Freebies – Business Cards, Tutorials, & Consulting

This article is a submission from Artist Alley. Click here to view it on Artist Alley.
When you’re just getting your business started, the onslaught of expenses can be staggering. After all, it takes money to make money – right? Definitely…but sometimes the best things in life are FREE!

Getting Started

Every new business needs a website, which I found to be one of my most daunting tasks. Web designers are expensive, and it’s easy to get taken advantage of when you don’t know much about web development. Check out our last article about websites and you’ll be well on your way to getting started for free, with minimal technical knowledge.
Business card examples
Business cards
are an absolute essential for networking; you never know where you’ll be when someone asks for your information. Pulling out a stylish business card looks much more professional than scrambling to jot down your number on some scrap paper you found in your purse. Vista Print and Zazzle both offer free business cards, with plenty of design templates to choose from.
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If your business involves selling merchandise, check out the United States Postal Service‘s array of free shipping supplies. You can “purchase” your supplies online, and have it shipped right to your door.

Education & Designs

The education process is endless. You may have already “learned” your trade, but keeping up with the latest trends and techniques takes some serious dedication. While I recommend saving up for workshops and conventions, it’s understandably expensive. Keep your skills fresh between classes by dabbling around on Youtube; there’s tutorials for everything from cheek art to prosthetics, henna, and more. Some of the biggest names in face & body art keep active channels, full of advice and tutorials.

Check out Silly Heather and Jinny for starts!
Heather Green - Face PainterJinny Makeup Artist

Business Consulting

Even with all of the right supplies and talent, a small business can fizzle out if you’re not prepared for the management end of things. SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) is a nonprofit consulting service for entrepreneurs to help you build your business from a solid foundation. In addition to their free business counseling services, they host low cost workshops and webinars.

Managing your money and resources from the start will afford you more success in the long run. Fancy business cards and high end websites are great, but pace yourself! Grow your business thoughtfully; every penny matters.

Wishing you all so much success,
Caitlin St. Angelo

DIY Website Building

Website Savvy

This article is a submission from Artist Alley. Click here to view it on Artist Alley.

With the ease and availability of search engines, the World Wide Web has become a cornerstone directory of information. And you – as an upstanding professional artist – should be on it! People want to know about you before they promise you money: They want to read about you, find great reviews, and scope you out a little bit before allowing you into their homes.

Now, I am not the most tech savvy person. My initial foray into website building was long, laborious, and fraught with disappointments. Hiring a reliable web developer on a budget seemed impossible, so I joined the ranks of DIY’ers (Do-It-Yourself’ers). Here are some of my favorite website building resources and tools – designed specifically for the tech-illiterate!

  • Wix – A drag-n-drop style editor for beautiful Flash or HTML5 websites.
  • Carbonmade – Focuses on creating sleek, stylish, online portfolios.
  • WordPress – A very SEO (search engine optimized) option, based on a core “theme”, customized by the addition or deletion of “plug-ins”.
  • Godaddy – Offers free design templates, pre-made websites, and a website builder with a slew of additional tools.
  • Blogs, such as Tumblr or Blogspot, also allow you to add pages and connect to a domain name of your choice, giving the benefits of a website with minimal effort.

Most of these allow you to build your website for free, only charging you if you choose to upgrade to a higher package. Freebies are great for the nonexistent budget of a budding entrepreneur…however, I have found that upgrading to a paying package has been well worth the professional appeal it offers.

Remember that a website reflects you and your business; You might be a fun, lighthearted person, but an unkempt or unprofessional looking website can derail your efforts to be take seriously. Here’s some things your website should include:

  • Functional, easy to navigate pages
  • A professional aesthetic
  • An “About Me” section
  • A list and explanation of services
  • Photographs of your work
  • Contact information

From there you can always expand. Adding additional pages, comment widgets, interactive Google maps, or payment integration, is much easier than you’d think! Look at the design and layout of other successful websites for some inspiration. FABAICWolfeFXKryolan, and Mehron all fit the bill.

Happy Painting!
-Caitlin St. Angelo

All logos are intellectual rights and trademark of their respective owners.

UPOD for Face Painters

I love to read the business section of the wall street journal and entrepreneur magazine because you find such great articles that really inspire you. I know with the invention of FABAtv, I didn’t leave anyone much time to catch up on business weekly, but finding a writer that intrigues you and can motivate you to do great things with your business is just as essential as learning the newest tear drop techniques.

One of my favorite writers, Mike Michalowicz, author of the Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, writes a great article for the Wall Street Journal weekly. One of his latest blogs touched on a concept called UPOD, under promise over deliver. The main focus of the article is to help build loyal customers that rave about your service and help you get more business. Who doesn’t want more business? Who doesn’t want to be validated for doing a good job, and who doesn’t enjoy seeing your clients happy?

Under Promise & Over Deliver

I put together a list of ways the face painters can incorporate the UPOD attitude within your business. The good part about adopting the UPOD attitude is that most of the time to costs you nothing extra, but can mean a huge return.

  • Call the client the day before the event and ask if they have any special requests, let them know you arrive 20 minutes prior to the event time to set up. Then the day of, arrive a couple minutes earlier and introduce yourself to the birthday child or birthday mom. It’s easy to appreciate someone that makes your life easier, if you are early it’s one less thing for the birthday mom to worry about and stress over.
  • A week after the event send a handwritten thank you note. There is something to be said about hand written notes. They are a rare thing now a days. A thank you note for having you at the event and how you had a great time, sticks with the customer especially if you have a colorful card or something with your name on it. You will not only stand out, you will help the customer relive the great event they had and how you made it special.
  • A gift for the birthday child. The dollar store is full of great gifts you can bundle and wow the birthday child with. Every child loves gifts, and from the face painter they will never expect it. Not only will you impress the parents you will pick up cool points with the kids and they will beg their parents to hire the face painter that brings goodies.
  • Ipod speakers! Music is the soundtrack of success. I downloaded disneys greatest hits, kids bop, etc. when I am at a birthday party, most parents forget the music and after all parties need music! So I started setting up my iPod speakers and playing a playlist appropriate for the event. It’s not loud, it’s not meant to be heard by the entire party. It’s more to create a fun ambiance in my little face painting chair. You’d be surprised how relaxed and happy people are well the music gets them going and gets them in the groove.
  • Parents or event planners are expecting a face painter, but from talking to the parent you know you will have extra time. Why not bring along your glitter tattoos, or hair sprays and go above and beyond. If I am booked for a 2 hour party with only 8 girls and I bring my paints, glitter tattoos, hair sprays and anything else that no one is expecting. Then when you transform the kids into more than just face painting, parents go crazy and you create fans.

100% Satisfaction Is our WishThere are millions of ways to create good, happy customers, but Good is the Enemy of great. Don’t settle for good service, or good painting, make it great by thinking of ways to add a little UPOD to your business practices.

I’d love to hear your ways of serving up UPOD. Good ideas can become great ideas when we share them and grow.
Thanks for reading and happy painting!

-Heather
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Create a Conversation Piece

Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman SchultzI recently attended a small business seminar organized by Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and the Small Business Association. It was one of the most inspiring events I have attended in years. When I was in college, I didn’t appreciate the information they were sharing. At that time I couldn’t see how the topics and lessons I was learning could be applied to my real world, but this workshop was different. This workshop was full of valuable information and a networking opportunity that was much needed.

One idea that stuck with me as I walked out of the doors was how to make myself into more of a conversation piece. I am a self proclaimed shy person. When I am teaching or around my fellow painters I am an open book, but when I enter a room full of other entrepreneurs sometimes I tend to clam up. When they ask what I do, I search for words to describe what I do without sounding all over the place. I needed an angel to help jump start the conversation and keep potential customers interested in me.

One of the lecturers flipped a switch in my head. He said your goal should be to make yourself, your artwork, and your business into a conversation piece. As I explained to him what I do, he said, “Stop right there, you are using too many words”. His advice was to show him and not tell him. Too many words sink the interest ship. So I went home and thought about it and really racked my brain to try to come up with something that would show and didn’t force me to tell.

So that night I logged on to Etsy and created a few pins that I could wear to networking functions. The pins say “Got Face Paint?” and another that says “Yes! I Painted my face”. It got me thinking, depending on the function, I would wear either pin with or without face paint. The pin acts as an ice breaker and it introduces me before I say a word. It also engages conversation which is my goal. When I face paint at gigs I always paint a design on my eyes and I get asked, “Did you paint your own face?” every time. If I am attending an art networking event and I have painted my own face and am wearing my pin, I can get the conversation started faster and hopefully win over their attention.

Think about how you can make yourself into a conversation piece.

  • Wear your business shirt to the supermarket.
  • Go to the children’s library or museum with your eyes or face painted and make sure to keep business cards in your pocket to hand them out.
  • Take the time to google small business networking events in your area and get conversation ready.

No matter who you are or where you go, you will meet someone with kids, someone that has attended a birthday party, or someone planning an event and that’s your window to grab business and go!

Happy painting!
-Heather

Resources: Image of Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz from Wikipedia Commons.

One Big Family

Silly Farm Supplies, FABAtv, FABAIC, My FAB Events
As many of you know by now, Silly Farm Supplies, FABAtv, the FABAIC, and My FAB Events are the culmination of a family owned business that keeps expanding. The running joke in our office is that “everyone is heather’s best friend, and she calls everyone her family”. This is a true statement.

Maybe it’s the Pisces in me or maybe because I am a part of a loving industry, but my friends become my family and I take pleasure in how large my family has become.

Heather Green - Kelly Virgona The beautiful Kelly Virgona from Australia is in town for the 11th annual FABAIC. She is staying with me and this morning she said “Can you believe this Is my 6th year here at the FABAIC”. I was blown away at how fast time flies and how Kelly is no longer a customer, no longer a friend, now she is my fairy god sister! The same goes for Annie Reynolds, Lynne Jamieson, Kay B, Mark Reid and the entire FAB family.

Over the years we have witnessed each other grow as artists, master new techniques, question our ability to make it as a struggling artist, and lift each other up when we need it the most. For me, that defines what a family is. The face and body art family is made up of a group of people that share a love of art and when we get together and jam, creatively collect our ideas, paint and produce works of art, we become closer.

Marcela Face PaintingLia and Taija

People often ask me, “How is it working with family?”. Together with my mother (the CFO), Marcela (CCO), my little sister (OM), best friend (Director of FABAtv), and the rest of my extended family, we operate 4 businesses together. Not only is it stressful, it is the most rewarding career one could ask for. I get to work closely with the people that understand my passion and enable me to do a great job. The same can be said for my extended family of farmers, Silly Farmers.

Silly Farmers

My rule of thumb in business is to make your customers your friends, so that it is always a pleasure doing business with a friend. My friends become my family and my family continues to bloom. If you are attending the FABAIC, I encourage you to make a friend, introduce yourself, make a connection and grow your own little face painting family.

The Brat Pack

Networking

Join us at the 2012 FABAIC

As we seek higher achievements and greater success, others can help us. As a matter of fact, some will take pleasure in doing so as long as they feel that we are trustworthy and deserving of their help. This is why it is important to understand that it is not only having connections, but keeping in contact with them and providing value to them that will make them effective.

The FABAIC offers a unique opportunity to network within your industry. Attending the convention allows you to connect with painters in your area, manufacturers of face and body art supplies, photographers and models.
To make the best of your networking at FABAIC bring with you the following:

Attitude
The twin of friendly is smiley and since most people like to do business with their friends, the most important tool you have is your smile. Remember that we only have one chance to give a good impression. Everything from our hair to our shoes is an indicator of who we are. The way we communicate and the way we are perceived by others depends much on a positive attitude and the ability to look at someone in the eye. Doing so displays confidence.

FABAIC Fun

Business cards
Never leave home without business cards in your pocket. I also carry a business card size portfolio that I can show along with my business cards once the conversation about face and body painting gets going. A picture says a thousand words and because our business is so unique, having them on hand to illustrate our point hooks people into wanting to know more.
Check out this Faba Blog article on Business Cards for more information on making the perfect card for your business.

Enthusiasm
The secret to success in networking is being prepared to engage another person in a way that they will be interested in you and what you do. Whatever you tell people, be proud of it and be enthusiastic about it. It helps to write down a 30 second introductory commercial for yourself and your services that can be used over an over as a key to open the doors that lead to success.

Face Painting Business

Make a commitment to network and grow your business. At FABAIC we offer an extensive marketing track to help you learn more so you can earn more. Not only are there classes for networking, the whole convention is full of possible new networks and business opportunities. Allow us to help you succeed.
-Marcela

The FABAIC – Face and Body Art International Convention is being held May 23rd-27th, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency Bonaventure Conference Center and Spa in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Website: http://www.fabaic.com

Born with Teeth

Born with Teeth - BIZ
How many people do you know are born with teeth?

Being born with teeth is creepy and extremely rare, almost as rare as the entrepreneurs that make it big overnight. If you find yourself frustrated that your business has hit a lull or that your business isn’t growing at the speed of success, then it’s time to start counting your teeth.

When our teeth first start to grow in, it’s painful and it seems like they take forever to cut the gums. Once they are through, then you can eat and drool and enjoy the pleasures your teeth provide. Then you start losing some teeth and it’s fun because you get money for the teeth and then you also make way for bigger and better teeth. Then out of the clear blue, you visit a dentist and end up having a cavity and your teeth and wallet take a hit. Then you are back to enjoying the delicacies of life.

Business is just like that. You have to suffer a little, grow a little, loose a little, and it’s not always good, but it can be really great. When your business is bursting through the gums of your mouth (sorry for the pun) use a little whiskey to numb the pain and keep on going. Anything great is worth working hard for.

Businesses grow in stages, having realistic goals will set the stage for success. Rather than expecting the gigs to roll in and the money to rain from trees, take the time to research and do your homework about potential earnings, growth possibilities, man power, and capabilities.

For example:
If you can only do 3-6 parties a weekend because there are only so many hours in a day, and you charge $80 an hour what is the most you can net on a weekend? If you raise your rates to $100 an hour, can you work less hours and make the same thing? What happens if you get sick and have to cancel jobs, do you have a back up? Who answers your phones on the weekend? These are valid questions you will need to answer in order to estimate the direction and growth your company can accomplish.

I encourage each of you to nurture your businesses, don’t just dump them at the first sign of obstacles. Perseverance will pay the bills, not unrealistic hopes of overnight success. Make a plan, write out your goals and set target sales numbers. Take the time to measure your success, because knowing where you started and where you are going will navigate you on your road to entrepreneurial success.

Happy painting!
Heather

Indie Craft Fairs – The Good, Bad, and Ugly

First of all – what in the heck is Indie? This is the explanation provided by answers.com

  • One, such as a studio or producer, that is unaffiliated with a larger or more commercial organization.
  • An artistic work produced by an independent company or group: “[His film] showed that indies could . . . take in millions at the box office” (Liesl Schillinger).

Usually organizers are crafters themselves. Most of the Indie Craft Fairs I have been involved with are people that create new items out of recycled materials, or are very retro in nature. Several websites, such as IndieCraftShows, or a quick Google search will find you times and places these craft fairs are held.

Pam at Indie Craft FairI got involved with my first Indie Craft fair about 2 years ago. I signed up to do henna at their event. You usually have to buy a booth, which can run from $35-$55 depending on the place. I would not spend much over that for a single event. You want to be able to recover your money you have laid out for the event. I have been promoted for each event which helps build my business connections. Most of my clients are return customers and you also get asked to participate in other events, some larger then the fair you are currently working.

The Good

Usually these people are so much fun to be around and the creativity is amazing. You will make such wonderful connections in your area which can lead to more jobs for your business. Usually you will be the only henna provider for the event. Face painting is not really used at these events unless it is a Halloween show, but if you provide both services, they might ask you to provide both.[clear]

Henna Design Henna on Hand

The Bad

Most of the time these can be outdoor events, which in some areas can be more than a problem. My one fair I always do seems to schedule a huge rain storm with each event. The producer finally found a venue which is indoors. The other bad thing about these types of fairs is that most people are selling wares and you will be selling a service. Henna is more popular in some area than in others. I start my prices at $10.00 per design. A lot of the items sold at Indie Craft Fairs are fairly inexpensive, usually under $10. So your clientele might want to save their pennies to purchase many items, but don’t be discouraged, it can turn out to be a great event for you also.

The Ugly

You buy a booth and you make nothing. This can happen too. If the producer of the show does not promote to the Indie crowd, your show will probably be a bust.

I encourage all of you to check out your Indie Craft market in your area and talk with the producers to get a feel for the need and demand for henna services.

-Pam

Looking for Henna products? Silly Farm Supplies carries several Mehndi/Henna kits and supplies.
Leave a comment below and tell us if you offer Mehndi/Henna services.

How Do You Get That Gig?

Tom Cruise & Children Face PaintedWhen I browse the pages of celebrity tabloids occasionally I run across face painting on famous children. I am always amazed how there is rarely ever a picture of the artist, as I’m also curious to know who the lucky painter was. I have been fortunate enough to paint for several celebrities and it certainly has helped me get more business, but when I tell people that I have painted for Lebron James and Dan Marino, they always ask, “How did you get that gig?”.

When investing your money, an advisor will tell you it’s all about diversification. The same principles apply to business and getting bigger gigs. Typically, very wealthy clients or celebrity clients do not plan their own parties. They have assistants that hire event planners. So, when you are marketing your business, it’s equally important to seek out exclusive event planners and do some networking. High end event planners want to know you are professional, respect the privacy of the client, and use etiquette when working high end events.

How do I let the event planners know I’m a good candidate and how do I meet high end event planners?

One of the best ways to meet event planners is by attending or searching event planning networking events. ISES,the International Special Events Society, hosts several events across the US and the organization is made up of party planners, advertising companies, and event planners. Searching their events and offering your services to their meeting planners is a good way to exhibit your skills and make excellent contacts. Biz Bash is another special events show that happens around the country and they cater to larger budget event planners as well. Five years ago I volunteered to body paint at the special events show. I was able to network with several event planners that now use us religiously for special events, concerts, sporting events, and jobs I would have never had access to. I was able to show that I was professional, courteous, and explained to each planner the benefits of working together. Most planners want one less headache to deal with, and if you can be a no hassle addition to their services they are happy!

Face Painting with the NFLAnother way to diversify, is to reach out to the cities. If you are incorporated and carry insurance you can register with your local city to be able to bid for city jobs. I registered with the City of Miami as a business that offers event planning, face painting, balloons, and decor. Part of the process of hiring for city events, includes going through the procurement process. Procurement involves sending out a bid for the event and the city is required to accept a certain amount of proposals. If you submit a proposal and get the contract you are officially in with the city, and lots of business can be produced from it. City contracts are usually for multiple events, which also works in your favor.

Check out your local government or city website and find out how to become Small Business certified and see how you can get in on the procurement action.

My last advice tip to get the aww inspiring gigs is to contact larger and local event planning companies. Typically, they get hired to do large scale events because they can be full service companies. They also carry large amounts of insurance so they are an easy hire for bigger events. I frequently work with All Star Events located in South Florida. They are a full service event planning company that has done events for the Miami Dolphins, Miami Heat, Florida Panthers, Julio Iglesias, many of the Heat and Dolphin players and several other high profile clients. They love working with me because they know I won’t take pictures or embarrass them, so when they book a package they like to include my services. Chances are those clients would never go looking for just a face painter. They have so many other factors to consider, they look for a company that can do it all. Getting in good with the “Do it all” companies is a great way to create steady work.

Keegan Hitchcock for DASH

I’m all about promoting my fellow painters, I get so excited to see them grow and accomplish great things. The Dash body painting was done by my great friend Keegan Hitchcock. When I asked her about it she was so non-chalant and didn’t even seem nervous. Below are a few more images of Keegan’s work. You can find her on facebook at KeeganBodyArt.

Belvedere Body Art by KeeganJameson Body Painting by Keegan

A similar experience happened with another great artist, friend of mine, and FABAtv instructor Heather Aguilera. She got a call on her way home from shooting her FABAtv classes, and was asked to paint the famous sculptor and pop artist, Romero Britto.

Share your stories with us on how you got the gig, and if you have any pictures you can share, please do!

Happy Painting!

Heather

Happiness is Free

Happiness is Free

A lot of us are transfixed by the current economic situation and are allowing it to bringing us down, and forget the things that exist in our lives that can do a lot of good without having to give a lot. Happiness is FREE! If you take an hour out of your day to send an email wishing someone a happy birthday, tell your parents or kids that you love them, pass along a compliment, pay for a friend’s toll, or just give a friend in need a hug; Your happiness could inspire a change of heart, grab you a booking, rekindle a friendship, or even just bring a smile to someone in need.

Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass… It’s about learning how to dance in the rain!

Happy Face Painted KidsFace Painted Twins

Slow times are an incentive for working on your marketing skills, creating portfolios that impress, investing time in your business, networking and doing the things we don’t have time to do when we are too busy. If your business is slow, try not to spend too much time worrying, but instead prepare to enjoy the rainbows that naturally follow the storms.

Heather Face Painting

-Marcela & Heather
2012 Face and Body Art International Convention

Business Building 101 – Subcontracting

Your Business is booming! You have more clients than you can handle and it is a dream come true! You are at the point where you might have to turn away business. Now what? Do you hire someone to work under your company name? Do you turn away the job? Do you call a friend and give them the lead and ask for a cut? All of these are valid question for the growing business owner.

Contracting Work

Clowning around with Face PaintContracting work out can be tricky. Creating a level of business etiquette within your company will help you to prevent losing accounts and ruining friendships. When you sub contract a job to another entertainer, you are hiring them to work as a representative of your company. By law they are required to hold their own insurance policies, agree to receive a 1099, report earned income through your company and pay their taxes based on that earned income. When we sub contract a performer, they are required to sign a contract stating they will give out our cards and agree to the terms of our business practices.
I.e: No drinking on the job, show up 30 minutes early for set up, no eating on the jobs, no smoking, payment terms ..etc.

If the contractor does not follow the terms and conditions then they no longer are hired by our company and may forfeit their payment for the event. These terms protect our company image and create a standard. Some of you might be asking, “Why even bother working through a sub contractor?”, the reason would be more work! Corporate bookings are typically looking for larger dependable companies to hire multiple performers. They would rather hire one company to supply everything then hire ten different companies to do the same. Sub contracting can be a great thing. You can make a commission without having to do the actual job. If you are going to join the contracting game, make sure to have rules and standards in place.

A Full Service Talent and Special Event Agency
FAB Events is a nationwide, full service, event and talent agency. We hire face painters, body painters, airbrush artists, clowns and more! Let us add you to our network of professionals. Send us an email with your resume and contact information to andrea@myfabevents.com to apply.

Referral vs. Sub contracting

I have seen more friendships go south over this issue. If you call and hand me a job, I am the one handling the administrative, billing, and physical act of the job. I consider that lead a gift, rather than an opportunity to make a commission. If you are the one doing the administrative part of the job then I have no problem paying a commission, but if I am doing 99% of the work, then I do not feel that warrants a cut of my work. I am very clear with my business relationships when they call with referrals. I always tell them, “Thank you for the job”, and ,”I look forward to the opportunity to return the favor”.

Face Painting FriendsFace Painting Business

If you are wondering how to build your business, consider the idea of sub contracting. Not only will you be creating jobs, you will be expanding your business and potentially creating a full time living without having to do all the work.

Is your business face painting only or do you offer other services such as clowning, body art, henna, or balloons? Leave a comment below and share your business services with us!

Happy Painting!
-Heather

Do I need a Website?

In the 1980’s being professional was all about carrying a briefcase and having flown on a plane. In the 90’s being a professional was all about having a cell phone and a college degree. In the 2000’s being a professional is synonymous with being web savvy.

Website Savvy

The millionaires and trend setters of our time; Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and Tony Hsieh, all used the Internet to take their businesses to the next level. It’s not enough to have a fancy business card, people want to know about you. We live in a transparent society, where the internet gives you 24/7 access to personal information. Having a functional and good looking website, where potential clients can meet you before they “meet” you at their event, can only benefit your business. As a a parent, I want to know who I am hiring to come to my home and interact with my kid as well as my close friends and family. I want to know who is the person that I am trusting to do a good job, be family friendly, be trustworthy, and responsible. The same goes when I sub-contract work to someone. I want to see images of them on the job, read reviews about their services, and see who I am sending out to represent my company. Having a website also makes you more reachable. Google is the worlds largest search engine, millions of people search for things they need every second. By entering your name in the Google game you are more likely to reach clients and expand your business.

I get asked a lot, “Can’t I just use Facebook?” The answer is no! Facebook is an awesome way to drive traffic to your site, but it’s a personal social media middle man. Facebook was created to link people to people. Businesses are using Facebook as a means to drive traffic and promote their particular pages, but the main function of social networking is still to share and connect personal information. I made the mistake of connecting all my business to my personal page. I accepted friendships with several customers and clients and now I have to watch what I post. I should have driven them to my business/fan page so I could maintain a personal and professional life. If you are on facebook, your business should be separate from your personal life.

[button type=”button_solid_light nocufon” url=”https://www.facebook.com/SillyFarmSupplies” target=”on” ]Visit our Facebook Business Page[/button]

Do I need a WebsiteEven if you aren’t web savvy or don’t have a lot of funds to invest in a site, there are several affordable options to help you get started. When you buy a domain from GoDaddy they give you a free one page site template.  If you want someone to record themselves singing the alphabet backwards, create a quick graphic for you, or write your name in macaroni, Fiverr is a great website for services at only $5. [clear]

Join the wide world of web exposure and make your goal in 2013 to be Google-able. Transform your hobby of face and body art into a business by taking it serious, and taking steps to 21st century professionalism.

Leave a comment below and tell us about your website. Did you build your website or hire a web designer?

Happy Painting!

-Silly Heather

References:

The website from this articles thumbnail image is Face Formers.
The websites in the first image of this article are Silly Farm Supplies, the FABAIC 2012, and the Faba Blog home page.

Wrong Timing or Planning to Succeed?

I have been guilty of scrambling to get business and making hasty decisions that set me up for failure. When business is slow, naturally you turn to panic mode. If you were to just sit back and do nothing, you could use the time to catch up on old books or take up a new hobby, but how would you pay your bills? When it’s slow we lower our prices, book gigs that we wouldn’t normally take, and make decisions that come back to pinch our butts in the future.

When I was in college and wanted to take a trip to Mardi Gras (I knew my parents wouldn’t foot the bill), I was desperate to bring in some cash and fast. It was slow in January, as it usually is, so I contacted the local restaurants and asked them about starting a family night. They all said that they were slow and didn’t have a budget to hire me. So, being the crazy woman I am, I offered my services for free and I would accept tips.

At the time I felt it was a good idea because I could make good tips and if the restaurant saw how good I was, I figured they would be willing to hire me once I generated enough business for them.

Fast forward three months later. Yes! Business was good at the restaurants and I was making good tips. Better restaurants found out and wanted to actually hire me. I was already committed and I felt terrible quitting on my current restaurants. I had made friends and a following. So I approached the owners and requested a meeting to see about being hired. Of course, no one wants to pay for something they get for free. They politely turned me down. I kicked myself all the way home because I knew making decisions when you are in a stress frame of mind wasn’t smart and that eventually it would catch me, and it sure did. I was working for free for three restaurants when I could of been hired to do different restaurants. In hind sight, I would have contacted the restaurants and made a 30 day renegotiable contract for them so that they wouldn’t always assume I’d work for free.

From one crazy painter to another, if you are stressing to fill the books, don’t panic and make bad decisions. Be creative and start your marketing engine. The Internet, Facebook and good old customer service can be your saving grace. Pick up the phone a month before a previous birthday child’s party and call the mom. Let her know how you’d love to help her celebrate his/her’s childs party and that you have new cool things to offer (Like glitter tattoos!). Volunteer at a local charity event so you can get exposure and meet as many potential clients as possible. Try to avoid locking yourself into a position that is hard and can cause you to loose money. Whenever I take on a new restaurant, I lay out a 2 month plan so I know if I am over committing myself. Planning is crucial and planning for success means the difference between dollars and cents.

Comment below and tell me about your pro bono jobs and hasty bookings.

Happy painting! -Silly Heather

South Floridians! Join us for free face painting Tuesday night’s at the Pine Island Char Hut in Davie, Florida.
Face Painting at Char Hut Family Night

Contracts, Cancellations, and Common Courtesy

The birthday and event business is consistently inconsistent. No matter what day of the year it is, someone will always be celebrating a birthday, a company will always be hosting an event, and our services will always be in demand. The inconsistent part is that; children will always get sick, people will always stay on the hunt for the best price, and the weather doesn’t always cooperate.

How do you handle the bustle and boom?
awesome business

Whenever someone calls to book me, I have my agent write up a contract once they agree to the price and time. We then email them a contract and require a deposit that holds their spot and balance due on day of event. The deposit is refundable if the gig is cancelled 1 week prior to event. Having this contract and deposit in order, is a safety net for me so I don’t miss possible gigs and guarantees me at least the deposit in the event someone cancels.
Cancellations stink, but they are part of life and making the customer feel bad is unprofessional and will almost certainly cost you more business. When a customer calls to cancel, I try to start off by creating and suggesting a positive outcome.

Scenario 1:
Me: I’m sorry to hear that Holly isn’t feeling well, I hope she feels better so that we can make her birthday bigger and better soon.
Birthday mom: I don’t know when I will be able to reschedule, there is so much going on and I have to call everyone to cancel the party…
Me: It’s OK, I am here to make things easy, may I suggest a class party at Holly’s school or I can look at my schedule and see if next weekend is open if you want to reschedule. Don’t worry about me today, just worry about making Holly feel better and call me if any plans change.
When you set the tone of the conversation, you can almost always diffuse and salvage the event. If someone is calling to negotiate price and dangle a cancellation because they found someone cheaper here is another scenario to help you keep calm and not slap them through the phone.

Scenario 2
Client: I spoke to Jingles and she only charges $35 per hour so why do you charge $125 per hour.

Me: An educated consumer is the best client. I am sorry that I do not know Jingles. I can tell you that my prices are set because I pride myself on being professional and giving the best experience to guests at your party. I am on time, I carry insurance, I ONLY use kid friendly paints, and I am a great face painter. If price is a major factor in booking this event, I understand. I would love the opportunity to show you how having me at your party is well worth my fee.

Client: Well can you give me a little break?

Me: What I can do is include an extra half hour at no charge, or I can include glitter tattoos. (Only offer this if you are comfortable with and can afford to extend these offerings)

As a rule of thumb, I don’t rely on basic common courtesy in business. Steve Jobs’s biography pretty much confirmed my rule of thumb. Everyone they interviewed said Steve Jobs was crude, narcissistic, and would step over you if you were lying on the side of the street. Common courtesy is a dying form, because business is about you. So, don’t rely on your customers to think of you first or to consider your schedule when they are going through something. I always call a day before the event, to confirm any details and ensure I am still on. I don’t wait for the customer to call me in panic mode day of, if something happens to arise. As a birthday mom myself, the last thing on your mind is calling the entertainer especially if something chaotic is going on.
Protect yourself, your business, and have peace of mind when booking events. Send a contract, don’t fight over price or cancellations, and plan ahead. Be proactive and call the customer, ask if there is anything you can do to make the event the best it can be. Business isn’t easy, but planning and putting procedures into place will improve the outcome.

Happy Painting! -Silly Heather

PIN-Ch me! I’m addicted

Eight years ago I embarked on the journey of entrepreneurship. I worked in football while I studied in college and I knew I never wanted to work for anyone after that. I love this business and I love watching us grow. But with growth, you will experience growing pains. I started off with just my mother and my aunt (and that was hard enough!) but now I manage 25 employees and it can become stressful. I try to treat all my employees as I would like to be treated and sometimes my Starbucks fix just doesn’t fix my mood. So, I look for ways to vent without totally bitching everyone out.

My newest stress relieving addiction is Pinterest. If you haven’t heard of Pinterest you are missing out on a soothing world of aesthetic goodness. Pinterest is website of pictures, where you organize pictures (that typically link to blogs) by your interests. Pinterest is my getaway, because every time I log in I find an image that inspires, motivates, and typically changes my mood.

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The website is simple, you see a picture you like, you pin it to a board so you can always reference it later. Pinetrest is full of amazing recipes, motivational quotes, fascinating pictures, and DIY ideas that bring a smile to your face. The other great part about Pinterest is you can add your own images. Are you proud of a picture you painted? Do you want to share your artwork with the world? Pinterest is the way to do it. You can add your image and it will randomly appear on someone’s picture feed. Then that person can pin your picture and the more pins your image gets, the better linked your content will be and if your picture is from your blog or website, all that traffic is pointing back to you. Pinterest is reviving blogs and helping create a natural link to your site. This is great for marketing and great when you want to escape into a visual paradise.

If you are just getting started on Pinterest look me up and follow me at heatherg28. Since I am addicted, you will get lots of updates of all the cool things I have found and pinned! Pinterest is cheaper and more fulfilling than Starbucks and its ZERO calories! I encourage each of you to find a happy place where you can escape the madness of an artists life and take a few minutes every day to creatively unwind. Pinterest is my getaway… I’d love to hear about yours.

  Happy Painting! -Silly Heather

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Help Yourself by Getting Help

In 2004, I was fresh out of college and had this crazy passion to sell face paint and supplies. When I first bought Silly Farm Supplies, I was operating on almost no budget. I used every penny I’d ever had, including taking a loan from my family to turn my dream into a reality. I have been working since I was 10 years old, when I used to go with my aunt and help her face paint. When I was 14 I started working at Chuckie Cheese. Working came natural to me, but owning my own business was a whole new ball game.

Right after I got Silly Farm, I was so excited and took pride in wearing all the hats in my new business. I would come into Silly Farm every day and jump at the chance to answer the phone, answered every email, ran to pack every box, and would strap the packages to my back and personally walk them to the post office. After a year of working 90 hours a week, and wearing every hat I possibly could, I realized it was time to help myself by getting help.

A lot of business people are penny wise and dollar foolish. They fear if they hire someone to help that they will loose money. Instead they should be thinking how hiring someone can be the best business move they can make. When I hired Cristi to handle all the shipping, I freed up my afternoons to answer more emails, film my youtube face painting videos, and answer more calls. Immediately, Cristi paid for herself.

If you are serious about taking your business to the next level, start by making a list of your best qualities.
Are you a better painter than business person? Do you hate sending contracts and discussing pricing? Do you prefer the behind the scenes of party planning? Do you love doing taxes (yeah right) or being a bookkeeper? Once you answer these questions then make a list of the things you hate doing, your last favorite part about doing business. Read your answers out loud, and then ask yourself am I ready to get serious and help myself to becoming the best business person I can be?

If you are nervous consider partnering with someone you know, such as a friend or family member. My Mom is a perfect example of how I did. She is one of the most brilliant business women I know and she is also the least artistically inclined person I know. She thrives off of numbers, organization, and accounting gives her her kicks. If you have seen my desk before you know organization is not my strong suit, but because I was willing to accept my weaknesses and embrace her strengths we have built a business I am proud of.

The 2012 Face and Body Art International Convention offers a marketing and business track and it’s a perfect opportunity to enlist a partner and get them trained. If 2012 is going to be the year you take your business to the next level, then stop putting it off and make the investment in getting help.

If you ever need advice, or have business related questions I am always happy to help. You can email me or call me at Silly Farm mon – fri. Thank you again for following my blog and I wish you nothing but success in 2012!

Leave a comment below and tell us how many of the hats you wear in your business and how you manage it.
-Silly Heather

Business Building on a Budget

As the saying goes it takes money to make money and nothing could be more true. In order to create and grow a business you need funds to invest in business cards, licenses, a website and so on. But building and bettering your business doesn’t have to put you in the poor house. The Internet is an endless abyss of information, deals, and resources.

Budgeting your Business

Creating a professional image is important because it’s a reflection of your company. DIY ( do it yourself ) sites have pre set templates that let you plug and paste your logo, pictures, create a website without hiring a webmaster. The website hosting service Go Daddy has hundreds of templates that are easy and functional for even the least web savvy person.

My favorite find of the month is a website called Fiverr, where there are hundreds of people offering their services for $5. Many of the services are graphics related, so if you are looking for a new logo, pictures Photoshopped, or website help, you can hire someone for only $5!

Other great resources for creating business cards, and professional promotional materials is Vista Print. They offer free business cards and very inexpensive flyers, brochures and magnets. Remember you want to put your information in as many hands as possible, and vista print helps you do that without breaking your wallet.

So just when you get discourage about needing a new logo or needing funds to upgrade your image, just start googling and get your $5 ready. Your biggest investment should be your time you are using to research, write content, and improve your business.

Happy painting! -Silly Heather

Chin Up | Syfy’s Face Off Premiere

Last night Season 2 of the SyFy show Face Off premiered. It was extremely awesome because two of our talented friends were featured. I have had the pleasure of working with Nix Herrera and Athena Zhe over the past 10 years, at the Face and Body Art International Convention and other industry events. I have witnessed Athena and Nix blossom into creative forces to be reckoned with. Kudos to both of them for having the courage to enter the competition, and to be open to criticism of their hard work.

Many of us avoid being judged by all means possible. We avoid the scale because of fear of seeing what we don’t want to see, we avoid posting pictures of our artwork out of fear that someone might say something we don’t like. Nix and Athena took that plunge and from that, we can all learn a lot.

Athena Zhe - Face Off ContestantNicholas 'Nix' Herrera - Face Off Contestant

If you are experiencing a slow month on bookings, pick up the phone and fight the fear of hearing no. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Call your local library and ask to speak to the activities director, offer discounted or free face painting so that you can pass out your business cards. Contact other painters in your area and organize a jam, make new friends and network with other outlets that might be able to bring you business. Join the chamber of commerce and get involved in the community.

All of these are great ways to drive in sales and get your name out there. You might hear a few no’s before a yes comes your way, but just as Athena and Nix bite their nails each challenge, they don’t give up. They push on with their chins up and know that giving up is not an option.

 

Catch new episodes of Face Off on the Syfy Network, Wednesdays at 10/9c.

Enthusiasm | The Soul-Force

Enthusiasm

The word enthusiasm derives from the Greek term meaning, “to be inspired”.
When we are enthusiastic about anything, we become like a great magnet attracting a powerful force in all directions and influencing those around us. This is why it is said that enthusiasm is “soul-power”.

How does enthusiasm apply to face and body painting or any of the performing arts? For many years, one of my all time favorite quotes has been “Love what you do with all your heart and do it with enthusiasm. This is the key to success.”

When starting to paint, know that you are being guided by a subconscious force that is going to help you produce the best results. Whether it is face-painting, body painting, performing or working on a project, if we do it with enthusiasm, the results will be the best. Each time that we repeat the task in the same manner the results will be even better. When selling our services or our products, remember that enthusiasm is contagious. The more we are able to touch others with our high level of enthusiasm, the more they will want from us. We cannot sell much of anything if we don’t believe in it or ourselves 100%.
Mama Clown
Enthusiasm keeps us from being discouraged by helping us to cultivate a state of mind that doesn’t allow thoughts of failure to enter. Regardless of the economy, present circumstances in our lives, the weather, or the array of other things we find to complain about, if we approach a solution with enthusiasm, we will succeed.

Today is the day to paint your best design, to insure the most bookings, to start your dream project, to put order in your life. All you need to do is take the first step and do it with enthusiasm, because this is the key to success.

-Marcela Murad
Co-Producer of The Face and Body Art International Convention
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