Are there regional price differences?

[Excalibur]

I think that on the whole the following two links confirm that "regional variation" is, by and large, bunkum. You can earn Waitrose money or Aldi money anywhere.
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And the cavalry arrives. The voice of reason. Saves me having to take a large handful of dried frog pills, and offer my two pennorth. My usual whimsical and irreverent offerings have been conspicuous by their absence, since people will insist on taking them seriously.

To back up Martin's assertions, I've had enquiries wanting a wedding of six hours plus for £100, and I've taken bookings for a standard disco at over three times that rate, and both bookings have been within half a mile of each other.

I don't seem to be charging enough to work in Scunthorpe though. My heavily inflated quote for a wedding there was dismissed with a two word rejoinder. "Too cheap"! A 60th birthday there, with a very very healthy budget has been secured by someone else at a price " much higher " than the starting figure.

There's always a balance though, isn't there? Another one had the condition upfront " lowest quote gets the job " . Refreshingly honest, at least.

[DazzyD]

And what is the going rate for gigs around Sunderland Dazzy? Is there any correlation between that and the lack of a Waitrose lol

BTQ been up to Durham several times mate - great place IMHO. Well it was as a tourist anyway, but for locals seems to be some good pubs and clubs too

Rich
PS and pound shops are ten a penny round here

I don't do as much work as I used to or as I'd like to these days but I usually get booked for what I charge. I'm by no means expensive (in my opinion!) but I do still get people going "How much???" when I give them a price. I only do one-off events, mainly family parties such as weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, etc, along with some corporate stuff and I do get more than when I was doing residencies a couple of years ago.

I think the biggest hurdle to getting a decent fee is the reluctance to actually ask for it. (Some) People up here think clients won't pay the bigger sums so they don't ask. I know DJs who are going out for the same money they were getting 20 years ago simply because they are scared to ask for more. I know DJs very local to me who are still charging £80 for a full disco show. One such DJ actually offered me a gig for NYE, working for him, a few years ago for the enormous fee of £30!! When I told him I was already working that night, and told him how much I was being paid for that show, he said "well at least I'm not ripping people off!". With that mentality, it's no wonder some DJs don't get what they should be worth. And it's these DJs who make it more difficult for other DJs to get a decent fee because I'm sure we've all heard the phrases "How much for a disco? I've already been quoted £60" or "How much??? But the last DJ I booked only charged £30!".

Ultimately, it's all about marketing correctly to your target audience. There's plenty of advice on here - just use the search facility!

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Aldi and Waitrose are selling a product (or products) whereas we're a service so it's a bit different.

I see it more like TGI Fridays compared to my favourite fancy steak place:

TGIs offer generally rubbish contrived service whilst trying to suggest that they have great service: "Hi I'm Dan, I'll be your waiter tonight."

Whereas the steak place very much provides a top notch service and you know they're doing all sorts to keep you sweet but doing it in such a way that you just have an excellent time without having your waiter try to be your pal or crack stupid jokes because his bosses have told him too.

That's my take on it anyway

[Brian A Crossland]

Simple answer: You price depends on who you market to.

[Pe7e]

Simple answer: You price depends on who you market to.

Absolutely, and the average pub landlord in a industrial area is not very likely to be paying a decent fee.

[funkymook]

Are there regional price differences or price differences in every region?

[dicky]

Now I have had a good think about this and done some research too

Though there are those who say that regional differences are mostly an urban myth or likewise I beg to differ until proved otherwise

For various reasons.

Given that info Vectis posted regards booking charges I find the following results for the city where I happen to live


£175 Birthday (16-21 years) Stoke on Trent (ST9)
£170 Birthday (16-21 years) Stoke on Trent (ST4)
£160 Birthday - Adult 30th Stoke on Trent (ST2)
£150 Birthday - Adult 60th Stoke-on-Trent (ST1)

As the recorded rates start at £1000 and end at £80 and the best recorded in Stoke was £175 isn't that telling me something?



On the comment about Waitrose - a supermarket that considers half of my county and my entire city 'not sufficiently upmarket' to even open a store

Oh and a bit of looking at a even a few well known 'fast food' providers' not a single outlet in this cityfor any of them. Now do all these businesses assumedly have marketing departments doing some proper research into the demographics... or is it just plain chance we ain't got any of these?


Nandos
Upper Crust
Pret A Manger

Oh and
H&M (a budget clothing brand!)
Desiguel - my missus moans about this as she always buys there stuff when out of the area - probably a good excuse we don't have one!
Any of the well known up market 'Designer' Fashion shops

Plus chatting to other DJs at the local disco shop (damn good shop actually so must be quite a few DJs round here)

I personally think this regional issue is real - but would be happy to be proved otherwise.


HOWEVER


I'm a glass half full sort of person, and there is one really good thing about my loaction - I am pretty much in the center of England and it's pretty easy to get to anywhere else!

No the cenrter of England is not London and/or the South east, you are in the bottom right hand corner The geographical centre of England is about 30 miles from me in Derbyshire. So this means that within an hour I can easily get to Manchester and all of Greater Manchester area, West Yorkshire, Sheffield. Nottingham/shire. Liecester/shire, Birmingham, Derby/shire and pretty much all of the West Midlands, Shrewsbury/Shropshire, Chester/Cheshire Liverpool/Merseyside and Lancashire

So I guess what I should be asking is how to market myself over the larger area in a cost effective and efficient way that generates business rather than bemoaning where I live and the fact you can't even get a posh sandwich round here )

Rich

[Vectis]

Given that info Vectis posted regards booking charges I find the following results for the city where I happen to live


£175 Birthday (16-21 years) Stoke on Trent (ST9)
£170 Birthday (16-21 years) Stoke on Trent (ST4)
£160 Birthday - Adult 30th Stoke on Trent (ST2)
£150 Birthday - Adult 60th Stoke-on-Trent (ST1)

As the recorded rates start at £1000 and end at £80 and the best recorded in Stoke was £175 isn't that telling me something?

Erm... I can see a £500 budget job in Stoke (OK, it's NYE) and several more £200+ currently under negotiation.

[ukpartydj]

I checked Poole and Bournemouth and the highest was £250 mostly under £200. I travel a lot for work so that makes sense to me however I know that hotels and venues around here pay more regularly, seems a bit sewn up which is a shame for me. Have been looking for a hotel to manage all their bookings like I know many do for couple of years. Probably need to try harder!

Saying that I've got £300+ a couple of times in Poole.

[yourdj]

I checked Poole and Bournemouth and the highest was £250 mostly under £200. I travel a lot for work so that makes sense to me however I know that hotels and venues around here pay more regularly, seems a bit sewn up which is a shame for me. Have been looking for a hotel to manage all their bookings like I know many do for couple of years. Probably need to try harder!

Saying that I've got £300+ a couple of times in Poole.

I definitely think there are interregional differences and not larger geographical differences.
I live right next to Bournemouth and Poole (as per the above) and don't even bother marketing there.
I have not worked there for years but it seems to be full of cheapskate DJ's used to the holiday town off season prices.

Having said that there are some nice venues very near to Bournemouth etc. That can command £500 + for the evening and £1000+ for the day.

On the other side you have Southampton, You would think this is prime top rate territory, but given that I am right up Google for this search term I never get any gigs in or around Southampton. I used to work here al the time when I was £250 (with crap SEO and site), but NEVER get anything now. Same goes for Portsmouth, I only get top end venues and house marquee events, although i am doing one at the explosion museum for £1,300 at the end of the month which is going to be great!!

In the middle is Winchester and more rural areas. Again I tend to only get decent venues and the Odd house party marquee gig.

The area I know the best if the New Forest in between and that is very venues specific. as per my other comment, i get dozens of all days and well paid evenings at certain venues and not a sausage (despite offering free meetings etc. and having a very good reputation) at other less expensive hotel. Having said that I had a meeting in a very tired venue with some pretty cash strapped clients and they want to spend up to £1000 as they feel on the day management is a necessity! I know they have only spent £4000 so its quite a responsibility! They also have 250 guests, like horses and celtic dancing, soI do think it may be a traveller wedding so my work will be cut out!!

All of the above is "probably" a combination of my marketing (may put certain people off), venues and a clients knowledge of what a DJ is and what they can do. Just a case of - do they want me / need me (or realise the importance of good entertainment) & can they afford me? I know I have probably priced myself out of lots of the work. if I reduced the evening rate to £300 then i could probably get 3 x more work and probably a larger income. I would have to reduce attention to detail to do this and it would knacker me out, so I am going to increase prices this year a bit by offering better marketed optional extras.