Working in your home - Private Booking tips and tricks

This is my first year taking private bookings in my house, and I want to make sure I do it in the most professional way possible.

Do you have a separate entrance/studio?
Do you offer refreshments?
Do you turn the TV on for them to watch while you work your magic? What kind of shows?
Do you give them instructions on removing paint/sfx?
Do you clean your house immaculately before they arrive?
Do you leave the driveway open for them?
Do you have your proof of insurance out in the open?
Do you tell them what you're thinking of doing or do you just jump right in?

If anyone else has questions please feel free to add them! I want to rock these jobs and appear to be a total pro.

I don't have a separate entrance or room so I'll be bringing them through the kitchen, downstairs into the TV room. I plan on offering a drink and maybe having a small bowl of Halloween candy for them to munch. I think if I can find a Halloween special to play while I paint that would be a nice touch.

Thanks in advance!

Hi Jessica,
I will be watching this closely, I have only had one in home appointment, I took him straight to the kitchen, discussed what I was doing and started. Personally, I would not want them to eat or drink while i paint as it will cause their face to move. I also dont want them thru much of my house, so I set up in the kitchen right by a big window, close to the front door.
Nina

oh, you meant drinks for those who are waiting, duh,,

Do you have a separate entrance/studio? I have a studio in my basement, they come in my front door, take off their boots, and then down the stairs

Do you offer refreshments? NO

Do you turn the TV on for them to watch while you work your magic? What kind of shows? NO. I will put a record on the stereo and let those waiting look through my albums. No one has ever chosen to put on my Dean Martin or Harry Belafonte records. Usually Wings or American Graffiti.

Do you give them instructions on removing paint/sfx? Of course.

Do you clean your house immaculately before they arrive? ? they aren't seeing my house, just the studio. And, BTW, my house is always immaculate.

Do you leave the driveway open for them? The driveway is always clear as my car is in the garage. There is street parking for the overlaps.

Do you have your proof of insurance out in the open? NO. No one has ever asked. If they do I can get it.

Do you tell them what you're thinking of doing or do you just jump right in?
They are the customer, THEY tell ME what I am doing. Unless they tell me to do whatever I want, which at Halloween is NOT the case.

I am not a salon, I am taking individual appointments that are scheduled pretty tightly, I end up with 3-6 people often waiting (there is seating) as some come early and/or bring friends that they didn't let me know about so they watch while I finish the person I am working on. It is pretty hectic. In the chair, they tell me or show me, I do it, take a photo (IF I REMEMBER TO) against my backdrop (pre-set), take the cash, next person in the chair.

They enjoy watching the transformations and chatting about what I did last year, etc. (most are repeat customers)

I have a washroom in the basement so no one actually leaves the studio area, and lots of mirrors for people to check their costumes out before they leave.

My mom and her aide are upstairs, and we both have phones if there is any need to call 911. There never has been.

I had private bookings two years ago, I used my breakfast table (no good poor light), I was more worried about having strangers in my house so I asked my nephew (body builder) to be present cause my hubby was deployed.

The kitchen sounds like a good idea, it's right there are we just installed a counter that would be perfect to work off of. My only concern is that they are coming at 5:30 pm and the rest of the house will want to cook.

The whole tell them what you're doing thing would be for zombies. I would tell them I want to put a scar here, flesh wound there...

The backdrop is a good idea, I knew I'd do that but thanks for adding it to the thread.

I was thinking for the candy I could attach my business cards to sealed chocolates somehow lol. I don't know, I'll probably just hand them a business card haha

I have a "studio" in what used to be the breakfast room of my house. Its a small space but I bought a "display case" and a console table to use for displaying my makeup and supplies as well as space to set up. I bought a large mirror to display over the console and then for privacy I bought a folding screen.

I bought everything off of craigslist and took me about six months to find all the crucial pieces to make the environment work. I also found some great make up wall art that I have around the room... and some plants to give it a "homey" feel.

Here are a couple pics... the first one is old... its of me and my daughter... but you can see on either side the desk/console is on the right, next to it is my makeup case... on the left is the display case.

The second is my display case. I dont actually sell anything out of my home other than Mary Kay, but this is where I display and store my supplies... my (makeup) clients love it.

i love that set up dreamwarrior!! I use to be a mary kay rep!!

Oh how I wish I had space for a studio!

I usually set up in my dining room and have people waiting in the lounge. I try to keep these two rooms as clear as possible (everything gets tucked away in my bedroom).
I have a backdrop hung over a cupboard (which is also hiding stuff) and a nice table centerpiece (for halloween it will be halloween themed.

I also stick a sign outside the front door to help people find the right house.

If I am painting a face I wont offer any food or drink, although DH may offer a drink to those who wait. For belly paintings I make sure they have a glass of water and will put out snacks if I remember.

I don't have tv going but I do like to have background music to break any silence.

I am setting up in the unused family room which is pretty much where everybody goes for a quiet place to read. There's a couch and chair in there for waiting guests, a fireplace and unused coffee table for equipment setup (and unfortunately a treadmill that I'm allergic to). Clients come right in the front door, through the foyer and hallway right to the family room off of the kitchen. There's a 1/2 bathroom in the hallway that they can use if needed and I have a curtain that blocks the view off from the kitchen for when I'm body painting. I'm doing a couple of full body appointments so I kept my appointments loose so that the clients will be at the point of completion when the next client arrives.

Yes... I have 2 kids (3 if you count the husband) so I had to do some serious cleaning to avoid losing a client in the family room, lol!

I've decided to paint in my kitchen at the new counter top. They will walk through my front door, take their shoes/coat off, and go right to the kitchen onto my IKEA bar chair. I'm trying to figure out how to hang a backdrop... I might have to attach it to the fridge with heavy duty magnets lol

I'll have my business cards out and will put some music on the TV.

Dont underestimate the power of a screen/room divider... especially the one with photos... you can put your work in the frames and display it for a variety of purposes.... they'll be entertained and you can use it as a display option.

Not to mention the all important privacy factor... you can hide your mess behind the screen or keep your family out of the area you're working in.

That's a great idea! How much do those go for? That's a Christmas idea now lol

It depends... you can do a google search... if you want them new Overstock usually has them at a decent price.

Ikea sells them too...

But for the BEST price... a patient craigslist search will get you the best return.

90% of my items come from craigslist. I spent less than $200 on the screen, display case, console desk, and mirror... the only thing I splurged on was the wall painting and they were from Home Goods. Maybe $25.00 a piece.

However, it did take me about 6 months to get all those pieces.

I just found one on kijiji for $65, too bad I'm banned from buying things right now lol. I'll add it to my Christmas list..

I didn't get my website or promote Halloween in time and I'm probably the only one here that had NO private bookings, lol. I did get one call from NYC, no way I'm traveling 80 miles and $25. in tolls to paint a face lol.
But, I'm thinking of it for next year and I have to admit I'm afraid to be letting strangers come to my house. I would definitely get a male friend to be here if I did. I'm on the 3rd floor of an apartment building and it's ahistorical building and you can't hear ANYTHING once you're inside, so I have an overactive imagination, lol.
Just a tip to those who have people...make sure ALL people that come stay in the room YOU are in. Just recently, my boyfriend listed an old, empty oil tank for free takeaway for scrap metal, on craigs list. Someone, who sounded decent, said they wanted to come and get it. While they were all in his basement carrying out the oil tank, the people in the car in the driveway helped themselves to several things in his open garage. We found this after they were gone. I think it was a planned scam. Be careful!

Definitely! I have it stated in my In-house contract that they can bring up to two persons to accompany them (because lets face it, they are taking a risk as well...I could be a serial face painting killer).

Any persons accompanying them must me cognitively capable of following the guidelines i set forth as they pertain to transit limiations, treatment of personal property and personal conduct. Companions under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a second companion who can be held responsible for the minor. Clients under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult who can give consent for the artwork commission. Clients under the age of 16 must be accompanied during the time of painting.

All persons accompanying the client are held by the same constraints as it pertains to transit boundaries and access to my personal property as the person being painted. Further more, the client is liable for any losses/damages resulting from actions perpetrated or influenced by anyone they choose to bring with them.

I also reserve the right to expel completely from my property anyone who willfully breaches the the agreement as it pertains to transit boundaries, personal property and conduct.

If the offending party is a minor who can't be left to his or her own responsible cognizance off of my property then the client must forfeit his booking appointment in order to physically remove the disruptive companion.

My O-lineman son will be home all day (greeting my clients in a full body gimp suit no less) and my husband will be upstairs snoring, so I don't anticipate having any problems. I did put up a curtain to block off the view of the living room from clients coming in the front door and my silent son will just guide them down the hall to the painting space. I'm sure that being met by a 6'4 faceless, featureless figure wearing a tie and vest will no doubt be a conversation starter!

I'm pretty similar in setup to Shannon, with the exemption of an immaculately clean home! I have two kids and a husband that mess things up a lot so I do a good clean before clients arrive. I set up a backdrop in the TV room so they can get good photos before they go. I often invite pro photographers that want to build their portfolios to come by too.

My hubbie was an offensive lineman and is 6'10" so I feel pretty safe in my home. However I don't usually have complete strangers in my home anyway. Most of my clients know me from some other interaction with school, church or socially somehow. I'll be painting from 6:00 am tomorrow to about 8:00 pm. It won't be back to back the entire time...I hope. I've purposely left longer spaces in between jobs so I have wiggle room if I want to get photos too or take a little longer than 20 minutes on a face. I find I paint mostly adults at Halloween time. Although this year I'm letting some of my 'frugal' friends bring up to 4 kids for the 20 minute appointment for really quick designs.

Once the girls have outgrown their playground I'm going to have a studio built

I love the photo divider idea! You can use it like a portfolio