Lighting

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I understand why you want to do this. You're looking to enhance what you already . That's great. Hopefully if you do it you will get more business your way. Some brides or people booking the venue may not want those lights. Also as you know it depends on when you run those lights at an event. For example you don't want them while people are eating and taking. Some won't want the club feel and others will. Just make sure you find out who will want them for their event and the ones who don't.

Taso how did you get the money to buy $16,000 worth of lighting gear? A lot of DJs don't have that much invested in DJ gear to do the job for clients.
 
I understand why you want to do this. You're looking to enhance what you already . That's great. Hopefully if you do it you will get more business your way. Some brides or people booking the venue may not want those lights. Also as you know it depends on when you run those lights at an event. For example you don't want them while people are eating and taking. Some won't want the club feel and others will. Just make sure you find out who will want them for their event and the ones who don't.

Taso how did you get the money to buy $16,000 worth of lighting gear? A lot of DJs don't have that much invested in DJ gear to do the job for clients.
Saved money. I also didn’t buy it all at once... I did it in stages over the course of a year or so.
 
Taso how did you get the money to buy $16,000 worth of lighting gear? A lot of DJs don't have that much invested in DJ gear to do the job for clients.

No sarcasm intended here but most of us have a plan to buy gear that is needed. You have a business account all the bills get paid out of it and a percentage of each gig goes toward new gear
 
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No sarcasm intended here but most of us have a plan to buy gear that is needed. You have a business account all the bills get paid out of it and a percentage of each gig goes toward new gear
N o issues with what you said. That's not true. The last thing I bought was the facade and it didn't come from money from a job we did. I know that's backwards. It's just that I loved the one my friend has I just had to buy me one! It is awesome and it will enhance the look of the setup tremendously. It also eliminates having to bring in a table to use. Also will eliminate using a table the venue may have provided for a DJ to use.

As for Taso he charges a whole lot more for the service he provides then a lot of us. So he could afford to save some money up from each event he did to buy things like that over time. Way to go Taso! In other words he didn't have to take money from another source to buy those items.
 
As for Taso he charges a whole lot more for the service he provides then a lot of us. So he could afford to save some money up from each event he did to buy things like that over time. Way to go Taso! In other words he didn't have to take money from another source to buy those items.

If you can't afford to put some away from each event then you need to charge more
 
N o issues with what you said. That's not true. The last thing I bought was the facade and it didn't come from money from a job we did. I know that's backwards. It's just that I loved the one my friend has I just had to buy me one! It is awesome and it will enhance the look of the setup tremendously. It also eliminates having to bring in a table to use. Also will eliminate using a table the venue may have provided for a DJ to use.

As for Taso he charges a whole lot more for the service he provides then a lot of us. So he could afford to save some money up from each event he did to buy things like that over time. Way to go Taso! In other words he didn't have to take money from another source to buy those items.

If you can't afford to put some away from each event then you need to charge more
Taso is running a business not a hobby. Your accountant can help with the areas that you should be spending , investing or saving your money .
 
I know that's backwards.

Yes it is. If you're running a your DJ operation like a business it should be generating cash flow. Cash flow can either be used to reinvest into the business to try to grow, or it can become profit for you as the operator.

If the business is not generating profit over a period of 3 years, the IRS doesn't even let you call it a business anymore, it's just a hobby.

There is nothing wrong with being a hobbyist DJ, but it's almost impossible to have really good gear at a hobby level unless you have plenty of money from personal sources to fund your hobby.
 
N o issues with what you said. That's not true. The last thing I bought was the facade and it didn't come from money from a job we did. I know that's backwards. It's just that I loved the one my friend has I just had to buy me one! It is awesome and it will enhance the look of the setup tremendously. It also eliminates having to bring in a table to use. Also will eliminate using a table the venue may have provided for a DJ to use.

As for Taso he charges a whole lot more for the service he provides then a lot of us. So he could afford to save some money up from each event he did to buy things like that over time. Way to go Taso! In other words he didn't have to take money from another source to buy those items.
Has nothing to do with how much I charge, although it makes it easier... it moreso has to do with how much I save. You can make 200k... but if you spend $199k... you got hardly anything left over.

And being that you said that the facade wasn't bought from a job you did, either means you're not charging enough to have a profit to properly make business purchases... or you don't know how to run a business and keep your business funds and records separate from your personal ones... as you should be doing. Since your bank account didn't have enough money for the facade, you technically did take fund from another source.
 
You can make 200k... but if you spend $199k... you got hardly anything left over.

I'm always curious about the economics of some of the bigger DJ shops and how much profit is really there. Top talent wants high payment percentages so it's got to be tough to keep a high quality roster and still make good money.
 
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I am still going strong with the Chauvet Core Par/. Two of them with ultra-wide pattern will fill most dance floors.
 
I'm always curious about the economics of some of the bigger DJ shops and how much profit is really there. Top talent wants high payment percentages so it's got to be tough to keep a high quality roster and still make good money.
Are you talking about single or multi ops... multi ops often sacrifice quality to maintain the right profit margins. Around here the companies doing well are pulling in 500-600 events a year. Some of Their djs are working 100+ events, so I have to assume that some aspect of personalization or direct contact is sacrificed. The amount they spend on advertising to keep all their djs busy can be six figures for some.
 
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How anyone can do more than 50-60 weddings is beyond me. If I do more than 50, I cannot give it 100% for every gig. I spend way too much time personalizing, prepping, preparing, and then delivering all the goods on the day of.

I try to stick to 40.
 
How anyone can do more than 50-60 weddings is beyond me. If I do more than 50, I cannot give it 100% for every gig. I spend way too much time personalizing, prepping, preparing, and then delivering all the goods on the day of.

I try to stick to 40.
In 2019 I did 75 events. 35 weddings, 30 sweet 16’s which while have less planning, have larger productions, and 10 teen events with large productions. I made GREAT money, but That was my limit. Raised my prices, cut expenses like rent and payroll (by focusing on weddings, I don’t have as big labor intensive productions and need less staff, increasing profit margins) and am aiming for 40-50 events now.
 
In 2019 I did 75 events. 35 weddings, 30 sweet 16’s which while have less planning, have larger productions, and 10 teen events with large productions. I made GREAT money, but That was my limit. Raised my prices, cut expenses like rent and payroll (by focusing on weddings, I don’t have as big labor intensive productions and need less staff, increasing profit margins) and am aiming for 40-50 events now.

Not to mention that I am sure that Teen Events are either greatly reduced, or essentially non existent due to the pandemic. From what I understand, no school systems are going to have a home coming dance or any dances at all planned for this fall/winter. There were no proms in 2021 or 2020, and it is unlikely at this point that proms will happen in May of 2022. I assume it's a little different down south because of politics, and very conservative areas not caring much about Covid, but North East states I bet the school systems are totally limiting or nixing school dances for the foreseeable future.

I am sure teen parties and birthdays in general have taken a substantial hit since March 2020.
 
I'm always curious about the economics of some of the bigger DJ shops and how much profit is really there. Top talent wants high payment percentages so it's got to be tough to keep a high quality roster and still make good money.


As far as I know in the DC area, there is no DJ company, or agency willing to pay more than 67% NET to their sub contractors right now. There is literally no negotiation on it as far as I know and most want DJs to take 50% to 60%. Take the work, and agree to their terms, or they will go find someone else. Over time everybody has become more greedy. DJs want at least 1/3rd these days to book other DJs and represent their company on their events.

Any DJ who can get in with a company that gives them good paying low hassle jobs today at a 67% NET, and books them on a regular basis should stick with that company.

.
 
As far as I know in the DC area, there is no DJ company, or agency willing to pay more than 67% NET to their sub contractors right now. There is literally no negotiation on it as far as I know and most want DJs to take 50% to 60%. Take the work, and agree to their terms, or they will go find someone else. Over time everybody has become more greedy. DJs want at least 1/3rd these days to book other DJs and represent their company on their events.

Any DJ who can get in with a company that gives them good paying low hassle jobs today at a 67% NET, and books them on a regular basis should stick with that company.

.

I've always paid 2/3 of the gross. It's a fair pay scale.
 
Not to mention that I am sure that Teen Events are either greatly reduced, or essentially non existent due to the pandemic. From what I understand, no school systems are going to have a home coming dance or any dances at all planned for this fall/winter. There were no proms in 2021 or 2020, and it is unlikely at this point that proms will happen in May of 2022. I assume it's a little different down south because of politics, and very conservative areas not caring much about Covid, but North East states I bet the school systems are totally limiting or nixing school dances for the foreseeable future.

I am sure teen parties and birthdays in general have taken a substantial hit since March 2020.
About 90% of schools here had proms this past summer. I had 5 of them, but normally do more teen events as mentioned. Next year, unless they’re on weekdays I don’t have any availability left, so realistically I’m gonna be doing less again, but not bc of covid but by design.
 
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I've always paid 2/3 of the gross. It's a fair pay scale.


I agree that 2/3rds is fair. However, pertaining to myself...it depends the quality of the events.

If another DJ says they have a wedding they would like to book me on, and they are only charging their customer $600, and wants to pay me a lousy $400...I am going to tell them to go kick rocks! If I wanted to work $600 weddings I would drop my own prices, and advertise all over the place that I only charge $600, and go after that clientele, and work for myself.

BUT...If another DJ company works with high caliber clients, and is throwing $1,800 weddings my way, but says hi I take 33% off the top, I have no problem with that. I am still earning $1,200 and working with good quality clientele. They get to earn $600 - any CC fees, so it's great money for booking a single event on their end. Also, for me...I didn't have to pay any money in advertising up front to obtain that nice paying client, or do the legwork to get the referral that led to that client coming their way, and booking. All I have to do is talk with the client for 20 minutes or so, answer any questions they have, and sell myself to finish getting the job. And sometimes, the job is already booked, they just need to put a DJ on it. IMO, that is totally fair to be paid 67% NET for.

Now if I were a newer DJ, I would probably accept making only $400, but at this point in my life, I'm not representing other companies, and doing most of the work for a lousy $400 or $500.

So I understand why very experienced DJs stick with a good, busy DJ company.

Some of the weddings I do are from another DJ, and I don't even earn 67% on them. He pays me less, but he books nice paying weddings, and if it's on a date that I am open on with no strong current prospects for my own booking, then I take the work he has for me.
 
Seeing that 2/3 is the going rate... that leaves 1/3 to the owner. Of course there are many operating costs to run the business, and to feed that many dj's, advertising is needed. Of course, in order to get better paying gigs, better advertising is needed such as hiring videographers and photogs for promo materials, paying to be preferred vendors at high end venues, social media ads, and more. And of course, the owner then has to make a profit to take home. Easier to do tht if he is also djing, but that's not always the case. It's very easy to see how one weak link in the chain can break the business apart.

Also, if you want top tier dj's you may have to possibly pay them more than 2/3 depending on your charging rate, otherwise they may be more encouraged to book their own events. That's what ended up happening with me. I realized how much I was giving up, had already built a following, and knew I could handle the booking on my own. No advertising was needed since I had my own word of motuh clientele too. In my opinion, the best you're gonna get through this process is mediocre at best dj's or dj's that do this part time and don't have time to manage everything needed to do things on their own.
 
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