I’ve been told by my friends and family what an easy and fun job I have. How it must be great to only work on the weekends, enabling me to have my week days free……… I just smile. The truth is I probably work more hours now than I did as my previous job as a bank manager!
Monday – Time To Catch Up!
My Monday’s are always pretty hectic. After getting the kids to school, I’ll settle down at the dinning table (usually once I’ve cleared it of breakfast pots, pj’s, socks, hair bobbles and any other piece of junk that didn’t find its rightful home. ) to go through my weekend’s work.
First things first, any pictures I’ve taken of the client’s event I’ll go through and edit. I usually take 5 or 6 pictures of each child, so I ensure I’ve got a good picture of my work, so I’ll trawl through them and edit them, adding my watermark. These will be used throughout the week for my social media posts, advertising and contact with the families I’ve painted. The great thing with this, is once I’ve watermarked them and passed them onto the client, they will share the pictures with my watermark so I instantly get more exposure.
Once I’ve edited the pictures, I’ll review my previous Saturday and Sunday. I need to reach out to each party I’ve attended to thank them again for choosing me to paint at their event. I’ll include any pictures I’ve managed to take and ask the client if they’d be kind enough to leave a review of my services. This helps small businesses so much! Don’t be scared to ask. Include a link to your Google or Facebook page so you make it as easy as possible for the client. I’d say about half will find the time to write a brief review.
Once I’ve dealt with all of that I’ll select some pictures to post to my Instagram and Facebook pages. It’s important I keep my content fresh, up to date and on trend with any current events. I’ll use popular hashtags and events that may be happening that day. I do this every single day. So you’ll often see me on my phone!
Tuesday – Time to Advertise!
I usually advertise through Facebook. I secure possibly 80% of my work through this site.
I will create an ad on my business Facebook page. Just a few up to date pictures, with a brief description of what I offer. Once it’s been posted, I will share this to many if the local selling sites, parent sites and spotted pages.
My top tip for doing this, is to create a list of sites with the number of members in each, note any special instructions too, alot if sites only allow business posts on a specific day, or have a pinned post at the top, which you add your details to. This way you won’t be making a nuscience of yourself and wound up getting blocked.
By sharing an initial advertisement you can monitor how many people have seen your post or engaged further with your post. You may find you have more engagements at different times, so it’s worth changing the times you do this. Ask yourself when your target market is more likely to be browsing these sites? Make a note of each time you post and you’ll soon see a distinct pattern build up.
Wednesday – Check Your Up and Coming Bookings
I always look at my diary midweek, to see what I’m doing at the weekend. I’ll reach out to each client, with a friendly message, confirming all details. This helps immensely, as I often find that the amount of children attending may have changed, which if I’m able, means I can offer more time or plan designs to fit a theme.
Thursday – A Day To Make Social Media Content
I help run a very large facepainting help group on Facebook. It has close to 8,000 members, who often post questions and ask for advise in the group. As admin, it’s my job to check in daily and ensure everything is running smoothly.
On Thursdays, I set aside an hour or do to go live to interact with members and paint designs they may need help with. I often try new products out and discuss topics such as hygiene on the job, paint consistency or even how to book a job successfully.
I’ll often make a few 30 to 60 second videos for my Instagram as the light box is set up and my paints are in use. I found reels have helped my Instagram grow over the past few months.
Ofcourse, once I’ve done all this, I need to wash my brushes and clean my kit before I put it away. I find Thursdays are one of my busier days!
Friday- Prepping For The Weekend
As Friday rolls around the excitement builds for any facepainter or entertainer. We’ve secured our bookings, we know where we’re going tomorrow and Sunday, we just need to ensure we have everything we need!
I’ll go through my kit, making sure I’ve enough of what I need for the weekend. I’ll add what I don’t have, having ordered it Sunday Night or Monday Morning. Once I’ve opened my paint, I need to add it to my inventory list, with the date it’s opened, batch number and its use by date. That way I can keep my kit in tip top condition. If I were to use an out of date paint, and the client had a reaction to that paint my insurance would not cover me!
At this point, I like to Google the addresses of where I’m going, as I’ve no sense of direction and quite often in the past arrive flustered and apologetic as I’d driven past the venue 3 times! Learning from this, I always like to have a rough idea of where I’m going. Even if it means using street view and making the trip virtually!
Everything clean and ready, I’ll keep it at the ready for Saturday.
Saturday – Painting Time!
I always have my chair and table in the boot of my car as I have limited storage at home. So, I load up my kit into the car, with a few bottles of squash and a few snacks if I’m painting back to back.
I like to arrive 15 to 20 minutes early so I can set up without rushing. I will hand the host 20 or 30 business cards, as they contain removal advice on the back, and ask them to pop one into each party bag. This is a great way to get your number out there!
Once finished, I get home physically and mentally drained. I’ll prepare something quick for dinner and once the family is settled down, I gather my used sponges and pop them in the washing machine and wash my used brushes. If my kit needs a wipe down I will do this too, ready for Sunday.
Sunday – Rinse & Repeat
Sunday is usually just as busy as Saturday, so it is simply a game of repeat!
Remember to take pictures once you’ve painted so you have pictures for future advertising and social media platforms.
Again, once home, a quick meal with the family and its time to clean those brushes and sponges! At this point, I’ll take stock of my kit, making a note of any paints, glitters or bling I may need to order or make. If I need to, I’ll place the order before bed.
Ongoing Work
I conduct much of my business online, so I’ve always got my phone close by. Everyday I’m posting to social media, adding pictures or blogs. I advertise at different times, finding the optimum times for each post. Each day I learn something new. Each day I’m hustling to keep my business in the forefront of people’s minds. I respond to enquiries daily, using my phone and often find it difficult balancing a family and business. But seeing those faces at the weekend, as you reveal that spiderman or butterfly…….. There isn’t a feeling like it.
Our jobs are crazy busy but one of the most fulfilling ones we could have.
Professional Face Painter 