Where to Begin
Like most side hustle stories, I was looking for a way to bring in some extra income. I wanted something that would be fun and engaging since I knew I would have to work on it in my spare time. I needed a business that would align with my passions and talents to carry me through after a long day of work, family, and life. I soon found that I got a second wind when I worked to put parties together at night (sometimes until midnight) because it came easily and I enjoyed it.
I love this quote from Lori Greiner, “Entrepreneurs are willing to work 80 hours to avoid working 40 hours a week”. I didn’t know if this business would ever allow me to replace a 40-hour-a-week desk job, but I was willing to at least see if I could add some extra monthly income doing something rewarding that I enjoyed.
Therefore, my criteria included working with children, creating art projects, and using my background in administration and organization with a focus on a service-based business. These things were all clues when I thought about what kind of business to start and it was confirmed when I found the time would fly when I spoke to potential customers, or while I prepped for a party. In other words, pick something you can immerse yourself into that comes (almost) effortlessly!
Kids + Art + Birthdays
Birthday parties can be stressful! (This is another reason why I chose this art party business. Stressed-out parents are looking for a fun, unique, memorable experience for their kids and friends that won’t break the bank.) I wanted to help people see that art doesn’t have to be intimidating or overwhelming and you CAN create art projects at home with a bunch of rowdy kids!
In fact, the goal of the consultation call is to make my clients feel comfortable bringing me (and my art supplies) into their homes. Part of the satisfaction comes in the genuine appreciation from my clients after they realize they barely lifted a finger to pull off an art party (of course, they still had to provide me with a guest list and take care of the cake and decorations, but those things are relatively easy compared to entertaining a group of kids).
Websites and Locations
As soon as you start dreaming about booking parties, you’ll need a website so people can find you. Of course, there are lots of options when it comes to birthday parties. How can you and your business stand out from the crowd? There will always be people who will want to have their party any place OTHER than their home.
This is why I also made sure people knew they could rent out a park pavilion or even book a section of a restaurant and I would still come to them. Backyard parties are also easy and low-cost (weather permitting, of course) because it takes some of the pressure off of having the art party indoors. But let’s get back to the website.
There are so many easy ways to create a website that there really isn’t an excuse not to have one. As soon as you set up a site, you’ll be able to start directing people to visit your party page to learn more about your services. Even just printing up a handful of business cards and leaving them on park bulletin boards, ice cream shop counters, or at swim schools (with permission from the owner) can be a quick way to start generating leads. Social media and word of mouth would be next, followed by some easy SEO on your website.
Supplies and Preparation
When it comes to art supplies, you will want to find good quality supplies that won’t cut too much into your profit margin. I always select cotton-wrapped canvases that kids can take home and easily hang on their walls. They are durable and hold up well to marker and paint. Speaking of paint, this is probably one of the harder supplies to decide upon. While acrylic paint is permanent once it dries, it is also vibrant and covers the canvas well. Tempera paint may be washable, but I never liked the chalky feeling and limited color options.
Mixing paint doesn’t appeal to me because it takes time and can be a huge waste of paint if you don’t do it right. Watercolors are a lot of fun, but not for canvas. Once I decided on canvases and acrylic paint, I never looked back. Sure I had some people who were terrified of having paint in their homes, but I would always suggest moving the party outdoors or into the garage. Come to think of it, I have probably done more garage parties than outdoor parties. Not only do you get the shade from being in the garage, but you have a concrete floor to easily clean up spills. There are so many options!
Preparing for a party takes about as much time as facilitating the party itself. This is because I custom create each canvas design based on the client. That being said, I reuse my templates for other parties which saves time down the road and my portfolio of designs is always expanding. I encourage people to tell me what the birthday boy or girl is really interested in and I will try to come up with a design around their interests.
For example, unicorns and mermaids are popular designs for girls, but sometimes clients want something really custom and would ask me to draw their family pet. I could always use the unicorn template again, but I might not get a chance to reuse a family pet. In those cases, I would still hold onto the template just in case another opportunity for that kind of pet came up and I could offer it as a suggestion.
Once you know the design, you can start working on your canvases. I give my clients a deadline to get the final headcount back to me within 48 hours of the party. Once I know how many canvases to prepare, I get to work. I have found that outlining the design with a black Sharpie marker helps the kids to enjoy painting. A blank canvas or a thinly drawn pencil line feels intimidating to some children. Knowing what and where to paint makes the party run more smoothly (after all, it’s a party and not an art class).
My templates are drawn on plain paper (or sometimes poster board if you have a design you are using often). I then use any bright light source I can find and put the template behind the canvas (light boards, windows during the day, or the top of a lamp at night). I started tracing them with a pencil first and going over them with a Sharpie, but that doubles my workload. As long as I could easily see my template and made sure it didn’t shift, I worked my way up to being confident enough to only use the Sharpie.
Additional supplies include paint brushes, water cups, disposable table covers, paper towels, pencils or pens to write names on the back of the canvases, and paper plates for the paint.
Set-Up and Clean-Up
A big part of making my clients feel comfortable with an art party is assuring them that I will perform all the set-up and clean-up of art supplies. They will only need to provide the tables, a trash can, and a water source or sink. Chairs are optional because the kids can stand around the table (this is great for outdoor parties or pool/art parties when kids are soaking wet but still want to paint!). Sometimes clients will want to use their own table covers to match the party colors or decorations. As long as it’s a disposable cover, the next thing you will need to do is set up the supplies.
Each place setting includes a canvas, paint brushes, paper towels, paint (shared with a neighbor or two), and a water cup. It takes about 15 minutes to greet your client and set up the supplies. I usually tell the client I will arrive 15-20 minutes before the party guests arrive so I can complete the setup with limited interruptions.
After the kids are done painting, clean-up takes about another 10-15 minutes. I use disposable paper plates for the paint because I can’t save it for another party anyway and it’s easy to dispose of. Brushes can be washed out quickly (or taken home to wash out) along with the cups. You can leave the canvases on the table to dry or move them to a sunny spot to maximize the drying time before the kids take them home.
Sometimes clients will need to use the tables for food and cake so I do everything I can to offer my help with getting them ready for the next party activity. My goal is to serve the client with a helpful attitude in all situations (especially since most parties are drop-offs and the client doesn’t have much help aside from me).
Follow-Up
After a successful party, check back with the client by email to thank them for choosing you and make sure they were satisfied with the party. If you receive a good response, send them a link to leave you a review on social media. Genuine reviews can provide a major boost to your reputation. Not only do you want to do a good job, but you will want them to tell others that you did a good job. You can also leave them with a few business cards to pass out to their friends or insert them into the back of the canvas for kids to take them home.
And that’s it! Time to take some more consultation calls and get back to work. This really is a rewarding business because you’re walking into a party atmosphere and bringing the creative aspect to reinforce the fun of art to kids of all ages.
I wish you all the best with your business endeavor and hope you’ll find preparing and facilitating art parties as fun as I do!
