Newbie Question

Hello my face painting friends!

I have been referred to someone for face painting and they are asking me to do a party. I am working on a quote.

The details:

1. 50 people
2. Adult and kid mix
3. Kids are 3-5 years old generally
4. It's an animal themed party – I can paint this, and paint it WELL!
5. The gig is in town

I do not have a business, I do not have cards, no website and no board. This is a referral. However, I have spent close to $1000 on my paints, brushes, and other supplies.

I want to charge $50 an hour. 2 hour minimum. The party is 3 hours long with no firm end time.

What do you think? I am a beginner, however I have confidence in my skill set. Pro painters in the area charge a minimum of $100 an hour. However, I am not a pro. I love to paint and want to do it. There are a few concerns on my mind:

1. I love to paint and would be thrilled to do a party!
2. I don’t want to lose my passion for painting for going too cheap and feeling used.
3. I want to cover the cost of some supplies I have bought
4. I want to test the waters…. This is a lot of parents and kids……. Birthday party age for kids…… who knows what this could turn out to be??
5. I feel I don’t have the confidence / experience to charge the going rate.

Decisions, decisions.
Michelle

Seems like $50 per hour for 2-3 hours would be reasonable for a first paid gig.  It seems appropriate for a newbie to charge less than the established painters.  At the same time $50/hr is not asking for too little for a first paid event - it should cover your costs for the event and not give the impression that you are super cheap.

If you can paint 10-15 faces per hour you should be able to paint most of the guests in 3 hours and there are likely to be some who don't want to be painted.  How is your speed?  Can you offer about a dozen faces that you can do well and quickly?  

To your points:
1) It is exciting to do a party, especially if it is your first.
2) $50/hour probably isn't too cheap for your first paid event.  
3) $50/hr should cover your costs for an event in your town.
4) This would be a good test.  Are you able to manage the number of guests to be painted?  How fast are you?  How many designs can you do?  How will you set up?  What kind of display will you use?  
5) There's nothing wrong with working your way up to the going rate.  If this one at $50/hr goes well, charge $60/hr or $75/hr next time and more the time after that.  When you have the confidence and a little experience you may start building up a business with business cards, website, and more.  As these come into place, your rates will rise to reflect your professional status.

If you have time before the party to have a few inexpensive but professional looking cards printed up, by all means do it! It will look better when someone asks for your info. If you don't have time for that, that's okay too. Just smile and say that that's in the works, and then give them your number. The painter is what they're hiring, not the card!

Thanks Kris and JJJJ. I appreciate your input immensely! I can do the speed, it's an animal party and could offer 15 animals indeed. Good points for coming prepared. Even if I put something quick together that will reflect me better as a painter. And grow as my experience grows. Thanks again!

You also have to be wary of charging too low, unless you want to stay at that rate for a while. 50 kids is quite a few and you will be busy busy. I learned from experience that if you take a lower rate, be sure they understand it's an introductory rate, or a seasonal special or some such. If you don't, there is a good chance you will be recommended over and over at that rate and it's hard to justify raising it suddenly ( not that you must justify it) when people have been told you will do it for less...make sense? People just like to get a deal and they will complain and try to get you back to that amount and it's no fun. Good luck to you, you sound so excited !

I will not charge to low because later your costumers will be surprised why the price is different than their friends have paid.