YOUR QUESTION mailto:santa@santaschool.com

I have been tossing this idea of doing our own thing for the Santa time. I have talked to several malls that have said they would go along with my idea as long as I am Santa. One said that we could use their facilities. I pick out where I would set up and they would provide the Santa Chair. I provide everything else. I would pay them 10% of net profit. I would sell the photos direct to the customer. How does that sound?

Santa charles

It sounds fine provided there's enough traffic, and you can sell enough photos at the right price to ensure you make an income commensurate with the risk involved. You have to be able to make enough money to pay for the capital costs such as cameras, lighting equipment, wages, cost of a set should one be needed, and to pay yourself a good wage.

As well there should be a contract for a number of years that assures you have adequate time to establish the business and to even expand on it.

I have been thinking of starting my own santa photo business. I was wondering if you all had any recommendations on what type of equipment to use? Santa charles

Electronic equipment changes at such a fast pace that what i recommend today will be obsolete tomorrow. I think the main thing is to buy the best you can afford in terms of digital cameras, lighting, computer/printer/software, etc.

Talking with knowledgeable people at several different photography stores, and enrolling in photography courses will ensure you get the right gear and training.

I can't seem to find any good imitation wigs and beards on the internet. Any ideas? Santa steven

Buying imitation wigs and beards from the internet is mostly a losing proposition unless they have a money back policy. These costume items need to seen up close and personal. Have you checked out the drama dept. At the local university, hobby shops, theatre groups, hairdressing salons, etc.

What is the best all around material to use for a santa suit that's going to get a workout in a mall?
Santa Buck.

The best all around material to use is velveteen. It keeps it's knap, is crease resistant, and is long wearing. It can be washed but i always recommend dry cleaning.

My methodology for "charging" for santa is an honorarium for our local "special olympics." any "special needs children" are of course complimentary. Your thoughts on this? Christian.

Doing santa strictly for charitable purposes is a noble cause in keeping with the best traditions of santa. Special olympics is a high profile charity, usually well-funded and well-volunteered in most cities. Other charities, just as important but with a lower profile, don't appear to be on the radar screen in some communities.  Have you thought about distributing some of your honorariums toward less well known and funded charities in your community?

Depending on their financial circumstances and the out of pocket costs involved with doing appearances, some santas find the cost and time given to charity work onerous. I advise these santas, who are often retirees, to accept a few honorariums to at least pay for costume upgrades. Candidly, the better you look the higher the honorariums you'll be able to generate for charity.  Gas/oil, liability insurance, and so forth are other costs that one has to consider.

Where is santa school located? Nancy.

The school is in calgary, alberta, canada, just north of montana. A city of one million people, calgary has hosted the winter olympics. It's close proximity to banff make this a destination city.

Programs are held in the conference rooms of a good hotel. Discounts of course for visiting santas. Several bars, pubs, and restaurants are on the premises. The hotel is in an area of great shopping, lots of restaurants, other hotels/motels, and is close to the city centre.

Santa school can come to you on tour. Email santa@santaschool.com for further details.

Where do i get liability insurance?
Charles.

Speak with the agent who handles your vehicle/personal insurance coverage. If the cost of coverage seems high you may want to check with two agencies that specialize in entertainment insurance; clowns of the us, at www.clownsoftheus.com, or world clown association, www.worldclownassociation.com.

My hairdresser says beards can't be bleached beyond yellow. She also says bleaching is painful. Your thoughts on this?
Chris.

Your hairdresser is wrong on both counts. The only beards that don't seem able to be bleached are red; anything else should be able to be done. Yellow is the next to last stage and your hairdresser needs to do one or two more applications. Bleaching is not painful if done properly and applied to the hair follicles only. I've been bleaching for 20 years and never had any problems, except when i've done it myself. Santas who work for me locally are required to bleach their beards and no one has reported adverse results back to me.

Having said the above, people should be aware that everyone's hair is different and you should do a trial run to be sure.

What should i charge for my services? John.

Santas charge different rates in different areas of the country. Generally speaking the larger the city the higher the rate (rural areas fare poorly). Economically vibrant areas are able to afford to pay more than areas in recession. So if you're in a city with lots of head offices that are in oil/gas related industries, you should be able to charge more than an area where jobs are disappearing. Check the yellow pages under entertainment for santa or for agencies that book out santas. They will tell you what they charge and you can take action accordingly.

If you're a mall santa you can expect to get anywhere from minimum wage to $30,000 usd plus.

Private santas make anywhere from zero dollars to the sky's the limit.

Gigs that you do out of town should be charged a fee that you could have earned in town during the same time. Ex: if you could do three gigs in town in the time it takes you to do one gig out of town, charge three times the fee you would for a town job.

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