Karaoke Forums

Flipper made a comment about how the rates KJ's can charge in public venues don't go up and actually go down. He noted he has to cover his costs with private gigs.

My wife is coming to the conclusion that private gigs is all I should be focusing on, and I'm beginning to agree with her.

So... from your collective experience, what has been the most fruitful means by which to acquire private jobs?

What type of parties do you typically play at?

How many do you get a month, a year?

I am 99% private parties, much prefer them!

virtually all I do is private stuff, with the exception of a night a month in the restaurant of the hotel I work for

Your best advertisement is word of mouth. I also advertise in wedding features in news papers.

One wedding we did 2 years ago in Feb was incredibly good for us...we received bookings for a 50th bday, another wedding, a 21st, an 18th (which we turned down) and another wedding 4 hours away which I had to say no to cos my other half is away at the time.

If every job had that kind of referral rate, I wouldnt need my day job.

Mind you the restaurant has been ok too Two wedding bookings just from being in the right place at the right time

I still do a gig or two a year for nix...normally for friends or exceptionally good clients who have had us back a number of times. As I have said, I can generally get a gig from a gig, so putting myself in the right place, even when its for nothing, is productive.

For example, the woman who takes my pics I do a gig for her every so often free of charge...and have had several bookings from guests at her parties.

But Eric be careful turning your back on any form of regular work with a worldwide economic crisis

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

Morgan

While word-of-mouth is the most valuable advertising, one could languish on the vine until it works.

And frankly, I don't have much of a starting point when it comes to word of mouth. The wedding guides might help, but the ones here are saturated with companies in each category. If I hadn't already known that from previous investigation, marrying off my daughter in October had me revisiting those guides and websites.

Does anyone have a successful website of their own?

Do any of you use agents?

Is there a way to get related businesses (party stores, florists, printers, etc) to promote you when it comes to parties; I'm sure everyone else is trying to accomplish the same

I have been approached by an agent, but to be fair - I just don't need him. I've actually put more work his way, for nights when I am already booked.

I have a stack of cards left in the home-rooms I have played, when the room is booked for a party, I am called. THAT simple.

I hear ya Eric...but word of mouth is simply that...and it does take time and perhaps more than one conversation with you as the topic for the message to get around.
I have been doing what I am doing for maybe 10 years...I am still not as busy as I would like...I would like to have one gig a week EVERY week. at present I average bout 2 per month...actually thats wrong, its less this year...bearing in mind I have had 2 operations and still cant lift my equipment on my own...but I hope to be back to full strength in the new year. Thing is our town dies after Christmas as the locals head away for their hols or the farmers harvest. Then the end of the financial year at the end of march normally keeps a lid on spending as folks recover from blowing the budget at Xmas. For us its lucky that the wedding season is from Nov to March (being summer here in the southern hemisphere)

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

Eric, this is a 6am post... hope it helps a little.

Fortunately having performed private and corporate parties for 12 years, with 10 years of owning my own business that was thankfully successful, and still is, I found the best way to advertise for private parties is through yellow pages, handing out business cards, creating a professional website with online booking, and pitching hotels with business cards and brochures left with the catering managers. Leaving brochures also yields a lot of weddings and unexpected events.

Also for weddings, attending wedding expos, calling other entertainment companies and offering to subcontract for them if they become over booked with work, and contacting photographers/videographers, and catering companies and letting them know you exist and want to work. Creating allies with other companies works out better for everyone.

For corporate gigs, where the MOST money is found, making cold calls to businesses and asking for a sit down meeting (if possible), or just sending professional literature to them goes a long way into becoming a preferred vendor of theirs, if the current one isn't work out. Get in line, Stay in line, and Stay in contact with everyone. It will yield results eventually.

And perfect your craft by attending dj expos, subscribe to Mobile Beat Magazine for great information and join a good organization like ADJA... And BUY Quality Professional equipment- you WILL be judged by your corporate clients on your professionalism by the equipment you use at their events!

You can LIVE well on private & corporate parties and RETIRE EARLY, making a lot of money, or you can survive, but not live AS well, doing karaoke only in my experience. There is however A LOT more STRESS in running a DJ business than karaoke by-far.

MOST kj-only max out at $50k full time. A LOT work for much less...

Perform Weddings, Corporate Events, Mitsvahs, Outdoor Events, and Birthday parties and you double that if you know what you're doing. And HIRE others to work for you if you're able.

My company books mostly large Corporate Events, Bar and Bat Mitsvahs, large outdoor YMCA and marathon events, quite a few hi-end weddings and birthday parties. I only perform karaoke and a few private parties living here in hawaii. I conduct my business from here and travel back as needed. We supply Djs, Clowns, Magicians, Jugglers, Costumed Characters, Dancers, RockWalls, Inflatables, Dunk Tanks, Concessions, and Casino Tables.

I have been doing BOTH Deejaying and karaoke for many years and am now semi-retired living in hawaii on the beach....thankfully. No ego. NOT trying to impress anyone, just impress UPON that expanding yourself as more than a Dj and Kj can be VERY profitable......and YES... stressful too, But it's worth it!!

Most people don't realise the money involved in entertainment. I hope you do. Good luck in your endeavors, ....and listen to the wife , ignore the haters, and stay as discreet as you can on discussion forums or you'll regret it later. Aloha J.R.

Private parties can definitely be more lucrative money wise. I used to charge my club rate x3-5 depending on the event.
Problem is with private parties, you can't rely on them for steady work - some do get lucky and get gigs from gigs for new gigs, but this is not normally the case for many. Which is where club work comes into play, at least it's steady - for the most part.
Most of my parties were more corporate type events, not so much house parties although I did do a couple, unfortunately I sold all my mobile gear when I was trying to start up a new business in 2005, oh well.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

JR are you telling me I am one of the regrettors? cos discreet and Morgan have never figured in the same sentence

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

Lon you took the words out of my mouth

I thought I was in the minority for my thinking. I do very few private parties. I have steady work 3 nights. My work is a mile from my home and my equipment stays at the bar set up. I don't have to pay for advertising. I have a steady income. I don't have to set up or tear down.

I started turning down private parties because I have enough work ontop of my full time job. It is much easier for me to stay put. If all I did was private parties I may come out ahead, but I'd have to do a lot more work to get gigs and spend more money advertising. I don't worry when the next gig is coming or wonder how much money I'll make in a month.

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[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

Because I am effectively disabled at the moment, I rely on all my gigs to pay the bills.
I normally am a nurse but I am in need of a total knee replacement due to a fall a few years ago. Two surgeries later and I can barely walk. They obviously didn't help.

The private parties are definitely sweet when they come, but I do rely on my weekly and once monthly gigs to pay the bills.

Word of mouth is EVERYTHING as far as picking up the extra gigs.
It also helps that my BF runs the local music (instruments) store and recording studio.
People often call him looking for djs and karaoke. He does the dj gigs as I HATE doing it and I get the karaoke gigs.
When I do my gigs, I put out business cards and hopefully people will pick them up.
I also give my card out to people who want my phone number even for personal reasons.
Any way I can get the word out for the extra gigs is fine by me.

I know I had said previously that I didn't need the extra work, and at the time I didn't.
But since I've been told my knee will NOT get better after the last surgery in May, and I will not be returning to nursing any time soon, it has changed things for me dramatically.

Nope. I'm with you too. I'm doing three next month, but that's because it's December. I usually don't do any outside of December except maybe an occasional wedding reception or class reunion in the summer.

It requires a different mindset. It's more than just lugging the equipment around. Right off the bat, as soon as you arrive, you are required to commit to memory at least a half dozen names or else you get in hot water. And that's just the start. I have to get myself mentally jacked up on my way to any private function so I don't screw it up.

And once you start you never know what you are getting into.

I'm lazy I guess. I like just showing up for work with the equipment set up, knowing most everyone there, and how the room works.

BTW every private job I've ever got has been because of my club work. If you have no steady room jreynolds has the best ideas Eric.

Ironically, I think the best way to drum up private business is to have a regular weekly gig! I get approached every so often about private parties. I turn most of them down, since I don't have anyone reliable enough to cover for me at the bar, and some I turn down for other reasons. I would suggest you have a backup trained to take your regular gig.

Having a regular gig will give people an opportunity to see you in action before they hire you. I had a movie studio approach me for entertainment at their wrap party. They seemed on the fence, so I invited them out to see one of my shows. Everything worked out in the end.

Think of your regular gig as practice for the real thing. It will give you the experience you'll need for all of the situations that you'll encounter at a private party, (i.e. Drunk Guy, quiet room, no singers, equipment issues, mic hogs and perhaps even law enforcement intervention for those more interesting evenings.) You will most likely build up contacts very quickly.

* Add your phone number at the bottom of your song books, and/or slips (if you use them)

* Keep business cards on hand at ALL TIMES!

* Let the bar owner know that you offer private parties. We work with each other to try and incoporate his food with my entertainment. I've worked a lot of special events at his restaurant, and in turn, I try and move a lot of parties to his restaurant.

* An advertisement for your regular gig, is an advertisement for you! A lot of bar owners will take care of this for you. It's a win/win.

Anyway, hope this helps you a bit!

Like PirateMike said, business cards are important. Out of the weekly cruise nights and annual car shows I do plus when I'm just drawing cars, I always have biz cards and hand them out when people ask. I've gotten several private/corporate gigs from that. Most music stores have bulletin boards where you can post your biz card on the wall as well. If your bar rents halls for parties, you can have the bar owner recommend you if the clients ask who does DJ/KJ shows.

Eric, we aren't going to have anything to debate here, darn it!

First, though private parties are more lucrative, I STRONGLY suggest you keep the bar shows as well. They are the very best advertising/exposure that you can get, and not only is the advertising free, but you actually GET PAID to advertise yourself! It can't get better. Just make sure that you use the exposure well. Always have a card holder out. Two is better- one near you, and one left by the door of the venue ALL of the time. If possible, print up one page flyers to keep by the door as well.

I will play any type of party that will pay at least my basic fee, but prefer to make more, of course. To that end I have gotten myself on preferred vendor lists of banquet and wedding halls, as well as the top restaurants. They send a LOT of business my way.

I have done Weddings (mixing in DJ stuff), Holiday parties, birthdays, communions, corporate mergers, installation dinners, etc...

I have, however, stopped accepting weddings (hate them), and concentrate on corporate, which pay about the same ( LOTS ), with a whole lot less hassle.

I do between 35 - 45 parties / year, as well as 5 bar nights per week.

QUALITY mailings are great. These I send to the banquet halls, corporate event managers, service club coordinators, etc. ( I use a different mailer for bars).

By quality, I mean MEMORABLE. A mailing may be technically wonderful, but if it looks like every other corporate beauty it will just end up in the circular file...

Hope this has been of some help.....

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

Eric

I found most of my private gigs initially through my regular bar gigs and I still get a few through them. I believe it is important to keep your regular bar gigs going to maintain contact with new prospective customers.

Once I started booking private parties I made sure that I had plenty of business cards and brochures available at my private functions and had them displayed in several locations throughout the venue.

One of my most successful methods for getting new business is my "Book Three Parties" and get one free promotion. They could either have three parties themselves or refer me to 3 people who booked parties with me. At the end of 6 months I had to back off on that promotion as I had too much business to handle.

I kept my rates reasonable ($250 for 4 hours) and had plenty of new bookings. Now i can command a higher price for my shows, but you have to start somewhere. Once I had enough business I would stay in contact with the people who referred me and also the ones who booked parties with me by sending them greeting cards about every 90-120 days to stay in touch with them. This would perpetuate more bookings from my efforts.

Never once did I advertise or promote my business in any other way than word of mouth advertising.

By doing the private parties I received excellent exposure and booked some really high end gigs as well. One thing for sure is you never know who is sitting in the audience and where it may lead you.

This referral system really works if you give it time to work. Once the ball gets rolling you won't want to do business any other way.

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FlipSide Karaoke
Scott

Thanx to all who have helped so far. Hope more advice will be forthcoming.
I had expected to get a few good ideas or I wouldn't have asked, but you guys have provided many great suggestions.

And whatever would make you want to look for private gigs, when there are so many lucrative coffee houses you could play at??

MEOW!
Why so catty, Pirate?

again, Pirate, you've got all the answers.

so how do I get private parties at coffee houses/shops?