FEARS OVER FACE PAINT SAFETY

You may have read a report in the media about 'new' fears over ingredients in Face Paints and the potential harm they may do.

For the truth behind this, and so you know that Professional Face Painter's do use safe cosmetics in their work, read this on Face Painting Safety:
http://facepaintingsafety.blogspot.com/2009/10/new-scare-but-professional-face-paints.html

Then book your Professional painter as usual (and be sure to ask them what cosmetics they are using) and only book them if they comply with the standards quoted in the report!

John Gordon

The Infotainer
=> Now open for FREE Founder Membership
The Academy For Professional Entertainers

Earn Money While You Sleep!

Just recently, in response to a post I made on a private entertainers' Forum, two artistes asked me to expand on a comment I made about earning money staying at home.

In fact the conversaton had been about something else, but I have always had a negative take on charging by the hour, and it was a comment on this that prompted the post.

They asked me:

"... how do you plan to make
your business work
when you are at home?"

and

"Please, please let us in on that
wonderful business plan!"

So, here's my thinking on this.

There's no quick answer as it's tied up with an entire philosophy and way of working. The danger is that, if I just told you and made a simplified flow chart .... most would completely misunderstand and dismiss it anyway. But I'll try and give you an overview so you get the idea, but don't think that this is the 'instructions'! As with anything, there's detail that makes it work!

THE PROBLEM

Most entertainer's work, income and limited profits are based on selling time for dollars.

So what? Well, the problem with this is ... you have limited time. We all do. This means that your earnings have a distinct ceiling.

Suppose your available time slots are all day Sat and Sun plus occasional afternoons in the week, and a few daily festivals etc across the year - perhaps you total saleable / billable hours would be 1000 hours. If you sell your time for, say, $75 / hour, the absolute max you'll earn is $75,000pa.

That's it. And the chances of that, of being 100% fully booked are slim. Plus you'd be wiped out!

Suppose you now currently work say 50% of your 'available' time. Now you can only ever earn twice as much as now, unless you raise your prices. And in this climate, thats tough (unless you raise your game, your profile and broaden your reach into more lucrative markets). Tiny price rises would only bring incremental increases.

Bottom line is ... you cannot get rich selling time!

"But I LOVE being a face painter
and don't want to start selling health products,
or cell phone contracts....."

Exactly ....which is why it's important to look at ways to earn more doing what you love to do. Then you'll still have passion and enjoyment. It's why so many artistes retain their day job - so that they can still earn more and retain the love and passion for their paying hobby.

But wouldn't it be better:

=> IF you could increase your income with something closely related to your entertainment business?

=> IF you could lift that ceiling on your income?

=> IF you could earn as little or as much as you wanted?

=> IF you could earn more and then afford to attend conventions?

=> IF you could earn more and have the holidays you want?

=> IF you could earn more and invest back into your business?

=> IF you could earn more even when you stop working?

Well the good news is that there are ways to earn more (much more) doing what you do. But strategies for doing this MUST overcome that time barrier.

SO my strategy, (the one I teach all members of APE) is all about creating passive income from what you already do. You don't even have to get dressed or leave home! You don't have to buy anything or invest $$$$$s. And if you choose to, you can 'set and forget' putting it totally on automatic pilot, bringing you income when asleep or away on holiday. And it will continue to do this for the rest of your life.

And an additional wonderful benefit I reveal of doing it that way is that when you discover how to use it to attract attention, drive traffic to sites, build interest, not only will the additional streams of income you produce create potentially massive additional revenue, but as a direct result your profile will be raised, your authority will grow, you can gain prominence and eminence and this will, in turn, increase the quality and volume of requests and bookings that you DO get as an artiste!

It doesn't get any better than that.

If you want to know more ... join APE and ask me, it's FREE!

John Gordon
The Infotainer
=> Now open for FREE Founder Membership
The Academy For Professional Entertainers

Should We Train Others And Risk The Consequences?

There has been talk on a forum recently about the problems of people who trained and who then 'left' and are 'stealing' clients.

It seems to be fairly common so I've been thinking about it again and here's some of those thoughts, obsevations and decisions I've made.

IF people doing this were to make you change what you do ... that's bad. Some (several) have said "Oh I just won't teach anyone else again". I presume that this is because these 'student' painters have gone away and are now committing various 'crimes' against you:

• Marketing to 'your clients'
• Using the designs you taught them
• Undercutting you
• Getting gigs you'd like
• Making a name for themselves
• .... and more

SO what?

If these fears make you paranoid and insecure and then prevent you being you and doing what you want to do, enjoying your business and growing as you'd want - that's bad. But this is more caused by your attitude about that person than the actual result of what they do. So, change that attitude, deal with it and move on. But certainly don't let it affect you, or change what you are and do!

I know people who have been so paranoid they

stopped training people altogether
stopped sharing in forums and groups
stopped networking with fellow professionals
stopped posting their work on forums and groups
stopped demonstrating at conventions
stopped contributing to magazines
stopped putting pictures on their website
stopped working at events with fellow performers
stopped publishing testimoniials on their website
stopped chatting case histories on their blogs

I have to say that a couple I know who have taken much of the above action, are now at the bottom of their game! Their profile is at an all time low, they've disappeared from 'the scene', their work has slumped ....

How sad.They've let their previous students actions cause harm instead of taking a stand, asking for it to stop, then getting back to business as usual.

The very things we all enjoy in the industry, in addition to working and earning money have all been 'taken away'. Well, they've been stopped unecessarily. Stuff like giving, sharing, socialising ... all stopped through some fear. But like all fears ... it's a false impression that is worse than the actuality.

Don't harm yourself or your business by going into hiding.

When you find someone who is abusing the fredom, trust and love you gave - tell them. At the earliest opportunity simply write to them telling them three important things:

a) How you feel about what they've doneState clearly what you believe they did, how this is wrong (in your opinion) and how it makes you feel.

b) What you expect them to doState the changes and how that's then better

c) How it will be when they do and what you'll need to do if they do not

This clearly states in an objective way the situation as you see and feel it and how to correct matters.

But I'll finish these thoughts by saying that they cannot actually 'steal' anything from you. If something really is 'legally' yours, you must take appropriate legal action. But variations of something you taught them (which may not have even been original with you in the first place!) is not staling. Nor is pitching for and to the same clients. You do not own them.

Clearly, if you have some evidence that they have gained access to your client 'list' that is another matter, but marketing to local clients is bound to cause a lot of cross-over. If your clients really do value the services you have previosuly delivered, they'll be back to you, no matter who markets to them!

When you are in frequent contact with both prospects and existing clients, building relationships, nurturing them, and keeping them informed about developments, new 'products', stories, news and events ... they should have little or no reason to even consider another artiste. I'd even include a carefully written post or article about being ripped off by an unethical ex friend and how they should be avoided, and why!

That's my thinking on this .........

John Gordon
The Infotainer

=> Now open for FREE Founder Membership
The Academy For Professional Entertainers

Lowering Fees: Retaining Status

Many are concerned about the fact that they are often asked to work and display lower charges (per face) than usual. The concerns include a fear that this may be misunderstood as their 'normal' rate and / or that next time they charge (and display) their nowmal rates it'll look like they have raised fees.

And this is understandable. So, first thing I'd say is that you must make this situation clear to clients when they ask you to work at lower rates. Then you are open to discuss a variety of ways to overcome that where you both come off looking good and the visitors still get their discounted rates.

One way to deal with price variations is to always display the 'normal' price....

BUT THEN ... action one of the following ideas:

• Give out discount 'Money Off' Vouchers given out at the entrance or with the invitations
  
• Have the vouchers as cut-outs in a local paper
  
• Vouchers available printed out from a website
  
• Vouchers collected from a sponsor's offices
  
• Free with every purchase of something else at the show
  
• Vouchers given as a prize on another stall

... and so on. You and the sponsors and organisers are now in control of just how hard or how easy this for visitors. You also control (with some of the ideas) the numbers allocated. this works great in conjunction with other services at the event ie a multiple voucher.

It also allows for variations in price at the same event ie people who collect from a sponsor may get a greater discount ... or one to add to the basic discount that comes with the entry ticket.

It's a useful variation of piling on bonuses with a low cost but high perceived value. You retain normal status (by promoting your usual price) but are visibly seen to be 'giving' and delivering the same high quality and value.

Hope this helps next time and may generate some more ideas suitable for your different situations.

John Gordon
The Infotainer
http://www.watchthisface.com/