Need high volume pricing help please :)

Hi guys!
Need some help coming up with a pricing quote. Am stuck on this.
A private school wants to hire me for 3 days for end of school party. Breakdown is as follows...
Day 1 - 100 kids
Day 2 - 300 kids
Day 3 - 300 kids

My rate is 90 per hour. Told client I could paint 30-40 kids per hour at my max speed using limited menu. So we're looking at full days.

I can't possibly outer them my $90 per hour even with discount after 3rd hour or day rate at $450, could I? That would be $1350 for the 3 days.

I want to come up with a fair amount for both of us, because let's face it, it's a school and if the price is out of their league, they're just going to have volunteers doing it.

Side note, they want ME. She told me she really talked me up to their board yada dada... So I have that going for me.

The job is for Wednesday thru Friday so I don't have other competing jobs... If I don't work it, I'll just be sitting home, so I really want the job since it doesn't conflict with my weekend schedule.

Thoughts???

Thanks!
Lynne

I'm not sure what type of private school you're dealing with here but if they're even considering HIRING a PROFESSIONAL face painter for THREE days they must be assuming there will be a considerable expense involved. I kinda want to say go in with a higher number and give yourself room to wiggle down a bit if they hesitate.

PrairiePainter wrote:I'm not sure what type of private school you're dealing with here but if they're even considering HIRING a PROFESSIONAL face painter for THREE days they must be assuming there will be a considerable expense involved. I kinda want to say go in with a higher number and give yourself room to wiggle down a bit if they hesitate.

What she said...

My day rate is a flat $500 for UP TO seven hours INCLUDING breaks and set-up time.

For the two days with 300 I would also quote a second painter and try to convince them to hire three - no way would I even attempt that. I know I can do 100 in five hours - super simple NO choice of design.

i wouldnt discount too much, they are asking you to paint at very high speed, youll be exhausted, maybe go with a day rate just under your hourly(400), and def ask them to hire another painter for the busy days, maybe offer to get one for a little less, and bring along one you know who is struggling to get started, give her a little training, and have them hire her for just under what you get?

i wouldnt discount too much, they are asking you to paint at very high speed, youll be exhausted, maybe go with a day rate just under your hourly(400), and def ask them to hire another painter for the busy days, maybe offer to get one for a little less, and bring along one you know who is struggling to get started, give her a little training, and have them hire her for just under what you get?
or, get one who has your same abilities for the same

How are they scheduling the kids? Are they coming in waves are all 300 kids coming at you at once? Do you have someone that can help you for the two days you can't cope with? If you want the gig then discount. If you don't then don't. I've done a school party with 145 kids in 2-3 hours. Honestly I don't remember. But it was like 15 kids every 11 minutes. INSANE it was. If it was for one strokes and a tribal dragon design I would have died.

I wouldn't discount unless the decided upon amount still leaves me feeling well compensated for the extra hard work of so many kids. I'd just tell them my hourly rate, let them know how many kids I can paint in an hour, and let them decide if they want to make every kid happy (hire me long enough to paint everyone or hire more artists), or if they are okay having some kids unpainted. You should not feel obligated to exhaust yourself for less pay just because they may not want to pay your rates. But if it's a private school I wouldn't worry about budget so much. ;-)

Well I sent in my bid a few days ago and haven't herd back lol... I did discount because its a Wednesday thru Friday job and I really need the money. I haven't heard back yet. 300 kids I can handle

So. Got the job at my requested rate!

First she said they didn't have that budget yadadada and they had half that andnisaid no way already stretching myself thin.. Didn't hear back from her today and told me she talked her director into it

She was all "I told her what beautiful work you did and how nice the kids look..." I told her that each kid will be painted in something quick, like 45 seconds worth and not to expect full faces and this would normally be a 2-3 person job.

But it's a lot if money ($1000) for 3 days of weekday work, plus my normal jobs on weekend so payday for me .