--- On Mon, 7/27/09, LLarita <[email protected]> wrote:
From: LLarita <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [fpba-assn] Re: 4success I have another "problem"....can you solve it? To: [email protected] Date: Monday, July 27, 2009, 4:34 PM I do get a chuckle that everyone thinks its ok to ask for free services from clowns and facepainters and balloon artists. Just a thought, if your church has some business people, maybe you could suggest they find a sponsor for you. That way, everyone takes a hit, not just you. I actually tried that once and I guess they didn't find a sponsor but they quit asking me for every event too. Rita --- On Mon, 7/27/09, Katie Hunt <[email protected]> wrote: From: Katie Hunt <[email protected]> Subject: [fpba-assn] Re: 4success I have another "problem"....can you solve it? To: "Arla Albers" <[email protected]> Cc: [email protected], "Face Painting and Body Art Association" <[email protected]> Date: Monday, July 27, 2009, 4:05 PM We used to get this type of situation all the time too. Yes, I feel good about volunteering my time but there is a limit. So, now what I do each and every time I go anywhere is to provide a contract. On it, I put all the things we discussed and talked about. My contract has what the normal charges would be including gas (although we don't charge gas for local charities which is all we support these days). Below the Grand total (including GST and Travel) I also have a line that says: "Fee agreed upon" Beside this I put what fee we've agree upon. It might be a discount or it might say: "Fee waived for this one-time only special engagement." I get them to sign the contract and send it back to me so I have it for my records. This way, they SEE and understand the VALUE of what they are getting and that I am not a bottomless pit. I often am treated better once they realize the size of the gift they are getting too. Yes, it's extra work, but in the long run, it saves for awkward situations and makes it clear that I am a business. It is, in my opinion, well worth the effort. Hope it helps katie -- Katie Hunt www.KatieTheGreat.com www.DougTheGreat.com 2009/7/27 Arla Albers <[email protected]> OK, so my church asked me to paint for the Access Ministry (Handicapped kids) Camp. I painted for an hour and a half last week. In my eyes it wasn't so successful....most of the kids wanted arms and cruddy hand art stuff. Not fun for me. The church was happy. In fact, the lady in charge wanted me to come back EVERY day this week. (NOT going to happen.) I agreed to come today....and she wanted me for the entire day...for free. I volunteered two hours. There was never any mention of, "oh, if you could stay, we'd be happy to pay you....or......We'd be happy to pay for your paints and supplies." Today was MUCH more successful......most kids wanted full faces, only a few hand art stuff. Anyway, when it's over, the woman comes up to thank me and says that they will copy my business card in their flyer and send out to all the families....YEA! They oogled and oogled and oogled about my work and said how it was not only great, but fast.....yes! Here comes the problem.......she really wanted me to come back AGAIN sometime this week. (I can't, thank goodness because I'm going to Toledo, Ohio for a week.) So I told her, "sorry." THEN.....a woman comes up to me and introduces herself.....she's the head of the ADULT handicapped camp next week and wanted me to come to do something. Told her, "Sorry, I'm going to be gone next week." She says, "Oh, it runs for two weeks!" ..........She says, "I'll have my person call you to see what your schedule is."........ THEN.....another man comes up and introduces himself as the director of their new house for handicapped kids and says he wants me to come to their grand opening when that happens. He took my card. They've never offered to pay me, and while I don't mind donating my time ONCE in a while...maybe 2-3 times a year, I could do the whole summer for free! OK, the question...... Where do you draw the line? When you do ask for pay? When you do say, "this is costing me......$$$ I just paid $218 for paints!" I wouldn't mind even giving them a $50 per hour discount so I get SOMETHING for my time and paints, but I just can't keep doing it for free......here's where the old addage comes in, "Freebies beget more freebies".....once someone finds out that you'll do it for free, they all want it for free. So, I'm not the most tactful person in the world and I need help in telling them something before they call me again. Exactly what do I say to them? I don't want to just do this for free anymore, even though it IS my church. I've donated my services before on occasion. Although, for one of the programs they did pay me, I think it was $100 a few years ago. Like I said, I could spend the entire summer doing this for free almost on a daily basis. (My church probably has 12,000 people that attend on a weekly basis, so you can get an idea of how big the church is....and how many programs they could have that could use my services.) Help me solve my problem of what to say. I'm open to suggestions! Arla --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Face Painting and Body Art Association." This is a PG-13 forum dedicated to the discussion of Face Painting and Body Art. This group is provided for the benefit of all and as such is not moderated. Our goal is to promote open and unrestricted communication between people interested in face painting and body art. We hope that you will be courteous to others and try to stay on topic. You are free to offer products or services related to face painting as well. 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