Face and body painting is no easy profession. You have to be talented and artsy, have patience with kids, and work hard to build a business. However, it is a great option because startup costs are low, and you get satisfaction out of making people happy with your talents. Today we’ll share with you how to start a face painting business and how to set up a face painting business plan, so that you can run a successful business doing what you love.
Select a Name
Selecting a face painting business name requires a little bit of creativity. Your business name should be a reflection of your services and also your personal brand. Do some research online to see what names are already taken, and to get ideas for what you’d like your business name to be. Make sure your name is easy to remember and will be unique to the other names already in the industry.
Register Your Business
Most small businesses start with establishing a sole proprietorship or an LLC (limited liability company). Take a look at the links to see which would best suit your business. If you’re wanting to start smaller and test the waters, consider starting with a sole proprietorship. If you’re already more established and have clients and upcoming events, you should consider an LLC. You’ll need to keep this step in mind while you’re selecting a name, to see if it is already a registered name and business.
Establish a Face Painting Business Plan
Running a face painting business, just like any other business, requires a lot of time and effort—which is what a business plan will require. With this step, you’ll need to think about the areas/locations you’d like to service, what your client pool will look like, how many events you will take on, if you can afford to have employees, how much you will charge, etc. Take all of these things into consideration when you are getting your business started.
You will also need to account for the legal documents that are needed to start a business. This will depend on the state where you will be performing your face and body painting services, and the size of your business. You will need a business tax license (depending on which state you live in, you may not need one), trade license (if required), and also a contract to distribute to your customers.
Purchase an Insurance Policy
Before you’re ready to get the word out about your face and body painting business, you’ll want to make sure that you purchase an insurance policy. As a face and body painting professional, it may be hard to imagine what accidents could occur while providing your services. However, you face risks each day while working, and you need to be aware of and prepared for those risks. For example, your paint could cause a child to have an allergic reaction on their face, and you could be held liable for any damage or harm done.
You wouldn’t want to let an accident sweep your financial resources and hard work away. You’ll want to make sure you’re prepared with an insurance policy in place for when those accidents happen. Beauty and Bodywork Insurance offers insurance policies for beauty professionals, including face and body painting professionals. This policy also includes henna tattoo and glitter tattoo painters. You can purchase a BBI insurance policy online in ten minutes or less, which is available starting at the affordable price of $9.99/month or $96 per year. Learn more information about the details of this coverage.
Gather Your Painting Supplies
Like mentioned above, face and body painting businesses have low startup costs because the supplies aren’t very expensive. Of course you will need paint and brushes, but don’t overlook other items like sponges, a water system to rinse your brushes, and other things like sparkles or design stencils. Because there are several different types of paint out there, make sure that you are purchasing the correct paint—which is water activated face paints. These paints, unlike powder, dry to the touch, which allows you to paint fine details and they wash off easily.
Advertise Your Business
You’re now ready to promote your business! There are several different ways that you can advertise your new business. You can start simple by reaching out to family and friends to see if they have any upcoming parties or events that will need face painting. You can also promote your business on social media with platforms like Instagram and Facebook—you’ll want to make sure that you set up business accounts for both of these, so that you can take advantage of the analytics that they provide. You can print face painting business cards to hand out to family and friends, and anyone with whom you come in contact. Do online research to see which events, parties, fundraisers, etc. are coming up so that you can share your talent.
Be Ambitious and Don’t Give Up
Starting your own face painting business doesn’t have to be intimidating. Follow the above steps and follow your face painting business plan. We wish you the best! If you have any other suggestions, feel free to drop a comment below!
