What The Heck Happened????

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J

JoeChartreuse

New DJ
Dec 12, 2006
3,934
1
70
Bergen County, NJ
There I was, mid January, with some of my bar nights a bit slow, and only a few event bookings.......then...WHAM! The angel dust hit the fan! My Tuesday night starts rocking so big that the owner hires me for another night, which is also kicking.

My Wednesday night has become not only my largest show, but the largest I have ever attended. They had to start Valet parking around the block, bring in a third bartender, and 2 more waitstaff.

I have gotten private event bookings out thru JUNE! I'm in receipt of over $2000 in non-refundable date retainers!

While all of this is magnificent, I feel the urge to peer into the gift equine's oral cavity. Did I miss a strong economic indicator of upturn, or is this the band on the Titanic? Why now?

A bit of insight if you please?
 
Quality begats quality. Even in tough economic times there are people that will gladly pay for good service

I live in a market that in my lifetime has never had less than 10% unemployment and it's usually 15% or higher. In tough times people will still buy if they see value
 
Sounds like the working mans definition of Luck.

Luck = Preparation + Perspiration

I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it. ~Thomas Jefferson
 
The only way I am getting several bookings this year is because I dropped my rates! After I dropped my rates, people/venues are hiring me on a more consistent basis. I guess this might just be me right as of now??
 
It's the stimulus I tell ya!!!!!
 
DJFuzzy said:
Would you throw some fairy dust my way? I could use a little more! :sqwink:
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I'll have some too


but sure its not magic mushrooms ?
 
Send some my way please.

DJMN: I was thinking of dropping rates also, but don't want to start a price war.

How much did you drop them by? What months of the year are most of these bookings?
 
Abbey Lane said:
Send some my way please.

DJMN: I was thinking of dropping rates also, but don't want to start a price war.

How much did you drop them by? What months of the year are most of these bookings?
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March and April!

As of right now, I only have like 7 bookings past May! People are late bookers in my area.....

As far as prices...I never really advertised specials during the weeknights...but this year I am offering a deal almost too good to be true. As far as weekends.....I dropped to a rock bottom price..which would almost put me a bottom feeder. But according to this economy this year..I'd rather be working that sitting at home!

Of course this will do more things for me than just keep a steady income....

1) It will help my clients in this tough economy
2) When the economy rebounds, then I can justify a price increase, and my clients will understand as well.



So it was kinda a tough decision...but if I can make a FT income and finally become my own boss...I'm game.

And so far it looks as if I will have all Thursdays and Tuesdays booked as of now. Of course, I never offered too good to be true prices for Fridays, and I am now considering this option as well.

I mean if I book every Tuesday/Thursday/Friday/Saturday because of rock bottom prices, and I double book half of these dates....I would think I would be able to make a decent income. And until I dropped my prices...some of the local clients didnt book me based on the price fact. So now they have a chance to see what my business is all about.

Right move...without a doubt!
 
First, for those of you with kind words, I thank you deeply :sqembarrassed:. However, I haven't changed much since December. This was a vey sudden upswing.

I guess most go for the "band on the Titanic" scenario... sigh...


BTW- I said the angel dust hit the fan- I didn't say I threw it.Heck, I woulda opened that pouch a long time ago if I had it..:sqerr::sqwink:
 
JoeChartreuse said:
However, I haven't changed much since December. This was a vey sudden upswing.
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That still does not change the probability that it is the result of hard work.

Positive consequences of diligence and hard work are often delayed, and frequently so distant and seemingly unrelated...but they are likely so, nonetheless.
 
Joe,

There is no luck, you make what you get. You worked hard, hit a couple solid nights & your talent took you the rest of the way home. Fortune smiles on the prepared & the diligent.
 
Joe,

I have experienced the same thing in my area, Houston Texas it is the same as well.

Rick hit it right on the nose, when the economy goes down bars see an increase in business and they seek the lowest cost entertainment with the highest return. (that happens to be Karaoke)

I have picked up three more weekly shows since November of last year.

Many of the bars I am working in are now already doing the work required to meet the BS smoking laws put into place by the VA legislature by making small two table rooms off in a corner as their Non Smoking sections. (Our Govenor is an idiot)
 
Thunder said:
Joe,

I have experienced the same thing in my area, Houston Texas it is the same as well.

Rick hit it right on the nose, when the economy goes down bars see an increase in business and they seek the lowest cost entertainment with the highest return. (that happens to be Karaoke)

I have picked up three more weekly shows since November of last year.

Many of the bars I am working in are now already doing the work required to meet the BS smoking laws put into place by the VA legislature by making small two table rooms off in a corner as their Non Smoking sections. (Our Govenor is an idiot)
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Agreed. Especially the BS smoking laws. Here in NJ, they are actually illegal, but our corrupt government found a way to bribe the casinos- the only people with enough clout to take them on.

The good news is that Virginia being a bit warmer than NJ in the winter, it probably won't have the same devastating impact on the bar biz in your area when they ban it completely.
 
JoeChartreuse said:
Agreed. Especially the BS smoking laws. Here in NJ, they are actually illegal, but our corrupt government found a way to bribe the casinos- the only people with enough clout to take them on.

The good news is that Virginia being a bit warmer than NJ in the winter, it probably won't have the same devastating impact on the bar biz in your area when they ban it completely.
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Interesting point Joe.

The beer guy was here yesterday, and we were shootin' the sh_t -- he delivers to quite a few local watering holes. Business is way down during the winter, because many are smokers, or hang out with smokers -- and they do not want to go outside and freeze, to have a smoke.

So, they don't go to the bars -- they go to a friends house.

It hurts every business in the long run -- from the farm owner, to the bar owner, to the beer distributor, et. al.
 
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