If you were given/won

[leelive]

Are all your clients noticing the difference now your using mp3s?

Still buying CDs and copying them in wav format. Having to buy one or two mp3s. Hate them. Bought an mp3 track by Tigerstyle. Had to order the CD aswell. While the client may not notice the difference (they are being spoon-fed them like candy!) I have prefer quality.
Lee

[Charlie Brown]

I've spoken to Grandad today when I went with him to the doctors and explained what was discussed on here.

I've declined the money as suggested, which I think made him quite happy.

I've spoken with White Media and a couple of other wedding fayre organises, who have given me a list of forthcoming events. It's something I've been meaning to do for ages but kept putting it off due to confidence/would people take a 18 year old seriously. My websites sort of camouflage who I am.

I may have to borrow a small amount of money to fund the fayres, banners etc which I'll pay back when money starts coming in again.

If anything, I've realised that we're not all going to be millionaires. I'm a lot more well off than other folk (I don't mean financially but a roof over my head, good family etc)

One more question...

There is a small hotel (which is exactly like the Torque hotel in The Hotel series.) I don't think they have loads of functions on but a few. I don't really want to phone the hotel up and say 'hi, blardy blardy blar' because I'm rubbish at selling myself over the phone. If I could arrange a meeting, would it be insane to offer them £50 everytime they pass on/get me a booking?

Does anyone else offer incentives like that? Does it indicate that you're needy and desperate for work because you've been sacked and don't want to borrow from your Grandad?

Thanks again and sorry for sounding like a spoilt brat.

[Excalibur]

One more question...

There is a small hotel (which is exactly like the Torque hotel in The Hotel series.) I don't think they have loads of functions on but a few. I don't really want to phone the hotel up and say 'hi, blardy blardy blar' because I'm rubbish at selling myself over the phone. If I could arrange a meeting, would it be insane to offer them £50 everytime they pass on/get me a booking?

Does anyone else offer incentives like that? Does it indicate that you're needy and desperate for work because you've been sacked and don't want to borrow from your Grandad?

Thanks again and sorry for sounding like a spoilt brat.

Let's just say I wouldn't regard it as a good way to get business. How about offering the incentive of them getting one of the best young DJ's in the catchment area, with charm, personality and smart gear, every time they book you?

PS, Well done on the first bit. Hope it pays dividends. At the very least, it's an exercise in growing up.

[NKR]

I've spoken to Grandad today when I went with him to the doctors and explained what was discussed on here.

I've declined the money as suggested, which I think made him quite happy.

I've spoken with White Media and a couple of other wedding fayre organises, who have given me a list of forthcoming events. It's something I've been meaning to do for ages but kept putting it off due to confidence/would people take a 18 year old seriously. My websites sort of camouflage who I am.

I may have to borrow a small amount of money to fund the fayres, banners etc which I'll pay back when money starts coming in again.

If anything, I've realised that we're not all going to be millionaires. I'm a lot more well off than other folk (I don't mean financially but a roof over my head, good family etc)

One more question...

There is a small hotel (which is exactly like the Torque hotel in The Hotel series.) I don't think they have loads of functions on but a few. I don't really want to phone the hotel up and say 'hi, blardy blardy blar' because I'm rubbish at selling myself over the phone. If I could arrange a meeting, would it be insane to offer them £50 everytime they pass on/get me a booking?

Does anyone else offer incentives like that? Does it indicate that you're needy and desperate for work because you've been sacked and don't want to borrow from your Grandad?

Thanks again and sorry for sounding like a spoilt brat.

Well done mate.

Takes a big man to stand on your own two feet. You will have made him quite proud that you want to get on with it yourself. Loans to fund projects are perfectly acceptable. My dad loaned me £1,700 for the EV system. I know I had enough work in to pay it back, so no worries. It was a stop gap.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Charlie, all I can go on is what I see you write on this forum as I haven't met you in the flesh as it were. I've seen you talk the talk in the past and make a lot of sense which has been quite encouraging. At times I have thought "I wish I had a head on my shoulders like that when I was that age" BUT (there's always a 'BUT')....More often than not (unfortunately), I see you spoiling that by coming up with wind up's, ideas well above your station and then you also tell the truth or come clean about various things going on in the real world of your life.

I personally think that you are ambitious and I'd give you real credit for that but I also think (and agree with some of the comments already, especially Darren's), that you seem to have not given it enough of a chance.

If you've done well in the past year or so and now you aren't, think about it! I don't think you have to be Bergerac, Sherlock Holmes, Columbo, Kojak or Taggart (to name a few) to work out that it seems to have gone downhill for you since you admitted a while back about your visits to casinos etc. Ok, you only recently mentioned that but it's obviously been going on for a while?

I personally think that too many people look at what we do and think that it's easy money. I'm not saying that you are one of them as it's obvious that you have invested in decent equipment, websites and advertising etc...but (there it is again) is it enough? You can't just think that by doing all of that you can just sit back and let it do it's thing. You asked what makes us all different or what is it some of us do that keeps it working (or words to that effect)...

Well, to answer that - Personally, I have lots of bills to pay and a mortgage just like the majority on here so I HAVE to keep on the ball. I am always thinking of different things I can do, how I can go about improving etc etc. I don't mean to sound funny and repeat myself again and again and again etc etc etc but you ARE lucky and you need to realise that. What would you do if your parents suddenly said...."You know what Charlie, we've decided to emigrate" or "Charlie, isn't it about time you left home and went into the big bad world on your own"....

The last thing (and this will sound really bad - sorry), unfortunately there is nothing you can do about it but it could be that you are so young that it may put people off? Personally, it wouldn't put me off at all. You have testimonials and you also have experience too but the age thing could be a factor? As I said, I've never met you so I don't know what you are like in the real world. I am sure anyone on here that has met you will speak up and say what you are like but all I would say is that if you are the same way when you meet your customers as you are on here at times, it may put people off?

I really think that at the end of the day, it's the whole casinos thing that has taken you off track. I'd bet (no pun intended) that it has crossed your mind more than once that you could win the same amount of money in 10 minutes than you could if you worked all day in a 9-5 or did a Disco for someone. I hope you haven't but it would be easy to think that.

[Leicester Ben]

Just read this, its got to be a van and driving lessons! You will be amazed at how much extra stuff you can do with a van, even if its helping other companies collect in equipment etc and getting paid £8 - £10 an hour + petrol for it.

It will also allow you to take on last minute stuff without having to worry about transport etc.

Although what I do now is fantastic, I spent years doing crappy parties at crappy venues for crappy money, its doing these sorts of events that build up your contacts and give you the experience that you will need to do the larger ones.

You have some great websites, I would push both the standard price and the expensive wedding discos. Then pass on the standard discos if you get a wedding in - easy peasy and should fill up your diary a lot more.

Re an investment, from what I understand you have everything that you need equipment wise, I would get the discos sorted first before expanding into other areas.

Only today you emailed me about those bookings, because you 'had forgotten to reply' previously. That forgetting could of cost you a couple of hundred quid, by the sounds of it you really need to get your paperwork side of the business sorted out. 2 diarys, spreadsheets etc.

There is serious amounts of money to be be made in this industry, I get the impression that you need to get the basics right though before you can push on.
Your only 18, I went full time at 21 and its only been in the last 2 years that I have started to earn the big big money, (I'm 28 now) so thats 5 years of doing just discos every weekend. Once you have done this, then think about expanding.

£10k is a huge amount of money, I was never given any money to invest in my business, I did it all with credit cards, loans and juggling money around.

I would take the money for the driving, get a semi decent van and get doing the discos!!!

Good luck :-)

[[email protected]]

Charlie, have you thought about looking at getting DJ work in bars. You're perfectly based for & Nottingham / Derby.

When I was your age (blimey that makes me feel old saying that) I was working 4/5 nights a week in bars & clubs (at one point I was doing 7 nights a week).

When I look back the money wasn't great compared to what I could earn from a one off Wedding booking, but it was a good lifestyle if you know what i mean , it was week in week out work that gave me a regular wage. I'm sure if you put your efforts into tarting yourself around some of the bars around the city, you could land yourself a regular night or two, which will give you, albeit a little, regular income, that will take the pressure off, give you something to look forward to once or twice a week and develop your DJ / presentation skills as well (when you work one or two nights a week in a venue, week in week out, it makes you work hard on your presentation & music programming skills when you have to keep things fresh!).

Then, especially if you can get a week night and say a Friday night residency it takes the pressure off a little and will allow you to chase the better paying one off gigs on Saturdays.