Become A Professional Clown
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Do you love to hear children laugh? Do you like to give away your smiles? Does your sense of humor sometimes bubble over so much, it's hard to contain? Do you sometimes wish you could still "dress-up" like you did as a child? If you do, you might want to consider becoming a clown? I mean a true, professional clown who has all the excuses she needs to "dress-up", act silly, and laugh along with the children, sharing smiles with everyone she meets and leaving a bit of lingering joy behind to brighten up someone's day.

How do I begin?
Check your personality. A clown has to be "on" at all times when in make-up. Can you maintain the spirit of enthusiasm and joy after the show is over and you are tired and just want to get home and out of make-up? Do you sincerely want to alleviate some of the sadness and pain the world doles out?

Whether one desires to enter the realm of clowning to minister to others or to perform for pay, one needs to be serious about this endeavor and consider the time and money to be invested. Too many people think clowning is easy and simple; throw on some Halloween make-up, go to a consignment shop and pick up some miss-matched clothing, tell a few jokes and you're all set. It's not that simple.

You need to study clown history and learn how to apply make-up. You need to understand the three main types of clowns and how different personalities fit into each type. You also need to know what kind of clown you want to be and what kind of clown business you want to run. And finally, you need to decide where you want to do your clowning and what kind of entertainment you want to present.

What makes a clown, a clown?
A clown is a professional who loves being around people. A clown is a professional who doesn't mind acting silly to make someone else feel better. A clown is a professional who shows others how to find the humor in life.

To be a clown you need to understand a few important aspects of the clown's costume:

• Halloween make-up, at discount stores, is not professional clown make-up, no matter what the package says. Most clown make-up manufacturers make beginner sets for new clowns to use until they decide what their character-type will be.
  
  
• Clown wigs are an important part of a clown's total look.
  
  
• Costumes are essential. While costumes can be made from second-hand items, second-hand items are more suitable for Bag Lady or Hobo/Tramp characters. To understand what a professional clown's costume looks like, study professional and/or award-winning clowns. You will automatically see the distinct difference in their appearance.
  
  
• Shoes are often regular shoes decorated in a clown fashion. But if you want to get really fancy, you can order specialty shoes. Specialty shoes are made just for the character of the clown.
  
  
• Understand your character. While some professional clowns have more than one character, beginners need to concentrate on developing only one character. Once beginners know who that character is, they can add more characters to their repertoire.
  
  
• Develop clowning skills. Some clowns are storytellers. Some clowns are face-painters. Some clowns are balloon artists. Some clowns are magicians. Some clowns perform skits. Some clowns specialize in walk-around humor. And some clowns dabble in all of these skills. You need to try each one of these forms to define your niche(s). Once you find the skills you feel good about, practice, practice and practice some more.

• Keep good records. Record keeping is an important part of your business. You need to maintain client lists: client name, contact information, date party held, what you performed, and what you were paid. Listing what act you performed in your records is vital to the success of your clown business because it makes sure that you do not perform the same routine for an old audience. Unless, you were requested to do so by the person hiring you.
  
  
• Advertise. Advertising keeps your business alive. Place advertisements in local newspapers, magazines, and yellow pages. Hang posters up in high traffic areas, such as malls and discount-store bulletin boards. Hand out brochures and business cards at local events.
  
  
• Handle cancellations properly. Always try to close a conversation with a client or potential client on a positive note. And don't be afraid to ask the client to re-book the event for another day.
  
  
• Get a signed contract. A contract protects both you and your client and prevents misunderstandings. Your contract should include the names and addresses of all parties involved, who is obligated to pay you and when you are to be paid (i.e. before or after the event), any cancellation terms (i.e. when the contract can be cancelled without payment to you, what your cancellation fee is, etc.), the date(s) of the event, what you are to perform, the time(s) you are to perform, the length of time you're expected to remain at the event, and the amount you are to be paid.
  
  Don't forget to include what you expect the client to do for you, such as provide a table and chairs, provide a place for you to take a break, etc.
  
  
• Obtain liability insurance. Liability insurance is always a good investment. Clowns of America International can suggest quality insurance for entertainers.

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