Help, I'm a part time DJ, get me out of here

[Ricesnaps]

Maybe nothing will come of this?

Maybe there isn't actually an answer?

But after today, I want out of the day job! I want to do something for a full time living that I actually love doing.

Question is HOW!

I'm guessing there are others who have the mortgage, the child on the way and the car to run (so to speak). I really would need to at least match my current salary.

Or should I just put up?

[Vectis]

It's so hard once you've got a regular decent income to take the plunge. For years I had a 9-to-5 and was DJin on the weekends and there was always one more reason not to make the break... bigger house, kid, new car, nice holiday.

The last big expense was finally moving to the IoW from 'oop north' which had been a long-term aim as my wife's family live here.

Since then I've been lucky enough to first negotiate some 'work-from-home' time and then last year dropped from 5 days to 3. It was a shock at first but this was lessened by the fact that the salary didn't drop by a third as most of the reduction was in the higher-rate bracket. So it was more like 20%. Which was quickly made up for by landing a couple of semi-regular-but-not-that-well-paying disco contracts.

Hoping to drop these next year and rely on well-paying private bookings. Then the year after that either binning the main job (big step) or replacing it with something local and more menial like driving a van or something!

I'll get there in the end.

If you find any shortcuts, let me know! :p

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

The real difficulty Matt is knowing if you are going to be still enjoying DJing if and when you do it for a living.

I know lots of DJs who couldn't or wouldn't do this for a living as it would take the enjoyment out of it for them.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Hold on mate, here we go...this could be a long one...ready?...here we go.

For years and years I did jobs that I hated and always thought to myself that one day I wanted to so a job that I actually loved doing and one that I was good at but the thought of running my own business and going self employed really scared me etc etc..
At one point I was actually working for a friend of mine who was doing exactly what I wanted to do (run his own Disco Entertainment business) and sometimes I was out up to 6 nights a week. I did this for around 5 years if I remember rightly and you would think that I was earning loads of money but I wasn't. I was using his equipment and so I was getting the type of money that I would laugh out now especially for the hours I was putting in.

Doing that job full time taught me a lesson and it actually put me off for a while but it was simply because I was lining someone elses pockets. I learnt a few things about how NOT to do it and before long I found myself back in a day job and once again ....bored with life altogeather. I remember travelling to work everyday, was never late, never ill and did my job well but was never appreciated. One day I had a warning from my boss about something that was so un-important that I went home that night and spoke to my missus. We had only been married about 6 months at the time and were paying off the wedding etc...She had been in exactly the same position as I was a long time ago...once again, being a talented designer / dressmaker but lining someone elses pockets and not being appreciated etc..She wanted to start her own business and I supported her whilst she set it up. I didn't have the money at the time to support her but I wanted her to be happy and it worked. She is doing really really well now. When we spoke one evening I told her that I really didn't want to go to work in the morning and I had made my mind up about what I wanted to do and that was to DJ full time and set up my business...she simply replied..."Do whatever makes you happy, go for it"..

I had hardly any sleep that night because I was thinking about work the next day. I didn't even put my shirt and tie on and drove to work in my jeans and t-shirt. I got there, went straight to the boss's office and told him that I wanted to leave there and then. They were totally surprised and unaware that i was unhappy and even offered me a pay rise to keep me there but I wasn't interested. It actually did me a favour. I had lots of holiday left which I hadn't used up and we had just been paid too. They said that if I was serious then I would have to leave the building immediately for security reasons which was a bit sad as I never got to say goodbye to my mates. I was put on gardening leave so i was paid for being off, had my holiday days turned into money and also had another months money coming so I was actually pretty well off for that month. It was the kick I needed.

It was such a relief when I left the building knowing that i would never have to go back to the place again. In fact, in my mind I was never going to work for anyone else full time again and I still think like that. I spoke to the missus that night and we talked about how I was going to go about things. I had a few contacts in bars and places that I had DJ'd at before so my first thing was to make appointments with them. I also spent some money on some CD decks and speakers etc and a few lights (second hand). Within a couple of weeks I had my first setup which wasn't too bad.

I decided to do a mailshot to schools, pubs, hotels etc and get some fancy cards and postcards done by Vistaprint (someone had recommended them). I spoke to various people on forums who informed me about PLI and PAT stuff, advertising etc etc and it scared me if I am honest. I wondered if I had made the right decision for a while as things were quiet for a time. One day I had a phonecall from a mate who said that he knew someone who was looking for a decent DJ for a birthday party. I rang the guy, did the party and from there it just grew.

18 months later and things have changed totally. I now have 4 set ups, a full diary (next weekend day off is end of January at the moment)...regular venues and contracts and have made a name for myself. I am getting calls everyday and it's going well, better than I could ever have imagined to be honest.

I know that was a bit of a story but I have cut it down big time...it's not been easy and there were times at the beginning when it was quiet that I was worried...I am lucky as it has worked for me...my friends and family think I am very lucky doing something I love and making decent money from it. Once it gets going mate (which it will) you will never look back. You will have the days to yourself to do admin, web updates etc etc and answer enquiries and the weekends will mean a lot more because you won't be working all week and wishing you didn't have to work.

The only downside is that because I am so busy, I don't get to see my friends in a social way as much but that's the sacrifice.
What I thought was scary at the start...really wasn't.

When you think of advertising, PLI, PAT, equipment, stationary etc for starters you think it's going to be expensive but all of these (apart from the PAT), are payable monthly if required.

If you are DJing already then you would have done most of this already so the biggest and toughest question you have to ask yourself is "Do I go for it or not?" - I say DO IT!!! The amount of people that say to me how good it is that someone gets back to them almost immediately after an enquiry is unbelievable. It may sound silly but some people it seems do not like leaving messages and waiting for someone to get back to them. Being available all the time and especially during the day is a real advantage too.

BUT...don't forget, I am sure that there are people out there who still work full time AND run their own business at the weekend too. I just prefer it the way I am doing it. When you can concentrate 100% on the business you find that you always come up with little ideas on how to improve things and some of those little things really do work. It's amazing how much a meeting with people before their function works. Sometimes if you have been at work all day all you want to do is chill out and that's understandable but it's things like that which will help the workload improve. I had 3 meetings yesterday and 2 of them commented on how nice it was of me to actually go round and see them. I have a meeting tonight too and the bride and groom have already commented that they have told their friends that "the DJ is coming to see them" and they all thought it was a great idea.

That's just one example but at the end of the day, it is something I do whenever possible, good customer service. An advantage of doing it full time too.

[rob1963]

The real difficulty Matt is knowing if you are going to be still enjoying DJing if and when you do it for a living.

I know lots of DJs who couldn't or wouldn't do this for a living as it would take the enjoyment out of it for them.

Are you serious?

Since I started doing it for a living 3 years ago, I now enjoy it even MORE!

No more getting up at 5.45 every morning...I now get up around 10.15.

No more spending the whole day in a short staffed office full of moaning customers & being told to get more & more sales...I am now my own boss and do what I like all day. Sometimes I go out for the day & sometimes I meet friends for a pub lunch.

No more having to work 40+ hours a week to earn £300...I now earn that from one 4 hour disco.

I wonder how many people with a day job enjoy that more than doing mobiles? Leaving MY day job was the best thing I've ever done. My only regret is that I didn't do it years earlier!

How could anyone like me who has taken the plunge lose the enjoyment of gigging?

:shrug:

[Corabar Steve]

No more having to work 40+ hours a week to earn £300...I now earn that from one 4 hour disco.
Less outgoings (unless you charge £100 an hour, it's not all profit)

[rob1963]

Less outgoings (unless you charge £100 an hour, it's not all profit)

Fair comment, Steve.

I forgot to mention that another reason I enjoy mobiles more now than when I had the daytime job is that I'm more relaxed & can give them 100%.

Previously, I'd be out doing a gig & would often get distracted when I started thinking about the till difference I couldnt find from the day before, or the fact that the number 1 cashier was off for the next 2 weeks & I'd be covering her job so I'd be much busier, or the new computer system that was coming in on Monday...and how I would get on with it, or the query I'd been given to sort out by the manager & was getting nowhere fast with it etc etc etc......

[Stephen_N.I.]

I agree with Shaker and Rob.
Although I'm still a young pup (21) I left school at 16 and worked from there, had various jobs, (the money was ok) but you came home at night tired, wasn't appreciated in the job and had absolutely no time to do anything for yourself (renew car insurance, go to the bank etc).
I had decks since I was 13 and always wanted to make it as a club DJ, but evenutally I broadened my horizons to all sorts of music, now I find it hard to play club music.
So last year I took the plunge and quit my job.
It was slow to start but I'm getting there, (I'm professional just under a year now) and all my customers have been very happy so far, I feel like a natural doing it and love every minute, (apart from packing up, I think everyone does). Don't get me wrong, 70% of my earnings is still paying off equipment and loans but I'm getting there.
But the best thing is I've no pressure anymore and am my own boss.
Can't beat it with a big stick.
(Although I may need a wee P/T job to pay off the bills, but won't take it seriously, lol)

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Same as that Rob. Sometimes in the day job I would take the work home with me and it was a pain. When it came to DJing, although I hope I didn't show it, the last thing I wanted to do was be out DJing in a club until the early hours thinking about what work was going to be like the next day.

I'm not saying it's all roses. I have the bigger picture in mind with my business and I would like to think that in say 5 years time I will be picking and choosing the functions I want to do and let everyone else get on with the rest for me. The week is great because it's mine and also because the missus works from home too it means that now and then we can go out in the day with the dogs or go the pub or whatever. I work hard at the weekend and sometimes survive on around 5 hours kip over friday and saturday but when sunday comes and I am sat there in the afternoon chilling, I have the satisfaction of knowing that I have provided quality entertainment, got paid well and have the next few days to myself. More often than not I will be down the pub by 5pm and staggering home by closing because I can and I don't have to worry about getting up early and suffering the hangover sat at work all day just wanting to be at home.

As you said too Rob...I love what i do and count myself very lucky.

[CRAZY K]

Maybe nothing will come of this?

Maybe there isn't actually an answer?

But after today, I want out of the day job! I want to do something for a full time living that I actually love doing.

Question is HOW!

I'm guessing there are others who have the mortgage, the child on the way and the car to run (so to speak). I really would need to at least match my current salary.

Or should I just put up?

Depends on your existing FIXED overheads Matt--Mortgage, Gas Electricity etc. by that I mean you cant say ill not bother with that--I know Mortgage Rates are likely to increase!

I reckon you need to have extra DJ units with equipment working with you ( like Daz and Steve amongst others) to make it viable--you cant be in 4 places at the same time-and maybe open a proper agency and pass work on.

The PA thing is viable if you are full time--have you got some savings to draw on if the going gets tough in the first 6 months?

All fairly basic stuff--you could do worse than talk to your local Business Link-they are very supportive for new businesses.

IF YOU WERE A SINGLE BLOKE WITH NO RESPONSIBILITES--ITS A NO BRAINER:D

CRAZY K

[Ricesnaps]

Depends on your existing FIXED overheads Matt--Mortgage, Gas Electricity etc. by that I mean you cant say ill not bother with that--I know Mortgage Rates are likely to increase!

I reckon you need to have extra DJ units with equipment working with you ( like Daz and Steve amongst others) to make it viable--you cant be in 4 places at the same time-and maybe open a proper agency and pass work on.

The PA thing is viable if you are full time--have you got some savings to draw on if the going gets tough in the first 6 months?

All fairly basic stuff--you could do worse than talk to your local Business Link-they are very supportive for new businesses.

IF YOU WERE A SINGLE BLOKE WITH NO RESPONSIBILITES--ITS A NO BRAINER:D

CRAZY K

I know :( and now I'm nearly a dad too!

You know what I would really like. I would love to be able to work hard at the DJing business over the next 12 months to get myself to a position where I could take the plunge. Is that unrealistic? I get enough work for a part timer right now - mainly just Saturday nights and I'm fairly well booked up, but I'm not getting calls everyday and turning work away left right and center. I am starting to pick up a few Friday nights (which I started doing more because I felt I might need a bit of extra when the baby is here), which I historically chose not to do because of the day job. Would the lots of hard work and a goal to leave the day job in 12 months be realisic and achievable (although I'm sure if you want something enough it'll always be achievable)

[TonyB]

I totally agree with whats been said. Quitting my full time job was the best thing I have ever done. I used to sit on a train commuting to London thinking there must be more to life than this.

Quitting your full time job is scary as you worry about how you are going to pay the bills, buy food etc. but you adapt and get by. It is tough for a while - the first year is the worst while you are finding your feet.

Its amazing how many other doors open when you are not not working full time. I've always been interested in IT and now do some contract work for a local charity working with disabled people and teaching them IT skills. It is ideal for me because I can choose my hours and only work when I feel Like it. Being paid by the hour means I am free to come and go as I please so rather than sit around during the day, I am doing something else I enjoy.

I could never go back to working full time for someone else and lining someone else's pocket. Its almost like doing a prison sentence where the employer wants to dictate and control everything you do.

I am a lot more relaxed and happier than I ever was when working full time.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

In my opinion, friday nights are the harder days to fill. I thought that when I started but now I do 4 different venues on each friday of the month so fridays are sorted now.
If you could get yourself a guaranteed friday every week so you have 2 nights at least every weekend then I think you will make up your mind very quickly mate.

[Ricesnaps]

In my opinion, friday nights are the harder days to fill. I thought that when I started but now I do 4 different venues on each friday of the month so fridays are sorted now.
If you could get yourself a guaranteed friday every week so you have 2 nights at least every weekend then I think you will make up your mind very quickly mate.

What sort of Friday work do you get?

Did the club scene many years ago and would love to get back into a bit of that

[Corabar Steve]

I reckon you need to have extra DJ units with equipment working with you ( like Daz and Steve amongst others) to make it viable--you cant be in 4 places at the same time-and maybe open a proper agency and pass work on

Operating an agency is a whole different ball game to what we do & with it comes a whole heap of rules & regs that you have to adhere to. If you can find somebody else to work for you with your equipment then it may just work, but I wouldn't advise going down the agency route unless you've done your research.

[rob1963]

In my opinion, friday nights are the harder days to fill.

Completely agree.

I get more SUNDAY gigs (4 this year) than Fridays.

From memory, I think I've only done 1 Friday gig all year...and none booked in.

[Corabar Steve]

I can't remember the last Friday I didn't work, & that's not all at our residency. Mainly weddings & a few birthdays.

[Danno13]

I work nearly every friday too, except for this month and september, when i only have a couple. Sundays.. i've had two all year :(

[Adam_F]

I work nearly every friday too, except for this month and september, when i only have a couple. Sundays.. i've had two all year :(

Same here really, got my first Sunday booking this weekend, thats the only one for me!

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Rice'.... Some are pubs/bars and some are private do's. The majority are the former though. It's worth checking out some venues near to you and asking about mate.

I haven't worked a sunday for a while now. The last one I did was a wedding and kids party on the same day. I have an enquiry for a christmas party on a monday night in October believe it or not.

[Corabar Steve]

I'm wondering if it's a regional thing? Some areas inhabitants are more prone to going out on Fridays than others.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

The way I put it across to the venues I do was that friday is THE night to go out as most people work all week and can't wait to get home, showered and out the door to go pubbing and clubbing etc with saturdays being the day for private functions etc... The answers I received were along the lines of "We're busy anyway before everyone nicks off and goes clubbing so what's the point?"...My answer was "Well why not have something that keeps the people in here all night or for as long as possible?" - I offered my services at a discounted price at first to see how things went and when they went well (which I knew they would), the price was the usual price. Obviously pub and bar work is cheaper than private work but it is still money and over the month it all adds up. One of the places I do has extended it's hours from 12.30am to 2.00am because it is popular.

Maybe it's different where I am? Basingstoke is full of bars and pubs etc but there is only one club and that is Liquid which caters for the usual...you know what I mean. It's all about doing something different in my view. The main bar that I do is a student orientated place and I play anything and everything...I call it REQUEST FEST and it works really well.

Another thing I do is hire a small venue twice a month and put on a specific genre of music, my choice is at the beginning of the month 'Indie & Alternative' and at the end of the month 'Retro'. Both nights are full (200 capacity) and all I have to do is charge on the door and hire the place. I advertise on my website and the local press as I know someone who works at the local paper and I also make up flyers and have posters in the venue and at some of my other venues. I stagger the door prices and more often than not, after I have paid for the hire of the place I can walk away with quite a nice profit (usually double what I charge for a private function).

It may well be another way to look at things if your area is the same as mine. Maybe look at hiring somewhere and doing something?
It sounds a lot of work but it's not and it's very profitable. I also think that if you look at the venues around you and most of them are playing the usual Dance/Chart/Rnb/Hip Hop etc then approach somewhere and suggest something totally different. You'd be surprised how many bar owners get stuck in a rut thinking that by doing what everyone else is doing and by being relatively busy that they are doing well...You go in there ultra confident telling them your ideas and knowing that they will work....just talking to people on the streets helps too. I was asked to DJ at a venue in the centre of town a few weeks back on a friday. The owner said that I could do what i wanted so I played Indie and Alternative and Retro all night from 9pm - 2am. The takings were great, I got paid well but more importantly, the place was busy because the people in the town liked the fact that something different was being played and not the usual.

Go on...do it!

[funkymike]

What a interesting topic. I myself have done djing full time and there are so many doors that open, and getting up late in the morning is great:D However I was also a house husband, I taught myself how to cook (daytime tv) made light boxes and some for mates, even growing veg in the garden, and look after the kids and teaching them things like cooking and gardening, still cant work the washing machine though:confused: Anyway A year ago I decided to go back to work full time and have a rest, but after a year, naaa it just not for me, your boss whoever you work for are alwayscomplete *EXPLETIVE REMOVED* and they expect you stay late when it suits them, even if you booked for a wedding reception, so cut a long story short I got sacked for not being committed to the job, I think they where jealous because my outside interests where more fun and far better paid than a full time job (and yer I have bragged about how much I can earn on a good weekend and they dont like it) So Iam now back to were I was a yr ago and again its the school holidays so I can look after the kids, I dont feel tried after working allday and having the disco paid for my bike test and motorbike I got all the time in the world to enjoy life and put 110% into the disco's and get more bookings as there is more time in the day and one can perform better.

So go for it Rice, you wont regret it:D

[Thames Valley Discos]

I'd just say Rice that with a baby on the way if you do decide to quit work, just make sure your finances are good enough should things be slow.
Believe me Babies are not cheap!!
I myself prever to have my fingers in more than one pie so to speak.

[CRAZY K]

I know :( and now I'm nearly a dad too!

You know what I would really like. I would love to be able to work **** hard at the DJing business over the next 12 months to get myself to a position where I could take the plunge. Is that unrealistic? I get enough work for a part timer right now - mainly just Saturday nights and I'm fairly well booked up, but I'm not getting calls everyday and turning work away left right and center. I am starting to pick up a few Friday nights (which I started doing more because I felt I might need a bit of extra when the baby is here), which I historically chose not to do because of the day job. Would the lots of hard work and a goal to leave the day job in 12 months be realisic and achievable (although I'm sure if you want something enough it'll always be achievable)

I dont know as much about Discos these days as Barn Dancing but it still seems to me that apart from Xmas the big money is at the Weekends.

You would have to ask people on here.

That suggests as you cant be in 4 places at once--the bugbear of this business--- you need more units to make more money--or do you want to work 5 or 6 nights a week---if you can find the work?

Doing that could be as physically demanding as a full time job!!!!!!!!

It also depends what nett take you need monthly to fund the lifestyle you choose to have--

I think personally the best bet would be to get another unit going asap and see what happens.

If it goes well-get another--finding a decent DJ who is interested is the hard bit---finding the equipment and work is much easier, also often DJs come with their own Contacts for work:D

I ran 3 many years ago although I must admit equipment was a lot less.:D

I think you have to accept you couldnt do all the bookings yourself personally and make sure your DJs or subcontactors are up to the job.

I was always pretty happy in my day time jobs, troulbe was I got happier as I kept changing jobs and earning more money--so you can be happy earning small money and happy earning more money--you have to decide where you fit. Richard Branson doesnt look unhappy does he?

As I said Business Link are worth a go= their guy said to me years ago--the key to it is getting people to cover the bookings you cant do--I really didnt take that on board at the time--but actually he was totally right as I am now reaping the rewards--well my wife is as she runs it.

regards

CRAZY K

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

No more having to work 40+ hours a week to earn £300...I now earn that from one 4 hour disco.



So apart from the already mentioned expenses, you don't put any preparation into your 4 hour disco?

Who does your accounts, paperwork, banking, dry cleaning etc etc?

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Crazy K, that's what I meant by myself having the bigger picture in mind. I haven't been buying and building up 4 rigs for nothing. Only 2 (myself and my mate) are out regularly and sometimes I worry that I have spent money on an extra 2 rigs that aren't getting used at the moment but I am sure that if my plans work out then they will all be out in the future.
I don't make loads out of having both out but enough to make it worthwhile.

[pagan_flame]

Now of course you could, like me, have 2 businesses... I DJ part-time, Saturdays in the main... and am a driving instructor in the daytime.

I worked for a local driving school for 3 1/2 years, but took the plunge and started my own school in February this year - had all I needed to get started already, pretty much, and am using the existing DJing work to supplement my income.

Despite the fact that I had money in the bank to cover a total no-work situation for 6 months, I still did a business plan, consulted financial advisers - and after 6 months it's paying what I got before for about half the hours per week.

Now if, for example, you had other areas that you could develop further, that might bridge the gap --- such as...

Chocolate fountains? PA Hire?!? :D ;)

Or even someone fairly local who also DJ's - and is an ex-musician who could help with the PA hire side of things - who is also starting up their own fulltime business ATM...?!?

We need to do that curry night soon mate... :beer1:

[rob1963]

So apart from the already mentioned expenses, you don't put any preparation into your 4 hour disco?

Who does your accounts, paperwork, banking, dry cleaning etc etc?

Of course I put preparation into a 4 hour disco, and the answer to your other questions is ME, of course...but it doesnt take 40+ hours a week (that's how long I worked in my daytime job)...and it's hardly as stressful!

There's simply no comparison. Compared to before, it almost feels like I've retired!

I'm still curious to know more about the DJs you know who would not enjoy doing discos as much if they didn't have a daytime job, as nobody so far has made the same point in this thread.

I'd just like to know why...because for me the opposite is true.

:confused:

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Other things that don't appear to have been mentioned yet, are not relying on your daytime job to finacnce disco gear, and yes I know there's a lot of people who run their 'business' this way.

If you take a day off, you won't get paid. If you can afford to go on holiday, you won't get paid and may struggle to catch up if you go for more than a couple of days.

If you are ill, you can't phone in with a weak excuse- you have to be there.

You need to chase work if you want to get anywhere at all.

You need to do little cheap jobs during the week to get the cash in.

Personally, I have never been so enthusiastic about the business, but I haven't always. I have been doing this for a living for 17 years now and I think you need to be doing this a long while full time before you can start passing judgement on how great it is, 'cos sometimes it isn't.

An example when it's not great to be self employed....When my daughter was born 10 years ago, she was 5 weeks premature, and I had 5 bookings that I got covered (just), but lost around £700 at the time, which was a lot of money to lose.

It can be and is very rewarding to work for yourself, but there is a lot more to think about than getting up at 10am and being less stressed than you were before. I don't count them as good reasons to be self employed and give up a perfectly good other income.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Of course I put preparation into a 4 hour disco, and the answer to your other questions is ME, of course...but it doesnt take 40+ hours a week (that's how long I worked in my daytime job)...and it's hardly as stressful!

There's simply no comparison. Compared to before, it almost feels like I've retired!

I'm still curious to know more about the DJs you know who would not enjoy doing discos as much if they didn't have a daytime job.

I'd love to know why.

:confused:


It doesn't matter what the job is Rob, people inevitably get bored of doing the same thing.

Do you live alone? Do you have kids? Do you have a mortgage?

If you have less responsibility then it doesn't matter so much does it?

If you didn't have money saved, do you really think you can live the rest of your life on £300 a week?

[pagan_flame]

No job is great 24/7.

Working for yourself, not putting your earnings in someone else's pocket, IS great --- 24/7, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. :D :beer1:

[BeerFunk]

I'm still curious to know more about the DJs you know who would not enjoy doing discos as much if they didn't have a daytime job, as nobody so far has made the same point in this thread.

I'd just like to know why...because for me the opposite is true.

:confused:
I think it's a matter of pressure, and lack of a safety net. If your only income is through mobile disco work, and something happens you could potentially be up the creek without a paddle.

A full time job these days is very secure, you really have to be at fault to lose your job without sufficient compensation!

If you rely on the income, and things aren't swinging, you may have to take on work at venues which you really don't want to.

That's my outlook on it anyway :)

[TonyB]

A full time job these days is very secure, you really have to be at fault to lose your job without sufficient compensation!



Thats a bit of a sweeping statement! I was made redundant three times. No job is secure these days. Thanks to Thaterism, employers can hire and fire at a drop of a hat. Thats one of the reasons I chose to become self employed. I get the results of my hard work. I don't have to put up with petty internal politics or have my life controlled by someone else. I do what I want when I want to do it.

[CRAZY K]

I think it's a matter of pressure, and lack of a safety net. If your only income is through mobile disco work, and something happens you could potentially be up the creek without a paddle.

A full time job these days is very secure, you really have to be at fault to lose your job without sufficient compensation!

If you rely on the income, and things aren't swinging, you may have to take on work at venues which you really don't want to.

That's my outlook on it anyway :)

Good point--you can insure yourself against accident sickness etc although the Insurance people dont like " Entertainers" and you will pay more than if you were an IT Consultant or doing a clerical non manual job-- it all cuts into your profits--so unless you are doing well can be a drain on your business in the early days--just when you desparately NEED cover but maybe cant afford it:eek:

I broke my back the week before I had saved enough money take out the policy syndrome.

In a big Company you often get paid for these things.

Just more thoughts.

CRAZY K

[Shakermaker Promotions]

I have a mortgage, debts etc like everyone else and me and my missus are planning for kids in the next couple of years. I'm 39 and she is 30. we are still relatively young and doing well at the moment. Her business is going from strength to strength and it looks like mine is too. When the time is right and we are in the position where we are financially stable enough to take time off etc then we will.
I think it's easy when you have a full time job and getting paid for being sick etc etc..I know people who take full advantage of their sick pay and I aint saying for one minute that everyone is like that. I knew that being self employed would mean that it would be harder to take holidays and be off sick etc but I think something deep inside you tells you that it is YOUR business so you are focused all the time. I haven't had a holiday as yet and I have done functions when I have had 'Man Flu' and felt like death warmed up but that's because (a) I don't want to let anyone down if I have been specifically asked to do someone's function and, (b) I don't want to lose the money. It's only 5 hours work or something so it's not a big deal...It's funny though, on more than once occasion I have found myself feeling ill just as the weekend approaches and I have sat there all week feeling fine. I've said to the missus that I hope I can get through the weekend and if I am ill, I hope it's after the weekend as it won't be so bad really and at least I would have earnt my money.

There are loads of different thoughts on this subject and it's interesting to see what people think. I'm not saying that what I do is what everyone should do but it does work for me. I am happier than I have ever been, less stressed and as I said last night to the bride and groom at a meeting for a forthcoming wedding....They asked if I got bored and I said "Never"...every single function I do is different and that's why I love the job.

[Thames Valley Discos]

Other things that don't appear to have been mentioned yet, are not relying on your daytime job to finacnce disco gear, and yes I know there's a lot of people who run their 'business' this way.

If you take a day off, you won't get paid. If you can afford to go on holiday, you won't get paid and may struggle to catch up if you go for more than a couple of days.

If you are ill, you can't phone in with a weak excuse- you have to be there.

You need to chase work if you want to get anywhere at all.

You need to do little cheap jobs during the week to get the cash in.

Personally, I have never been so enthusiastic about the business, but I haven't always. I have been doing this for a living for 17 years now and I think you need to be doing this a long while full time before you can start passing judgement on how great it is, 'cos sometimes it isn't.

An example when it's not great to be self employed....When my daughter was born 10 years ago, she was 5 weeks premature, and I had 5 bookings that I got covered (just), but lost around £700 at the time, which was a lot of money to lose.

It can be and is very rewarding to work for yourself, but there is a lot more to think about than getting up at 10am and being less stressed than you were before. I don't count them as good reasons to be self employed and give up a perfectly good other income.

Well put. Sometimes it can pay not to have all your eggs in one basket.
Yes some people do very well working for themselves, but i also know plenty who lost houses from making the leap.
If we have another Black Wednesday , things could really change. Do you remember 1992?

[Corabar Steve]

So apart from the already mentioned expenses, you don't put any preparation into your 4 hour disco?

Who does your accounts, paperwork, banking, dry cleaning etc etc?

I was including all of that when I mentioned it. I took it as read you wouldn't need a breakdown

[PropellerHeadCase]

I find myself agreeing with most, if not all, of what has been said to this point. Maybe I can distill it all down and add some advice from my own experience. OK, maybe not 'distill', as I'm likely to ramble... ;)

I was fired from my last full-time job (though I took them to court and won far more compensation than they were expecting to pay :D ). At the time my son was six months old and my wife had been taking him into work with her (her very understanding boss loves kids). So I took over the day-to-day household and childcare duties and cruised along on the DJing work I was getting from my current employer with a semi-regular pub night augmenting that income.

Two and a half years later my only complaint is that the owner of the business I sub-contract to is simply not getting in the level of work I need this coming wedding season (late-October onwards). As such I've been galvanised (push the button) into action and am starting to actively tout for business. (My original agreement with him was that I wouldn't go into direct competition with him or compete for his regular venues, but he can't expect me to not go looking for work when, at this stage, I have no confirmed bookings, from him, for October or November!) So I'm now actively pursuing work - my 'get out' if he finds out is that I'm aiming for the premium end of the market, where his prices are in the mid-range for DJs.

You want 'scary', Matt'? How about moving to a foreign country with two small kids AND trying to start a business!

As mentioned in a recent post my wife (Jo) is a lawyer (immigration specialist) and has just taken on a very lucrative contract that will see us through until we leave. We are also lucky in that she is the beneficiary of a family trust (both of her parents are deceased), so she gets, and will continue to get whilst in the UK, sufficient money to cover the mortgage (including the mortgage for a house in the UK).

So now my focus is on laying the ground-work to hit the ground running in the UK (the pub job, through my mate, is a good start), and things are slowly coming together for actual mobile work, thanks Alan (Crazy K). Of course the web-site was the first major hurdle (it's been live a month, tomorrow) and now getting onto the directories and AdWords is the next phase.

What I don't think I've mentioned before is that Jo and I are preparing business plans for two niche-market websites that we hope to have up and running by the end of the year with the intention that they might start earning from Arpil onwards.

So, to get back on-topic, Matt, do as much work as you can, now, be it Friday gigs, PA Hire, whatever, and get used to sleep deprivation before the baby arrives!

Get as much money into the bank from all of that extra work as you can (enough to cover, at the very least, 1½ months-worth of expenses - which is actually just one month's worth with a new baby). Also look into any and all avenues that allow you to work from home, and preferably on your own time (Medical Billing is big in the States), and then go for it! Aggressively pursue residencies, and also approach High Street shops, ESPECIALLY trendy clothing stores, and see if they'd be keen to have you practice your club music mixing, on-site, for a nominal fee (no lights, two full range speakers and a table ;) ).

It may seem counter-intuitive but the new arrival is just about the best time to make this change. Your life and sleep-patterns will be turned upside-down anyway so why not use that fact to your advantage?

[rob1963]

It doesn't matter what the job is Rob, people inevitably get bored of doing the same thing.

Do you live alone? Do you have kids? Do you have a mortgage?

If you have less responsibility then it doesn't matter so much does it?

If you didn't have money saved, do you really think you can live the rest of your life on £300 a week?

Of course people inevitably get bored of doing the same thing, and that applies whether you work for someone else or yourself.

Yes - I live alone, No - I don't have kids and No - I don't have a mortgage.

Of course it doesn't matter so much when you have less responsibility, but it still matters...as I still have to live.

Yes, there will be times when things aren't so good, and it could still go pear shaped for me, but I don't worry about that.

The beauty of our work is that we work evenings...so we are pretty much free in the daytimes. If I went through a bad patch where I wasn't earning enough, I'd just take on a bit of short term part-time work in the daytime to make up the shortfall.

My friend did exactly that. His agency business was very slow for a while in the spring, so he worked as a temp for a few weeks until things picked up again. Being free in the daytimes, he was able to do this with no problems.

Finally, I DON'T have any money saved...not a single penny (although I don't have any debts either). As for being able to live the rest of my life on £300 a week, I could live on about half that amount NOW...and even less if I retired & no longer had any business expenses.

I plan on retiring within a year or two of the London olympics, and the plans for this are already in place.

:)

[rob1963]

A full time job these days is very secure, you really have to be at fault to lose your job without sufficient compensation!


Sorry beerfunk, but I couldn't disagree more.

That was certainly the case about 25 or 30 years ago, but not these days.

When I joined the bank in 1980, it was a job for life. Most people stayed all their life & retired at 65.

As the years went on, peoples jobs became less & less secure, and they were leaving, retiring earlier and being made redundant more and more.

If I'd stayed in the bank, there was a very high chance of me losing my job if I didn't start getting 1 sale a day (and many others too)...but when I joined the bank there was no such THING as sales!

Full time jobs being very secure these days?

You MUST be kidding!

[rob1963]

Sometimes it can pay not to have all your eggs in one basket.

I completely agree...that's why I run pub quiz nights as well as mobile discos.

The pub quiz nights are back up for the discos, and the discos are back up for the quiz nights!

:)

[BeerFunk]

Sorry beerfunk, but I couldn't disagree more.

That was certainly the case about 25 or 30 years ago, but not these days.

When I joined the bank in 1980, it was a job for life. Most people stayed all their life & retired at 60.

As the years went on, peoples jobs became less & less secure, and they were leaving, retiring earlier and being made redundant more and more.

If I'd stayed in the bank, there was a very high chance of me losing my job if I didn't start getting 1 sale a day (and many others too)...but when I joined the bank there was no such THING as sales!

Full time jobs being very secure these days?

You MUST be kidding!
These days, no matter what job it is, you can't just fire someone without going through all the procedures and proper channels. There is a minimum wage, and more and more health and safety regulations.

You're only talking about commission and targets driven jobs - if you work for the council, or Tescos or something, you have relatively zero chance of losing your job!

[rob1963]

You're only talking about commission and targets driven jobs - if you work for the council, or Tescos or something, you have relatively zero chance of losing your job!

But how many jobs DON'T have any targets these days?

Thanks for the info about the council & Tescos though.

If my business goes pear-shaped, I'll now be able to get a job with one of them...safe in the knowledge that I'm virtually guaranteed to be able to keep that job until I'm 65, with relatively zero chance of redundancy or being sacked!

[Thames Valley Discos]

Finally, I DON'T have any money saved...not a single penny (although I don't have any debts either).

:)

Well i would not Reccommennd anyone going self employed without a savings fund of some sort. Madness in my view

[CRAZY K]

Well i would not Reccommennd anyone going self employed without a savings fund of some sort. Madness in my view

Spot on, I did make this point in the early part of the thread.

CRAZY K

[Ricesnaps]

This has become a really great thread.

Thanks guys.

No rushing off and writing my notice just yet then!

I did have a chat with the wife about things last night. She suggested I tryed pushing the market a little at this stage. For example, she has been contacted to provide a chocolate fountain at a new Mercedes dealer opining locally. So why don't I call and see if they need the lighting or sound sorted? After all, a C-Class would fit nicely under my arch!

So with that example, I think the next step for me is to start getting myself out there and seeing what i can get myself into. So lots of letters to hotels, wedding venues, pubs, clubs, car dealers and so on....

[rob1963]

Well i would not Reccommennd anyone going self employed without a savings fund of some sort. Madness in my view


Spot on, I did make this point in the early part of the thread.
CRAZY K

Thames Valley & Crazy K,

I completely completely agree with you both.

That's why I DIDN'T go self-employed without a savings fund.

3 years ago, when I left my daytime job & went self empolyed I had a very large savings fund as back up - enough to live on for several years - but my first couple of years went very well, so I used this fund to clear my all debts, including my mortgage.

That's why I NOW don't have any savings, although on the flip side, my expenses are much lower than they've ever been before (also helped by giving up smoking last year - saving an additional £400 a month nearly).

Therefore, if I have a bad month, it really doesnt matter...partly because my expenses are ridiculously low, and partly because I also do pub quiz nights in the week.

:)

[CRAZY K]

This has become a really great thread.

Thanks guys.

No rushing off and writing my notice just yet then!

I did have a chat with the wife about things last night. She suggested I tryed pushing the market a little at this stage. For example, she has been contacted to provide a chocolate fountain at a new Mercedes dealer opining locally. So why don't I call and see if they need the lighting or sound sorted? After all, a C-Class would fit nicely under my arch!

So with that example, I think the next step for me is to start getting myself out there and seeing what i can get myself into. So lots of letters to hotels, wedding venues, pubs, clubs, car dealers and so on....

Good idea Matt, but if you want to start a second unit ( RATHER THAN WORK YOURSELF INTO AN EARLY GRAVE:D ) you need to look for a suitable DJ first of all.

That will be the hardest part, believe me ive been there.

As have many others on here as well:D

CRAZY K

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

The beauty of our work is that we work evenings...so we are pretty much free in the daytimes.
:)

I know my circumstances are very different to yours Rob, but I couldn't disagree more about that.

I spend a lot more time in my office than I do out DJing.

[Corabar Steve]

I can now second that.

[rob1963]

I know my circumstances are very different to yours Rob, but I couldn't disagree more about that.

I spend a lot more time in my office than I do out DJing.

Darren,

Sorry - I wasn't clear when making my point, but I was referring to those of us who work for ourselves but DON'T run an agency or employ others.

Obviously in your situation there is a lot more work and therefore time involved doing paperwork etc than there is for me.

Sorry for not making that clear before.

:)

[Ricesnaps]

Good idea Matt, but if you want to start a second unit ( RATHER THAN WORK YOURSELF INTO AN EARLY GRAVE:D ) you need to look for a suitable DJ first of all.

That will be the hardest part, believe me ive been there.

As have many others on here as well:D

CRAZY K

And unfortunately you need to have enough work for a 2nd DJ to offer then the work!

[PropellerHeadCase]

...I used this fund to clear my all debts, including my mortgage.

That's why I NOW don't have any savings, although on the flip side, my expenses are much lower than they've ever been before (also helped by giving up smoking last year - saving an additional £400 a month nearly).

Therefore, if I have a bad month, it really doesnt matter...partly because my expenses are ridiculously low, and partly because I also do pub quiz nights in the week.

So where does the money you don't really need to spend but that you have when you have a good month go?

[rob1963]

So where does the money you don't really need to spend but that you have when you have a good month go?

Al,

I spend it on things I need!

While I was saving up to clear my debts, other things were not a priority, so they had to wait...but now by debts are cleared, I've started spending money on those things.

For example: new disco gear and lots of new stuff for my home.

In addition, I now go out more than I did before, and I will start having holidays again.

I'm also about to start saving for laser eye surgery, which I hope to have done in the next few months.

:)

[Thames Valley Discos]

I'm also about to start saving for laser eye surgery, which I hope to have done in the next few months.

:)

OUCH!!!!! My Misses just had it done, boy was she grumpy!!!
I,ll stick with squinting:D
Oh and a bigger monitor, or move mine back further. lol

[rob1963]

OUCH!!!!! My Misses just had it done, boy was she grumpy!!!

No pain, no gain! :D

[CRAZY K]

And unfortunately you need to have enough work for a 2nd DJ to offer then the work!

A NO BRAINER Matt.

Increase the advertising--drop the prices a bit--job done!!!!!!!!!

Im hoping to do this later in the year with another Barn Dance unit :D

Alan
CRAZY K

[Ricesnaps]

A NO BRAINER Matt.

Increase the advertising--drop the prices a bit--job done!!!!!!!!!

Im hoping to do this later in the year with another Barn Dance unit :D

Alan
CRAZY K

Not sure it really is that simple?

Are you suggesting I target a different market - I've taken a lot of time to develope the higher paying end of the market, not sure I want to back off just yet!

[PropellerHeadCase]

The likelihood is that any DJ you get will be keen but relatively inexperienced, certainly in comparison to you. Do you want them to practice on your niche clients or someone else? ;)

[rob1963]

The likelihood is that any DJ you get will be keen but relatively inexperienced, certainly in comparison to you. Do you want them to practice on your niche clients or someone else? ;)

Yep...they will be inexperienced & probably a bit :Rob James: compared to you.

Trouble is, anything they don't do as well as you will have a negative effect on YOUR business.

This is the main reason why I will never employ others.

That way, you don't have to rely on anyone but YOURSELF!

[PropellerHeadCase]

If you are confident in your abillity to pick the right person and train them appropriately then it's almost as good as relying on yourself, almost ;)

[Ricesnaps]

Well, I've made a start. Have just taken two bookings on the same night next year. I have asked one of my more experienced collegues to cover the second one as "my business", so there is much less risk, but it's certainly a step in the right direction.

For those of you who run more than one show, do you tell the client who's DJing, or give them a choice? What about pre-wedding visits, do you still do them and then brief the DJ who's doing the gig?

[CRAZY K]

Well, I've made a start. Have just taken two bookings on the same night next year. I have asked one of my more experienced collegues to cover the second one as "my business", so there is much less risk, but it's certainly a step in the right direction.

For those of you who run more than one show, do you tell the client who's DJing, or give them a choice? What about pre-wedding visits, do you still do them and then brief the DJ who's doing the gig?

You could always trade the second unit under a different name and website offering lower prices, smaller lighting show and sound, probably good grounding for an apprentice or new DJ, MAYBE AVOIDING WEDDINGS TO START WITH.

That will cost you a whole £30 for a years hosting and a bit of time to design the site:D PLUS THE KIT.

Then your personal reputation is not at risk.

CRAZY K

[BeerFunk]

You could always trade the second unit under a different name and website offering lower prices, smaller lighting show and sound, probably good grounding for an apprentice or new DJ, MAYBE AVOIDING WEDDINGS TO START WITH.

That will cost you a whole £30 for a years hosting and a bit of time to design the site:D PLUS THE KIT.

Then your personal reputation is not at risk.

CRAZY K
Good idea, but also a good idea if you personally take care of one market, while your employees/associates take care of the rest.

A lot of musicians go under different aliases relating to a style of music, it doesn't necessarily mean they think one is better or worse than the other.

[Corabar Steve]

For those of you who run more than one show, do you tell the client who's DJing, or give them a choice? What about pre-wedding visits, do you still do them and then brief the DJ who's doing the gig?

We tell them, unless they've seen a particular DJ in action & want them. Most are happy to go with our recomendation, but then, we do match the most appropriate DJ to the job.

Yes we do still do PWV, if the client still wants to speak to their DJ we get them to phone them.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

We tell them, unless they've seen a particular DJ in action & want them. Most are happy to go with our recomendation, but then, we do match the most appropriate DJ to the job.

Yes we do still do PWV, if the client still wants to speak to their DJ we get them to phone them.

Same here.

[Corabar Steve]

I'm working towards going muli-opp over the next 12 months. Interested in understanding the best way to find other DJ's or disco's who might like to do some work for me.

Before anyone jumps in, I'm NOT looking for advice on what it means to have other people working for you or whether this makes me an agent or anything like that. I already have someone to chat to about those sorts of things.

What I am hoping it to either take on / use / get to work for me a disco to do gigs under my name (and so all the marketing, client contact and organisation with the client and venue would be mine) OR invest in enough extra gear to run a 2nd show and find a DJ or two to run it (again under my name).

So how do I go about finding the DJ's or disco's?

OK, so what, where and how's the best way to advertise?Use the job centre Matt, that's where we've got all but one of our other DJs from.

(Sorry, I can't reply to this post where it came from at the moment, been naughty)