How to Run a Face Painting Business - Avoiding Scams

Have you ever received a suspicious booking request or message from a potential client? I sure have, and it's a big time waist and can cause a lot of stress.

I'm going to give you some easy to remember red flags to look out for, as well as a booking template that you can use on every booking request you get. This will help you to quickly identify any potential scams and save you time and energy so you can focus on more important parts of your face painting business.

Because scammers are always coming up with new ways to get your money or information, I like to keep an eye out for red flags found in the most common scams face painters get.

If I have a message or conversation with one of more red flags, I can confidently ignore it/report it as spam, block the sender, and move on with my day. To clarify, just because a potential booking has one of these red flags doesn't mean it's 100% a scam. However, in my experience and the experience of most face painters I know, there is a high likelihood it is, or at least a big time waster.

Red Flags to Look For

• The potential client won't answer basic questions such as when they want to book you, an estimated number of guests, or the location of the event. Think about it: who contacts you for face painting without some of these basic details?

• The first message someone sent you mentions how they will pay you. Why is this a red flag? Well, do you normally start a conversation with how you will pay someone before you even know if you want to hire them? I didn't think so. The natural order of most legitimate booking conversations is:

  1. The client says they need a face painter for an event on (date & time) and asks if you are available.

  2. You respond and ask clarifying questions like, how many guests are expected? Is there a theme?, etc.

  3. The client asks additional questions about what they can expect or how much it will cost.

  4. Repeat Steps 2 & 3 until both of you come to an agreement and you send over a contract. 

• A potential client is asking for unusual or overly complicated payment options. Basically, anytime someone is pushing for anything that isn't a simple transaction with cash, check, credit card, or payment app you already have should make you suspicious.

• A potential client that is reaching out on social media has a "fake looking" profile. Use your gut on this one. If it looks or feels sketchy, then it probably is. Check if the account was created recently, has no profile pictures, or no/very few followers/friends or posts.

• A potential client keeps pushing to take the conversation to a different platform than what they contacted you on. For example, if someone reaches out on Facebook but keeps trying to get you to switch to WattsApp. Like, I usually won't even move a conversations to my business email until I'm ready to send over a contract. 

If you hate emailing back and forth, I have an article on using a single-page Google form coming very soon. It's a free, clean looking, and easy to use tool that you can send to your clients. Subscribe to our email list to get that straight to your inbox when it goes live. 

What to Do if You Do Fall for a Scam

Firstly, don't beat yourself up, scams are literally created to trick you. It can seriously happen to anyone, and if it happens to you, focus on minimizing any further damage.

If appropriate, report the scam to relevant authorities (e.g., local law enforcement, FTC, social media platform). Contact your bank or payment platform to dispute any fraudulent transactions. Alert other face painters or small business owners in your network. and lastly, learn from the experience.

The Best Way to Avoid Getting Scammed as a Face Painter

No matter what scam comes your way, having what's called a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for your booking process helps reduce your risk of getting scammed. If you have an SOP for bookings and never deviate from it, you can feel confident in every booking you take.

Here is an example to help demonstrate a SOP that Face Paint Forum Shop uses for shipping out your face paint supply orders.

Let's say you order this Suzy Sparkles Glitter Cream Palette that may or may not be 15% off right now 😉. After you place the order, it goes through a fraud check though a payment processor. Once the order is cleared, your items are picked off the shelf with love, double checked against the order receipt, securely packaged, and then shipped to you the same day.

Each step helps vet out any potential fraudulent orders, or potential issues that could keep the order form making it to you for your next gig. Now let's outline a SOP for your booking process.

A Simple SOP for Your Booking Requests

1. After someone contacts you for a booking, answer any questions and gathering the information you need for a quote. If not red flags come up then…
   

2. You provide the quote and contract if you require one. If no red flags come up…

3. You collect payment or deposits if you require them. If no red flags come up…

4. Finalize and reserve the booking. Great job, you are a pro!

If a red flag does come up during any step of your booking SOP, proceed with caution and trust your gut. Remember, you can stop the conversation at anytime if you're uncomfortable.

Last thing, can you do me a favor and let me know in the comments if you have any red flags that you keep an eye out for. Or, if you need an SOP for running other parts of your face painting business, let me know by emailing me messaging me on our Contact Us Page. I'm always here to support you as a face painter.