Business in the Fall/Winter months

Hi there! I was hoping some of you "seasoned" face painters can tell me if business for you slows down or stays the same, or speeds up in the Fall and Winter months. I live in the upper midwest, where the weather outside is only good for about 4-5 months of the year. I just started my business this last May and have been swamped, but I am not sure how busy I am going to be as the outdoor festivities come to a close. Any suggestion for staying busy when its snowing or yucky in the winter months? Thanks!!!

It is completely regional. No two areas work the same.

With me, I have a slump in September, January and sometimes earily April.

I have two "busy" seasons... late April though to the end of August, Halloween through to Christmas.

I have bookings all year, but September is the worst month, generally.

Indoor bookings are the norm... parties, carnivals, Christmas parties, masquerades.

I'm in Texas, with really insane hot summers (106-107 degrees were NORMAL this month and last - ahhh!). So my busy season will be different from yours.

For ME, my busiest seasons are spring and fall, with October probably being the busiest single month with company picnics and fall festivals. Winter is more calm, but still productive with Christmas, New Year's and then Mardi Gras in February/March. Summer is very slow. Too hot to do anything at all. I use that season to rest and learn to love painting again. LOL.

summer and christmas time I think are the busiest for me. There are a few in Jan and feb but March it starts to pick up again and grows until summer. Right now I got a slow patch coming up but I work mon-fri anyways and with back to school it is probably a good thing for me. but a few extra bucks on the weekends would be nice!

I also live in the midwest.. Wisconsin..i start to slow down a bit in Oct..the last 2 weeks of Oct are busy with halloween...then dead time Untill Mardi gras.the last day of Jan..I start to pick up again the end of March.I do how ever paint at a couple of restraunts and I hope to be busy this fall and winter...

For me it starts getting more busy from around now and ending with Christmas. January is DEAD! This year I had like one job that month. And then it is steady more and more. Think I make the same in November/December as the entire first half part of the year.

I live in a ski town so my winter has been busier than summer doing work at the resorts and parties.

I havent been doing it for a year yet, so I dont know when my slow season is yet. I do know though, that in looking for events, fall and winter actually look very promising! Harvest fest, octoberfest, corn mazes, haunted houses, and general halloween faces. then there are all the holiday events around christmas so i am feeling hopeful about the upcoming season.

I live in FL where the summers are brutally hot. The fall is marvelous. The winters can get cold & spring is amazing. Most my work in the hot seasons are inside or at least under some sort of covering. For the colder climates I layer(but it's not snowing or anything). My slowest season is January & February, but I think it's because people are recovering from Christmas spending.

Hi scgilland

Conrgrats on being so busy since you started. The real 'test' of a business of course is to spread that throughout the year and do well (rather than just survive) in the 'lean' months.

As you've already read from others .... whilst there are some 'patterns' the seasons vary for everyone.

As this is your first year .... you won't already have plans in place but you MUST lay seeds now for next year. To do this you should research different markets and opportunities that are available in all months. Clearly only you can do this by looking around in the area you operate in. Think indoors and out, think private and corporate, Think celebrations and educational. Think promotions and charities. People have birthdays, weddings and other celebrations all year round. Businesses have launches, openings and promotions all times. There are SO many areas like schools, libraries and malls, as well as music, sporting and other arts events ...... just brainstorm and research in your library and online and you'll be amazed at the endless opportunities there are.

Good luck.....

John

Summer is my busiest. I've had a gig every weekend.

This fall, I'm pushing Birthdays instead of festivals. Birthdays are so much more fun and slower. Also, easier on my back!

Jan-March is dead. It's been snowing so much the last two yrs. No one can get anywhere with a foot of snow on the road! LOL

We have just made it through winter and it has been sooo quiet! Down in the Southern Hemisphere we don't even have Christmas or anything to give a bit of a boost.

I think I have one job in the past month. Only a handful of birthdays in the last few months. I have to say I have found it tough. The year before when I was only just starting I managed to keep busy most weekends. This year a few other painters have started up in the area and the seem to be the only ones getting the work.

I have been trying to make the most of the time getting prepared for the Summer.. sorting out banners and tents and designs. I have also been making sure I keep up with the marketing and facebook and stuff. And keeping an eye out for any opportunities to present myself as a face painter.
I have been trying to make the most of the break too, making sure we get to do lots of fun things as a family as I really miss it over Summer.

I am really hoping Summer picks up, I think I need a few decent events to get my name out there again and inspiring people to book for private events.

Thanks for the advice and info darlings! Surprisingly so I have had my busiest best month this September, when I thought things would slow down!

You could also check "party venues" to put you in as an add-on. We have one that we do at a discount, but with an agreement that we do not less than 2 hours, which boosts things for us and them during our slower winter months. It's an easy venue to unload/load into, the owner loves us, wrote the best referral!--and it's fairly local.