I used to think this was ok but i've had a big change of heart.

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Mix - Some DJs are fine charging $200, even if they're worth $1000. They are your competition as well and only you can decide if you want to play the price game or the value game. There will always be customers shopping for price .. as I said earlier, part of your job is to sell them on your value. If you have trouble doing that, then you're back to the price. Focus on what you bring to the table and if some other DJ is willing to do the exact same thing for less, either understand why or walk away. Don't get caught up in the "do what's best for everyone else" schtick. Do what's right for you.
 
steve149 said:
Mix - Some DJs are fine charging $200, even if they're worth $1000. They are your competition as well and only you can decide if you want to play the price game or the value game. There will always be customers shopping for price .. as I said earlier, part of your job is to sell them on your value. If you have trouble doing that, then you're back to the price. Focus on what you bring to the table and if some other DJ is willing to do the exact same thing for less, either understand why or walk away. Don't get caught up in the "do what's best for everyone else" schtick. Do what's right for you.
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Something you said that others need to take a look at. You said some DJs are fine with getting paid $200.00 when they are really worth $1,000.00. Why cheat yourself? Doesn't it take the same amount of work to do the job and don't you have to stay there the same amount of hours? So why short change yourself?

If you can get $1,000.00 instead of $200.00 why would you just settle for the $200.00 job? Just saying. I like what you posted here thou.
 
MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
Something you said that others need to take a look at. You said some DJs are fine with getting paid $200.00 when they are really worth $1,000.00. Why cheat yourself? Doesn't it take the same amount of work to do the job and don't you have to stay there the same amount of hours? So why short change yourself?

If you can get $1,000.00 instead of $200.00 why would you just settle for the $200.00 job? Just saying. I like what you posted here thou.
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People do things for various reasons .. I normally do charity/civic/church events for free .. it's just me .. I could probably charge for most of them (at least a nominal rate) and they'd be cool, but I feel I will get my due sometime later in or after life. So the DJ that charges $200 probably does it for many reasons .. bottom line is it really shouldn't matter to you, other than knowing that a price point is out there that you need to deal with. Same goes for the DJ that charges $2000. They are probably selling their value against the $1000 DJs .. should you be charging $2000. You charge what you think you're worth and they do the same (the $200 one and the $2000 one). Is one being short-changed or the other gouging? Maybe, maybe not.
 
Something I learned a while back is this. You can do 5 gigs for $200.00 or do one for $1,000.00. The money is the same with less work involved. You'll probably get less gigs but will probably make about the same money as if you did a ton of gigs. All I can say is it's all in what you can consistently get for your services.

You can make $1,000.00 once and that won't mean you're a $1,000.00 DJ. It just means you got paid that once.
 
I said it earlier, charge what you're worth .. then prove to the customer you were actually worth it.
 
Tleej said:
You know the thing is you want to get return customers.
I found price is a big factor & performance.
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Not just repeat customers but customers who will brag to others that are looking for a DJ about your services.
 
Let me see if I can put some thoughts in perspective. First some definitions as I have seen them. These are my interpretations based on experiences over the years.

The Hobbyist:
Someone who has other means of Income, enjoys playing music for others, views the Sound Equipment as "big boys toys" and really does not care about DJing to make a profit. That person almost always would not declare any incomes derived, to the IRS. That person also likes to be in the Spotlight as center of attention at a party.

The Part Timer:
Someone who has another means of income but nevertheless views DJing as an additional means of income. They may as well as they may not declare that income to the IRS. They take what they do seriously.

The Full Time Business DJ AKA the "Professional":
Trust me, if one DJs for a living and has been doing so for a long time they are truly Professional in that regard. The full timer does not only work when they are at a Gig but are also involved in Marketing their business, honing their skills, etc. That is time consuming. Looks, such as wires/no wires showing at a gig really is not a measure of professionalism as much as knowing what to do and how to please a crowd. The looks are more of a cosmetic aspect.

There are other elements which can apply to any of the above three categories.These elements can help the public to form an opinion of the person presenting themselves as a DJ.
Presentation of oneself and their gear (The way one dresses and the condition of their gear)
The equipment chosen for the task (How does it sound, adequate, inadequate, like a stereo on steroids or full bodied to replicate a band)

Pricing: The Full timer is astutely aware of the balances between expenses, investments and profit margin to bring about enough money on which he/she can make a living. They treat what they do with respect and in all seriousness so there could be an expected result.

True professionalism in the business can come from the experiences gained over a period of years. Knowledge of marketing, selling, delivery of a stellar service, knowing and understanding their gear and respecting the Industry. When one calls themselves a DJ, the public then tends to judge all in the industry by certain standards.

Clients who are classy would expect classy.
Clients who don't care would not have high expectations of the DJ as long as they play music.

When all is said and done, each person has to look in the mirror and truly define themselves. One can fool some of the people some of the times, most of the people most of the times but not all the people all the time. Lastly, at no time can one ever fool themselves, they just pretend.
 
The old saying went "If you get paid for it, you're a professional".
 
ahoustondj said:
Let me see if I can put some thoughts in perspective. First some definitions as I have seen them. These are my interpretations based on experiences over the years.

The Hobbyist:
Someone who has other means of Income, enjoys playing music for others, views the Sound Equipment as "big boys toys" and really does not care about DJing to make a profit. That person almost always would not declare any incomes derived, to the IRS. That person also likes to be in the Spotlight as center of attention at a party.

The Part Timer:
Someone who has another means of income but nevertheless views DJing as an additional means of income. They may as well as they may not declare that income to the IRS. They take what they do seriously.

The Full Time Business DJ AKA the "Professional":
Trust me, if one DJs for a living and has been doing so for a long time they are truly Professional in that regard. The full timer does not only work when they are at a Gig but are also involved in Marketing their business, honing their skills, etc. That is time consuming. Looks, such as wires/no wires showing at a gig really is not a measure of professionalism as much as knowing what to do and how to please a crowd. The looks are more of a cosmetic aspect.

There are other elements which can apply to any of the above three categories.These elements can help the public to form an opinion of the person presenting themselves as a DJ.
Presentation of oneself and their gear (The way one dresses and the condition of their gear)
The equipment chosen for the task (How does it sound, adequate, inadequate, like a stereo on steroids or full bodied to replicate a band)

Pricing: The Full timer is astutely aware of the balances between expenses, investments and profit margin to bring about enough money on which he/she can make a living. They treat what they do with respect and in all seriousness so there could be an expected result.

True professionalism in the business can come from the experiences gained over a period of years. Knowledge of marketing, selling, delivery of a stellar service, knowing and understanding their gear and respecting the Industry. When one calls themselves a DJ, the public then tends to judge all in the industry by certain standards.

Clients who are classy would expect classy.
Clients who don't care would not have high expectations of the DJ as long as they play music.

When all is said and done, each person has to look in the mirror and truly define themselves. One can fool some of the people some of the times, most of the people most of the times but not all the people all the time. Lastly, at no time can one ever fool themselves, they just pretend.
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Still same old song and dance from the Texan. ;)
 
steve149 said:
The old saying went "If you get paid for it, you're a professional".
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I can go over and install my friend's new Ceiling Fan and get paid but that does not make me a Professional Electrician ;)
 
Abbey Lane said:
...HOM, thanks for the post and bringing your rates up. I wish the "cheap" DJ's in this area could see that the rest of us are trying to make a living.
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I would recommend not hoping other people with raise their rates simply because we are trying to make a living. No one cares if we are trying to make a living. So are they.

Also, simply raising your rates and just stop doing any gigs under a certain price sounds good in theory, but what are you doing to attract those customers? If you are running in the same circles that are used to paying $200, it'll be tough to now be charging $500.

There is only2 ways I know to REALLY RAISE your rates.
1) Being in demand more and having people call you because someone referred them to you.
2) Being able to sell value and explain to someone in simple terms why you are more expensive that the cheapest and how it will benefit the customer.

I guess the other option would be to raise your rates and do less gigs and hope that the increase in fees helps make up for the lost gigs.
 
According to the definitions above I am a part time DJ.

In my area (this is about a 60mile radius I am referring to) there are only 2 full time DJ's other than radio stations.

If I tried to charge $1000 or $1500 a gig I would get laughed out the meeting.

I charge (depending on the gig) $500 to $900 dollars. The "pros" charge about 2/3 of that. I am in demand, hence the reason I am going multi-op.

I have been doing this for about 3 years now. When I first started most of my gigs were $200 or less. Did I want them to be better paying, oh he!! yes, would I like to make more than what I do now, again yes. Would I like to DJ full time and be able to pay all my bill, of course.

In some aspects my company is a business, others it's a hobby, for at least the next 2 years it definately a tax write off. 125% investment into my DJ company. My business plan is to reinvest in equipment, etc for 5 years. Get a set up that I can maintain a high quality system for a extended time with minimum up keep. I like big boy toys, always have , always will. Do I love playing for friends and family, you bet. Do I get a rush when I knock it out of the park, again you bet. If I ever get to the point when I don't do that.....probably time for me to hang it up.

Time and time again I listen to the "pros" on here trash different brands of gear and bicker and whine over such trivial things. OMG a bride actually expected me to play a song at her wedding and only gave me 2 weeks notice. Give me a F'n break if that is what it takes to be a "Pro" you can keep it. I will stay as I am, enjoy my work immensly, get paid for what I am doing, and keep buying my big boy toys!

GRRR.....sorry got on a rant there....

Point being. I don't care what everyone else charges. I charge what I charge to justify my time and skills invested. I have gotten a quote from so and so, and they only charge $250. My reply is "Wow, that's pretty cheap, I love doing what I do and would do it for free if I could, but I can't match that price. I would just caution you to keep in mind that this is a once in a life time event and are you confident that they can do what you need them to do." And if they do choose to go with you, you better knock it out of the park. I get comments all of the time that I am too cheap, I am worth way more than what I charge. The main thing is not to get my ego bloated and compete in the market that I am in.

A lot of people do judge by price only, and if I am too far out the range I won't be considered at all. Word of mouth is my main advertisement, and that carries a lot of weight. But when you get down the nuts and bolts of the finances. In most area's the DJ is 10-20% of the wedding expense. Around here the nicest hall in the area is only $350 a night. Dresses usually range in the $100 to the $500 range etc...etc...etc.... So with what I am charging for some couples or events I am easily 50% to 80% of the cost of the event.....
 
I have kept my rates on the low side for years, and really started focusing on the price point aspect since the start of 2012. I have raised my rates for the first time and still slightly below the average midpoint for DJ's in my area. Since the price change, I have seen a significant increase in leads and booked gigs. Guess I am moving from Hobbyist to Professional Part Timer by the above definitions. I take it very seriously, no obtrusive wires (always hidden if possible), increasing the marketing, etc... Even finding it more fun.
 
badblood70 said:
Around here the nicest hall in the area is only $350 a night. ..
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Badblood, if I could rent a Hall in Houston for that rate I would do my own Productions EVERY weekend. Why don't you? You do not have to purchase a Liquor License. just do BYOB and sell setups and a higher cover charge. There are a lot of those in Houston and they do very well. Some charge $25.00 per head and that would translate to 14 people for you to break even. The rest is yours. Of course you will need help, either pay a flat fee or a percentage of the door/receipts.
 
ahoustondj said:
Badblood, if I could rent a Hall in Houston for that rate I would do my own Productions EVERY weekend. Why don't you? You do not have to purchase a Liquor License. just do BYOB and sell setups and a higher cover charge. There are a lot of those in Houston and they do very well. Some charge $25.00 per head and that would translate to 14 people for you to break even. The rest is yours. Of course you will need help, either pay a flat fee or a percentage of the door/receipts.
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I have actually been to a few of those back in the day..... Private clubs....or something along that line.

Though it would be fun and I would probably make money at it, but then I would have to worry about the drunks, fights, etc. etc. This is a very blue collar area. Foundry and factory worker mainly and they can be a rowdy bunch. Nothing wrong with that at all. Work hard, play hard. I just don't want to be the one responsible for it in the end.
 
Randy A said:
Mix, I'm not sure you have the credibility to give others advise on what NOT to do. Just reading your posts here tells me alot about you and your business; you have a hard time posting in the right area of the forum.
hp3.png
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Save yourself a migraine and add this guy to the ignore list.



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