids lined up. This helps keep control.
Don’t carry a large amount of stuff if you are alone. Bring a snack. Take a break when possible, but don’t wait too long to take it.
Bring a large jug for clean water and keep your area clean. Never leave trash behind.
That’s it. Jump in the water and have fun, girl! It’s a good chance to get your feet wet as you learn more stuff!
P.S. The festival had one price for the booth ($50). Check around for festivals and find out how much they charge. Happy painting!
October 5th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Hi Kim,
I paid $25.00 to have a space during the street fair, and as Mrs. Bunny said, I made sure that I had gone to the bathroom first. I had a big sandwich board with my designs and my price listed. (I charged 5$ per face) I made over $200.00. Seeing as I was alone, I used a fanny pack to keep my money in and I made sure to collect the fee before starting, that way you don’t “forget” who has paid. I had a foldable picnic table and a parasol to keep myself shaded. It was a great learning experience.
October 14th, 2008 at 7:43 am
I think that one of the greatest face painting tips’ is to have someone else at your booth who collects the money.
In my 2 month long face painting career, I have been to 2 fairs; a 3-day and a 1-day fair. I hire my sister and her friend who are both 13. They talk to the customer’s, inform them of prices and collect money. They also hand-out business cards and such.
I find this to be extremly convient because now all I have to do is paint. At the 3-day fair (18 hours total), I made $575. And at the 1-day fair (11 hours total), I made $365.
And Erin Wainwright, another way to make sure that no one “forgets” to pay, is to stamp their hand. I ordered a custom stamp that says “Mollie the Painter”. As my sister takes the money, her friend stamps the childs’ (or adults’ lol) hand. That way, I can keep track of who had paid and also, the paintee remembers my name.
I have also joined the “No-Bathroom Club” (haha) as when I was at the 1-day fair, I went 8 hours without a bathroom break. I was able to leave because my sister watched the booth.
And if you are looking for a way to attract customers to your booth, its simple; get something to eat lol. Trust me, it works everytime!
♥ Mollie the Painter