8 Top Tips for Pay-Per-Face Events

One of the most frequently asked questions on most face painting groups is the issue of doing PPF – those gigs where you charge each person to get their faces painted.

Will you pay a pitch fee or give the client a percentage?

What to do if you want to be paid to do the gig?

There are so many other options to suggest to the client – here’s a few to get you thinking!

1. You charge per person, and you give back all the money (maybe take a bit of costs). This is just a total freebie charity event. You are a lovely person and feel generous and warm inside!
2. You charge per person, you give the client a small percentage of profits (maybe 10 – 20%, or a set fee of say £20).  You are running a business.
3. You pay a set pitch fee, you charge per person and you take all the money home.  You may be able to share this cost with another painter and you each take your money.
4. The client pays you a fee for the day, then you charge per person and return to the client all the money taken.  A business.
5. You paint (with someone ideally), the client pays your fee for the day, you paint faces without charging. Hellish queues. Get a queue manager and/or a co-painter or two. Business. Try to encourage the client to organise a ‘suggested donation box’.
6. The client (or you) finds a local business to sponsor you and pays your daily fee – you charge per person (or free for punter), and return that money back to the client. Your sponsor possibly has an advertising banner over the gazebo.
7. The client pays you a retainer rate – say 50% of your usual day rate. You then charge pp, and when your takings reach the other 50%, (i.e. you now have your full 100%), anything above that you give back to the client – or negotiate a sum. This means if it rains all day, at least you have something.
8. No pitch fee. You charge per person  – if it’s a poor day, the client tops up to your daily rate which is negotiated.

So, which option works best for you?