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womble
18-12-2010, 09:58 PM
I've just agreed to do a wedding for free.

It's for a local landlady who gives us 10k a year in business so think it's a fair bit of business? Am I mad?
Charlie Brown
18-12-2010, 10:10 PM
I've just agreed to do a wedding for free.

It's for a local landlady who gives us 10k a year in business so think it's a fair bit of business? Am I mad?

10k? I'd of done it for a free or a reduced fee. :beer1:

Would she let you hire their function room out for free if you had a wedding?
JTRS
18-12-2010, 10:15 PM
No I don't think you are.

I have a local venue who recommend me every time they have a function, they don't recommend anyone else and whenever I go there I get well fed (it's a really nice Italian restaurant with a function room).

When I go there as a diner they never charge me full price either, so in return I always do their staff party free of charge and I also give a discount if its a member of staff that needs a DJ.

I see it as good business, even more so because there has never been the slightest hint of trouble and if I need to leave my gear overnight I know its safe.

JTRS
Megamix
18-12-2010, 11:10 PM
No its very sensible - it’s the way the world works
yourdj
18-12-2010, 11:24 PM
Only one - one of my venues staff party.

Otherwise £195 for friends and certain other people (ie hotel owners and staff if I like them :))
Chris1984
19-12-2010, 10:06 AM
No its very sensible - it’s the way the world works

:agree: :agree: :agree:
DAVESOUNDS SERVICES
19-12-2010, 10:22 AM
Agreed
Sounds like good business sense!

Dave
yourdj
19-12-2010, 11:37 AM
I do not think he is mad if it may encourage more business.
Just like every company they offer incentives and offers.
and sometimes things are free. Not everything at once though, its like boots opening its stores and closing the checkouts.
Solitaire Events Ltd
19-12-2010, 01:36 PM
I've just agreed to do a wedding for free.



Why has she asked you to do it for free, just out of interest?
Shakermaker Promotions
19-12-2010, 01:46 PM
I don't think you're mad either.
I do the staff party for my residencies free of charge as they give me work all year round.
BeerFunk
19-12-2010, 03:07 PM
Why has she asked you to do it for free, just out of interest?That was going to be my question - did she ask you to do it for free, or did you offer?
womble
20-12-2010, 10:29 PM
She told us that they'd booked the wedding and I offered to do the disco for free on the spot. She provides us £200 a week through a residency, so I think we more than make our money back through her.
Booche
20-12-2010, 10:56 PM
My personnal view is a "FREE" gig is ok If its only a one off and does actually pays for its self in the long run etc its ok saying the venue provides you with X amount and X amount of gigs BUT if anything fails it's still your pocket that pays for any repairs etc, your PLI and PAT isn't "FREE" for that gig and also i'd have to work out if doing that one gig is worth it in the long run and IF i would make it back on other gig's

Again this is just my view on "FREE" gigs and yes i have done one but only one as i got the normal excuse we will offer you more work etc and still to this day i've had nothing from it so therefore i shall not be providing anymore "FREE" gigs again.

Once bitten twice shy ;)

Hope it goes/went ok for you buddy :)
Penfold42
20-12-2010, 11:22 PM
Free.....:eek:

You must be joking! What are you doing this for at the end of the day, to make a living.

This leaves yourself wide open for others.......word of mouth gets around quick. IMO
JTRS
20-12-2010, 11:34 PM
Your original post stated that you had 'agreed' to do a wedding for free at a venue that gives you a lot of business, now you are saying that you actually OFFERED to do the wedding for free.

There is a big difference between agreeing to something to help a venue out that gives you lots of work and offering to do a freebie.

I wouldn't have offered to do the event for free, I don't see it is a sound business move, IMHO it would have been better to wait to see what the venue would have done/said.

JTRS
visualdjmax
21-12-2010, 08:05 AM
:agree: :agree: :agree:

Agreed!
sxboy
21-12-2010, 08:09 AM
Think I will ring british gas and ask if I could have free gas throughout december as I have been with them for over 10 years and spent alot with them, wonder what they would say!

Free gigs, never!
Excalibur
21-12-2010, 08:47 AM
Come on children, do the sums. Over a long period, if you add up the total and divide it by the number of discos done, it may be about a 50p discount per gig.
DJ Frankie
21-12-2010, 09:12 AM
Just out of interest, why did you agree to do a random wedding at the hotel for free??? If its a staff party then yes I too would have done it but a wedding???
Vectis
21-12-2010, 09:23 AM
Womble - looks like you forgot to put your charity number in your signature mate ... I was under the impression it had to go on all correspondence ;)
Solitaire Events Ltd
21-12-2010, 09:44 AM
Your original post stated that you had 'agreed' to do a wedding for free at a venue that gives you a lot of business, now you are saying that you actually OFFERED to do the wedding for free.

There is a big difference between agreeing to something to help a venue out that gives you lots of work and offering to do a freebie.

I wouldn't have offered to do the event for free, I don't see it is a sound business move, IMHO it would have been better to wait to see what the venue would have done/said.

JTRS

Agreed on all counts.
Jonathan Ford
21-12-2010, 09:49 AM
I don't see what you gain from this arrangement? If the venue is happy with your work, and it's going to keep coming anyway...?? Sure, it's nice to say thank you to a regular client; a lot of businesses do. Perhaps a decent bottle of wine, or a plant or something, but a £350 wedding disco is pushing the boat out a little!