What would you do different?

[rth_discos]

If you were setting up your business from scratch now, what would you have done differently and why?

Is it your company name, logo, setup etc etc?

Hindsight is always a wonderful thing - was there a decision you made earlier on thinking the business would go in one direction, and then realised it went another direction, and that decision isn't now the one you would have made!

[yourdj]

If you were setting up your business from scratch now, what would you have done differently and why?

Is it your company name, logo, setup etc etc?

Hindsight is always a wonderful thing - was there a decision you made earlier on thinking the business would go in one direction, and then realised it went another direction, and that decision isn't now the one you would have made!

Nothing really, i have enjoyed every minute of my success and failures?
Doing things wrong sometimes is the whole fun of it (especially when experimenting with marketing).

Making sure you get the service and performance on the night right is key though.
No catastrophic mistakes so not too bad!!

In terms of purchases I suppose its just part of developing and I have always sold everything at a good resale rate.
I must say i have been rather lucky and have got a profitable/enjoyable business rather quickly. :)

[scott23]

Not accepting future pricing! A lesson learned the hard way, ie when someone states they shall advertise you etc or always use you for future jobs if you give them a discount price! Charity's tend to be the worst offenders.

A wouldn't have bought that daft dancing in clouds Chinese piece of crap either.

[ppentertainments]

Equipment wise I would have bought decent second hand kit when I started instead of cheap new kit.

Educationally I would have listened less to other DJs - maybe a bit controversial but a lot of the 'knowledgeable' DJs who claim to be successful are often not as they seem once you get to know them.

I would have made the jump to full-time a lot earlier.

I would have differentiated between business and personal needs more ie buying a van even though I liked my car, dedicating myself proper office space instead of a corner of the spare room.

I would have spent more on my corporate image from the beginning.

Overall though I am quite happy and must admit I think I have one of the best jobs in the world.

[yourdj]

Educationally I would have listened less to other DJs - maybe a bit controversial but a lot of the 'knowledgeable' DJs who claim to be successful are often not as they seem once you get to know them.

But totally true. ;)

I have never listened to anyone, my teachers loved me - not. I have always looked at busy profitable DJ's and used them for inspiration, but mostly just done my own thing through trial and error. :)

Oh there is something, i would had bought my zafira years ago, rather than towing a trailer and going through 3 vans.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Firstly, even though I hated it with a passion, I probably would have tried my hardest to stay in the job I was in and gradually built up bits of my business over the months.
I got married in the middle of July and ended up leaving my job in October. The only equipment I had of my own was 2 x Pioneer CDJ's and a Pioneer mixer in a coffin flightcase as I was hiring the sound and lights in for my regular Alternative nights in a local bar.

I walked into the hotel down the road from me in the middle of November, met the manager and was offered the Christmas contract which I had to turn down (their resident DJ was given his marching orders).

I'd have got a business loan and not spent almost any penny I could get my hands on buying mediocre equipment (and lots of it).
Although I knew quite a bit about the whole business I wasn't ready to just walk into somewhere and start up straight away. I didn't have a website, PLI or PAT and I hadn't designed stationary (booking forms etc).

I guess it was a case of "Yes, let's get out there!" and then when the opportunity arose and I was offered a contract straight away I wasn't 100% confident in myself to take it so I waited. I knew the manager of the hotel as I'd DJ'd there many times when working for someone else. It was mid January by the time I had got myself equipment.

I wouldn't of bought enough for 3 x DJ's as my idea was to get up and running and get multiple Discos out there as I knew plenty of other DJ's. It just didn't work like that.
Mind you, some of the equipment came in handy when it came to back up and also hire.

That's about it really. I am happy with how things have gone apart from the above and quite chuffed with myself. Every year has improved on the previous one and the bookings are better and I can kind of pick and choose what I want to do now whereas before I was just taking everything that came in.

1st February will be my 11th year running my little business and I don't think I could ever go back to doing anything else or working for someone else again.

[funkymook]

Knowing what I know now there's probably quite a lot I'd do different - but I only know what I know now by having done all of it.

This is why a lot of advice from experienced DJ's seems to fall on deaf ears, you have to build your own experience by trial and error.

So if you want to know what a DJ would've done differently look at what they're advising new DJ's to do.

[ukpartydj]

I probably wouldn't have picked a name which encourages enquiries from 400 miles away... But I've got other trading styles now so not a biggy.

Some of my "mistakes" have been the most enjoyable and educational experiences and if nothing else have given me a story to tell!

Hard to think of it as a mistake if you only have positive memories of it... And before he rushes to make a joke of that... I'm not referring to a one night stand (Benny) :)

[Benny Smyth]

Hard to think of it as a mistake if you only have positive memories of it... And before he rushes to make a joke of that... I'm not referring to a one night stand (Benny) :)

Are you suggesting that we've had a one night stand? :daft:

[ukpartydj]

Are you suggesting that we've had a one night stand? :daft:

I'm pretty sure I would have mentioned it in my first reply to "What would you do different" if that was the case :D

[Nakatomi]

What wouldn't I do differently would be more the question for me. When I look back at the old days when I first started I cringe at a lot of the things I've done. It was fun though, and nobody got hurt...

This time round I'm trying not to do things in half measures with regard to gear, but it's sometimes borne out of necessity. Not having enough cash, and not being willing to go up to my neck with finance. With no debt I can walk away from this any time I like. Maybe it's time for a firmer commitment.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Realise you make a lot more money than being in a band sooner :D

I wouldn't really do anything different - everything has been a growing and learning experience and I've not had any really appalling purchases or owt like that. Maybe got on the controller bandwagon sooner but it was never anything that particularly held me back.

One minor point, without turning this into a pricing thread: for years I've avoided kids and school parties like the plague but picked up a few over Christmas and January to fill the calendar and looking at gigs where you turn up with a minimal rig, mix some Justin Bieber tunes, play a few daft games and are struck and on the road 15-20 minutes after finish time and in the pub before a lot of folk are starting their shift for a fee that sounds suspiciously like finety nive quid an hour of performance time... I'd be seriously reconsidering setting my stall out as a wedding DJ with all the prep and stress that comes with it.

[DeckstarDeluxe]

Not really much I would apart from getting involved in DJing much younger. I made mistakes but those are things you should learn from and use to your advantage for years to come and some things you just have to do wrong yourself rather than taking someones elses advice that it is (because then how do you judge what else is good/bad etc..).

[Excalibur]

If you were setting up your business from scratch now, what would you have done differently and why?

Just about everything? :whistle: