Am I Charging Enough?

[milo]

Hi guys,

If anyone has seen my previous posts they will know that I’m a Children’s Entertainer and not a DJ, but I have a nice little disco with a 3m x 2m star cloth, some decent lights, a good amp and speakers etc. I use Virtual DJ to do all the work for me and wouldn’t have a clue how to use decks or any of the real DJ stuff.

I have done quite a few kids discos for corporate clients now and many of them have come back and booked me for their adult functions (especially over Christmas), is this because I’m cheap?

I charge £150.00 for a kids 2 hour disco with games & competitions etc and I’ve just been quoting the same for the adult ones. An adult disco is more like 5 hours, but I don’t actually have to do anything other than set up a play list and put on requests.

What should I be charging for corporate discos and weddings?

Thanks.

Milo.

[discomobiledj]

Market Research. What are your competitors charging?

[Vectis]

(costs) + (hourly rate) + (desired profit margin) :o

My kids 2 hour discos usually go out at £120-£170 depending on day of week and time of year.

My corporate 5 hour full-on discos usually start FROM £250 and more often than not are in the £350-£400 bracket as they are inclined to take more options than your private punter BUT expect a lot more in return.

[milo]

I just didn’t want to waist other people’s time by calling around asking for bogus quotes and I doubt many people would be that helpful towards their competitors if I were to be honest with them.

I try to give everyone the same service whether it’s a five year olds party or a corporate gig, so I don’t know what else they can ask for to make the quote higher? I have all the usual lighting, smoke, bubble & snow machines, HSM cut outs, inflatable palm trees, inflatable guitars, saxes & mics, wireless mics for announcements/speeches and all that jazz. What would you expect to do differently for a £400.00 booking?

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

What should I be charging for corporate discos and weddings?


Enough to enable you to cover your expenses and make a profit. Have you worked that out yet?

[Vectis]

smoke, bubble & snow machines, HSM cut outs, inflatable palm trees, inflatable guitars, saxes & mics, wireless mics for announcements/speeches and all that jazz.

You can get away with charging extra for most/all of these items for a corporate gig. Perhaps not HSM cut-outs, obviously ;) :p

A few of the 'extras' I offer include video playout (big screen(s) or monitors) with abstracts, shadowdancers, live dancefloor camera etc.; video recording then onto DVD or website afterwards; event photographer (Mrs VV); event management service including venue hire & liaison, catering, casino/band/vocalist/magician/whatever, uplighting; over-the-top-in-my-opinion-but-some-customers-love-it mega super-huge lighting rig with everything known to man and a bit of tinsel on there for good measure....; pre-event requests; themes; special printing for the events - flyers, lyric sheets for singalongs; the list goes on and on. And for everything you do OTHER THAN provide a disco, charge for it.
:beer1:

[milo]

Enough to enable you to cover your expenses and make a profit. Have you worked that out yet?

Of course I’ve worked that out.

The question is how much profit is justifiable? I want to make a living, not a killing, but at the same time I don’t want to sell myself short.

I have 21 bookings for December, but in February I may only have 5-10. I know “my” market very well (i.e. kids parties) and I am both competitive and popular, but if I can get more wedding and adult event work in the quiet seasons I may just be able to warrant quitting my day job.

First thing’s first though…… I need to know what a fair amount to charge is, so I can promote the DJ side of things.

I’m sure no one would appreciate loosing half of their bookings to a Children’s Entertainer who’s undercutting them by 50%.

[rob1963]

Hi guys,

If anyone has seen my previous posts they will know that I’m a Children’s Entertainer and not a DJ, but I have a nice little disco with a 3m x 2m star cloth, some decent lights, a good amp and speakers etc. I use Virtual DJ to do all the work for me and wouldn’t have a clue how to use decks or any of the real DJ stuff.

I have done quite a few kids discos for corporate clients now and many of them have come back and booked me for their adult functions (especially over Christmas), is this because I’m cheap?

I charge £150.00 for a kids 2 hour disco with games & competitions etc and I’ve just been quoting the same for the adult ones. An adult disco is more like 5 hours, but I don’t actually have to do anything other than set up a play list and put on requests.

What should I be charging for corporate discos and weddings?

Thanks.

Milo.

If you're charging £150 for a kids party, I'd say full discos should be priced somewhere around 50% to 100% more than that.

This is roughly in line with what vectis said he charges, and is also similar to the rates charged by a friend of mine...who does kids discos as well as the normal wedding type stuff.

[DiscoPromotions]

Question here I think, is what do you actually want to make from your business, along with your own personal objectives.

So, if you want to be out every Saturday night you would charge differently to I only want to be out if the fee is good.

[milo]

I like the photo idea! I know some photographers who might come out and do that with me and I could give the organisers their own page on my website to view the photos and purchase albums, framed pics etc. They would be good for staff to buy as secret Santa presents!

Oh ….. Idea…….. Cardboard cut outs of playboy girls and Chippendale strippers with head holes to put your face in! A couple of drinks and everyone would be posing! Oh….. Another idea….. Stocks for the bosses to get chained to!

I’ma thinking now!!!

[milo]

Does anyone do a price match?

Most of these people are booking me because I do their kids stuff so they have already seen me in action.

If I come in at £250.00/£300.00 and offer a price match provided it’s on a like for like basis, do you think that would work.

I could sell it as being such a competitive rate that I will match any lower quote - some will just go ahead straight away and others would call round, if they particularly want me they should come back and ask for a price match?

[rob1963]

Question here I think, is what do you actually want to make from your business, along with your own personal objectives.

So, if you want to be out every Saturday night you would charge differently to I only want to be out if the fee is good.

Trouble is, what you WANT to make and what you ACTUALLY make can often be two very different things!


Does anyone do a price match?

Most of these people are booking me because I do their kids stuff so they have already seen me in action.

If I come in at £250.00/£300.00 and offer a price match provided it’s on a like for like basis, do you think that would work.

I could sell it as being such a competitive rate that I will match any lower quote - some will just go ahead straight away and others would call round, if they particularly want me they should come back and ask for a price match?

To be honest, I don't see how you CAN price match on a like for like basis, as it's virtually impossible to know exactly what another disco is offering. The only person really knows that is THEM.

:shrug:

[milo]

OK, so does no one have a standard price for a wedding or corporate event?

If a potential customer were to call would you not say a five hour disco starts at say £200.00 and this includes a, b, c & d, but if you want e & f they will be an additional xyz each.

For example, my 1 hour kids magic show with games and balloons is £90.00 (I don’t charge travel, if it’s too far I don’t take the booking), if you want a two hour party this will basically include a 1 hour disco with competitions at the end and will cost £150.00. If you want a bouncy castle it’s an extra £60.00, a face painter is £50.00 and catering is £3.00/head for a basic buffet.

If I were a customer calling for a quote and you hesitated or had to work out the price, that would tell me that the price is negotiable and I would nock you down. Whereas if you told me a price from the start and I liked the sound of you I would just book you there and then.

[Vectis]

OK, so does no one have a standard price for a wedding or corporate event?

Yes and no.

I have three standard base packages.

I charge different rates depending on the time of year as where I live work is seasonal.

I also charge different rates depending on the venue. Some are quick and easy to access and others are complete swines.

Some venues are too big for the basic package.

Some venues are too small for the top package.

See where some of the variations come from? And that's before getting into optional extras.

I have a quote generator on my website that the customer can use if they wish. If I get someone on the phone I walk through this in real time with them. The price it spits out at the end is the price I give them over the phone and is the same as if they'd run the quote themselves (which some customers have done BEFORE calling and asking 'how much' :p )

I guess it could it be simplified to the point where I just have three prices, but then I lose the opportunity to chat with the prospective client and establish a relationship.

[rob1963]

OK, so does no one have a standard price for a wedding or corporate event?

Yes...I have standard prices for ALL functions (I don't do kids stuff).

£275 for a standard disco & £350 for a larger one.

Daytime set ups are £30 extra (soon to be increased to £50).

Simple!

:D

[DiscoPromotions]

Does anyone do a price match?

Most of these people are booking me because I do their kids stuff so they have already seen me in action.

If I come in at £250.00/£300.00 and offer a price match provided it’s on a like for like basis, do you think that would work.

I could sell it as being such a competitive rate that I will match any lower quote - some will just go ahead straight away and others would call round, if they particularly want me they should come back and ask for a price match?

So by the sounds of it, its more of a question is "how low will you go?"

[ppentertainments]

Hmm..... Price matching is a big no no for me. I think it gives out the wrong impression and will lead to people trying to barter you down. I am very flexible with most things but price is one thing I won't reduce. I do offer preffered rates, and cover for other dj's at last minute at reduced rates but not for a 'normal' booking.

My discos are almost double my kids party rates. I think £150 is good for a kids party. Networking with other dj's will help give you an idea, although most on here will tell you local charges don't matter.:p

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Of course I’ve worked that out.



If you've worked that out then why the need for a thread about it. Other people can't choose your level of living for you.

[ppentertainments]

If you've worked that out then why the need for a thread about it. Other people can't choose your level of living for you.
With all repect Darren, I don't think its as simple as that. I would love to earn £100k a year - to get this do I just need to increase my prices to say 1k a gig. A lot of people have restricting factors experience etc which mean they can only go out for x when they NEED to earn y.

I agree with what you say, that you need to work out expenses then what profit you would ideally like but this profit figure can be beyond a lot of people.

[yourdj]

I just didn’t want to waist other people’s time by calling around asking for bogus quotes

Be honest with them and tell them your another DJ market researching. share information with them etc. and ask them the questions you need, they are normally more than willing. also contacts if you ever start an agency. :)


video playout (big screen(s) or monitors) with abstracts, shadowdancers, live dancefloor camera etc.; video recording then onto DVD or website afterwards;

How do you get past licensing (music in the background)? im currently taking all my clips offline because of this as mcps check these things and i had never thought about it until last night?

Only asking as im getting a projector and HD camera soon?


With all repect Darren, I don't think its as simple as that. I would love to earn £100k a year

Next year :)