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As has been said already, there are plenty of SIDS around. You have to do something that stands out from them. People WILL pay for quality.
Also as said already, be prepared to travel too.
Word of mouth and recommendations go a long way in this business and people will pay for something that is as far away from the SID'S of this world as possible.
Yes, those SID'S will still appeal to some and I don't think they'll ever go away because the way technology has gone over the years and the prices of LED lighting are cheaper, it is easy to set yourself up and get out on the road within no time at all.
People aren't silly though (well, the majority aren't) and they can suss out what is quality and what isn't.
I did a last minute gig a few years ago at a social club out of town (think classic Peter Kay type stuff). The guy who phoned me begrudgingly agreed the price with me which was 3 times more than his £100.00 regular SID. He was impressed when I set up and I hadn't even played a song yet. At the end of the night he asked for a card and I ended up doing quite a few nights there until someone else took over who just happened to be a big fan of the SID'S of this world.
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Originally Posted by
Shakermaker Promotions
As has been said already, there are plenty of SIDS around. You have to do something that stands out from them. People WILL pay for quality.
I don't need to expand on the 2nd part of your post as I couldn't have put it better myself but this ^ is spot on.
The quickest way to wind up in a lower type of working bracket than you'd like to be is to assume that there's no way you can stand above that. Sids don't bother me because the people that are after a £150 wedding DJ or an £80 kids DJ are never interested in hiring someone like me and likewise, someone who has budgetted for my kind of fee and is genuinely concerned about quality isn't going to decide they'll save themselves a wad and book sid...
I still generally do weddings but for the past while I've ended upw ith a handful of school disco and party bookings. i remember an amp dj meeting a few years back when I hadn't done a kids disco for years and someone mentioned they got £200 for them and I thought it was nonsense - skip forward now and I've realised that those prices are viable and as well as that - hour for hour, work for work they're far more lucrative and hassle free than weddings. if I didn't spend all my weekday working with kids I'd probably solely focus on high end kids and school discos.
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I'm down the road from you in Zooport. (Newport.) I'd like to think of my DJ service price point as "middle-of-the-market." Certainly and typically well above the £150 range you mention.
Agree with everything that has been said before. Only thing I'd add is to find yourself a niche and/or your "USP" = Unique Selling Proposition. That is, what is different about YOU and YOUR service to everyone else.
Just as the bottom feeders are all scrabbling and competing for £80, something I've observed about some the "top of the game" DJ/Wedding Service here in S. Wales is that the ALL seem to offer "everything"... LOVE letters, LED floors, uplighting, monograms blah blah.
Not that theres anything wrong with this: they make good money and are VERY good at their marketing BUT IMHO are so identikit that even for clients with money, it fall to price and/or personality. The rivalry between them is palpable at times.
You're going up against some big-hitters if you take that route, IMHO.
Rather, I'd suggest you initially at least focus on your USP.
You mention your club experience: why not capitalise on that and market "nightclub DJ experience" events and target the dance-generation, 21st etc? I see lots of posts of bridal forums who don't want a "typical" (read generalist) DJ for their wedding/event.
I know a DJ in Swansea that has done this very well and sells trance weddings, garage weddings, RnB weddings etc with great success.
Just some ideas....
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I've just found this helpful snippet on NAD:
"The overall average rate for bookings confirmed via the site this year is £227.67
Weddings are averaging £353.18
Children's parties are averaging £141.88"
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Ezekiel 25:17
Originally Posted by
Jonny Boy
Rather, I'd suggest you initially at least focus on your USP.
You mention your club experience: why not capitalise on that and market "nightclub DJ experience" events and target the dance-generation, 21st etc? I see lots of posts of bridal forums who don't want a "typical" (read generalist) DJ for their wedding/event.
I know a DJ in Swansea that has done this very well and sells trance weddings, garage weddings, RnB weddings etc with great success.
Just some ideas....
Excellent advice, specialising and creating your own niche removes you from the competition (or greatly reduces it). You also get less random enquiries just wanting a ‘disco’, high conversion rates and as a specialist service you can charge more.
You have to be brave with your marketing and website, proudly state the music you play and don’t dilute it by trying to cover all bases, that just takes you back amongst all the other DJ’s again and you won’t stand out.
And remember todays clubbing B&G’s will have parents that were probably clubbers in their day too - it’s not going to be a difficult concept to sell.
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Originally Posted by
musicology
I've just found this helpful snippet on NAD:
"The overall average rate for bookings confirmed via the site this year is £227.67
Weddings are averaging £353.18
Children's parties are averaging £141.88"
That's based on enquiries received and closed since 1st Jan this year ... ie 6 days.
Over time you'll see this mature. IIRC the end-of-year stats for 2015 was closer to £250 / £350 / £150 respectively.
There's a few interesting sets of stats on NaD:
Latest 1000 confirmed bookings: http://needadisco.com/recent-confirmations.php
(searchable by town/postcode etc.)
Reasons given for booking, with comparison of agreed amount -vs- original budget: http://needadisco.com/recent-reasons.php
Live enquiries under negotiation: http://needadisco.com/pending-negotiation.php
"You Won't Get That Round Here" comparison of 36,200 events as of mid-December 2015:
http://needadisco.com/pages/ywgtrh.php
"Income by postcode area" comparison of a years worth of events ending mid-December 2015:
http://needadisco.com/pages/income.php
Happy reading 
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You CAN get £XXX everywhere.
What these long-term averages show is that the ratio of availability of £XXX to £X differs quite considerably.
In our (not inconsiderable) experience, obviously 
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Ezekiel 25:17
Originally Posted by
ppentertainments
Interesting reading which blows the 'you can easily get ££ in any area' theory out the water and I can now see why I normally need to travel 60 miles+
I’d say 60 miles was within most mobile DJ’s area.
No one says it’s ‘easy’ to get higher fees in any area, just that it’s possible (perhaps they should include ‘with a bit of common sense and effort).
What is interesting is that the higher the fee the more common the client paid a percentage more than their budget (up-selling on Nad!!) and the comments mention customer service type reasons for booking. It’s only when you go quite far down the scale that ‘lowest price’ starts making an appearance and prices are less than the budget.
But like most stats people will always read what they want from them.
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Originally Posted by
funkymook
I’d say 60 miles was within most mobile DJ’s area.
Not when the 60 miles each way, more or less, becomes the minimum travel.
Agree you can perceive figures to suit, but when my 4 closest areas, incorporating a large area and 4 major cities rank no higher than 114/124 (my 3 immediate areas with approx up to 40mile each way travel rank no higher than 119) I think there is an argument.
Not that it really matters to me 
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