how to keep the gigs rolling?

So I started facepainting a year ago or so. I have a thrift store that I own and operate as well, so i don't get to spend as much energy and time into the facepainting as I would like. My goal is to get the new store functioning so I can be a full time facepainter!

I can book gigs for festivals pretty easy, but it's hard work. Around here, facepainters usually work for tips at the festivals, which can be good. gosh doing the tattoo convention I did very well.

The issue I'm having is getting birthday parties booked. I did a b-day party the other day, it went well, made connections in the community, but not a single booking from it, even though I had raving reviews.

I did a festival last year where kids were coming back the next day JUST to get their facepainted. I was the highlight of kid village. I'm often told that I'm the best facepainter they've ever seen. Now I know different, that I got a lot of learn before I can hang with the best, BUT it's for sure not your momma's face painting. It's pretty good. I have an extensive art background.. but anyhoo. I just don;t understand why am I not getting the birthday parties, the church parties, the weddings etc... I worked a festival this past weekend, we had a booth for our store ( yep we are a progressive thrift store) and I made a point to pass out my cards to every single parent who i painted.. I felt a little obnicious, but well.... what else can I do?

yes I have a website, facebook page, etc for both the shop and my facepainting

Dear earthvibe360:
I have grocery shopped wearing my face paints, handed out business cards to anybody who noticed me. Gone UV bowling wearing Neon UV paint with my family, walked around my neighborhood putting my business cards on the customer bulletin boards of every coffee house, children's birthday party venues. Emailed restaurants. Whatever it took. I devoted one day a week for the first year toward promotion of my business/signage.
While I have been. Volunteer face painting at our local Children's Hospital for the last 14 years, I have only decided to face paint as a business for the last two years. I have received a lot of wise advice from reading this Forum.
Happy Painting!

thanks Lisa! you gave me some good ideas!

It is not often that I book a party off of another party... it does happen, but not as much as you might think it would. Yes, they are all happy and raving and 3 of the kids said they wanted me at their bday party and I said, "you ask your mom and maybe she'll let me come!" They all go home with a colouring book with my picture and info plastered all over it. Building a "weekend-only" kind of business takes time. As much as we all don't want it to, keep at it and it will come. This is the first year that I'm looking at my June calendar and my head is spinning... I had a few crazy weekends last summer, but this is a few crazy MONTHS!

Birthday Bookings from birthday bookings is a tricky business because the child that wants you at his next party may have just had his birthday last month and that means 11 months until you'll be needed by his family. By then, mom may have lost your card, etc, etc. I have tried to make myself as visible as possible with the families in a 3 mile radius from my home by painting at the local school, a preschool up the street, my church several times, and last year I painted at 4 parties in the same townhouse community because the kids all come to eachother's parties. In my immediate area, I'm pretty well known because not only do they remember me, but I try to remember them. I just painted a little girl at a birthday party a few weeks ago that I was CERTAIN I had painted before. After talking to her mom we figured out I had painted her at her preschool celebration last spring! Her mom couldn't believe I remembered her so many months later. It's a gift that God gave me that I remember people easily. So I guess as I have made myself more visible with my target audience , I've gotten more bookings. I'm WAY busier this year compared to last year! I also dream of being a full time face painter - at least until I can go back to school to be an Art Therapist (my dream job).

I find that I do get birthdays from birthdays... but it isn't consistent. I'll do a party, then fairly soon after one or two kids from that party have me at their party. I have repeat (annual) birthdays where the kids have me back every year for three years (that seems to be the limit) and I have families that have me for three birthdays a year (three kids), and then I get hired for their company picnic/Christmas do. And sometimes I get hired to to their grad and wedding make-up too! LOL

I second what Becky521 said, it may be a few months before you get another booking off of a birthday party, but it does happen!
If you dont have a lot of time to put into your painting build yourself a good website and pay for some goodle adwords, it has done wonders for my business
Have you got a BIG poster in the window of your thrift store advertising your face painting?
Do you tell people if they loose your card they can contact you there? They will remember it.

One thing that (I think) has been helping me is that I have face paint removal instructions on the back of my business cards now.

So at the end of the party, I approach mum and say 'Would you like to take some business cards? On the back it says how to take off the face paint." They usually take 10, and they've told me they hand out each one.

I also have a display at our local swimming/community centre, which TONS of kids go to. I have to replenish my business cards there often.

I think a lot of my business comes from the web as well. I have recent ads in Kijiji, and a few other local classifieds. I also have ads up on relevant FB groups. And luckily, my website and Facebook page come up on the first page of google results for "sault ste. marie face painter" and similar searches.

Good luck!

I get a lot of repeat and referral business in specific neighborhoods. I think sometimes you just have to hit the "sweet spot" - a neighborhood where parents seem to compete with birthday parties and most of the kids all go to the same parties. I have a couple of neighborhoods like that... I see all the same kids at all the parties, and they all know my name. Usually these are gated "golfing" communities.