How often do you get gigs?

[Joey]

How often do some of you get gigs? If I become better known, what is an expected number of gigs per week? Also, my previous post involves becoming well known. Can you please help?

[Fitzwilly]

Joey, at this point you have so much more to worry about than how many gigs a week to expect and expert marketing advice. How many gigs a week you have depends on so many factors, everything from where in the country you live, what type of event you prefer to do and what time of the year it is. Also how busy do you want to be? And this doesn't happen overnight, it takes time. You can clown for years and only have a job or two a month and then suddenly book four restaurants during the week and start booking 4,5 or 6 parties every weekend. On the otherhand you might start out in a big rush if everything is just right and have a party or two each week for months. Everyone is different and there is absolutly no rhyme or reason to how one person's business grows verses another's. It is a combination of hard work, talent, luck, friends and family and dozens of other factors. For now you need to concentrate on skills. Do you like balloons, magic, physical comedy, face painting? Start watching old comedies, some of the old black and white movies. Go to a convention or three, take an improve class, real every last old post here on the Forum. I'm not trying to be facetious or mean, there is just no real way to know and when you are starting you really need to focus on the fun side of actual clowning instead of what if's and maybes.

[Scruffy]

Joey,
Are you asking how to promote yourself as a clown?

[Bumbles]

Hey Fitz excellent advice

[Jolly Well]

Fitz hit it dead on...

There are way too many factors into getting gigs, that there really is no way to come up with an average....

You want to have a solid skills list before you even begin real work. It's fine to do some volunteer work with a handful of balloon designs or face-painting designs that came with a $19.95 package, but if you're wanting to entertain as either a career or as supplemental income you need a good routine.

Going to work will get you nothing except bad experiences if you're not ready. Start off slow, and develop your skill set. In any regard, you're not going to get rich as a clown (unless you rob a bank dressed like one)...

What are you interested in?

Balloon Sculpting?
Fae-Painting?
Stilt Walking?
Unicycle?
Juggling?
Magic?
Private parties?
Business events?
Restaurant work?
other things I've neglected to list?

[Shoq T. Clown]

i've had my business open since 2001... for the first 5 years it was slow... i was only able to do 1 gig every couple of months... (i did do some volunteer work that got me noticed and known...) it takes time... you dont want to rush into things anyways... take time to learn skills like the other clowns metioned... you will better prepared for a successful future!

[Joey]

Thank you all so much for your resonses! They were very helpful!

[applegirl]

I get the feeling that between the time you spend and the money you spend becoming a good clown- it's best to do it because you love it- think of it as a hobby, and spend your cash on balloons, makeup, etc, because it's fun and you like it (instead of paying for beer or baseball tickets, or whatever you'd spedn money on if your hobby was something else)....

THEN- I imagine, once pretty much everyone you know is pretty aware that what you are is a clown- it's just part of your identity- then I figure it would be time to focus on the business end. Charging fair prices for parties, how and where to advertise, etc...

Am I on the right track here?

[Fitzwilly]

Yes and no. It is best to not think you are going to make money at it because that just seldom happens. However, whenever you do something (except volunteering at special events that are meaningful to you) it is best to charge something. It is hard enough to get people to value the art of clowning without us making it easy for them by not charging. When you are starting it is best to let people know what a fair price is from the very beginning and then let them know you are discounting the price because you are "fairly new in some areas." This does a couple of things, one of the most important is getting people used to the idea of what is a fair price. If you are free for four years and the the fifth year a regular "customer" calls and you tell them you want $150 then they are going to scream bloody murder, bad mouth you all over the neighborhood and call the newest newbie in town who is free. But if you start the first year for the price of supplies and gas (say $30) and then the next year you add a bit ($50) and again the next year ($75) and the fourth year ($110) by the time you ask for $150 they are prepared, and you have consistently gotten better (you have haven't you?) so you can easily justify your increases.

[applegirl]

Thank you and great points- um, yikes, I wouldn't have thought of that at all, and I totally see the logic for myself and for everybody else out there- I don't want to cut off my own big red nose or the noses of the other fine clowns either.