How to Start a Face Painting and Body Art Business by Erika Harrison - A Review by Katie Hunt

I picked up Erika's book at the Face and Body Art International Convention in Orlando, in May this year. I finally got a chance to read it this week. Erika's book is very easy to read and to understand. It's a nice size, clearly laid out in logical order with chapters packed with useful information. 

This is a book whose time has come! 

This isn't a designs book, or a how to face paint, or do tattoos, or henna book, although there is that information in there too. It's definitely a business book. It's how to run a business, things to consider, various avenues to take to make money, and so much more. 

Erika also goes over and explains business terms, she talks about insurance, record keeping, taxes, marketing, expanding your business. Erika has the simplest, and most comprehensive way of developing a 'business plan' that I've seen in long time. Her version is not scary like some concepts I've seen delivered. 

She has a massive resource list at the back of the book and a CD. 

The CD is amazing! 

Here is a partial list of the files found on the CD: 

· Airbrush Information.doc

· Contractor agreement.doc

· Face and Body Art Examples by Erika Harrison

· Chinese Character Sign.pdf

· Freehand Glitter tattoo instructions.pdf

· Example of Client Invoice.xls

· Glitter tattoo stencil instructions.pdf

· Henna Body Art Curriculum.doc

· Henna Kit Instructions.pdf

· Henna Workshop outline condensed.doc

· Intro to henna booklet.pdf

· Read Me First.doc

· Real Henna Issue 3 resize.pdf

· Real Henna Issue 4 PDF.pdf

· Small Airbrush (setup)

So many useful tools and references in one handy package! 

Personally, and as a person in this business, I love information that is ready to use immediately and adapt to my own uses. This book and CD have that and more. 

If you know Erika, you'll get to know her better with her examples and stories from her own personal experiences. Erika is direct and logical in her lessons. It's simple and easy to understand. 

If I had one criticism initially, it was that there are no photos or pictures in the book. However, the CD more than makes up for that. And I suspect, because there are no pictures in the book, she kept printing costs down, making this extremely affordable.

If you are just venturing into the Face and Body Art business, or want to know how to do it right, or how to take it to the next level, this is a great resource for you.

Respectfully,

Katie Hunt 

This book is available at Erika's Amerikan Body Art website and I'm sure a few other places. 

-- Katie Hunt

www.KatieTheGreat.com
www.DougTheGreat.com

The Economics of Free

I recently picked up a book by Chris Anderson called, Free: The Future of a Radical Price. I was hoping to get some examples of how companies gave away stuff for free, and reaped more benefit than their cost. While there were some very positive stories and I did get some ideas for my own business, this book delved much deeper into economic theory than I had anticipated. It got me thinking about some of the issues that we have with "Free" in our own industry. 

Nothing is more disappointing than showing up at a pay-per-design event (particularly where you've paid a booth fee to participate) and finding that you have to compete with a "Free" face painter. Even when I've shown up to do henna tattoos or glitter tattoos, I've had trouble selling them when free face painting was available as an alternative.

I've known many face painters who have chosen to donate their time and talent to an organization in order to hopefully gain some exposure in their community. Most of these artists find that they continue to receive calls from this organization and others asking if they will come and work for free at their next event....not exactly the exposure they were hoping for. Not to mention, it doesn't help to create positive relationships with other artists in the area. 

So what are you to do when you are asked to work at an event that you know does not have an entertainment budget, such as a fundraising organization? I've had these organizations ask me to work for free and I've had to try to make them see a different point of view. If I go to their event and work for free, they gain nothing. If I go to the event and charge attendees per design, and then split my income with the organization, I can actually help them to earn money. The only reason to not charge attendees would be if they were counting on "Free Face Painting" or "Free Temporary Tattoos" to be a draw to their event. In that case, it would be a good idea to ask event organizers if they know of a local company that might be interested in sponsoring a face painter in exchange for advertising.

And on the other side of the fence, how do you successfully charge for your work when someone else is giving it away? Instead of selling "face painting" or "temporary tattoos," create an interactive experience. Become a performer. Turn your workspace into a stage. Most people realize that you get what you pay for, and will see the value of what you provide. When comparing your work with that of someone giving it away for free, who do you think they'll turn to when they want to book a party?