Mix, this is why you will never get higher paying clients. I am not concerned with what he can make or what he is charging for people to get in. All I care about is my bottom line. If he cannot afford what I charge then I wish him luck and move on. If you do this job and say one person who is there wants to book you for a job and gets your number from this guy, the first thing he is going to do is tell them how much you charged them. At that point you are screwed because that is the price they are going to expect from you and the then they are going to try and low ball you from that price. You keep taking these low paying jobs thinking it will change things for you and guess what in all the years you have been on these forums nothing has changed. You still deal with the same stuff over and over again with the same problems.
It is a new year maybe now you should start listening to what everyone has told you to do and start implementing the changes we have told you to make. Stop focusing on things that do not matter and start fixing the things that do.
Perfect example. I did a party this year for the same group I have been doing for years. I charge them the same rate I did 5 years ago because of how much business they give me but they never reveal that price to anyone. From that job today alone I booked 3 jobs 2 graduation parties and one wedding all for well above my asking price after all the add ons. Why, simple because they went to a well run party were I provided great entertainment and yes had more then 10 people on a dance floor while playing a wide variety of music. This is not about ego it is about business and doing it the proper way.
When i was very young 16-20 I took those low paying jobs like you thinking it would help me and while it did get me some jobs it never got me well paying jobs. Finally someone took me under their wings and showed me how to do it right and I listened. You have been offered it many time but all you do is fight it because you are stuck in your ways and will not change. Until you check your ego you will never be anything more then a guy known for doing one type of music and low prices. Oh yeah and letting people walk all over you. These public park jobs you do that think get you so much exposure and I guess some type of fame. I wouldn't even start my car for the price they pay you.
Again this is not ego. This is the truth and I know you will pick out one line of this and tell me I dont understand but guess what i do. You are a very easy book to read. I have seen many DJs like you over the years and watched them all fail or live on scraps and I have seen others who listen and learn make millions doing this job. I and others on here will make more on our gigs in January then you will for the entire year hell maybe even two years but yet you still want to argue with us. It makes no sense.