Whether you’re looking for a bartending job or need to hire a bartender, you’re in the right place!
The hospitality industry has seen significant changes in recent years, driven by economic shifts and evolving consumer behaviours. Many bartenders have faced job losses and financial strain due to bars and clubs facing closure or limitations, resulting in decreased wages and fewer tips.
In these uncertain times, bartenders are looking for new avenues to earn a living, and Bartender offers a solution. This platform connects skilled bartenders with job opportunities, whether for events, weddings, private parties, or corporate functions.
Being a bartender, allows you to tap into a network of hosts and organizations seeking bartending services, allowing you to expand your client base and access more opportunities to succeed. For individuals and organizations looking to hire a bartender, the Bartender app is the perfect tool to find skilled bartenders who can meet your event needs with professionalism and efficiency.
In this industry, innovation and adaptability are key. Bartenders and employers can navigate the challenges and seize new opportunities in this dynamic field.
Unlocking Opportunities as a Freelance Bartender
The life of a freelance bartender is full of excitement and variety, whether you’re shaking up a cocktail at a private party or managing drinks at a corporate function. With the right skills and the ability to multitask, you can quickly get your start in bartending and turn it into a lucrative side hustle or a full-time career.
As a freelance bartender, you’re not tied to any traditional job setting. Instead, you have the freedom to travel, work in various venues, and choose where you want to work, whether it’s for business owners, clients, or hosting events.
To succeed, you need more than just the ability to pour drinks; you must be able to listen to customers as they vent about their woes, making them feel welcome and ensuring they enjoy their experience. Bartenders with the right finesse can handle multiple orders at once, keeping everything running smoothly.
As a freelancer, you’re responsible for marketing yourself, obtaining clients, and managing the details to ensure every event goes off without a hitch. Whether it’s working as a mixologist or providing bartending services at weddings, the key is building your network and reputation to succeed in this ever-changing industry.
Essential Skills for Success as a Freelance Bartender
To work as a freelance bartender, you need a mix of hard skills and soft skills. Bartending experience is key, but you can also take classes or earn a certificate to make your side gig or full-time career more professional. Understanding how to mix drinks, manage a bar, and serve private bartending gigs for corporate or private parties is essential.
Along with your technical skills, being able to connect with people, handle stress, and be responsive to clients and event planners can set you apart from others.
Key Traits of a Good Bartender
A great bartender is not just about knowing how to mix drinks. It’s about having the social skills to connect with people, listen to their instructions, and make them feel welcome. Whether you’re working in a bar or as a freelance bartender at private events, the ability to interact with customers and ensure they enjoy their experience is key to earning better tips.
Event planners will look for traits like reliability, attention to detail, and the ability to manage a busy shift. A good bartender fulfils their job description while always keeping a positive attitude.
The Right Personality Traits for Bartenders
An outgoing personality is vital for a bartender, as you’ll need to interact with the public and handle a wide range of situations. Whether dealing with someone drunk or a crying customer, it’s essential to maintain a calm, professional demeanour.
Your temperament should allow you to navigate the gamut of emotions and behaviours—rude, obnoxious, or even lewd—without losing control. At a private bar or a busy club, being able to balance the emotions of those you serve while staying personally composed is a skill that sets great bartenders apart.
Why Flexibility is Crucial for Freelance Bartenders
As a freelance bartender, being flexible is essential. Whether you’re stepping in for last-minute fill-ins or taking on early gigs, having a flexible schedule allows you to capitalize on jobs that may arise unexpectedly. This is how you prove your value to clients and event organizers, making you their go-to bartender for private events and celebrations.
Your reputation can grow quickly when you’re willing to work odd hours, from the wee hours of the morning to cleaning up after an event. With a packed calendar and a growing wallet, being adaptable will ensure your freelance bartending career stays busy and successful.
Emotional Intelligence
As a bartender, having emotional intelligence is essential, especially when dealing with intoxicated customers. You need to have a sense of the situation and know when things are starting to heat up. Whether it’s a potential altercation between Customer A and Customer B or a disagreement with a significant other, being able to intervene calmly is key.
Recognizing when someone needs to be cut off and diffusing tension without escalating the conflict is an important skill. Your ability to manage your ego and handle weighty issues like date rape drugs or potential fights can literally save lives. Security may be called, but as a bartender, knowing how to address the situation and give proper attention to the perpetrators and the victim makes a huge difference. It’s about using your emotional intelligence to keep control and ensure everyone’s safety.
Mixology Skills
To truly stand out as a freelance bartender, a little mixology goes a long way. Being confident in your ability to recognize different liquors and mix drinks with precision is crucial for advancing in the bartending world. Whether you take online or in-person lessons, gaining expertise in mixology will elevate your bartending skills to the next level.
You don’t always need formal education or a bartending school—there are many free or cheap courses available that can teach you the basics or help you refine your soft skills. With consistent practice, you can develop a coveted skill set that makes you the first choice for hiring at top-tier events and ensures success in your bartending business.
Getting the Proper Licenses and Certification
To become a licensed freelance bartender, you need to meet state and federal requirements, which vary depending on where you’re working. Most states have specific laws for serving alcohol—including age restrictions, typically requiring bartenders to be at least 21. You may need a permit or certificate, such as a T.I.P.S. certification, or complete an online course in alcohol safety.
Some states, like Florida, may have lax requirements, while others, such as Washington, have stringent guidelines that bartenders must review and meet before they can legally serve. Additionally, certified bartenders are more likely to be hired for gigs at large venues and events like weddings or birthdays.
For freelancers, becoming an official business is crucial for managing taxes, so you’ll need an I.R.S. Employer Identification Number (E.I.N.) for collecting money and paying taxes. Depending on the scale of your business, you may also consider setting up a sole proprietorship or limited liability corporation (LLC) and investing in insurance policies to protect your customers and yourself.
Understanding the Costs of Freelance Bartending
Becoming a freelance bartender can be an exciting and lucrative side hustle, but there are various costs involved to get started. Certifications like T.I.P.S. and legal fees to meet state and federal requirements can add up, along with expenses for tools and equipment like a portable bar, coolers, and mixers.
Event bartending also requires you to stock up on alcohol and supplies, including napkins, bar tools, and the ingredients for popular drinks like margaritas and mojitos. These upfront costs can be significant, so proper planning is crucial.
In addition to setup and overhead, you’ll need to account for self-employment taxes, gas for transportation, and auto insurance (which may need commercial coverage). If you’re using freelance sites to book gigs, there may also be platform fees and advertising fees to promote your bartending business.
While tips and going rates for bartenders vary by location (for example, San Francisco versus a smaller town), you must ensure your pricing rates reflect your experience and the type of events you’re catering to, from parties to galas.
Helpful Resources for Freelance Bartenders
Freelance bartenders have access to a variety of resources that can help them succeed in the bartending community. There are forums, social media platforms, and networking opportunities where mixologists, bloggers, and business owners share their tips and experiences. For beginners, these platforms offer great advice and insight into freelance work.
Additionally, memberships like Selfgood offer exclusive deals with suppliers, discounts, and legal documents like contract templates to protect self-employed bartenders. Freelancers can also benefit from low-cost medical indemnity plans and discounted legal services that make running a bartending business more affordable while staying compliant.
Why Bartending Makes a Great Side Hustle
Freelance bartending is an excellent side hustle for anyone looking to earn extra income. Whether you’re working shifts at a local bar or handling private events, bartending offers flexibility, especially if you have free weekends. It allows you to practice your craft, hone your skills, and even master a signature cocktail. With the right customer service approach, you can earn extra bucks while providing a professional and personal touch to every drink you serve.
The pros of bartending include the ability to choose your hours, and the cons are mostly related to the physical demands of the job. If you’re someone who enjoys interacting with people and mastering your recipe skills, bartending could be a perfect fit for your side hustle, giving you both financial rewards and personal satisfaction.
Why Bartending is a Worthwhile Side Hustle
Bartending as a side hustle can be incredibly rewarding, especially when you can dedicate your free time to earning extra money. Whether you’re working as a freelance bartender or picking up part-time shifts at a local venue, the demand for bartenders during busy times like wedding season and the holidays offers great earning potential, sometimes as high as $30 to $60 per hour with generous tips.
Not only does bartending help boost your bank account, but it also offers flexible scheduling, letting you pick when, where, and how often you want to work, making it perfect for people juggling grad school, a full-time job, or a caregiver role.
Additionally, bartending is a great way to network and build professional connections. The interactions with guests, event vendors, and other professionals like DJs, caterers, and photographers can lead to valuable referrals and bookings, helping you expand your client base. Whether you’re looking to hone your mixology craft, experiment with signature cocktails, or create a fun vibe at a corporate event or wedding, bartending is a unique and social experience that offers freedom in your schedule and a great work/life balance.
Demands and Stress of Freelance Bartending
Freelance bartending can be an exciting gig, but it’s not without its challenges. The job is often physically and emotionally demanding, involving long hours of setting up, serving margaritas, mojitos, and other drinks, cleaning, and maintaining a high level of customer service.
With bartending jobs, the shifts can be exhausting, especially when working late into the night, which can disrupt your sleep patterns and negatively affect your work/life balance, particularly if you also have a 9-to-5 job. This disruptive schedule can be overwhelming, especially during high-stress shifts in a busy bar, where you’re juggling multiple orders and prep work, often alone.
Dealing with demanding customers, including rude or belligerent patrons, requires patience and tact, particularly if the customer is intoxicated. Handling such stressful shifts while maintaining professionalism can be taxing. Additionally, the irregular income due to the dry seasons (like January, February, and September) and slow-downs in the bartending business means you may struggle to make ends meet in quieter months.
It’s essential to front-load your schedule and prepare for the booming seasons around holidays when tips can make a significant difference. Beyond the tips, bartenders must also stay on top of liquor laws, such as dram shop laws, and ensure they comply with certifications, permits, and liquor licenses. Fake IDs and serving intoxicated customers can pose serious risks, including liability issues if something goes wrong.
How Much Can Freelance Bartenders Earn?
As a freelance bartender, the profits you make depend on several key factors, including the number of shifts you work and the events you take on. On average, freelance bartenders can expect to make about $624 per week, especially if they typically work one or two nights a week.
The client you work for, the supplies you provide, and the overhead costs like bartending equipment, alcohol, mixers, and drinkware can also affect your earnings. Since you’re not tied to an employer, you have the flexibility to decide which events to take on, potentially increasing your income based on demand and the size of the event.
While the overhead for freelance bartenders can be low, making sure you have the right equipment and ingredients to provide quality service is key to maximizing your profits. In summary, bartending as a freelance gig can be highly profitable, especially if you manage your resources wisely and work during high-demand times.
Final Thoughts
Becoming a freelance bartender offers a rewarding path with self-employment opportunities in a fun and flexible industry. With the right planning, resources from platforms like Selfgood, and support from bartending forums, you can navigate your journey and thrive in your business. Embrace the gigs and enjoy the freedom of working at your own pace while building your career.