Are there regional price differences?

[dicky]

I mean in what you can earn for gigs

I've been told in Stoke where I happen to live you are lucky to get £120 for a night but going out a few miles to say Cheshire or Derbyshire you can double that - and head down south a bit further and you can reasonably expect to get 4x the fee. Certainly talking to local pubs/clubs the going rate seems to be around £120 but if you can build up something of a following you may get £140 or even £180 for a night.

Would anyone with experience be able to advise on this, and whether it is correct (or i am just being conned) and if so is it just something that is a paticular issue where I happen to live or is it replicated in other parts of the country?

Is it simply a matter of how much local competioin there is? Or are there other factors involved? I have no issue driving 40-50 miles to the next county - but why would they be willing to pay twice as much?

Rich

[yourdj]

"You can't get that rant ere" is what people will say.

I know loads of DJ's where i live charging £150 yet I charge £500 - £1,500.

Same up north although I do think it depends on the market and very local social economics.
I live next to a golf course and have not worked there at my full fee for 6 years.
5 miles down the road is a venue I work at all the time at my full rate.

its a toss up on showing your value and whether you have people who will pay it. On the whole I get the impression that southern / london areas get the best rates, but there are always people who will want the best and pay for it in any market. Even in Scotland!!

[Shakermaker Promotions]

"You can't get that RANT here" - Surely you mean rate Toby (I'm jesting.....lay off the sauce mate).

It's the age old thing where people in different parts of the country may earn less than others.
I am based in the South East (like Toby and a number of others) and yes, there are areas down here where it's pretty affluent and people have lots of money but just like anywhere else there are the tyre kickers and people looking for a bargain.

Also (I guess?) just like other regions around the country there are those that want quality.
If you do some pub work (like I do) then prices vary. I do 2 pubs once per month and I get above what the going rate is (I looked into prices).

I've never mentioned my prices on this site or my website and I won't do that now but my prices are above the average in my area and I don't provide an all day service (as yet). That's where you can boost your prices. I know that there are other suppliers in my area and the surround that are charging treble what I charge and they are getting plenty of work but it's generally for all day functions.

At the end of the day, charge what you think YOU are worth and for the service that you provide. There are customers out there that are looking for DJ's and suppliers and if 10 of them are all charging the same price, what makes any of them different from eachother? If you charge a higher price then you may get customers asking why you are charging that price and what do they get for their money. That gives you a chance to sell yourself to them.
That's what happened with me. A good friend of mine who was running his own business advised me a long time ago to up my price because he thought I was worth more. He said to me to quote the next enquiry I got a higher price than I normally would so I did. It didn't work. That particular customer was in the 'tyre kicker' category and looking for cheap and cheerful however the next customer went for it once I told them what they were getting for their money and I've kept it like that ever since.

Sorry to ramble. It's a learning curve.

[dicky]

Interesting replies though one seems to suggest it depends on where you are and the other it depends on how you market youself

I got the info from chatting to other DJs in our local disco shop over the last week or two.

One guy for example there and also runs mobile was telling me that he had just worked in London at the weekend at a private function in a well known venue and was booked at £700 (he was recommended to the client) for a four and half hour set but working locally he knows from experience he struggles to get £200 for similar work.

Having said that he did mention that working locally he would work say 6-7 hours including setup and travelling time but working down london you can add a lot more hours to that so the 'hourly rate' after deducting for fuel, costs, etc was not so different!

Still £700 no quibble, compared to £200 locally if you're lucky, seems a hell of a regional difference!! And this is for the same guy same setup so other factors such as quality of service/equipment appear to be taken into account.

I spoke to another DJ who is in Shropshire and says he gets good rates there. Shropshire is a kinda rural county bordering my own.

Rich

[Benny Smyth]

My advice would be to not worry too much what others are charging.

Maybe look at it like this - there's an Aldi everywhere, and there's a Waitrose everywhere. Fundamentally, they are the same but the prices and the quality you get are worlds apart. Regardless what part of the country they are in, both businesses are doing just fine in their market. You don't need to attract every customer to do well.

Just look at what you offer and how does it compare. Is it worth more or less? Then look at how much it would take for you to turn a profit and put bread on the table.

[Sapphire Disco]

My advice would be to not worry too much what others are charging.

Maybe look at it like this - there's an Aldi everywhere, and there's a Waitrose everywhere. Fundamentally, they are the same but the prices and the quality you get are worlds apart. Regardless what part of the country they are in, both businesses are doing just fine in their market. You don't need to attract every customer to do well.

Just look at what you offer and how does it compare. Is it worth more or less? Then look at how much it would take for you to turn a profit and put bread on the table.

Very good advice although there's not so much difference in the actual food of the above mentioned food retailers these days but the the whole presentation and customer experience are worlds apart.

[Vectis]

I think that on the whole the following two links confirm that "regional variation" is, by and large, bunkum. You can earn Waitrose money or Aldi money anywhere.

http://needadisco.com/recent-confirmations.php

http://needadisco.com/pending-negotiation.php


The proportion of "high paying" to "low paying" gigs is pretty constant across the country - but there are more events in larger towns and cities than out in the sticks. Therefore this can lead to a perception amongst 'townies' that there are more "low paying" gigs than "high paying" gigs. And that's true. But proportionally, country-wide there's little difference.

[dicky]

Hmm interesting reading because there is not a Waitrose store anywhere in the city of Stoke-on-Trent or in North Staffordshire either

http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Waitr...ail/story.html

Apparently the area and residents are not considered to be upmarket enough

We do have a plethora of Aldi and Lidl though

Rich

[DazzyD]

My advice would be to not worry too much what others are charging.

Maybe look at it like this - there's an Aldi everywhere, and there's a Waitrose everywhere. Fundamentally, they are the same but the prices and the quality you get are worlds apart. Regardless what part of the country they are in, both businesses are doing just fine in their market. You don't need to attract every customer to do well.

Just look at what you offer and how does it compare. Is it worth more or less? Then look at how much it would take for you to turn a profit and put bread on the table.

There are no Waitrose stores in my nearest 2 cities of Sunderland and Durham. Plenty of Aldi and Lidl stores, though. And more charity and "pound" shops than I can be bothered to count!

Hmm interesting reading because there is not a Waitrose store anywhere in the city of Stoke-on-Trent or in North Staffordshire either

http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Waitr...ail/story.html

Apparently the area and residents are not considered to be upmarket enough

We do have a plethora of Aldi and Lidl though

Rich

Just saw your comment at the last minute! It's the same around here.

[dicky]

And what is the going rate for gigs around Sunderland Dazzy? Is there any correlation between that and the lack of a Waitrose lol

BTQ been up to Durham several times mate - great place IMHO. Well it was as a tourist anyway, but for locals seems to be some good pubs and clubs too

Rich
PS and pound shops are ten a penny round here