Earn Extra Income Being a Birthday Party Clown

How would you like an extra $30,000 in your pocket every year and have a ton of fun doing it?

That's right - $30,000 above and beyond the income of your day job.

Not bad money for clowning around - literally clowning around.

Birthday clowns can make $100 for 30-45 minutes worth of work per birthday party. And, when marketed properly (read as: "how much you hustle"), it's quite possible to work three parties every Saturday and three more every Sunday.

Six parties per weekend X $100 = $600 per week = $30,000 per year.

How do you tap this lucrative market? Here are a few tips to get you started:

Learn otherwise unmarketable skills. Balloon twisting, juggling and close-up magic are won't help you land an accounting job, but they will help you cash in on clowning. Balloon twisting and magic can be learned from books, but I'll cover some simple twists and magic tricks in later articles. Juggling, too. Once you get really good, you can pretend you're really bad for full comedic effect. But, just like with every other skill you've learned (marketable or not), practice makes perfect...and money.

Determine your character. While it's possible to get some work as a generic clown, you will get even more work (through word of mouth) by setting yourself apart. When you're in character, your act and actions need to be in line with your character. If, for instance, your clown character is absent minded, then you might feign forgetting where you left your balloons or balloon pump, then, through slight of hand, pull a balloon from one of the kids' ears. You might even add, "Oh! So THAT'S where I put it!" In short, your character drives your act...and your profits

Your outfit. What you wear should be in line with the clown character you portray - taken to the extreme (this includes make up, but we'll discuss that in an upcoming article). Clowns, by their very nature, are over the top. So are their clothes. After all, who's ever heard of a clown performing in khakis and a polo shirt? Clean, almost garish colors will add to your character...and your checkbook.

Develop your act. Many birthday clowns don't even bother with having an act. Rather, they improvise based on the party goers' interactions. This works well for those who have well-developed characters - and can stay in character. The really successful clowns, however, will have a few routines to fall back on if the crowd needs a boost of energy. Having these routines rehearsed will add to the overall enjoyment of the party...and your bankroll.

Marketing. There are a boat load of ways to market your clown business. New clowns have long advertised on bulletin boards and in local weekly newspapers. Now, many get their starts by placing a free ad on craigslist.org. Another good source of leads is from day care centers by performing a few free shows and making sure every child goes home with one of your fliers. Word of mouth, after all, will be the most cost-effective way of getting your new birthday clown business off the ground. That's why even established clowns slap their names and contact information on nearly everything - it lets those who weren't there see who made the kids so happy. This, in turn, helps provide positive buzz...and, as such, a positive cash flow.

Yes, you, too, can gross an extra $30,000 per year. All it takes is preparation, execution, a lot of effort and a good sense of humor. It also doesn't hurt if you have a knack for pulling balloons and silk scarves out of someone's ear.