Why do some folks have different corporate vs. private rates?

I've got a question - Why do some face painters have different corporate rates separate from private party rates? How does something like this work?

Every example posted shows that the corporate rates are higher then the private party rates - Is there a reason for this? I would love to hear your feed back.

I'm asking because, on May 1st I raised my hourly rates and since then I've been hired for 4 new corporate gigs booked by marketing agencies BUT my private party bookings have gone down... way down. So I know that this sounds silly - but - on one hand I'm being paid in full for full day events by places like Wal-Mart and AArons but I miss working the kids parties. Is there a happy medium? What do ya'll do?

I have one set price for both. The only difference is the number of kids i am required to do affects the types of faces i do. I start at $100 but the first hour can be more depending on distance. If i have only 10 kids, i can do really awesome complex faces with shadows, hightlights, bling, etc... If i have to do 15-20 kids in an hour then they may not all get a SUPER fancy face just a 3-5 min face (which is pretty cool too, but you know what i mean).

Stress, pressure, amount of paint used, etc. Corporate events tend to be more high volume and they can afford to pay more. They are also looking for the best in thier area. Super cheap prices for corporate usually makes them think cheap work. Price like a pro and they are more likely to pay it. House parties are more relaxed and you get to do better detail work and really bond with your clients. I find them more fun! So I have two prices. This way I cover both markets. Seems to be working for me. Today I am doing henna at the bay, then tomorrow a bride, friday a birthday, saturday 2 birthdays.

I think like any advice when it comes to pricing, you have to shoot for what works in your area. All markets are not created equal. My 2 cents!

Also remember that if you go to a birthday party, you're there to keep the kids entertained and painted for an hour, and the only reason anyone would hire you is because you do that well.

Wal Mart on the other hand has you in their shop, creating positive associations for their customers, and hopefully ensuring that having you there will help bring customers back to their store again.

You're a marketing tool and that is worth something.

As an aside, I love it when big companies say "were doing something for hurricane releif" (or something) to try and score some kind of charity rate. Bollocks. Its PR. if they really wanted to help they could simply donate money. Sorry. Pet peeve.

So yes, all you're doing is face painting in both cases, but the job you are really doing is much much different.

My rate is my rate.

I offer a "package" for birthday which is limited to 15 faces that is 75% of the regular rate for two hours. Reasoning is that it is fewer faces than I would paint at a public gig and I can spend more time on each.

Otherwise everyone is charged the same.

I do offer a discount AT MY DISCRETION to non-profit or charitable groups but only IF I want to, I don't offer it blanket to ANY group, but ones I feel like supporting (and I am very selective!)

I don't have a seperate price for corporate, but I only give them 2 options, hire me for half day rate or full day rate and that is FP'ing only any other service is an a la carte added upcharge.

It's about how much can you get away with charging... how much with the market bare. Corporations have more money to spend and want quality so they are looking for the best, not the cheapest. Moms who hire you for parties are sometimes looking for a deal, sometimes looking for the "best" but usually can't afford as much as corporations.

For my airbrush tattoos i have 2 different rates.

I had one that i charged the regular rate for plus travelling, ended up with $700 for the day. this was not enough!

The line up, the stress, we had to have 2 artists going non stop, no breaks
When there is a big event like that, and ppl find out that your service is free.. they come out in hordes. I've never had an event feel so frantic

Because corporations will pay more...

I have one set of rates ... the only difference is that with a party, I will stay until the agreed number of children have gotten their face painting and balloons, etc... hourly, I get done however many I get done, no guarantees. I don't work any harder at a corporate event than I do at a party, in fact, if I don't have a stage show to do, corporate hourly is WAY easier. I either paint 12 kids at a party within half an hour or 20+ kids an hour doing hourly... that part makes no difference to me.

I charge different because at a party you pretty much know the number of kids you'll have and I'm able to pace myself, adjust the designs to allow for not many kids and too much time, or too many kids and not enough time, that sort of thing. At a free-to-the-public event, I'm expected to paint a never ending line at often times an impossibly short time frame. SO, the extra amount is for the stress of someone breathing down my neck saying "there's a long line, can you just make them quicker" when I'm already in my Speedy Gonzales mode.

I charge more for corporate events for the same reason other companies charge more... because YOU CAN charge more. Corporate gigs are more intense for me and therefore I feel I'm worth it for the extra stress.

And I always point this out on this forum; if we are good professional face painters then we are worth just as much as the magicians or the DJs or the people dressed in costumed character suits who don't do much of anything except wave and give hugs and yet still charge $150.00 per hour (at least around here they do).

How much more (percentage wise) do you charge for corporate vs. private parties? Do you have "additional half hour " rate for corporate events as well?

I charge the same hourly rate, wherever I go.
I give them the option between standard party faces and fast faces, depending upon how many they expect me to paint in an hour.

I charge "free to public" rates if they are having a Grand Opening type event and I'm going to get a line up. I pay hubby $25 an hour to be with me when he can and manage the line. Face it, our worst horror stories are "FTP" (ha, ha...acronym) and managing that well takes a real professional. I had out bracelets, have special quick menus....it's me at my best and it cost you more to have that professionalism and speed.

When a corporation is having a private event, then I just charge my regular hourly (two hour minimum) and don't bring backup.

I recently painted for a football team in the CFL and I had to basically double the speed I typically paint at if at a party for hours on end and the money (although still good for me) was not enough - and this was obvious when I was paired up with a caricature artist charging $50+/hr MORE than I and not being able to work through the line as fast as I.

That being said, going forward, I would have to up my hourly rate - even if slightly more.  This was the first time I've ever been able to visibly see an impact on my paint between the start and end of an event

My Rates:

Private Party: (a party with a set number of guests, by invitation)
$125 first hour
$75 each additional hour/artist

Public Event: (an event with no set number of guests, open to the public)
$100 per hour per artist - min 2 hour bookings.

Here is the logic behind this.
While most face painters have a 2 hour min for bookings, i decided to just make my first hour more expensive because most private parties only want 1hr any way. And for a party of 8-10 kids (which most parties are) you really don't need any more time. Also I can advertise it as "50% off after the first hour" so it looks like a pretty good deal.  But you notice with the math, for public and private the first two hours both equal $200 so they are really same at this point. At the 3 hr mark, private parties get a better deal then public events.

Public events are big, high volume, high stress jobs. I usually work harder with speed at these events then at a party, and it's all about how many you can paint in the shortest amount of time. Also added that these events are (9 times out of 10) a company that is hiring you and not an individual. Companies can afford to book more hours at a higher rate, where as private citizens and individuals book fewer hours and don't want to break the bank just for their kids 5th birthday.

But it's mostly about the different environment. Private parties are more laid back, you can usually take your time with designs, and might even get offered some cake!

Public events are go go go! So you tend to use more product as well per hour, VS a private party. Also you are 10 times more likely to get a visit from the Shape Shifting Nut Bar Lady. When ever face painting is being offered free to the public you will get the people who feel entitled to it. If they have to pay for it, they act differently. 

I rarely if ever book half hours, only hourly.