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Thread: Will we return in 2021?

  1. #61

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    Quote Originally Posted by Imagine View Post
    Depends on where your "head" is unfortunately.

    The past year has hit me mentally like a blimmin' steam train at full pelt. I'd spent literally YEARS (I was a part-timer from 1988 until 2019), planning to go full time and then 11 months in....well, we all know what happened on 23rd March 2020.

    I suffer from anxiety and depression, whilst the dear lady wife is clinically vulnerable to Covid. I'm also a carer for my elderly and vulnerable in-laws. All in all, last year was a mental nightmare seeing everything I'd worked so hard for being pulled from underneath me (I went to some very dark places I don't even want to talk about last year, and it scares me a LOT even now we're coming through the other side of things...hopefully!).

    From where I sit....

    I still can't handle the stress of the cancellations/reschedules/crying brides from last year (sorry....it's a fact of life). I'm being VERY cautious about taking new bookings for 2021 because even though we now have a "roadmap", we've sort of been here before with things re-opening and then closing down again. Sorry, but I really don't think that June 21st is the magical date that Covid "does one".

    I've got several for July this year (which I'm still not entirely convinced will happen), and I'm taking bookings very cautiously from August onwards.

    I can sort of afford to be cautious. I now have a full time job (if you can call it that) delivering online groceries which is keeping a roof over our heads and the business in hibernation. It's not going to make me rich by any means at minimum wage (ONE evening reception = a 40 hours of driving a Mercedes box van around), but we're surviving and not going without. That's important!

    As much as I'm itching to get back to what I love doing for a living though, I need to be certain that the events will actually go ahead because I really can't be doing with the mental health issues of everything going belly up again.

    Sounds a little weak and pathetic I know, but that's just how life is at the moment

    Hopefully sometime really soon, we'll all be comparing setups, dance floor health and prices again. Until then....I'm biding my time and trying to stay SANE!
    To be honest I don't blame you one bit and can see where you are coming from. The thought did go through my head at one point to totally relaunch in 2022 and not take any booking until then. The reality however was with well over 100 bookings still in the diary for 2021 it wasn't worth doing so.

    I have stopped taking bookings for this year though, there is enough in already and means I can concentrate on picking up business for my other (covid enforced) business which should result in 2022 having 2 businesses and more importantly - 2 businesses which will provide an income without me 'working' should I wish.

    Yes, people say I am pessimistic, but I do think also we cannot discount any further restrictions this winter. Quite obvious should things get worse we will be the first to close and the warning shots have already been fired. I certainly think anyone with a job would be wise to hold onto that job for another 12 months at least.
    Semi-Retired Multi Award Winning DJ

    www.ultimateweddingdj.co.uk

  2. #62
    Dinosaur Excalibur's Avatar
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    Without copying both the previous posts and replying in detail, let's just say:

    Wayne, I think I have an idea of where you're coming from. My cunning plan for 2020 onwards was to concentrate on the Disco business, and slowly wind down the day job. I'm full of these genius ideas. I'm really looking forward to getting back to work as a DJ.

    Chris, the one thing that this last year has shown us is that if your whole income depends on a business that's deemed non-essential, you're likely to struggle. I've been unbelievably lucky that from the kick off, a neighbour decided to build a new shed to replace two old ones, and I got the contract to demolish the old ones, and help with building the new one. That kept me local, and earning money.

    Two separate income streams now looks like a very good idea.
    Excalibur. Older than the average DJ.

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  3. #63

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    Quote Originally Posted by Excalibur View Post
    Two separate income streams now looks like a very good idea.
    Nail on the head.

    I think moving forward we (should) have learned that maybe we are not as important or essential as we first thought.

    A lot of people are really risking things too, especially those who market 'themselves'. I have wondered for years what people would do if they seriously injured themselves and was out of action for a number of months - all things which are less of a concern with a 'proper' job or another passive income stream.

    I was totally amazed at how many of the supposed high fliers were the first to panic when all this kicked off.
    Semi-Retired Multi Award Winning DJ

    www.ultimateweddingdj.co.uk

  4. #64
    Dinosaur Excalibur's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ppentertainments View Post

    I think moving forward we (should) have learned that maybe we are not as important or essential as we first thought.
    I won't say I disagree with that view, but I do need to qualify it. We are very important to the success of a " normal " wedding celebration, with all the bells and whistles, and more than a handful of guests.
    What we're far less important to is the one with fifteen guests, no dancefloor/dancing, and an early finish ( mainly cos without us, everybody slopes off early).
    Quote Originally Posted by ppentertainments View Post
    A lot of people are really risking things too, especially those who market 'themselves'. I have wondered for years what people would do if they seriously injured themselves and was out of action for a number of months - all things which are less of a concern with a 'proper' job or another passive income stream.
    Well thanks a lot, pal! That was the idea behind my imminent website revamp, to showcase me, and not the Aladdin's Cave of kit I own.
    The answer to the second line is Insurance. ( Or should be).
    When you say " proper " job, well Hairdressers, Pubs and Travel Agents are all " proper jobs " which have suffered very badly in Lockdown/Pandemic, so again, more qualification needed, I suspect.

    Quote Originally Posted by ppentertainments View Post
    I was totally amazed at how many of the supposed high fliers were the first to panic when all this kicked off.
    Now, I wasn't. High earnings can often lead the people earning them to underestimate the need to plan for a " rainy Day ", and by heavens we've had a chuffing flood! When you've been used to a high income, having it removed effectively overnight is a big culture shock.
    Excalibur. Older than the average DJ.

    www.excaliburmobiledisco.co.uk

  5. #65

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    Quote Originally Posted by ppentertainments View Post
    I was totally amazed at how many of the supposed high fliers were the first to panic when all this kicked off.
    Quote Originally Posted by Excalibur View Post
    High earnings can often lead the people earning them to underestimate the need to plan for a " rainy Day ", and by heavens we've had a chuffing flood! When you've been used to a high income, having it removed effectively overnight is a big culture shock.
    Don't confuse 'high fliers' with 'high earners'.

    I'd had an inkling for a while that some of those who claimed to charge the highest fees were the ones who weren't actually earning that much in profit.

    There's a few I can see who were doing well - but also many who were spending out on costs as quick as they were getting it in.

    The annual trip to Las Vegas alone I couldn't see the ROI of... maybe 1 trip a decade ago did it, but there's only so much of that you can do.

    As the old saying goes, turnover is vanity, profit is sanity.

    And I think many of the DJs with the highest profits are the ones who are largely relatively quiet, and just get on with their business.


    Quote Originally Posted by ppentertainments View Post
    A lot of people are really risking things too, especially those who market 'themselves'. I have wondered for years what people would do if they seriously injured themselves and was out of action for a number of months - all things which are less of a concern with a 'proper' job or another passive income stream.
    It was a dilemma I juggled many times. I knew the only way to scale the business was to grow it through other DJs. But I just couldn't bring myself to do that - mainly because all I could foresee was a headache ahead! I wasn't sure I wanted to be in a position to get a phone call at 5pm on a Saturday from a DJ who was 'ill' etc.

    That was right at the tipping point for me in 2017/18 when I'd made the transition into earning a full time income from DJ'ing and then decided I didn't want to rely on it full time because of what was required to grow it further - it wasn't an avenue that was exciting me. I could see a ceiling to how much that could be earnt and I was struggling to get the numbers to show a profit that could reach over £30k per year in a best case scenario as a sole operator in the model I wanted to operate.

  6. #66
    Resident Antagonist Benny Smyth's Avatar
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    The beautiful thing about this pandemic is that if you want to believe in something, there will be at least one scientific study to back you up.

    Lockdown until 2025? These scientists reckon so. The pandemic ended last summer? Here's that study for you.

    Herd immunity the best solution? Nearly there, my friend. Nearly there.

  7. #67
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    Quote Originally Posted by rth_discos View Post
    It was a dilemma I juggled many times. I knew the only way to scale the business was to grow it through other DJs. But I just couldn't bring myself to do that - mainly because all I could foresee was a headache ahead! I wasn't sure I wanted to be in a position to get a phone call at 5pm on a Saturday from a DJ who was 'ill' etc.

    That was right at the tipping point for me in 2017/18 when I'd made the transition into earning a full time income from DJ'ing and then decided I didn't want to rely on it full time because of what was required to grow it further - it wasn't an avenue that was exciting me. I could see a ceiling to how much that could be earnt and I was struggling to get the numbers to show a profit that could reach over £30k per year in a best case scenario as a sole operator in the model I wanted to operate.
    I market the show as being "ME". It's ME they hire, it's ME they talk to, it's ME they're trusting for their day, and until the world stopped turning....it worked, and worked very well. I have several industry colleagues in my area who do exactly the same (all now incidentally delivering shopping or parcels in one form or another ).

    Yes, things can and do go wrong....life happens and touch wood so far, I've NEVER let anyone down. Even in my current day job, I've spent the past three weeks humping tonnes of shopping around on a cracked rib (wince )....I just don't give in that easily (I've DJ'd with worse too, just taken an assistant to do the setting up and tearing down). I also have a broken finger which is creating merry Hell, but hey....I've got a job to do and I'm going to do it because that's just how I work.

    My plan back in 2019 was to earn £25k for the first year (a gross of £30k of bookings), rising to £30k profit this year. It's a comfortable living and perfectly achievable. Yes, I've earned considerably more in other careers, and indeed earn a LOT less in my current position. I've never wanted to be rich....just comfortable enough to do what I want to do. Let's face it, DJing for a couple of days/evenings a week isn't hard work (really...it ISN'T) and the fees I normally charge are more than a week's wages to most of my clients. If nothing else, this whole situation has opened my eyes to how a lot of people actually survive and made me appreciate that when they book me, it's a massive commitment! (I may indulge myself in a separate thread on this one!)

    However, I feel those days are gone for the time being (sorry....being a pessimist but at the same time, a realist again).

    The mention of those big hitters reminds me of just how many of the proper full-timers who haven't diversified, taken on another job and expected SEISS to support them are now sweating at the merest hint of a couple cancelling on them and demanding their already paid-in-full-six-months-in-advance fee back (they don't have the money in the bank to do it....just search the wedding industry support Facebook groups).

    My personal plan now is to continue doing what I'm doing possibly on a three-day week basis (Mon-Wed evenings), which will cover the bills and provide a security blanket should things go wrong again (I can always increase my hours if needs be), and then spend the weekends on weddings. Plus that way, I still get a pension of sorts and staff discount on my shopping

    As much as that pains me because I really wanted to be a full-timer and worked so damned hard to get there, it's not feasible at the moment and as has already been proven, our chosen industry can be closed down indefinitely overnight at the drop of a bat (spelling mistake intended!).

    Yes, I could go it alone as a software engineer, SEO or web designer (all of which I've got 20+ years commercial experience at) and earn a heck of a lot more money....but do ya know what? I don't need the stress of all of that right now. Maybe in the future....who knows?

    Until then, I'm more than likely going back to being a weekend warrior and enjoy the stress-free lifestyle.
    Last edited by Imagine; 08-04-2021 at 01:48 AM.

  8. #68

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    Quote Originally Posted by Imagine View Post
    I market the show as being "ME". It's ME they hire, it's ME they talk to, it's ME they're trusting for their day, and until the world stopped turning....it worked, and worked very well. I have several industry colleagues in my area who do exactly the same (all now incidentally delivering shopping or parcels in one form or another ).

    Yes, things can and do go wrong....life happens and touch wood so far, I've NEVER let anyone down. Even in my current day job, I've spent the past three weeks humping tonnes of shopping around on a cracked rib (wince )....I just don't give in that easily (I've DJ'd with worse too, just taken an assistant to do the setting up and tearing down). I also have a broken finger which is creating merry Hell, but hey....I've got a job to do and I'm going to do it because that's just how I work.

    My plan back in 2019 was to earn £25k for the first year (a gross of £30k of bookings), rising to £30k profit this year. It's a comfortable living and perfectly achievable.
    Exactly where I was at - I was confident promoting ME because I knew what I would deliver and had confidence in them trusting me to look after their day. I couldn't bring myself to scale it beyond me - because I felt it lost what my business was all about!

    I think 25-30k profit is very doable and realistic in a year - but I struggled to see how you can comfortably break that and scale upwards. And that was simply me wanting to do more over the next 20 years before I retire - I needed a business that would provide me with a retirement plan, and I couldn't see that through being a DJ.

    If things do go to plan this year and we do see that light at the end of the tunnel materialise, I think you could find 'normality' returns quite quickly - if we get a decent summer this year, then next year will be business as usual. However, I too am prepared to just wait and see what happens first - I fear we've still got a long way to go to achieve that 'decent summer' this year.

  9. #69
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    Quote Originally Posted by rth_discos View Post
    I think 25-30k profit is very doable and realistic in a year - but I struggled to see how you can comfortably break that and scale upwards. And that was simply me wanting to do more over the next 20 years before I retire - I needed a business that would provide me with a retirement plan, and I couldn't see that through being a DJ.
    Oh, it's doable - it's what I very nearly had on the books for 2020. It's probably the reason everything's hit me so hard mentally...I was sooooo nearly there!

    Quote Originally Posted by rth_discos View Post
    If things do go to plan this year and we do see that light at the end of the tunnel materialise, I think you could find 'normality' returns quite quickly - if we get a decent summer this year, then next year will be business as usual. However, I too am prepared to just wait and see what happens first - I fear we've still got a long way to go to achieve that 'decent summer' this year.
    And THIS is the problem in my eyes. I really can't see normal this year (at the moment....it may change...who knows)

    They're going to be "testing" nightclubs and the like in May (I think). Surely that's going to be a load of 20-somethings with no immunity, no jab, and Covid is going to run riot....ergo...we can't return (because those tests are going to dictate when we can work as normal again. Hopefully they'll think to test something like a 50th birthday where the majority of the guests have had the shot and see how that works out too?

    In other news - feeling a LOT more positive today. I applied for an ARG a few weeks back without really thinking I'd get anywhere because let's face it, I've had naff all support so far. £5k hits my business bank account tomorrow morning (yeah - I'm shocked too!). That's enough to keep things ticking over without stressing about when we return for the next 18-24 months

    I may actually get some quality sleep tonight

  10. #70

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    Quote Originally Posted by rth_discos View Post
    I think 25-30k profit is very doable and realistic in a year - but I struggled to see how you can comfortably break that and scale upwards. And that was simply me wanting to do more over the next 20 years before I retire - I needed a business that would provide me with a retirement plan, and I couldn't see that through being a DJ.
    It is the retirement plan which is urging me towards maybe getting a job and going back to DJing part-time. I met with a financial advisor and realistically if I want a decent pension like I could get if receiving a decent workplace pension, the amount I would have to pay in just wouldn't happen - maybe I am not strict enough.

    On the other side though, DJing has enabled me to buy a few houses, sit mortgage free etc so maybe that is the way forward.

    £25-£30k profit is very doable - for most it just depends on how much they waste on kit they don't need.
    Semi-Retired Multi Award Winning DJ

    www.ultimateweddingdj.co.uk

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