Adulting 101: How to Register Your Business

Freelancers such as yoga teachers/fitness instructors, makeup artists, stylists, models, performance artists (actors), photographers, etc. oftentimes with the clients they have or the studios they teach in are required to produce an OR (official receipt). For most of us, doing government duties can be daunting and intimidating because we expect long lines, complicated procedures, and a lot of hassle. However, as responsible citizens, this is something that needs to be done and if you can do this at the beginning of your career, I really encourage everyone to do so.

Although the reason of doing the right thing may seem not as appealing, think of it this way. Having your business registered makes you more legit. It opens you to more job opportunities such as corporate clients or work in TV stations. Makeup artists who work in TV or movie productions/ ad agencies are required to produce an O.R. If you plan to also join bridal fairs,  this is also required. Also, it makes you more legit. Sometimes makeup artists get bullied because people think this is just a "hobby" or not a real job (raise your hand if you have gotten this feedback). When you are registered honey, it is a legitimate real job recognized by the Philippine government, you pay taxes like any responsible citizen should.

So for those who would want to register their business whether they are writers or makeup artists, teachers, consultants, party or event hosts, I wanted to write this walkthrough. I am basing this article on my own experience and my own condition. Like I used to be an employee and want to be registered as a freelance self-employed consultant. If you would be having an employee status (i.e. have a regular day job) but would be say doing photography or makeup on the side, your situation may be different. Also, I am not a business or accounting graduate so everything here is spoken from personal experience with inputs from those with accounting experience or those who previously registered. This may also be the situation of most freelancers. Before starting do not panic. Panic will do nothing but just delay you. Also, have a mindset that it will be done and you are doing this for yourself and this will open you for better opportunities.

First of all, if you have an existing TIN number, you will use that. YOU WILL NOT AND NEVER WILL CHANGE YOUR TIN NUMBER. THAT TIN NUMBER YOU HAVE FROM YOUR FIRST JOB IS YOUR TIN NUMBER FOREVER. Again, my situation is that I was employed and now will work freelance as a self-employed individual. I know my TIN number so the next step is to find out what Revenue District Office (RDO) I am registered in. Now this will depend on your last employer. You can call their HR or Accounting department and ask. Or, you can go straight to the source, which is the BIR Hotline, which is what I did and is usually most reliable. They will ask you a series of questions (name, birthday, mother's maiden name, etc). The only problem I have though is that the lines can get really busy so you just have to be patient. However, once you get through, the customer service representatives are very helpful and polite and answer all your questions clearly so really take advantage of the time they talk you and have a pen and paper and write everything down. Go to that RDO for Step 1.

Step 1: Update Your Registration Information

First off is that you need to know if your RDO would have to change. For self-employed freelance individuals, their registered address is the place of their residence.  If you live in Taguig or Pateros, your new RDO would be Taguig.  Gather necessary documents such as your birth certificate, 2 valid IDs, and marriage certificate (if applicable) and a working black ballpen. Download the BIR Form 1905 (Application for Registration Information Update/Correction/Cancellation) and fill it up in triplicate (meaning three copies) at the BIR website or you can just get from the guard in the RDO.  Fill up the forms with your updated information. Go to the RDO you are registered in. You would usually be assigned a number and wait for your cue. Then submit your form 1905 along with supporting documents if necessary. The officer in charge would usually tell you what would be the RDO code for your new location. No need to pay anything since it's just an update. The update usually takes 3-5 business days but for nearby areas like say Makati to Taguig/Pateros, the update was instant. And from then on, all your business transactions with the BIR would be in the Taguig office.

Step 2: Register and Pay

Have all forms handy still and do not forget your 2 valid IDs, which need to be photocopied. Proceed to your new RDO and fill up a BIR Form 1901 (Application For Registration) in triplicate with your new information. Submit this to the officer along with BIR Form 0605 also in triplicate (Payment Form) to pay for your registration. Registration fee is Php 500.00 to be paid at accredited banks of your RDO. The BIR would give you a list of banks within the area you can pay. I suggest doing this early because there are certain banks with a cutoff with BIR payments. 

Step 3: Submit and wait for your C.O.R.

Come back from the bank to your RDO and submit your BIR form 1901, photocopy of valid IDs, and a copy of your Form 0605 and proof of payment (deposit slip). BIR will also tell you to purchase two books of accounts (columnar notebooks). Some RDOs sell this outside, usually where the photocopying station is. I suggest just buy there. Then these would need to be stamped by the guard and fill up the information needed. Submit these as well and wait for your C.O.R., or your Certificate of Registration along with your stamped books of accounts, which can take 1 hour or 1 week, depending on the workload.

Step 4: Apply for Authority To Print

When you get your C.O.R., you can start having your receipts printed by accredited printers. So we then need to fill up a BIR form 1906 or Application For Authority to Print Receipts and Invoices. When filling up, ask the officer you are talking to if they know any accredited printers and they will recommend either a printing office nearby or there will be a manong representative from a printing office making tambay in the BIR playing games in his phone. Say hi to that manong and say that you want them to print your receipts. There's a provision in your 1906 form that they would need to fill up (printer's tin, name, accreditation, stuff like that). The printer would then need to produce a sample receipt to the BIR (that is why it is best to get a printer that your RDO knows). Once the BIR and you approve of the sample, then an authority to print would be issued and then there's a go signal to print your receipts.

Step 5: Get those Receipts Printed

Depending on your printer, your receipts can arrive in 1-2 weeks. Once you get your receipts printed, pay the manong, and then have your receipts approved and stamped by the BIR the same way you have your books of accounts approved. Some printers have their manong do it for them so they deliver the receipts to you stamped, approved, and ready for client use. Take note that these receipts are good for a good 5 years and if you need new receipts printed because you are bongga and have so many clients you may need to contact manong again.

After this, give yourself a pat in the back because congratulations, as this is your first step in becoming a responsible taxpaying citizen. It's not actually very hard and if you want, you can bring food, water, and snacks, or a book you've been dying to catch up on. I actually brought my crochet projects with me and I was actually able to finish a lot of my comissions with just fulfilling my BIR requirements.

Again, don't think of this whole thing as hard. Think of it as we are becoming more legit, doing the right thing for everyone in our industry not just ourselves. With this, the job we are in now becomes that real job.  Have fun, good luck, and make things right.


Image Credits:
pexels.com

Space To Love: Footworks Dance Studio and shoot BTS

Last Friday, I had a shoot with the pole and aerial teachers from Footworks Dance Studio. Footworks Dance Studio is located in Katipunan Avenue. It's located on the Southbound lane of Katipunan, right before Tokyo Bubble Tea. If you're coming from Capitol Hills or Balara, just go down the road of Katipunan, take the flyover, and start keeping right. It's located after the small restos and the Quirino Memorial Center. The building is sort of yellow, and the same building as Elorde. If you're coming from Eastwood/Taguig, just take C5 and go to Katipunan, make a U-turn under the flyover and you will see the building on the right.

From Footworks Facebook page

Footworks Dance Studio holds aerial silk, aerial hoop, pole dance, TRX, and aerial yoga classes taught by Polecats Manila teachers. This is for people who live in the QC/Libis/Marikina area who find the Ortigas studio too far.

From Footworks Facebook page

The studio currently has 5 X-Pole chrome poles, 4 aerial hoops, and 4 aerial silks to get your aerial fix.

Check out the super cute graffiti as well that spell "Footworks"

Early morning labada. Follow updates on IG stories #makeupartistlife #bambidelacruzmakeup #footworksdancestudio

A photo posted by Bambi De la Cruz 🐱🐯 (@bambikitty) on Nov 24, 2016 at 7:57pm PST

I have to give myself a pat on the back for my set-up and pack-up skills. That light source there comes from my light table, which is a smaller one that I use if I need to save space on my workstation. I use a mix of yellow and white lights for my station. When people ask me why, I say if it were an all-white station they would hate me for it because it would be too bright for their eyes. I also personally like a mix of yellow and white so I get the right daylight mix and warmth for photo purposes.

Aside from pole, hoop, and silk, Footworks also has other classes which can compliment your choice of aerial workout. There's aerial yoga, which helps you stretch tight muscles, destress, and create balance.

From Footworks Facebook page

Flexibility increases your range of motion safer as you work towards your backbends, splits, and all those flexi tricks.  It also helps with active flexibility and balances your strength with bendiness. Because pole dancing is still a dance, there's also pole dance classes to improve on floorwork. There would be a new class added, called Pole Flow, which helps with floorwork, transitions, and of course feelings (yes! feelings are important), for pretty, poetic pole dance numbers and concepts.

Our shoot had a total of six teachers. Let me show you the makeup I did on the 4 teachers.

Amaya

Amaya teaches Flexibility and Aerial Hoop. She loves her trademark winged eyeliner so I gave her winged eyeliner (If you look closely, I did some sort of graphic ombre cat eyeliner) with long lashes. The rest was kept neutral, although a bit on the warm side. The eyes I have to sort of smoke things up, just for pictorial purposes, for definition,

Bianca

Bianca teaches pole dance. She's a ballerina too! The look here is quite rosy, but even though I did use pinks and roses in this color, I didn't make it super pastel-y, girly pink, which is also not my style. It's an in-between of clean and glam but not all sweet.

Kit

Kit teaches Aerial Yoga. For male grooming, I always apply my male signature the "naturally flawless and defined" look, and updated the technique I have from my "Queen of Male Grooming" days circa 2008-2009 to the "Khaleesi of Male Grooming". Males do not really wear makeup on a regular basis so I should make the makeup look like flawless skin. I also defined brows and added a natural flush and contours for warmth, not for taga-level shaping.

Tippi

Tippi teaches pole dance and beginner's pole. She's one lucky girl who looks great in pinks and purples for eye makeup. This look reminded me of Emily Blunt in Devil Wears Prada. I used this for her second look, when she was doing her photos with pole (her headshot just had her in subtle brown smokey eyes). The lipstick coincidentally is her favorite lipstick shade, Revlon Matte Balm in Sultry.

Top Row: Amaya and Kiara
Bottom Row: Bianca, Kayleen, Kit, and Tippi
Photo from the Footworks Facebook page

Kiara also did makeup on Kayleen as well as herself (she's also a Footworks teacher, teaching pole and TRX). I haven't seen Kiara in ages and this was also a wonderful time to catch up with her and all.

It was a rainy day but inside the studio was almost like a sunshine-y summer with these group of people. I'll share the photos when they come out! Thank you to Team Footworks for a fantastic Friday.


Image Directory:

Graffiti photo and makeup documentation from the author

Photos of the studio, Flexibility photo, and group photo from Footworks Facebook Page

facebook.com/Footworks-Dance-Studio-1454636504793629/

Directory:

Footworks Dance Studio 

4th Floor 213 Katipunan Avenue Extension, Blue Ridge, Quezon City

0917-700-7653

footworks_dancestudio@yahoo.com

facebook.com/Footworks-Dance-Studio-1454636504793629/

instagram.com/footworks_dancestudio

Updates, Recent Shoots, and New Features

Hi all! How's the weekend hitting everyone? I hope you're all okay because there seems to be a bug going around. I'm seeing in Facebook that a lot of people have been getting sick either flu, fever, or cough and colds. Maybe it's the temperature change as we go from super hot summer to rainy season and towards the cold -ber months where it will be very chilly even at noon. However, the weather's also quite weird because we still get bursts of hot sunny in the mid morning then the rain will just blast down like crazy. I got sick as well - the flu for like just a day last week making me miss yoga classes. Then the flu went away like magic but was replaced by cough days later then cough and laryngitis for a day then the laryngitis went away but not the phlegmy cough. Super weird! Lately I'm also feeling like a limp noodle and I can't seem to keep up with my warmups and conditioning. Be sure to get lots of vitamins and antioxidants (natural of course, including fruits and veggies) and get lots of rest so your body gets time to repair its tissues. It's so hard to be sick, especially when you need to work! Thankfully, I didn't have work this weekend so I took it easy and restful because I'll be teaching some classes next week. Not only do I need my voice, I need to get better so I don't infect my students!

I'm just glad to be doing more test shoots and collaborations to get my makeup mojo up and continuously running (that will also tell me to get better). I did two shoots last week with Yeoh and Alvin and I got to hang out with them for dinner after so I get in tabs with the fashion world, since this lola hardly goes out. I also got to meet a lot of Yeoh's newest models and they are just gorgeous! Some of them call me tita ("auntie"). It's weird in a way coz it was just a few years ago that I was the one getting photos taken and sometimes, I'm as old as the makeup artist (or even older) or sometimes, I was my own makeup artist. I like doing collabs with these guys.

Here are some photos from our shoots:

Dianne

Aldaine

Steph

Bianca

Nikki

All photos by Alvin Chua
Special thanks to Yeoh Models

I've got new toys in the food department as well. I finally after 6 years have a mini food processor and it's powerful enough to grind nuts, coffee, and meats. I'm actually more excited to finally make my own cauli-rice and cauliflower couscous as well as fresh pesto and red pesto sauce, salsa, sherbets, granitas, and so on. I've made so many cauli-rice meals. It's got the carby feel and surprisingly, I get full easily so I can't have too much of it.

Lime cilantro cauliflower rice and pan-fried salmon. The flavors are so alive with the buttery mellowness of the fish. The dish even looks so gorgeous for Instagram.

I made also the sushi pizza from Blogilates. The real version uses sashimi-grade fish but there was none in Little Tokyo so I used the vegan version instead, which used mushrooms. It tastes like teriyaki. I'll be posting more homemade stuff in Instagram

If you've seen as well this update in Instagram, you'll know that there's going to be a new feature.

Cooking up a few things for my blog. Watch out for my #BambikityMovingMakeovers! #bambidelacruzmakeup #muathatblogs #makeupartistlife #beautyblogger #beautybloggerphilippines #fitmua

A photo posted by Bambi De la Cruz 🐱🐯 (@bambikitty) on Sep 7, 2016 at 10:13pm PDT

I'd like to present #BambikittyMovingMakeovers! I would be doing makeovers of several ladies which will be featured in my blog, very Kevyn Aucoin style. It started out as well as a little thing my pole friends and I were talking about, that I do makeup playtime on them after class. I used to do that before to my pole friends whenever I have my kit with me when I go to the studio, so I thought I'd do the same in my blog, also featuring the ladies that inspire me. It also gives me more chances to practice my skills on other faces aside from me. I call it Moving Makeovers because I'm like a moving salon, since I go from one place to the other. This also resets my energy.

I'm still thinking of a look for One Look, Two Different Price Ranges to do. Should I go smoky or stick to a clean, rosy look? Should I go Hollywood glam? Let me know in the comments below what I can do.

Here's what I'm reading while at rest mode: Hot SOS, a book written by one of my fitspirations, Solenn Heussaff.

This will incorporate new workouts in my routine when I have no time to go to the pole studio or do a full yoga practice in the studio, so I still keep my strength in check. There are also new recipes to try, and I love that it's a local book using locally grown ingredients that are readily available in our groceries so I wouldn't have to look high and low for most of them.

So that's it for today! Enjoy the rest of the week!

Why Makeup Artists Charge As Such

"Hi! How much do you charge for makeup?"

I get that question quite a lot via emails, PMs, SMS, or personal inquiry. It's quite flattering to be chosen to do makeup for whatever important occasion and thankfully, there are clients who have been my clients up to this very day who stick to you no matter what. From the initial inquiry up to the make-up job, everything is just a breeze, it doesn't seem like work. I'm very thankful for clients that came my way that have that quality and also have referred me to their friends and family.

But as they say, not everyday can be like that, and there are some that can be difficult to deal with. There are difficult clients (something we all have to undergo), bridezillas, crazy momzillas (yes, that happens), and some not-so-pleasant situations which we all have to deal with and understand. However lately, I've noticed how our craft as makeup artists has been insulted quite a number of times. At first I thought, I was the only person experiencing this, as being more of a recluse, my human interaction skills aren't at par with the friendliest person in the world. As I was meeting a handful of my makeup artist friends one time, we've just shared our woes and exasperations at comments that just made us just want to cry, laugh, pull our hair, and plot world domination at the same time.

"What? Tumatawad pa but she wants airbrush?"

"No more out of town fee kasi Tagaytay lang?"

"She wants retouch up until reception but not willing to pay retouch fee?"

Yes, I'm apparently not alone. We get these quite a lot, when we give our rates, client asks for a discount. Or wait, they ask for a discount even before we give our rates. If you've heard it once okay pa, but if it's heard like ten times a day in a bridal fair and spoken in a demanding tone like you ought to give it, you just want to just poke their eyes out with the handle of your eyeshadow brush. If you don't give that discount, they walk away making you feel like you just want to wipe out their bank accounts for your 20th LV bag purchase. Let's face it my darlings, makeup costs money, and there are people like us who make a decent living out of it. Just for everyone's sake, I have decided to come up with this blog post to show the basis for our rates and why our rates should never be compared to that of a beauty parlor or a salon (no offense to beauty parlors).

Why salon rates are different from makeup artist rates.

"3500? You're not even sikat! Buti pa ang parlor mura! Parlor na yun ha!"

I get this quite a lot, especially from old-school clients.

For the record, here are the standard makeup artist rates:

traditional makeup are Php 2,500 - 3,500
airbrush makeup  -  Php. 3,500  - Php 4,500

Some salons charge around Php 2000, and some parlors charge less. A makeup artist friend of mine explained the reason why parlors can charge lower: the overhead costs in a parlor (their budget for electricity, water, etc), are already absorbed in the other costs.Also, next time you go to a parlor that charges Php 500 for hair and makeup, please check the brands they use (which then I proceed to my second point).

*** rates are updated as of March 2016

Branded and high-quality makeup cost a lot of money. 

Our makeup did  not fall from the sky. If that happened, then the world would be a happier place for makeup artists. When I started with makeup, I got nerdy and did costing of my raw materials. I got a weighing scale. I approximated the amount of makeup I used and did some math, just as how a baker costs his or her products. I even included the approximate number ot tissues, wipes, and sponges I used to the cost I factored in transportation, labor, miscellaneous fees (water and soap for cleaning my brushes), and all that. I also did my homework and did some research and counter-checking with my fellow peers if our rates are more or less the same, to make sure that the cost is fair to my client and to myself and also to my competitors. We cannot lowball, meaning charge way lower than standard. Otherwise, we're killing the industry. And the industry will not be happy with that.

Aside from that, makeup is expensive. If you don't want to believe me, go to a makeup counter and see for yourself. We are constantly in search too of suppliers that can offer our materials at more reasonable costs, but these too do not come in cheap.  A 150-peso imitation cosmetic powder brand bought in Divisoria may not last during the car ride to the party as compared to the MAC Studiofix fluid foundation in my makeup kit. On top of that, we invest in a variety of shades and colors plus skin care and brushes to fit every client's whim and personal preference. . If your face is oily and want makeup to last longer, here's my solution: makeup primers, eyeshadow primers, waterproof mascara and eyeliner, and makeup setting sprays. They're expensive but mind you, they work and we should make it work. Wanting branded and imported cosmetics but asking for a discount is like riding Uber Black Car or Grab Car Premium but only wanting to pay student jeepney fare price.

We also sanitize our makeup properly and wash our brushes. For quick-cleaning in-between clients, we have brush cleaners as well, and an affordable spray bottle costs around Php 450, also money.

We keep ourselves updated by going back to school. attending workshops, buying books, and doing research.

Enrolling in makeup school costs a lot of money.  It doesn't stop with the initial tuition fee. There's supplies, transportation fee, buying books, etc. Attending one-day workshops organized by makeup schools and brands also cost money. Even if it entails buying books or searching at the internet to keep ourselves updated, the knowledge did not just materialize in our minds in like a minute, just like in The Matrix.  Do we really need to go to makeup school, attend workshop, buy books, or even go online (which also requires us to pay for data cost and have access to internet, which also costs money)  you may ask? Baka pampamahal lang yan. Here's our answer: Yes we do. For both our sakes. For us because we need to be continuously be up to date with the latest technology in makeup and the latest trends. For you, it will help you look your best and your look not dated.

Transportation  and Manual Effort

In the world of Harry Potter, Apparition and Floo powder were the way to travel. Even in the wizarding world, Apparition entails lessons from your Hogwarts professor and Floo Powder costs money. In the Muggle world, we do not materialize from thin air with our makeup bags to get to you. We travel by car to get to our destination. There's such a thing called gas, and we all know how gas prices are. There's also car insurance and the car itself, which we have to pay for. For makeup artists who commute, taxis cost a lot of money. A regular taxi ride from Ortigas to Rockwell costs Php 160. Makati to Fort is around the same rate. Fort to Ortigas is Php160. Fort to Alabang is Php 450 + toll rate of Php 122 (and 150 for MCX) one way. If we take Uber, depending on the time and area, there may be a surge rate,  Aside from the petrol, there's also the stress we get from traffic, from hailing a cab, the data again from calling an Uber or Grab, or if the budget is so low, we leave our cars and opt to take the public transportation, which is double the stress. Ever rode an MRT carrying heavy equipment in peak hours? Not a good idea. Oh, the venue is so near why not take the tricycle? Libre ba tricycle? Walk? Okay - heavy and bulky makeup bag in tow results in injury. Oh, and even in walking, there's adenosine triphosphate, which is the molecular unit of currency of intracellular energy consumed during the process of walking  and the process of makeup. So you see honey, getting to our destination, doing our job, carrying our equipment, entails energy, and we need to refuel.  Actually love, come to think of it, you're not just paying for my equipment and transportation but also my time, my skill, and my energy,

On Out-Of-Town Charges and Retouch Fees

For out-of-town locations, makeup artists and hairstylists have corresponding out of town charges. This does not include board, lodging, transportation, etc. Out-of-town charges are expensive for a very obvious reason: it's farther. Travel is time-consuming and gas consuming. Plus we all know the toll rates are crazy nowadays -Skyway, SCTEX, SLEX, NLEX., and all. Also, since the event is out of town, You're not only paying for our gas but also the time we're there and the time we spent travelling. Also, if it's a wedding on another island, say Boracay or somewhere that needs a plane ride, you're booking us for practically 2-3 days, so the fee is more.

Okay, the million-euro question on retouch. If you notice, in wedding packages, there are some packages which include retouching/second look. There are cheaper options that do not include retouching in the package, which we recommend for brides on a budget. I've written a post before on how to retouch. As I've told you, it does not require a master's degree in molecular science or makeup artist degree. It's something that's super easy and even you can do it yourself. Why makeup artists charge a premium for retouch? Because you're also paying for the extra time we have to spend working and waiting instead of  leaving after the hotel preparations, we still have to be there before her church entrance, wait for her after the ceremony, and retouch the bride before heading off to the reception. That's also the reason why a photoshoot where a makeup artist would have to stay costs more than doing hair and makeup and then going costs more.

Discount please?

We're not stingy. We give occasional discounts and promos. Go to a bridal fair and you'll see suppliers giving out promos and discounts. We also give special treats to our friends. However, like sales and promos in a clothing store, this does not occur everyday. When we give our rates, that's our final price. A fair-and-square standard price that we did not invent. This is still business, after all. Do we go to Meralco and ask for a discount when paying our electricity bill? No. When we order at McDonald's and ask if the price of the Big Breakfast meal is the last, the attendand will say of course it is. If you want a discount, wait for a promo or another bridal fair. Don't force it out on us, make  paawa, threaten us, get mad, or make us look like we're wiping out your savings.

 On Credit and Exposure

"Do makeup for free, but you'll get great exposure! I'll tell all my friends about you. I have a really good network and tell what a great job you do!"

X-deal, work for credit, or exposure, that's something that's been abused nowadays. Many young artists have been exploited by this. As a startup artist, we all have had our fair shares of x-deals, and we still do now, for friends that we've been working with since day 1. However, if you're a new client who tells me to do her makeup for free because she knows so and so and has a big network of corporate bigwigs, lawyers, doctors, and socialites and will promote my services to her amigas in return, darling here's what I have to say. Sure I'll do it for free because you want me to. I'll ride a taxi to get to you because taking a car can get more expensive and I don't want to take the jeep because I want to be in top condition when I go to you. I'll tell manong taxi driver that I won't pay but I'll tell my clients and friends to hire him to drive them. I'll have to replenish my makeup and ask the stores to give them to me and rave about them. It just doesn't work that way darling, and I think that if that's the case, they'll be hurling me out of their stores. And if you name drop that you are work for so-and-so company with a very good network then that means that you have the capacity to pay for my services in full, right?

And just to let everyone know, X-deal does not mean the makeup artist, photographer, model, or performer will work for TY. it means that they will get something after, although not monetary, say products, clothes from the designer, shoes, food, GC, treatments, etc. Work for TY is not x-deal, it's called pro bono.

In the end here's the thing: as makeup artists, we do this to earn a decent living. Makeup artistry is a business we have to take care of. We have to be fair to everyone. First of all, we have to be fair to our clients. We know they pay a premium, so we give them the best. We keep ourselves updated. We use high-end makeup that won't melt, crack, or cake within 1 hour. We give them utmost care. We have to be fair to our contemporaries and colleagues. We make sure we keep our rates within reasonable standard so we don't kill the industry. If you're working in an office and still have your makeup job on weekends, keep it standard instead of going lower just to book a gig. Last and most importantly, we have to be fair with ourselves. I hope this clarifies why we charge that much.