A couple of weeks ago I entertained at children’s party for the lovely Lauralie and Austin, It was a great party, but it was a little different to usual. The parents booked me the night before, but not due to their poor planning. On the Friday evening their Entertainer had called them up to cancel, luckily I had a spare slot on the Saturday morning.
Without a Birthday Party Specialist, your child’s party WILL descend into total chaos. But how do you know who to trust and who not to?
Since then I have had 4 enquires from people who have been ‘LET DOWN’, by their children’s entertainers or magicians, and I have not had space to cover the party. I don’t know WHY an entertainer would cancel on your child’s birthday party, but in my blog below I have explained how to find a reliable entertainer who wont just turn up, but will absolutely ROCK THE PARTY!
1. Check the Terms and Conditions
As with any supplier any good children’s entertainer will have a contract or terms and conditions. This is as much to protect you as it is us, there is a deposit which guarantees that time and date with me . It means if you cancel on us the day before the party you may still have to pay (unless there are extreme circumstances) however it also means I can’t just walk out on you. In my Terms and Conditions I promise that in the rare case of me being too ill to make the party I will replace myself with another entertainer, meaning I call you with a solution rather than a problem (Don’t worry though, this has only happened twice in my whole career, and I have a great list of go to people to help me out.)
2. DON’T use a national company
There a few companies out there who are just out there who are just out to make a buck. They are cheaper than a self employed entertainer however they employ huge amounts of drama students across the country to perform the parties, and pay them very little. This means you get a ‘lottery’ of entertainers of varying degrees of quality. Best to book someone you have heard of direct.
3. Pay Peanuts get Monkeys
Have a real look at the price of entertainers. I know I am one of the higher end entertainers and may be out of some peoples price range, however I also offer other packages and a payment plan, so don’t automatically think it isn’t possible to have me. Anyone who is great at what they do are going to cost a little more, but it is worth spending it to make your child’s party the best it can be. If something seems too good to be true it generally is.
4. Check their Social Media
At the time of writing I have 114 five star reviews on my Facebook page. They are real reviews from real customers. There are also photos of me continuously going on from working at events, I am proud of what I do. I work really hard to make sure that people know about it too (Isn’t that what social media is for? To celebrate the good stuff in life, you should shout it from the rooftops) any in demand entertainer is going to be the same, so it is well worth having a nosy at them and seeing what others think and working out if they are the entertainer for you.
5. It’s Good to Talk
Call them up, ask them questions. Good entertainers will know the answers. I ‘ve written these blogs to help people, but I am always up for a good chin-wag with a parent to explain EXACTLY what goes into my parties and how to make them run smoothly, I have children of my own and understand how important parties are to both parents and to our kids too. Feel free to call me on 07774838318 anytime to talk about how to make your child’s party a success.
6. Book in Advance
It may seem mad, but as I type this (in May 2019) I have loads bookings way into October, and several going into 2020 too. Now this is REALLY far in advance, but my diary does get very full, very quick, and I recommend booking 4-6months before the party, or earlier for December bookings or Halloween.
7. They’ll know their stuff
I hate it when I seem to know more about the area of expertise than the person I am paying to do it… A good children’s entertainer will know EXACTLY what they are doing and take over a bit… I’ve done so many kids parties that it is second nature to me, you are paying me to do a great job, so I’ll tell you the best way to get the best results.
8. Book ME!
It may sound a bit cheeky saying this, but I genuinely believe I am one of the best entertainers in the UK. I have worked in the business all my life and deliver a service second to none. In the rare chance that I do get too ill to be able to do your child’s party I’ll provide you with someone else (not only that I’ll give you 50% off your next party) I have a unique magic show which both kids and adults love, and an exceptional reputation amongst both parents and my peers.
I even recorded an advice podcast to share my ideas with other entertainers and am lecturing at kidology UK (a children’s entertainer convention) later in the year. If I CAN’T do a party for you, I also have a whole massive network of people who I trust with my reputation that I can recommend to you.
