Aussies - What to charge for parties

Hey guys, am starting to book a few parties. (Super exciting!! Just booked my third) I am looking at what to charge for this? I am in a country town so my clientelle is less likely to pay me what you guys are getting in the city. Just need a base figure. Have no face painters here to get a idea from. Am thinking $50 for the first hour and then $40 afterwards and then by the face for the couple that don't fit into the hour. Do you charge less for only cheek art? If you don't feel comfortable listing yr prices here am happy for you to mail me directly. Thanks so much everyone!!

I have lived in alot of Australian country towns (the big ones being) i.e. Yass, West Wyalong, Wagga Wagga, Wangaratta, Condobalin, Naramine etc which area are you from? is it big or small i.e. Wagga Wagga big, Condobalin small.
The reason I ask is I was visiting a friend in Dubbo recently and was surprised as they had a sub standard face painter - Only one in town, That I could see. charging flat fee $280 plus travel for an hour and a half - OMG. That town sise could support it I guess. where as a smaller one probebly couldn't, and you get to know everyone makes it tricky. Lived in population 32 at one stage obviously had I taken up face painting then years ago it would have been a little tricky to charge at all.

I live in an outer Sydney suburb now and am looking at threads now thinking of $60 as an introductory offer. Although I am still working on website ideas pics etc right now. I don't really know but I do know about what is happening in Dubbo. and if your community is small that they won't like it if you chose to charge more later on - country thing, so have a good think. Hope it all goes well.

howdy! i charge $60 for the 1st hour then $30 for every hour there after. but seriously thinking of making it lower as i also live in a country town and people here don't really have b,day parties. so i manly drive to Adelaide at the moment. but if it is a corporate gig it is a flat $60 an hour.

I work in conjunction with a big rides business (jumping castles to dodgem cars) and they charge a different amount for corporate events to backyard parties (more supervision required at a corporate or public event).

Keeping this in mind they charge out facepainters at different hourly rates because they recognise that the facepainters are expected to paint quicker at a public event but have to personalise the party they go to. .

Prices are subject to change depending on the event/ party but the usual price is $88/hour for public events and $66/ hour for parties. As there is not much competion in my area (two ladies who both facepaint for themselves), we are the only ones able to provide more then one FP/ Ballooner at an event so if they want it, they will pay. If they dont want to pay that amount usually there is someone who will that day!

Hi guys, thanks for the input. sorry it's taken me a bit to get back to you. I appreciate your advice and have gone with my original idea. So far so good. Have even been booked by our local Bunnings for two weekends. (Uber excited about that)!! I am in Echuca, Victoria, (paddlesteamer capital of Australia), elantaura. Population of about 40000, so enough to keep me busy for a while and hopefully grow a small business. Getting some good feedback which is very encouraging. Will play it by ear for a bit and see how it goes. Still learning EVERY time I paint someone. It's awesome work!!

Hi Tabridge,

I'm in inner Sydney and charge $80 p/h upwards with a two hour min.
Recently I traveled up the coast and found some people in pretty small communities charging $100 per hour which I was surprised at - but they said they got it because they traveled - so basically it's a travel charge because out there 200 kms can be driven in two hours... where here I would have trouble driving 50 kms in two hours.. so I am limited be how much I can get around in a day.

Usually small towns have markets once a month or so - I would try and set up at one or two local to you, charge $5 a face and offer to do birthday parties fro $60 per hour min two hour booking, and if that doesn't go down too well - do a 20% off sale for awhile.
woohoo for the Bunnings gig!
It's nice when they hire one of us instead of getting their staff to 'try' and do it - beware of them asking you to train staff though - I worked a lot of jobs for one Bunnings store but when I said I wouldn't train their staff they didn't hire me again

Hey Tash, have done one day at bunnings today and bless her, the staff member that does their regular face painting tried to give me a few tips today. Had a laugh to myself. Think she felt a little intimidated!! Haven't had any problems with them trying to get me to teach them, but agree with you. It wont be happening. Thats why we do what we do!!
I have been doing the local market every two weeks to get my skill up and charging $4 a face. The local market guy is a bit of a control freak and although he doesn't pay me to be there he got really upset with me when I told him I wasn't going to make the next couple of markets (cause of Bunnings, didn't tell him that) Was fairly peeved because I have no contract with him and as far as I am concerned I am a stall holder like the rest of them. He tried to guilt trip me saying he advertises and he can't do a market without it and I wasn't allowed to cancel again. I know for a fact there is no one else doing it here. I need to go where I am booked for definet pay not 'maybe' money at the market. There are going to be other times I can't make it if parties etc are booked. There are a few in closer towns I will look into.
Also we are a tourist town so am getting my name out to the shire, festivals etc. Moving slowly but surely. Thanks for the idea of pricing. Like the 20% off idea. Its hard to get an idea sometimes. Am charging $50 per hour at bunnings and have been for parties too. Think I will raise the price for Bunnings and corporate events but stick to $50 for parties but like the minimum of 2 hrs thought too. You've given me some great feedback, Thanks so much!!

Congratulations! I do bunnings only for the big events or they use a member of staff.
What I have learned bunnings is the policy seems to be to sit there staff member face painter near you to try to learn, basically so they can eventually get rid of you. I point out the cost of the kit, don't tell them what brushes i use, am generally evasive but plesent.and anything else I can think of.
I say this as I have just done my third bunnings now and they have one tag berry, amongst there dervian now, I know what they are up too. one of the girls told me, as she likes me being there. as I have two of them with me.
remember pleasent but evasive

Thanks so for that elantaura. This is such good info to have 'inside knowlege' about. The events organiser told me today she asked the girl to help me out and get some tips from me. (!!) Having feedback from Tash's and yrself was such a heads up. Will definetly go with the pleasant and evasive. Have they not heard of youtube? Not that I want to loose my work with them!! Can't tell you how greatful I am to you girls for this info. so great not to have to learn this lesson the hard way. Sorry you had to. Will go in with my eyes open now.

ah, I'm still there - somtimes. they seem to do like two gigs without me then call me back. My daughter is herself very cunning for an almost nine year old we are very close and she lets me paint her because we are close.
but last time they did an event without they had a reptile show as well. She asked to go but wanted me to paint her. she wanted the pasher skull and wings on her shoulder (that we had watched together) a snake on one arm and roses running up the other. but nothing on the face. she put a jacket on. I thought she was embarassed as her mum somtimes paints there. we went she watched the show then stood in the face paint line when it was her turn took of her jacket and wowed the huge crowd and said her mum did it. the girl suggested that she didn't really need it she told her all face painters need to practice and that she could paint whatever she liked. (she painted a black spider)
The parants kept talking to me, and the manager came over and told me they had lost my number. (yeah right) this came about as, there were people who had been there previously, and kids about 25 remembered asking me to paint them, I told them I wasn't painting that night etc
.
later that evening when we got in the car she told me. "no one in my school wants to swim against me because they know what I am (she is a regional swimmer) she then said and I thought that they wouldn't want to paint agaist you as long as they knew what you were. but she has found out that occasionally people need a reminder (those are her words)

I've had a think about this,,, and apart from the fact my daughter is going to be a handful as a teenager. I think the moral is if you have a child that wants to be your agent, let them if the situation should arise. she is very wise for her age.I often have that want to yell at her and love her sensation all at the same time.

End Note
My daugter just came out to get her a drink, I read this to her she said there is no moral. Just get a kid, paint them and bring them with you. and to mention she really did want to see the reptile show.
either way you have tested plan B developed by an almost 9 year old
(I love her so much, she is awsome)