WHat would you do? (I hate working for friends)

Ok, so last year I did my good friend's daughter's birthday party for $50. She asked if I could do it again this year, I said sure. I find out later that it's a combo bday party for her daughter and her son. I just asked her if she knew how many kids, and she said she was still trying to figure it out.

I really want to charge her more if its gonna be a butt load of kids. Last year it was about 10-15 kids. NO biggie, but if she comes back with like 20-30 kids, I think I want to tell her at least $75.

Would you tell her more money?

Absolutely! But I think I would get back with her before she has a chance to get back with you.

Decide what you want to charge for 10-15 kids, 16-20, etc. so she knows beforehand what the cost will be.

Oh I have a few friends who would "pay me when they get their paycheck" Of course it never came...

I have a friend who says she is my 'best customer' because she hires me 3x a year for her kids parties... But paid me a total of $105.00 for the 7 different parties I have done...

I guess if you are not doing anything else that day then maybe $50 isn't too bad... you sure aren't going to be using $50 worth of supplies. Depends how good of a friend it is...

Yes, I would definitely add some if it's twice as many kids.... of course it depends on how good a friend it is, but even a friend's child may not be worth more than a 25-30% discount to your regular rate.

For some reason I cannot charge my good friend's for their kids parties. I always do them for FREE. I mean, if it got out of hand and they wanted me every year, I would just tell them that I am booked instead of charge them.

My "Good Friend" rate is $25/hour...good friend mind you. I have work mates that I charge a discounted $50/hour, no complaints yet.

Family is always free and my best friend would be free as well. It's not even really "free"...I consider it my gift to the birthday girl or boy.

The way I figure it, none of my friends or their spouses go around giving me or my family free services and I wouldn't expect them to.

Charge what you're comfortable with, you'll be happier about doing it in the end.

I would charge her! She gets paid by the hour at her job and so does everyone else, why should you be any different? I did things for cheap when I first started out but now I tell them what I charge up front.... take it or leave it. It is hard to be like that with family and friends but you have to be or your so called "friends" will walk all over you

well, I told her any more that 15 and I'd have to charge a a little more. She said she only has 12 right now. So we'll see.

My normal start rate is $100/hr so I charge friends $50. But I am doing my friend's tea party bday (4 year old) for free b/c she'll be my body painting model next month. A favor for a favor!

Yes, likewise BluAngL83, I am always open to bartering services too.

i woudl say something like, i can do the same as last year, x number of kids for $x.00 for x amount of time

That is my discounted rate. if you want additional kids or time then that will be at my regular rate..........

Well... family pays around here!! My uncle paid me to paint at my... er, his granddaughter's party (can never remember if she is my first cousin once removed or my second cousin.)

And my good friend paid me to paint at her daughter's first birthday - and she was briefed on the no painting under 3 years and was very organized and all the kids over 3 were painting and no one asked for the younger ones to be painted which was a nice change.

I am still working... and while I don't mind stating a flat rate for the party instead of my regular fee schedule, I don't see any reason to offer free. If I do discount it is no more or less than my not-for-profit discounts.

My family lives too far away, so I don't get the free for family issue. I'll drop a little off my price for good friends. I ask them to not let their guests know that I'm discouted, becasue then everyone wants the discount. I make sure my friend knows my real cost & quotes it if guests are interested.

I have just offered to do a very old friends party for free. I haven't seen him in like 17 years and he invited my daughter and my hubby too so I would feel funny having my family there and charging money.
I did say I would do it in trade off for some pictures for my website, and I also said over 20 kids I would charge $20 an hour to cover my kit.
He said he wouldn't be ok with NOT paying me... hahaha you try do someone a favor *sigh.
the way I work it for mates rates - is under 20 kids - free - over 20 is $20 an hour - over 30 kids $100 and I'll paint the lot.

I have nieces/nephews (I'm an only child, so I'm working out my lonely childhood issues through my husband's family ) So I do their parties, but it's usually just family, not loads of kids, and they end up on my website. And there's one family I do twice a year, and eat/drink my wages (I get my money's worth!!!!!! They are a family of immigrant pastry chefs who know how to party!).

When someone finds out I paint and says, "Oooo, maybe you could paint at xyz!" I say, sure! I have a friends and family discount! No one has taken me up on it yet.

I don't charge my home church....but I do others. I don't charge my immediate family...but do extended relatives(reduced rate of course) Friends pay just like everyone else.

i wouldn't charge my family.

I would Def. Charge more!!

-im new at this business...so far ive done for Free a couple of little family gatherings for a good friend of my moms (around 10kids sometimes less and she already booked me for her youngest kids party in march where i will charge my regular rate)..I gotta add she does ask for my rates and she does not expect my services for free but i do tell her "This time..is my bday present for XYZ"... i do get pictures..get to practice and try to convince the kids to get the new designs I need some practice on
- i painted my first belly on my best friends and im probably going to paint for free at her boys 2nd bday in march (i consider him my nephew)...again she did ask how much i would charge and even though is a kids party its always mostly family and friends and i doubt i will end up painting more than 15 kids.
- and im definitely going to paint for free at my nephews 1st bday in august (and his mom is actually my sister not a bff)...hes the king and im his slave haha so i really dont care how many kids i paint (plus since he does have alot of cousins from his dads side i am expecting alot of gigs once im done hehe)
-i really consider these like bday presents for them...since im new i really dont have such a hard time giving these for free since i use them as practice and some kind of free advertisement...PLUS my birthday is in december (after all the freebies)..so Hell Yeah i will expecing really GOOD presents!!...otherwise..i might have to charge them a little extra next time! LOL!!!

It will depend of how good of a friend she is.
I dont charge to my really close friends tell them that will be my gift and as long as they hook me up and promote me within their friends im cool. I def dont charge to family. Thank God they have never ask for my services, i always offer myself if i im available.

It all depends what your comfortable with when i do it for friends i charge half price, and they usually understand. if you just talk to her about it im sure she would.

Absolutely!

I charge half-price for close friends and family. It's always awkward though... You never know if they are expecting free... I wouldn't mind once in a while but you know how these things add up, and most of my family lives 1+ hour from me so there is quite a bit of travel involved. Also, if there are a lot of kids there, it's HARD WORK! It's not like a "so you'll be here anyway and can just bring some paints and doodle a bit.." kind of thing. My husband came with me once to a "free" family party and was surprised that I painted the entire time and never ate, visited, etc at the party. Nope. No rest for the face painter, lol. He finally came over and shut me down himself - he had wrestled a slice of pizza away for me to eat later LOL, but by then it was time to clear out of the facility anyway.

My aunt is the only one around here with young kids (none of us cousins have started pro-creating yet, lol), and I do their parties for free if I'm available. We get there early so my mom can help set up, and I'll half set up and half shovel food into my mouth then. I don't charge her - she lived with us when we were growing up (my mom and her are 17 years apart) and helped with our parties - but she always gives me a red packet (yay for being Chinese! Haha) that I always refuse and somehow still ends up in my pocket. If I have a booking, which happened the last time, I showed up early to fp, and my brother (who is one of my twisters) did balloons for the kids after I left, with my 2nd balloon kit.

Not too many friends have kids yet either, but I'll do something like 25% off and/or no travel, depending on how good a friend they are.

Eventually, I know I'll need to figure another system out. My best friends and sibling's kids will likely get free parties - as the main part of their present. I'd have to do some thinking about dates, too - ie try for long weekends, Friday nights etc. Can't give up Saturdays for free all the time!

Just googled "red packet" and learned a new phrase. Thanks!