Has anyone considered taking on an apprentice or student?

Just to clarify, I was asked to teach someone how to face paint but, she is in my area so, I would consider her competion if I teach her what I know. So, my thought was maybe I could take her on as an apprentice (under contract) and have her work for me once I feel she is ready to be on her own.
Has anyone done this before? What was your experience or what would you suggest I do?

I'm always pretty leary of training someone as they will become my competition eventually. I'll jam w/ people, but not spend hours of time teaching.
I get calls every few months from people who want me to teach them & always turn them down.
There's a company in my area that keeps producing more & more face painters. Then for whatever reason they leave her or she lets them go & they start up their own face painting business. Many of them are on FPF and are awesome, but I am concerned that as she produces more & more, the market will get saturated. No offense to ya'll who are on here, just making a point.

I've been asked - I decline. I will teach groups basic beginner painting when hired to do so, but not individual or more advanced locally.

Training my own competition just is not something I want to do.

Are you turning down a LOT of jobs due to being booked already? Unless this is the case, it would NOT benefit you to train an apprentice OR competition.

Pros:

-You may benefit financially from sending an apprentice on jobs for you and keeping a chunk of what they make.

Cons:

-Hours of training them and possibly buying their supplies
-The possibility that after hours of training, they decide they aren't into face painting. (This is the most likely scenario.)
-Going through a slow season and having the apprentice lose interest due to lack of work.
-Taking apprentice with you on paid or PPF jobs when you really don't need help in order to keep them interested, at a financial loss to yourself.
-The burden of being responsible for their behavior on jobs, such as arriving late, doing a poor job, or speaking/acting inappropriately while working. It isn't THEIR reputation and they won't be as careful with it as you are.
-Having them "branch off on their own" after they gain confidence, thereby becoming your direct competition. Signed contracts will probably not do you any good, as they are almost never legally binding.
-Not realizing until too late that they have already "branched off" and have been handing their own cards out at your jobs without your knowledge.

Just some things to think about! I've considered training an apprentice several times, but only because *I* felt like I was turning away too much work, not ever because someone approached me wanting to learn. Be sure you are considering it for the right reasons. The few times that I did decide I needed help and had someone ask me to train them, I ended up investing time in them, teaching them and working with them, only to have them lose interest after the first training session or two. It's so easy to say "I want to learn how" or "I want to make the kind of money she makes" but I've found that most of the time, they don't really think about what that actually means. It means giving up your weekends, buying expensive supplies, and actually spending hours and hours practicing. Lack of commitment from trainees has ended every situation like this I've found myself in over the years. Soooo, I no longer bother!!

I have a friend I have been training up who is keen to one day help me out with larger events. I trust her completely that she isn't going to try going out on her own, she already has a weekday job at a preschool where she also gets to use the thing I have taught her.

Thanks for all your input! It has clarified alot for me. I was only considering because I had been turning down so many jobs or re-directing jobs to other face painters. I think it would only behoove me if it was someone I knew personally and knew they had a passion for it.
I truly appreciate all of you!

I'm late to this but I have 3, and will probably hire another one or two.

They all have other goals and jobs and they know what it takes to do the management part and want nothing to do with it.
I pair them up with a hawker and send them out in fully outfitted booths to festivals and fairs, or to private events. They make money, I take a cut and then pay them a percentage of net take.

I've done this for *years* and in that time have only had one leave (because he moved away) and no one has tried to compete with me. It forces me to stay one step ahead of the game too, to constantly be better and one step ahead which I love.

This also gives me weekends off if I need, or it just adds more income. Even if I make only $100 off of each booth a weekend, that's $300 I wouldn't have made without them.

I LOVE my girls and I seriously have the BEST crew. I'm very lucky!