Etiquette of leaving a party

Hi Guys

I have a question about getting my gear and my butt out of a birthday party! I normally charge per party and I tell the host that I will paint until there's no one left to paint. I can't imagine leaving a line of kids just because the times up. But I have a really hard time leaving in the middle of things!!!

If I don't leave I feel like a freak standing there doing nothing, but if I leave then are parents thinking I'm skipping out on them?

Eventually I hang around for about 10-15 minutes just to be sure. Then I get the hosts attention and tell her I think its time I pack up. And then the other parents basically watch me pack up my stuff (which as you know is not a quick 1-2-3) and I'm insecure and embarrassed the whole time. I then hang around to be paid (more embarrassment) and then I run out of there, red faced and sweaty!!!

Please please tell me something that'll make me feel better about this!!!!

First and most importantly,I'm not sure your getting paid fairly. I would never charge per party because my supplies and time are worth alot. I charge $50/hr with a 2hr minimum which I think is still a bit to low for my area but I book quite a few parties. What I do is always bring my daughter. She handles line control and starts cutting the line off about 15mins until ending time. She also lets the host know our agreed upon time is almost up. Depending on our line she will offer for us to stay for an additional 1/2hr or hour. Most times that gets me more time because the host cant bear for any of her guests to be left out. I never stay later than I was hired for. My daughter is great at wrapping things up, I think because she wants to be paid and go home lol. Even the smallest parties I take her because it allows me to just focus on what I enjoy,painting. And I enjoy the time we spend together.

First, you are hired to paint, not stand there. When you are finished providing your services LEAVE. Unless you haven't been paid in which case, find the client and present your invoice and stand there until she/he coughs up the cash.

If they invite you to linger and have a piece of cake, etc. then you make the decision. But if you have finished painting, they have moved on to other activities why on earth would you feel it is bad manners to pack it up and leave? I pack up, load up, I will go and say goodbye to the birthday person and "happy birthday" and this signals I am leaving and if they have manners I will sometimes get a dad offer to carry my kit to the car, etc.

Also, as Erica has said... charging per party no matter how many there are is probably not the most effective way of charging unless you have a limit on the number of faces. I charge a flat rate but it is limited to 15 faces or two hours whichever comes first. If there are more then I charge hourly, and when time is up it is up. If they want more time they have to pay for it.

Granted when I was first starting I would tend to stay to paint until done BUT that got old real fast - now it is: no pay, no paint. This is a business and I need to be paid for what I do to pay my bills.

Shannon Fennell wrote:Granted when I was first starting I would tend to stay to paint until done BUT that got old real fast - now it is: no pay, no paint. This is a business and I need to be paid for what I do to pay my bills.

Couldn't agree more! It is frustrating when those "craft moms" think "oh that looks so easy!" And "you must love having such a fun hobby!". It is our jobs to draw the line, it is fun to paint but it is also work! We can't expect to be taken serious as a business if we don't set standards. If you continue to charge per party then you will always have trouble when it comes to leaving the gig because it gives the client no guideline to go by.

The average is 10 full faces per hour, I charge per extra kid. I am quite slow and sometimes it takes little more for me doing 10 kids, 90% of the time I am the party so kids crowded around me and don't want to miss a turn, so I paint numbers in their hands and they know who is next, if there are activities I ask to have 2 kids waiting in line, sometimes I have to go and look for them but I always stay in the limit of time, moms know well extra time, extra money.

look at the host and say, "is that it then? ok, all done! present invoice, pack, get paid as you pack, say happy birthday one more time and good bye. if you dont stay, you wont have a chance at feeling awkward

If you don't reign the client in and have them pinpoint the exact number of children/adults in attendance who wish to be painted, then you will be walked all over.... we all speak from experience. It happens more often than not that you get finished painting the agreed upon guests and lo and behold, the other guests (teens or adults) think that you now have spare time to paint them! Then you have to explain that you were contracted to paint a certain number of children and you have done so and now you are leaving to go to your next party.

I haven't done a party yet, however, when I am leaving one of my clients' homes, I always say, "we'll be wrapping up in about 10 minutes, and then we'll need to settle for today". Could you say something like: "looks like that's it for painting. I'm just going to pack up, and if you could settle with me in about ___ min, that would be great."

If parents are standing around watching you pack up, I would engage them in chit chat - making connections is a great way to help with future bookings. Ask them what they do for a living, and if there is a not so fun part - like packing up, that they'd rather somebody else at their job do - I would just poke some fun at the "grunt work" you're doing.

Miss Ronnie, its funny you should say that, because there isn't a party that I don't paint at least 3 moms after I've done the kids!!! I honestly never thought that was a problem. Just thought people obviously liked my work and I'd get more jobs from it in the future. Never thought of it as being walked all over

Obviously I'm going to have to make more rules for myself and my 'mums'.

I'm going to have to go with the pay per time rule, because asking them to book for a certain number of faces would never work. There are always a few more or a few less at parties, so that wouldn't really work.

But I have to admit that I find bothering the host at their party quite difficult. They're wondering around chatting, being hosts, etc. And I feel a bit weird trying to get their attention to discuss my leaving or money, maybe its just my personality, but I find it uncomfortable

You've heard it before, I love painting, I find it very odd that I'm going to get money for it at the end of the day!

I know I'm going to have to get over this feeling. I'm sure practice and time will make it feel more normal. And then I'll get into the swing of it!

Thank you all for your great comments!

I charge by the hour for face painting.
I also ask how many children will be attending at the party, and inform hosts how many faces I can paint per hour, depending upon complexity of design (10-18 faces).
If I am face painting at a public venue that has more than just the birthday party children attending, I give the host/hostess a set number of paper bracelets to pass out to their guests. I paint only those children who are wearing a bracelet. If the host has underestimated the amount of children, I can quickly give them the option of purchasing more time/bracelets. When adults wander up to be painted, I can send them toward the host, to see about extra people.
Happy Painting!

I also never thought of the issue...I have a 2 hr special..they pay me for two hours..I figure I am there for two hrs. I usually paint adults when the kids are done. Am I missing something? I can see if you paint per kid and when the 10 are done you are done...I think I am misunderstanding.. I know when my reminder goes off 15 mins before the end of the party I usually say "Anymore faces?? You got me for only 15 mins more...anyone? " Usually the Mom or Dad will come over and say how I did and thanks me for the service...I start packing while talking to them..and they pay me ..and I am out...Saying good bye to the kids...ect.

That's a great idea, setting a reminder alarm on my phone & announcing 15 more minutes! I had two parties today. First one was great. 16 kids, everyone happy & painted in 1HR & 15minutes. Next party, I asked 15 minutes before my time was up..."Any more kids to paint?"...2 more kids. 5 min. before end of my time (35 before invite stated party ended), the Mom tells me some of the kids haven't come yet!!!! I told her I could stay another 30 minutes but there would be a charge. This one said no, but sometimes families do pay extra, especially if they are enjoying the FP'ing. It's their choice, IF I'm free, I'll offer.
I sound like I'm firm, HUH? Last week, I stayed for 4 Mom's...for nothing. My hubby was working late & I felt like it".Those moments are rare now. I agree w/Rhonda..."They'll walk all over you" & like Shannon, I need to pay my bills!

I contract for a two hour minimum. When I finish the kids, I still stay my two full hrs. I ask the adults/teens who would like to be painted. I always get adults also. Only time I don't do adults is when there are enough kids to take up all my time.

Last month I almost ran out of time for the kids - first time ever. It was a Bling Face party, my first and I TOTALLY underestimated how much time a bling face, pasting the jewels, liquid glitter etc. takes compared to a regular face. It was the first party that ever made me sweat, lol. Now I know! Do bling faces slow anyone else down too? Don't want to hijack this thread, but since we're talking about the timing of parties, I'm curious to know how many Blings people can do in an hour, I felt so slow

Tina I feel your pain....................I do a group of girls they are what I call "The Magnificent Seven." Everyone of them has a Bling Mask Only birthday luncheon...I usually am invited to the restaurant to paint..(good exposure) I can usually do 5 of them the first hour....I agree I think they take longer since there is more detail, more glitter, lots of gems ect....I have even added a Glitter Hairspray I picked up for 27 cents a can after Halloween Sale @ Walllymart. They never want anything else...so I customize their masks to their party dresses...and yeah they all look like they are going in a pagent. Due to some of them as professional models I am not allowed to take their pictures for any public or personal use. ..or I would share. The hardest thing is trying not to replicate the designs..

I can do about 2-10 Bling Masks an hour, depending upon complexity and if I have ever done the design before.
I have learned to speed up the process...
I will line up two or three and sponge on the base colors, in differing colors & shapes (ie. Figure Eight, Winged, Crowned, etc.)
Then, I will do the line work.
Then, I will Bling up the masks with jewels, glitter, Suzy Sparkle Glitter Gel, etc.
By allowing the paint to dry thoroughly,
there is less wait time for the paint to dry on the base before applying the line work, to wipe out the spot where the jewel will go, and apply the glue and jewels.
I know, I know, I have created an assembly line.
I AM from Detroit, you know!
xoxox

My two cents-
I try and discuss what it will be like with the mom while we are booking the party. I tell her how many I can do, and my HOURLY rate- and then ask which is more important to her, that kids get exactly what they want, or if we stay in the time we are planning. Knowing that going in, if adults and teens want paint then I keep on going- if they said keep it to one hour- I make sure the birthday kid looks great, but if I have to cut out a few amazing extras on the last few kiddies to get them all done- that's what I do.

Hope this helps. It all comes with time.
For those that do the paper bracelets- what happens when not as many kids show up to the party- does the mom think she can get a discount?
I could see that being super useful when the party is at a park.

Dear fairyfox:
I have been lucky, I have a little voice in my head that warns me that there appear to be more children than estimated, and that is when i pull out the paper bracelets. Either two things happen....they tell me that they need to hire me for an extra 15 minutes (and I tell them that my rate is hourly), or they tell me to do the best I can and they send me children without bracelets telling me that they "lost" their bracelet. I send them back to the mom. This does not happen very often. I just trust that gut instinct now. No, nobody has ever tried to get back money when not enough children show up. If there is a big snow storm, I leave really early to get there in time. I am shocked at the number of times that children in the neighborhood do not come to the party on account of snow....and they live within walking distance!
I do not use them all the time. I always use them in a public space when I have been hired for a private party.

Those are some great tips! Thanks. I love the idea of having the paper bracelots, gathering allthe kids, explaining how to ch pose, ect. Just once, numbering the bracelots and going from there. I think it would look really proffessional too.