How to get booked as an Entertainer!

Having worked in the Entertainer Industry for all of my adult life, I have learned to appreciate those within the industry that take the necessary steps to make certain both they and their potential client are protected, in addition to being very knowledgeable and skilled at the service they are offering.

So here is a simple check list for Entertainers or Artists.


For the Entertainer:

• First and foremost present the work that best represents you at an event. Put forth your best, but most accurate work. RE: example, if you are a caricature artist and provide a potential client a piece of work that took you an hour, then this is not an accurate representation of the work you would provide at an event where a client would be expecting 12-15 works per hour, so be honest and represent yourself accurately.
• Use your own work, please!  Using images from the internet that are not your own can get you into trouble. You need permission to use someone else's work for the purpose of posting, sharing or profiting. If you provide your services for a client and fall short of the images you provided them, do you think they will want to hire you again? Without addressing legalities and ethics, which would most definitely apply here, it's important to create your own work and represent your self honestly.
• Carry insurance. Did you know that Insurance protects YOU! Although the likely hood of your getting sued may be reasonably low, is the risk of having your enterprise shut down worth  a few hundred dollars a year? Not to mention, most corporate entities and townships require insurance, so you are limiting your opportunities by not being insured. 
• Booking events. Are you accessible? Do you return your inquiries within a day?  Do you have a system in place for booking your clients. Look into a good call tracking system so that you know who is booking you and if they need a return call. Be prompt and available. In addition, with regard to quoting a potential client, a good tip is to remember your prices should reflect your ability level and be comparable to the going market rate in your area.  
• Booking other Entertainers. Are you operating your business as the sole proprietor or as an LLC/ Corporation? If you are an individual, you may refer work to other artists and you may if you like ask for a finders fee.  If you wish to book artists under your name,collect the fee for their work and then pay them for the work, you will need to meet the more extensive criteria. For instance you will need different insurance, in many cases workman's comp., they may need to employed by you as you are operating as an agency.
• Non- compete clause.  Be very cautious here. Do not sign any document with any group without first having a lawyer review the agreement. Although most non-competes are there to protect the organization from you pursuing their client, some take advantage of up and coming artists and try to impose restrictions preventing them from operating any where in the area or for anyone else or for themselves. Most of these agreements are not law binding, but its best to have the agreement reviewed before signing the dotted line. Don't forget you can always negotiate the terms of your arrangement.
• Back ground checks. This is not an unusual practice. Especially these days. Expect that periodically someone will want to do a background check to be sure that you are not going to pose any threat to their customers or premise.
• Marketing. The best method of marketing yourself is getting your work in front of the potential audience. There are two ways to achieve this, physically and virtually. Virtually, you will need a web page or you can utilize one of the many online resources to list your services, like (our very own) Paint Savvy, Gigsalad, or Thumbtack to name a few. These businesses do very well with search engines and although you are competing for work with other artists, it does provide a platform to get your name and work out there. The next step would be to consider a website. There are many website providers who have done nearly all the work for you, putting together a free site in a day is now an achievable goal. 
• Supplies and materials. We are professional atists. The materials we use are of utmost importance because our clients are usually children. We only use FDA Approved reputable professional grade theatrical make-up for our face paints. Anything else is putting yourself and especially your little client at risk for bodily injury or harm. For product reviews on this Blog, search face and body paint. Whichever your industry, be sure that your products are safe and approved for use or consumption. Never assume because its sold here, that it is a safe product. Do the research.

To register to be an entertainer with Paint Savvy, contact a representative today!
www.paintsavvy.com
email: paint@paintsavvy.com