How do you compete with free?

This Sunday just gone, I was doing my regular market gig, and increased my prices, as at the same venue was a car show where 30 000 people were expected. My price increase was to slow down the line as I get smashed every week.

Anyway, the company putting on the car show had a FREE face paint tent (unknown to me and the market organisers), where I am a regular fixture. My guy found it and said they looked pretty good.

I freaked out because how do you compete with free when my service was paid and not so cheap for the day. You compete with awesome work, fun times spent with the families and kids, and having faith in your ability and service. I was busy all day, had numerous comments on my work, and even had people tell me they chose me over the other tent because of my work!

After my initial upset, I realised with that many people there was enough work to go around and skill and beautiful bright paints will be enough, I just relaxed and it all worked out. Just wanted to share xx

We have struggled with this more than once. While it is really really nice to be on the other end (the one who is being paid your hourly rate by someone in order to be free to the public), it is indeed difficult to be the painter who is charging per face at the same event. And it is mortifying to hear people complain that they paid when they find out later that someone else is doing it for free.

Luckily each time we have been in that position, not only has there been more than enough work to go around, there has been another factor in our favour: the other painter has been dressed as a clown, and we don't do that. Some people don't care for clowns and would prefer to pay us instead, especially teenagers and some small children.

We haven't actually had it happen for quite a while, but the last time was before we really got our skills up and the other painter was better than us - I admit it freely, we've come a long way in this past year. So now we are more equipped to have the same attitude as you; back then we were just glad that the place was so packed that people would choose to pay us just because our lineup was a little shorter, or because they were afraid of clowns. It's awesome to feel confident in your abilities!!!

When I was first starting out i had this happen, I booked a booth at a 3 day event and was told by the festival stalls organiser that there were no other face painters going.. then arrived and discovered they had booked entertainers that also offered face painting as part of their package. And they were better than me. Luckily I had henna to fall back on but I still had a queue for face painting and came out ok at the end of the day. A few hundred backs lighter than a usual festival day but live and learn i struck it off the list for next years events.So glad it worked out for you. Its a compliment to your work that people chose you over them!

I hate when there is another painter free or $1! Ugg! Usually, they are just simple cheek art. If it's free then they are being paid hourly. They are probably overly swamped! Sometimes, hourly isn't so good in this case.

Most of the time, I'm busy enough that it doesn't bother me. The free line is usually longer so some people might not want to stand in line that long.

I had that happen 2 weeks ago. There was a big entertainment event going on and even though the organizer was using our market and knew that I was there, he chose to hire this other face painter by the hour and I am ppf. They also took over my usual spot. So I still had to pay my fee but was put inside where no one knows and there were no crowds. I had a verrry slow day but when I saw what their "free" tent was painting I felt pretty good about what was going outside after I painted them. ROFL. Night and day difference. However, this very same organizer had another big event this past weekend in the same general area (but not my spot this time) and he again hired the same painters. I decided I would prefer to be gracious for now and let my work speak for itself. I have absolutely no doubt who would be hired out for a birthday party or function when both are clearly miles apart in talent. I am also hoping that he had already contracted this other facepainting outfit prior to knowing that I was there and was committed to keeping them but maybe next year he might ask me.

It really bites being in that position doesn't it?

Two of our 3 events this past weekend had something similar.

One of them is a Chamber of Commerce run event. We've been there 8 years and the Chamber (who juried us in) decided to do "face painting" for a dollar! Then two spaces up, the EMT's offered free "face painting". When I called the head organizer she tried to tell me we were juried in on henna, I corrected her about that (we were juried in on henna, glitter tattoos and face paint- and have been for years. Just goes to show they don't pay attention to our application anymore- even though they keep making us apply). She shut the EMT's down completely and kept the Chamber painter open (of course) because she said when they see our art they don't consider it face paint.
Ummm...it's paint on a face. What?! If someone else takes up that real estate, we're screwed.
We had several people who said they wished they saw us first. We also had some wipe off the crap art (and it was so bad- couldn't pass the what is it test) and let us paint them. We lost about $70 to the dollar paints but had all the other stuff, plus hair bling, to make sure we pulled a profit. Still, the organizers said they would make it up to me as we have people who come to that event just for us.

At the other event a church group was doing "face painting"- again, just ugly squiggles with acrylic craft paints!, in the air conditioned building. We lost loads of money to them and the organizer is working out a deal with me next year. They were told not to do the face paint, but then they weren't stopped when they did it because the organizers were too busy to act as police. We still did well enough thanks to all the glitter tats, henna and hair bling- and with face paint.

You can't just let it float though. You need to be proactive about your business when you feel you are being wronged. I don't mind honest competition, someone offering something for compatible prices. We have a few events where this happens and we all do fine. The whole $1 and free is just wrong when we pay to be there.

Lynnie wrote:You can't just let it float though. You need to be proactive about your business when you feel you are being wronged. I don't mind honest competition, someone offering something for compatible prices. We have a few events where this happens and we all do fine. The whole $1 and free is just wrong when we pay to be there.

You know, after reading your response I can see that your are right Lynnie. When I have to pay up to 40% of the gross just to be there, it is wrong. I think I am going to say something about that or respectfully request that I should be refunded for those weekends. Thank you for your wisdom and assertiveness.

For us, we were told in advance by the organizers that they had paid someone to do facepainting so it could be free to the public. So it was our choice to attempt offering PPF at the same event. I was a little unhappy about it because in previous years the same other painter had been doing PPF as well as us, but she had in the time between pitched herself to the organizers which of course was a good business move for her. So we lowered our PPF prices (in an attempt to compete with "free") and we didn't make a whole lot. That made me sad because it was an event that had been a very good moneymaker previously. However, the past couple of years we have been the only painters there - they no longer had the budget to pay the other painter - so it has improved somewhat. But they moved the event to a different (worse) venue, and shortened the hours, so still not so good... *sigh*

I come across this constantly. Almost every time I do a fair for any length of time.

For me, it depends on venue and foot traffic. Foot traffic. Foot traffic. Foot traffic.

You can never guess how things go though! This last fourth of July, where the previous year there had only been free face painters, this year there was myself and two other ppf and then the free face painters. On top of that, the free face painters would come by booth advertising.

I still had a line all day.

Many people shop for quality. Many just want to satisfy the kid that they got it done.

everyone is right, but to push it home I took some advice from our Shannon. I made a flyer to hand out with safety tips for kids about FDA and so on... what makes my cosmetic grade face paints safe kinda stuff. It has really eliminated the poster paint free stuff but it also gave me a huge step up and loyalty. I have a free kids fun both at one of my yearly gigs i cant seem to shake (coordinator keeps getting changed lol) and every year I tell them I don't mind them being there but I want to know what they are using cus if it isn't FDA I don't want to get sued cus some kid has an allergic reaction to poster paints and I sure would hate to have to turn the lawsuit back on them.... heheh ya I think I got it through to them this year. But I will see next year lol

Had this happen last weekend..... three free painters proffessionally trained 200 meters up the road.
I made more money then ever.
Strangely enough people still think they get what they pay for.
And the queues for free are always killer!
After last weekend I honestly don't think I will worry about it again..... but If I was paying a booth fee it would of been a different story!

I haven't tried too hard to get in on PPF action. I'm only one person, and the entitlement population here hates lines etc. I have approached some events and been told other firms had exclusives. I wonder, why not just set minimum prices and let fair market forces work it out? There never seem to be enough face painters, and it's mostly apples and oranges - just like some people like geese walking on their dishtowels, others are minimalists...it is ART, after all.

I have done two public events. One was a reluctant booking, I couldn't get my ponies out of the ice and offered to paint instead. She said she already had one and hated how ppl complained about standing in line and not being served...then I think she saw my actual work and was QUITE excited.

Second one...I was told another outfit had an exclusive, I brought the ponies. I was there before the other outfit, that drove up with a spanking new van covered in about $3000 worth of skins. They left early, and because all my signage mentions face painting, ppl were then bugging me to death to paint them, did I know where the painters were etc. The 'pros' were charging astronomical prices, and doing speed painting which I happen to dislike. So, I had many happy campers on that day, perusing my thousands of choices and shoving money at me, more than I was even asking.

I think we as face painters may be selling ourselves short - why can't there just be more of us, apples and oranges. It isn't as if a fair only allows one food booth, or one painter or crafter.

I agree absolutely, provided there is enough traffic to support more than one. The last event that we did with the other painter also doing PPF, we talked to each other first thing in the day and we were both happy that we were charging the same amounts. It worked really well and we were both busy the whole day.

I thought about getting my stall fee back, but considering I actually made money, I chose to leave it. Also, when I confronted the manager of the markets she was very apologetic and also had numerous food stalls show up too that weren't explained in the setup. So I guess from their end, everyone got shafted a little.
But yes in the end, quality won out over price! If it happens again there will be no more sweet little face painter!

Thanks for all your feedback guys. I you.