John Young with Dr. Drax Starts off talking about a written business plan. Thought my be helpful information.
View: https://youtu.be/nkP31nvJQWA
Analyze and Research Your Market's Potential for Success
- Thread starter sonic-vision
- Start date
at 11:30 Drax says 'you gotta do that from working 40 events a week'! Seriously, I know that lately Drax has been advocating making 40 events per year the goal. And if you're not doing 40 events per year you should lower your price until that number is achieved. And he goes on to say that 40 per year is needed to get experience.
This might be good for some DJs, but maybe not for others. I don't really want to work 40 events per year. And, if were to lower my prices I doubt that I would get 40 bookings per year anyway. If I were young and just starting out this would make more sense. But I probably have less than 10 years left at DJing.
Furthermore, I have less experience than some DJs, but I've learned a lot from books, DVDs, other DJs, conventions etc. that is better than hands on experience in some ways. Experience per se doesn't necessarily make one better at what they do.
This might be good for some DJs, but maybe not for others. I don't really want to work 40 events per year. And, if were to lower my prices I doubt that I would get 40 bookings per year anyway. If I were young and just starting out this would make more sense. But I probably have less than 10 years left at DJing.
Furthermore, I have less experience than some DJs, but I've learned a lot from books, DVDs, other DJs, conventions etc. that is better than hands on experience in some ways. Experience per se doesn't necessarily make one better at what they do.
some good marketing ideas from Drax, but I'm feeling a bit of smugness from John Young. Seems like he's laughing at DJs that aren't as successful as he is.
I've been an advocate for doing research to identify your market size - how much you want to work is sorta secondary, if the customers don't exist then what you want won't work.
Few do any research - they just open up a biz and figure enough of the right customers will show up. Most don't think that the market we serve is pretty saturated with vendors so what are they bringing to the game that sets them above and apart from those already working?
I know there are 600 marriage licenses issues in my county in a given year, and not all hire DJs and one venue includes the dj (he's the owner), so the market might be 500 weddings a year. I know more than 25 people offering wedding DJ services in the county. Some market weddings hard and some just do what they get calls for. And I've been to a few weddings with very part time people (they dont' advertise). Spread that 500 over 25 and you get 20 bookings a year.
We've got 11 school districts in our county - so 11 proms, and maybe 40-50 other dances? (homecoming or middle school, etc). Spread that out over the 25 Djs and that's 2 more gigs a piece.
I"ve never gone after corp business so no clue on that end of things. Will have to work on that.
Few do any research - they just open up a biz and figure enough of the right customers will show up. Most don't think that the market we serve is pretty saturated with vendors so what are they bringing to the game that sets them above and apart from those already working?
I know there are 600 marriage licenses issues in my county in a given year, and not all hire DJs and one venue includes the dj (he's the owner), so the market might be 500 weddings a year. I know more than 25 people offering wedding DJ services in the county. Some market weddings hard and some just do what they get calls for. And I've been to a few weddings with very part time people (they dont' advertise). Spread that 500 over 25 and you get 20 bookings a year.
We've got 11 school districts in our county - so 11 proms, and maybe 40-50 other dances? (homecoming or middle school, etc). Spread that out over the 25 Djs and that's 2 more gigs a piece.
I"ve never gone after corp business so no clue on that end of things. Will have to work on that.
Define success.
40 gigs? 100k in income? growth over last year? Getting to dj 3 times a year and get paid for it?
Success is different things for different people and it changes over time with each of us.
I know some people that enjoy their job and what they do and don't want to retire, I know others that love retirement and not having to punch a clock. So is the ability to retire at age 50 a sign of success? to some it is, but not to all.
40 gigs? 100k in income? growth over last year? Getting to dj 3 times a year and get paid for it?
Success is different things for different people and it changes over time with each of us.
I know some people that enjoy their job and what they do and don't want to retire, I know others that love retirement and not having to punch a clock. So is the ability to retire at age 50 a sign of success? to some it is, but not to all.
That's the problem the "industry leaders" never really would say what their idea of success is. One (who shall remain unnamed) claimed he was getting 5K per wedding but would never say how many in a year he would do. I suspect the number was low as he had other irons in the fire also.
They all have an opinion of what a "Real DJ" is let me tell you this there are far more "Real DJ's" here than the industry leaders would care to admit because most of us don't fall in to their pattern
Want to see Industry leaders? Look at Big Dan, Rick Ryan, Cap Capello, Chuck the DJ and many others right here
They all have an opinion of what a "Real DJ" is let me tell you this there are far more "Real DJ's" here than the industry leaders would care to admit because most of us don't fall in to their pattern
Want to see Industry leaders? Look at Big Dan, Rick Ryan, Cap Capello, Chuck the DJ and many others right here
With 11 years in the photo biz I've seen the same thing there. Attended a few week long PPA schools (great things BTW) and had time to socialize with some of the 'rock stars' in the hospitality room - tired & drunk a few days of befriending you learn things... these 2 rock star guys were they keynote speaker(s) and taught a weeklong workshop on weddings. They shot some african royalty wedding. All great stuff. BUT - they do 2-3 weddings a year, they make their living in photography off school photography.
A big thing with many part time photogs is "i'm booked till spring!"...yeah, you have no indoor place to shoot and nobody wants newborn pictures in the snow and 4F temps. it's great spin.
I ask all the time (here and everywhere) when I hear "I've got all the business I want. I turn down jobs that aren't a good fit"...REALLY? Do tell me your secret to getting so much work you can turn it away! Becaues I've never had the luxury of turning away work - as a photographer, dj or 20 year old college student. Press a bit (in person..not so much online) and you find out they're part time and only want to make enough to pay for the family vacation or new toy or such. "i only want to do 1 gig a month" so once htey book that one, they're "booked solid for the month!"
Success is achieving your goals. And you can set them as low (or high) as you want.
A big thing with many part time photogs is "i'm booked till spring!"...yeah, you have no indoor place to shoot and nobody wants newborn pictures in the snow and 4F temps. it's great spin.
I ask all the time (here and everywhere) when I hear "I've got all the business I want. I turn down jobs that aren't a good fit"...REALLY? Do tell me your secret to getting so much work you can turn it away! Becaues I've never had the luxury of turning away work - as a photographer, dj or 20 year old college student. Press a bit (in person..not so much online) and you find out they're part time and only want to make enough to pay for the family vacation or new toy or such. "i only want to do 1 gig a month" so once htey book that one, they're "booked solid for the month!"
Success is achieving your goals. And you can set them as low (or high) as you want.
I've begun turning away jobs, as well as pushing my rates to the point that leads slow down. The trick is, just how much slower do you want it? I don't want to go from 80-100 to 30 overnight so the key is to make these changes slowly and carefully. I may be back here, crying my eyes out next year because the books are so empty but I believe it's wise to keep re-inventing what you do periodically. Do I want to keep working $750/night DJ-only jobs? No. What I want now is to transition to working $2k-$5k per night events where I'm running a crew of people. If I can put 20-30 of those on the books this next year I'll be thrilled. Now projecting forward, this isn't my final goal. It's another season where I want to be improving the quality of service/product that I sell to clients. Hopefully, within a few years, I'll have found some other line of events to transition to that will be even bigger and better. Boy/girls, all gigs are temporary. It's always about the money.
While I sincerely appreciate the props and being placed in the same class with some real heavyweights, I have to admit I still feel like a hack an awful lot of the time. The thing that I will claim is that I'm not lazy and I will be relentless is pursuit of bigger and better. My purpose is simple; I owe it to my family to give 110% and do the best I can for them. I think it's something we all can and should aspire to.
Well anyone would be a bit of a hack starting off running multiple services as a unit but it seems you pull it off very well. There are very few that have successfully done it that I know of
When I first went multi I was a hack too all I had was ambition and a plan. I like to think that although I'm sure not perfect that I do a reasonably good job at it now but it took a while Every day you learn a little more
My point is the "Industry Leaders" aren't the ones talking about it or giving seminars or making fun of those they don't see as their level they are the ones out doing it
yea big leagues means you can making money speaking to groups on how to run a successful business, instead of running a succesful business
or go on forums to tell everyone else why they're wrong ...Those who can do....Those that can't consult
This was a great video and can't wait to see another one of these videos.
Why do you feel the need to put yourself down? You're doing a great job and one that some can learn from including me. It's one thing to be humble and another thing to be arrogant. I'm very confident in what I do and what I bring to the table. I don't claim to be the best but certainly in noway am I the worst. I do my best to keep my ego in check and yet I won't let someone else put me down. You can criticize me but you can't put me down as you haven't walked in my shoes and don't know the work it has taken for me to get to where I am today. Do I need to improve? I always feel I need to keep working on improving. No sense of just being satisfied with where I'm at if there is more room to grow.
Daddy always said "Talk is cheap". Thanks for the props.