Clowning Around for Work at Home

If you like to tell jokes, entertain, make children laugh or just act like a clown, you may be able to earn a living from your home based business by doing just that; clowning. Clowns are constantly in demand at children’s parties, carnivals, festivals, street fairs, musical events, and other miscellaneous and sundry events from church picnics to corporate cocktail parties. The good ones can be very popular, busy and can do quite well. As the old song goes, “the world loves a clown.”

The path to running a business as a professional clown requires patience, work, faith in yourself and probably a bit of luck. But for the right folks it is worth the effort. It takes commitment, hard work and ability, but it offers an avenue to make people laugh and feel good while being at the center of the party, spreading mirth or listening to children shriek with joy; and that would be hard to beat.

When deciding to make the commitment and jump into the business “feet first”, the first consideration is what kind of a clown to invent and what kind of business do you wish to run?

It is suggested by professionals that a beginning clown stake out a routine and target audience then learn the jokes and the movements that will amuse that group then practice, practice, practice. A good clown will want to expand his or her repertoire with advancing repartee, jousting, jokes and routines. But learning the artistry takes times and each audience requires specific sets of certain tricks and stunts. For instance, with a group of small children the clown should be good at face painting and making balloon characters. Maybe singing silly songs or mimicking animal movements. Even though young kids are easily amused, some are afraid of unusual and strange looking persons and may be frightened initially, seeing the clown as a menacing character. The clown’s task then is to alleviate those fears which may be no easy feat. But that is what a clown does and the good ones do it well and with passion, talent, patience and practice and so can the budding clown.

Some people may wish to attend a clown school while building their reputation and expanding their business. Information on such training can be found on-line and in trade papers and magazines. Networking with other clowns is a big help and many regions have clown associations. Some are made up solely of small-business owners in the clown business. If you are an entrepreneur at heart, creative and like to be around people, the sky is the limit as far as the kind of gigs your clown business can solicit.

A clown business will need to advertise any where any other business would do. Flyers, Internet sites both for public consumption such as Craig’s List or a professionally designed and administered personal business site will help get the brand name out. Some early clowns make free appearances and show up at all kinds of events collecting tips, entertaining and building an audience. Unfortunately at some public venues a clown may be asked to show a permit to perform which seems rather Scrooge-like. But as a good business person attempting to spread joy with your small business, a license of some kind will be in hand anyway. Besides, anybody who is going to hassle the clown probably needs a few jokes and amusing magic tricks thrown their way to mellow them out.

Running a Clown business requires some financial commitment. Expenses such as clothes, make-up, clown-shoes, and accouterments such as balloons and hula-hoops, travel and advertisement can add-up quickly. But also, so can the paid receipts especially if the business can book multiple gigs each day. Figures from sources such as the IRS, Small Business Administration and US Business Census indicate that a clown business should expect to pay about 51% of the gross for business expenses. That seems reasonable for all the fun a clown might enjoy while doing what they enjoy.

Posted:Wednesday, January 07, 2009