During my last post, I mentioned that, generally, people tend to avoid talking about money. I’m going to amend that with this post.
As a fledgling entrepreneur (translation: I’m self-employed and am learning the ropes of running my own business), I am keenly aware of the fact that many people just want to go straight to the bottom line: How much is this going to cost me? It’s a valid question, one that always determines the outcome of a sales lead (no matter how that lead may have been generated).
Truth be told, one of the things that I’ve personally agonized over is price point. You see, there is this stigma that DJs are a dime a dozen. Some people seem to believe that ANYONE can be a DJ. DJs range in price from a couple of hundred to the thousands of dollars. DJs also range in talent from those DJs who only do it as a hobby to someone who has made it their living (yours truly falls more in the latter category, as being a wedding DJ is my primary source of income).
Ultimately, it’s up to the individual to determine if the dollar amount associated with the service that they’re signing on for is of value to them. Yes, this may be a D’uh! statement, but far be it from me to leave it unsaid.
So, from the side of this particular wedding DJ, let’s look at some of the factors that go into the price I’d ask for my services:
- The Gear
- Upkeep and Upgrading the Gear
- Transporting the Gear
- Music
- Opportunity Costs (translation: Time)
- “Intangibles”
The Gear
Let’s face it: in order to be a wedding DJ, there’s a sizable investment when it comes to the equipment that is used. I personally run with 2 CD players, both capable of reading CDs and USB drives. They’re anti-skip and can do a few little tricks that aren’t really relevant for what’s required for a wedding reception. Be that as it may, they tend not to be inexpensive. In an ideal world, backups are on hand, simply because technology can have a tendency to be flaky (especially if it isn’t properly taken care of).
The most expensive single piece of the puzzle happens to be the speakers. I run with 2 JBL 15-inch powered speakers. They’re lightweight, tend to take a beating and have served me well. Of course, you want backups on these as well; without sound, you have no show. Not a good place to be, by ANY stretch of the imagination.
I run a 12-inch, 3-channel American Audio mixer. It is my command center when it comes to the sound. I first became acquainted with these once I began doing my sub-contract work. They’ve served me well, but they aren’t inexpensive, either. They are pre-amp, meaning that everything plugs into the mixer, the mixer has outputs to the powered speakers (that have amps built-in).
Lighting tends to be less expensive but are no less important (though, to be fair, you can do a gig without lights, you CANNOT do a gig without sound). Of everything that I upgrade, I tend to upgrade lights most because I’m always looking for something to enhance the ambiance without overpowering. I don’t go all-out with the lighting; there’s enough to go with different moods as the night progresses. However, there’s enough to give color when things are a little more active.
Upkeep and Upgrading the Gear
Some people may not believe that this is important. Believe me, it is VERY important. You want reliable equipment at EVERY stage of the game. I don’t want to have to worry if my mixer is going to crap out on me in the middle of the newlyweds’ first dance. That would be a HUGE embarrassment for everyone involved. I also don’t want to worry about blowing speakers or having all of my lights suddenly stop working. Testing the gear is part of the preparation for each event. If something doesn’t work properly before I hit the road, a solution needs to be found.
Whether that solution is me troubleshooting and determining that I can fix the problem myself, having to break down and take equipment in to a professional to repair or determining that a piece of equipment needs replacement, the eventuality has to be taken into account.
Transporting the Gear
After the initial investment, this may be the biggest expense that I’ve had thus far. Upkeep of my vehicle is a MUST. Gas, oil changes, general upkeep and maintenance of the vehicle is paramount. Let’s not forget auto insurance, either. It’s just the responsible thing to do, after all. My vehicle is as much a part of my gear as the items listed above. I can’t say “Have Gear, Will Travel” if I have no vehicle to travel with.
Music
Most people couldn’t care less how a DJ comes into possession of music for their events. Truth be told, it’s not something that a client SHOULD have to be concerned with. The DJ, however, IS concerned about it.
I try to make sure that I legally acquire my music. I don’t want to play songs from YouTube, as streaming songs is completely unreliable. I don’t generally bring a laptop or an external hard drive with me; those are two more items that I need to be concerned about upkeep and potential loss.
In this age of Amazon, ITunes and other places to download music, it’s easier than ever to get your hands on a lot of songs. Easy does not often translate to inexpensive and a song here, a song there adds up far more quickly than you might think.
Opportunity Costs
Let’s face it: whether this is my chosen profession or not, there’s ALWAYS opportunity costs associated with the job. I spend time away from my family on the weekends; time where there’s no school for my kids, no work for my wife. Because of the way the schedules work, time spent catching up with friends and extended family is sacrificed as well. But this isn’t about a sob story of how wedding DJs should be paid more for sacrificing their weekends.
Virtually all DJ services charge based on a block of time. Four hours, five hours, six hours; most have a base rate based off the amount of time a client wishes to be served. Some charge a certain rate for background music with a different rate for Dance Music. What’s the difference you ask? The amount of work that your DJ is putting in at the time.
Intangibles
For now, I count advertising and marketing as intangibles. Where I once strictly went with word of mouth, I’m now taking this more seriously. The webmaster won’t do his job without getting paid. The people that handle business cards also won’t just do a job without a fee. Even something like dry cleaning my suits needs to be considered.
Most people only think of the things that they can experience themselves. But, for that DJ, there’s a LOT more to take into account.
Some DJ services will charge fees to go with more than their basic lighting package (assuming that they have a basic lighting package). Other upgrades and enhancements are also additional charges.
I’ve heard that some DJ services charge different rates based off the talent of the DJ that you could potentially have serving you on the day of your event. Receiving one of their senior-most DJs will require you to pay more than you would pay for one of their less-seasoned performers.
It’s JUST me. Doing my thing. The same thing that I’ve been doing for ten-and-a-half years now. Somewhere in the realm of 600 events (probably more, I’ve lost count) under my belt. Wedding receptions, ceremonies, company parties, school dances and other private events. I do my pricing based off the hours package; I’ve also tried to be fair and base it on each individual client’s budget.
I have seen a need to do my own pricing, though. In fact, some potential clients have all but demanded that I give some sort of price point. It hasn’t been easy and I get the feeling that it may need to be tweaked.
I can say this much, though: I believe I’m worth every penny and then some. All I need is more opportunities outside of my sub-contract work to prove it.
Behind The Board 