thinking of hiring!!!!

Hello,
So I'm at the point of my business were I need to hire someone else, bc I've turned gigs down bc I'm fully booked! Now this girl has a degree in art and she's a friend of mine as well.... I charge $65hr... How much should I pay her? I'll be buying all the materials and I will find the gigs she will be on call... And what should be the requirements for her to work for me? HELP!

Yuri.... your website shows your talent and you live in Southern California.... I think you should be charging more per hour... at the very least $75.00....

Don't be afraid to raise you standard rate.... people WILL pay it.

I was getting paid $20 -$25 an hour to paint when the owner was clowning and couldn't paint. She provided everything I needed. Keep in mind she charges $160 an hour for Fpainting. This was last Oct.
I will add that seeing an invoice at a gig is one on the (many) reasons I decided to try this on my own.

I was contracted by a fellow painter and she kept 10% of the fee. Mind you, I had my own business also and used my own supplies. I was asked to hand out her cards, but with my name written on the back so she would know the next gig came from one I worked for her.

I have also contracted face painters to work with me. I booked them at a rate they were comfortable with and paid them the entire amount.

I think if you are hiring someone and providing their supplies, then deduct a reasonable supplies fee. Or if you want them to eventually own the supplies, then do a rent to own or have them straight out buy a simple kit. I wouldn't low ball them on the amount they are paid though.
That is crazy to charge $160 per hour but only pay out $25 to the painter. I don't blame you for striking out on your own Misha.

Tuli, I agree with Miss Ronnie, you could definately raise your rates. People will still book because they recognize that excellence has a price.

Oops.
Should also say my son works for me doing glitter tattoos and simple balloon twisting.
I keep 15% for supplies, the rest goes to him.

thank You all... My rates used to be $75 and I hardly had any gigs, so I decided to go with $65 and I'm getting booked like crazy! So I was thinking of paying her $30 an hour plus tips & if its far then gas $ will be provided by the client. What'cha think?

Yep, I would definately add in a travel fee. I add one for gigs that are 20 miles or more away, because around here that could mean sitting in traffic for a while which eats up time and gas.

If you are hiring her as an "employee" have you checked into the tax ramifications, WCB, etc?

The people I pay to work with me are "contractors" and not employees.

The first decision is are you going to HIRE someone or are you looking to book your extra gigs out and made $$$ from that. Personally I hate math, however if you are in business it is about a profit. You simply don't have the profit some people see when they think you make $65. hr. Depending on your tax level take 25% off for taxes,then insurance, websites, business cards and the on and on of business expenses and you'll start to see real numbers.
When you work for a company like retail just because your register rings out at $500. sales the boss doesn't use that number to decide what he's paying you.
Operating expenses are MAJOR and many face painters don't really take it into account. Check out Shannon's comments on business and have a reality check...it sounds all like fun and games but it is business. When people choose to paint for $25 and $30 an hour they simply can't be operating a legal profitable business in the US., unless they are satisfied with minimum wage or less. All the hidden expenses eat you up. Even when you pay child care it costs you and is part of your operating cost, costuming, brush addictions...think of all the expenses and list them and add them up.
What is your time worth running the office and booking.....wishing you much luck.

I think its $30 is fine. I'm assuming you will pay under the table, but don't forget about insurance issues- she's working under YOUR name.

I would still work for $25 if she called, it would be paid training!

I generally pay helpers according to their speed, quality, and if they're bringing their own supplies. I got 3 girls to paint with me (PPF) at a zombie walk, and I let them keep all their earnings. They were using some little Snaz palettes that were already paid off, so I didn't bother charging them anything to use them. Maybe I'm too lax... I just remember how annoyed I'd get when I face painted for another lady, and I'd worked my butt off for 4 hours... and she came up to me with a huge wad of cash, and only gave me $60. It just doesn't feel right to me to take away someone else's pay when they're working just as hard as me. Just my two cents.

Shannon Fennell wrote:If you are hiring her as an "employee" have you checked into the tax ramifications, WCB, etc?

The people I pay to work with me are "contractors" and not employees.

What do u mean? Im fairly new to this (& I'm a business major lol) contractors?

Okay I need more feed back! Totally lost!

PerfectlyPaintedFaces wrote:I generally pay helpers according to their speed, quality, and if they're bringing their own supplies. I got 3 girls to paint with me (PPF) at a zombie walk, and I let them keep all their earnings. They were using some little Snaz palettes that were already paid off, so I didn't bother charging them anything to use them. Maybe I'm too lax... I just remember how annoyed I'd get when I face painted for another lady, and I'd worked my butt off for 4 hours... and she came up to me with a huge wad of cash, and only gave me $60. It just doesn't feel right to me to take away someone else's pay when they're working just as hard as me. Just my two cents.

I was on the same boat, however, the girls is not paying
insurance, material, website fees, and The list can go on & on... $60 for 4 hrs??? no! Thats bad! for 4hrs she will be coming out with $120 thats way more reasonable... Primarily this is a business that I had to work for on my own and promote myself like crazy, she's practically getting everything handed to her.

Yeah, $120 is definitely more reasonable!

I don't have insurance yet, and I have a free website, so my only cost would be supplying helpers with materials... which were already paid off, so that's why I let them keep all their profits. But yeah, if I had to rent a booth, or had more expenses, I'd definitely take a portion of their pay to cover that.

If you are sending them out with your supplies, then they are an employee, and as such you have to hold out taxes on them and file quarterly taxes as an employer.

If you are sub-contracting out work that is more than you can handle, they have to have their own supplies and pay their own taxes. You then send them a 1099 at the end of the year showing how much you paid them so that they can use it to file taxes. Much simpler and easier!

Ahhh! Got it! Thank God my uncle does taxes that way he can explain! so $30 cool?

Thought I might add... this info is for the US... not sure of other countries

I run a home design company so I had to learn the difference between employees and contractors... much prefer contractors- so much less red tape!!

Up here I just pay them, keep records, and they are responsible for declaring the income on their taxes. No forms required. Contractors are MUCH easier on the paperwork side.

I also have a casual job where I work at a convention centre (as kitchen or concession staff) when they have big events. Instead of putting me on payroll they pay me a full hourly rate without any deductions and I have to declare that as income on MY tax return and pay taxes myself.

If you are hiring as employees, you have to register as an employer with the govt, get a business tax number, take off withholdings (income taxes, CPP, EI, etc. or whatever they are called where you are) and submit them, then do all the tax forms as required.

From a taxes, insurance, red tape perspective.. i prefer to work with other people that also have their own business, insurance ABN (business no for tax in Australia) and then we work out the costs. If you are booked out I reckon you could up your prices again too. $65 is crazy cheap when you consider the costs and unpaid time such as cleaning kit, advertising, driving etc..

The only things I would add is you mentioned she is a "friend". Be sure to keep the communication lines open. No hourly wage is worth a great friendship. Even though your site is technically "free", there is time spent maintaining it. Also, you have to take into account what YOU are worth as a leader/trainer.....the time and monies you have invested in learning, researching and practicing your trade. Now, that's worth a fortune!

I know this is an old thread, but I am facing all this now. I have a couple of gigs coming up that I need an extra hand at, and I have a friend who has been helping with the one free event I do each year - my children's school fundraising fair. She is talented and has her own supplies. If I bring her with me on just a couple of gigs totaling under a couple hundred dollars, is it worth getting a EIN and jumping through legal hoops? I do want to help her get performers insurance in her name, just to be safe, but I don't want Uncle Sam to think I'm trying to swindle him out of tax money. For such a small amount (probably <$500 this year) do I still need to send her a 1099? I am an independent contractor at my local art center teaching drawing and painting to kids. They said they only had to send me a 1099 if I made more than a certain amount in a year, but they are a non-profit. Getting legal advice for this over a couple hundred dollars just isn't worth it! Why do they have to make it all so confusing?!?

From what I understand, most face painters enlist other insured painters to work when needed.  If they use your supplies/designs or direction then they are considered to me working for you and need the proper tax forms filled out and you need the proper insurance.  As far as cost goes, getting someone a business registration and their own insurance is still WAY cheaper and less hassle than hiring someone on staff, I would only hire if I knew I could keep them employed, keep them happy with work and it was beneficial to my business.

In regard to the dollar amount that requires a 1099...It is currently (and has been for years) $600. If you pay them $600 or more in the calendar year you have to 1099 them. It's an easy form though. I got 1099'd for 2013 because I made $609 tutoring. If I had made $10 less they would not have had to do the form BUT paying contractors is a business expense that you want to write off so the 1099 is good for your records if required or not.

Excellent advice! Thank you!!!
  

I use the Ikea tall chair in conjunction with this step stool from walmart: http://mobile.walmart.com/ip/Cosco-Folding-Steel-Step-Stool-2-Step/17209082?type=search

The step stool is the perfect height because if you tuck the back legs of the stool through the front bar of the Ikea chair and slide the foam covered bar of the step stool just under the front lip of the ikea chair, it creates a sturdy, but portable option that kids can climb in and out of easily. I'll try to get a photo of this configuration up soon so you can see it.