a few ideas please

[lisashacks]

hi guys,

i am just starting up on my own doing my own mobile disco and karaoke business in the past i have gone through agencies or had a residency for over 10 years.

what is the going rate now a days for the following;

* stand alone disco
*karaoke an disco
* stand alone karaoke.
* also new years eve

sorry hope you don't think this is a rude question i just need a little help.

cheers
l:eek:

[Charlie Brown]

How longs a piece of string?

Are you good? Do you believe in yourself? What do you think a 'stand alone disco' is worth with you DJ'ing?

[DeckstarDeluxe]

Oh goody another money thread :)

Question should be what do you think you are worth? Level of service/experience and ability should ideally state what fee you are quoting rather than the "going rate".

I will say that I have stayed away from Karaoke as in my experience people rarely want to pay more than £50 as an add on and with the discs being so expensive I cant really see me making any money from it.

I cant really see how you can do a stand alone karaoke, I would sell it as an add on to a disco.

The good thing about having karaoke is bars are looking to bring in people sun-thurs so if you can land a regular gig somewhere then that can be a nice little earner too.

[Shaun]

Another factor to consider is how much your running costs are. Once you've worked that out then figure out how much you want to add on for yourself.

Have a read of the link below. :)

http://www.forum.mobilediscodirectory.co.uk/showthread.php?t=15309

[DazzyD]

Pro Mobile magazine recently did an article on what you should charge. The basics are:

1. Work out what it would cost the customer to dry hire the equipment that you are providing.
2. Decide how much your time and skills are worth to the customer taking in to account how much you need to make and how much you want to make and find a happy medium
3. Add on your costs (insurance, PAT, music liabrary, equipment maintenance, transport costs, etc).
4. The overall figure is what you should be charging.

Simples!!!

[lisashacks]

Thanks guys I just wanted to know everyones thought on it as I didn't want to charge too little but i also didn't want to charge a stupidly expensive price either if that makes sence.

[ppentertainments]

All depends where you live :sofa: :D

Sensible answer - don't look at 'going rates', instead concentrate on 'your rate'.

[lisashacks]

yeah true very true do any of you find that your rates have gone down during the credit crunch

[Charlie Brown]

yeah true very true do any of you find that your rates have gone down during the credit crunch

Why would they?

In the past year my prices have doubled then half of that added on top.

People are still getting married. Don't let the credit crunch affect the service you provide. :)

[Corabar Entertainment]

As mentioned in the thread that Shaun linked to above:-
Another factor to consider is how much your running costs are. Once you've worked that out then figure out how much you want to add on for yourself.

Have a read of the link below. :)

http://www.forum.mobilediscodirectory.co.uk/showthread.php?t=15309...during lean times, you may get fewer gigs, but your overheads won't reduce by much, so you will actually have less profit per gig just by keeping prices the same. It would be very easy to go into the red if you reduced your prices as well as having fewer gigs.

[Charlie Brown]

As mentioned in the thread that Shaun linked to above:- ...during lean times, you may get fewer gigs, but your overheads won't reduce by much, so you will actually have less profit per gig just by keeping prices the same. It would be very easy to go into the red if you reduced your prices as well as having fewer gigs.

:agree: with what Angela is saying but we don't know whether he has to buy new gear? Music?

More information would be nice.

[Corabar Entertainment]

:agree: with what Angela is saying but we don't know whether he has to buy new gear? Music?

More information would be nice.Well, the first piece of information you really could've taken notice of Charlie is that 'Lisa' is most likely a 'she' :p :D

[Charlie Brown]

Well, the first piece of information you really could've taken notice of Charlie is that 'Lisa' is most likely a 'she' :p :D

:lol:

Apologies Lisa! I obviously had you mistaken for Mr Clarke! He's a good friend of mine. :o

:sofa:

[Corabar Entertainment]

:lol:

Apologies Lisa! I obviously had you mistaken for Mr Clarke! He's a good friend of mine. :o

:sofa::rofl: (Sorry Lisa... 'in-forum' joke there :) )

[Vectis]

:lol:

Apologies Lisa! I obviously had you mistaken for Mr Clarke! He's a good friend of mine. :o

:sofa:

More likely that Charlie's not noticed girls yet... :sofa:

[lisashacks]

oh i understand what your saying, i would rather have got advice off you guys that actually gig. I noticed that people that don't actually do it are quick to give advice on how much to charge, i been told to charge some stupidly ow prices

[lisashacks]

lmao I am defiantly a girl lol last time i checked

[Charlie Brown]

oh i understand what your saying, i would rather have got advice off you guys that actually gig. I noticed that people that don't actually do it are quick to give advice on how much to charge, i been told to charge some stupidly ow prices

1) Have you brought equipment? Are you happy with it?

2) What's your music collection like? Road ready?

3) PLI & PAT - up to date?

4) Office supplies...Ink, Paper, Folders, Telephone Bill and any advertising?

[Corabar Entertainment]

oh i understand what your saying, i would rather have got advice off you guys that actually gig. Not sure if we're talking at cross-purposes here Lisa, but that link in Shaun's post is to another thread on this forum - so it is all info from working DJs :)

[lisashacks]

yeah i have got all of the above

[lisashacks]

I ain't blonde but i am a bit confused now lmao

[Vectis]

Where you planning on working?

I can give you examples of successful recent quotes for most areas for different types of events.

[lisashacks]

no i ment non-Dj friends etc.. telling what prices i should charge because they think they no. that's why I am checking with you guys because you are all pro's and no what you are charging is the right price. so I hope you guys don't mind me asking for your advice.

Vectis I am in London I am south london but I can travel all over.

[Corabar Entertainment]

I ain't blonde but i am a bit confused now lmao
What are you confused about? (Everyone has blonde moments :D )

Just say, and we'll do our best to lift the mist ;) :D

[Charlie Brown]

yeah i have got all of the above

Brilliant, so in a sense - you're ready to go out on the road ASAP!

Now's the time to do 'market research'! Lisa, you'll be grand at this.* ;) :p

There are two ways you can do it...

1) The sly/sneaky/naughty way BUT you'll probably get a clearer picture with honest answers. I know a few people on here will argue against that and say they would help & tell the truth to anyone but IMHO not everyone is like that - especially when it's quite a competitive industry.

...Drop a few emails/calls to local competition 'enquiring' about their services. Don't make it too long winded. Firstly have a nosy around their site. What are your first impressions? Some sites will be lovely & sophisticated and others will be very basic. You MAY discover a pattern in pricing between the better and less sophisticated sites. ;)

2) The second HONEST method is to phone other suppliers out right. Have a chat about the industry, sign of the times, marketing, areas that have worked for them etc. Some won't tell you the whole truth but you never know. :)

...Either way, you will have a feel for what others in your area are charging and the service they are providing. :)

Try and think outside the box and look for a niece. Are there a lot of DJs offering Quiz nights? Civil Partnership friendly? Etc.

*A while back I went for the first option and was caught red handed by DCI Corbabar. My fake name was 'Lisa Clarke' - Hence the jokes. :)

[lisashacks]

lmao it's ok i miss read sumthing blonde moment has gone now lmao

[NKR]

Try and think outside the box and look for a niece. Are there a lot of DJs offering Quiz nights? Civil Partnership friendly? Etc.

*A while back I went for the first option and was caught red handed by DCI Corbabar. My fake name was 'Lisa Clarke' - Hence the jokes. :)

I have a niece, but not sure my sister would want to part with her and not sure how having a niece helps in the business. :D

We found a niche by offering a DJ and vocal artist servies for weddings.

[Vectis]

Vectis I am in London I am south london but I can travel all over.

Well there are exceptions to every rule, of course, and pricing is one of the most contentious topics on this forum.

However, and this information is straight from the horses' mouths - ie the client that booked the DJ and not the DJ themselves - and the averages for your area over the last three successful quotes has been:

- typical adult evening parties in community halls / social clubs (4/5 hours DJing) = £200

- typical evening wedding in hotels (4/5 hours, no extras) = just under £250

That said, the range for the former tend to lie in the £150-£250 bracket, and for the latter, £150 - £400.

Now when you get to weddings and corporate events in prestige venues (very posh hotels, manors etc.) then you're looking at quite a bit more - BUT the expectation is of a particularly special service offering.

HTH

[Corabar Entertainment]

lmao it's ok i miss read sumthing blonde moment has gone now lmaoGood :)


*A while back I went for the first option and was caught red handed by DCI Corbabar. My fake name was 'Lisa Clarke' - Hence the jokes. :)Yes... and to find out what we all thought of that, have a read here: http://www.forum.mobilediscodirectory.co.uk/showthread.php?t=28946&highlight=Lisa

The only thing with 'market research' is that it will only tell you what others charge, it won't tell you what you need to charge. There's no point in everybody pricing themselves the same / similar to others unless somebody is doing the hard work to price up what you should charge to cover costs and make a profit (and assuming that you're relying on someone else, that their overheads and service is comparable to yours)

[Charlie Brown]

Yes... and to find out what we all thought of that, have a read here: http://www.forum.mobilediscodirectory.co.uk/showthread.php?t=28946&highlight=Lisa


You just had to dig it out didn't you. :sj: :D

[NKR]

Definition of worth is generally accepted as what someone is willing to pay for it.

Therefore regardless of your cost base you need to be looking at what people are willing to pay. If that puts you in the red, you need to look at your cost base.

Hence multiple manufacturers having gone to East Asia over the years. However, there is still a need to provide quality and that is where you can cement your cost above the base rate. Hence why BMW and Audi are some of the best selling cars whilst not being the cheapest.

[Corabar Entertainment]

You just had to dig it out didn't you. :sj: :D
Yup! :D

[lisashacks]

I will have a good old read of the threadhttp://www.forum.mobilediscodirector...highlight=Lisa so are you a drag dj lamo jokes

[lisashacks]

lmao interesting thread haha

[DeckstarDeluxe]

Also Lisa get to know your local operators and network when possible. It might take awhile to gain any work from it but I have worked for a few guys on here and also recently got djs working for me off here. People are much happier dealing with people who they have met rather than just some off the net.