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I've had an account for about 7 weeks providing a DJ/VJ for a college bar on Saturday nights. When I approached the bar owner about my services he said he couldn't afford $350 a night for what I wanted to do. So I said "How about if I provide the DJ/VJ/sound/video/lighting system and keep the cover charge?". Since the place was almost completely empty on Sat night he agreed to the deal in a heartbeat.

The first Sat we did about 90 people, the second Sat over 200 and every week since over 400. The bar owner has been telling me every week my guys have been doing a great job and he couldn't be happier. His Sat night alcohol sales are up 10x +. Well, he called me last night and told me my services weren't needed anymore. They are putting in their own sound/video system and his nephew was gonna be the DJ. Talk about being stabbed in the back !

I had no written contract and I'm sure some of you will grill me about that. But when I do business with bar owners, I'm the type who likes to operate on my word and a handshake. Looks like I'm gonna have to change some of the ways I do business in the future.

I guess I can't complain too much, at $5 a head we made bank for over a month and I should have known the owner was taking note of that. I can't wait to see what does cause hes the cheapest man you will ever meet.

So, has anybody else built up somebody's biz then get the boot cause the house thinks they can do it cheaper?

Mojo

ps I know, I know, its not really a KJ thing but I had to RANT somewhere.

It's a shame - To me the guys a sbag. It seems you built up the biz now you;re getting the shaft .. YEP --Contract would have been the way to go

You have every right to want to vent ! That guys a goober.

I don't use contracts either. I don't fault you for that. In my area you can't get a bar owner to sign a contract and contracts usually don't hold up any way. I'm sorry this happened to you.

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Yep. Took the till from $300 per night to almost $3K per night. The manager hired a cheaper guy with crap equipment, blown speakers & didn't even hook into the bar tv's at all. Went from $3k to $200. I went in there one of the nights & there were 6 people in the bar, the kj, the bartender, the manager, two others & me! Had to laugh though, the KJ was the new singer of Metal Church (80's hard rock metal band).
So when the bar called me back to re-hire me, I told them I could do it but my price went up $100 per night (knowing he wouldn't pay it). They didn't accept, made all kinds of bad decisions after that it seemed & are now closed down for the last year.

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[quote="Lonman @ Thu Oct 15, 2009 12:42 pm"][So when the bar called me back to re-hire me, I told them I could do it but my price went up $100 per night.]


And that's when you snapped that shot for your avatar. Love it.

Sorry Mojo that happened to you! It's not all bad though.

At least you know you did a great job, made your money, entertained thousands of people, and are open to repeat that same formula of success someplace else with a more deserving venue owner.

This has happened to me many times. I go in, build up the bar's business, then suddenly the bar owner comes to me and says that he can get someone to do what I do for $50.00 a night and free drinks. Inevitably he hires some joker with a little table top system and 200 songs, and no ability whatsoever to entertain, or hold a crowd.

They ALWAYS come crawling back to me. I used to accept , but NO MORE! When the bar owner asks "Why not?" I tell him or her 'if you can put the screws to me once, that means you're capable of doing it again. No thank you!"

Now I refuse to work without a written, signed contract. It 's the only way to do business.

I'm not sure if I understand. How can someone "put the screws to you" if you have a signed contract with them? Violation of the terms of a legally executed contract opens them up to legal action where YOU would prevail!

I would not have a problem coming back to a venue under those circumstances.

As for any bar that would shaft me like that, I would make sure on the night I previously played there that I fliered the surrounding car windshields with where I currently am and the big headline would be, "Remember how much fun we had? Come back and be part of the show!"

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I'd guess by the word "Now" in magic's last sentence Dan, that this was his learning point and started contracts right after that. If correct, this should clarify your confusion. That's how I read it.

That's litter, and illegal in many places. It is also rude.

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Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
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That maybe, but it's the only way many businesses can "get started" or put the word out about something special going on.

Years ago I used to attend a particular singles' dance held every month. When I left the dance I'd find at least one flyer from another singles' event. I appreciated that effort, because I would not likely know about the event otherwise.

On the other hand, I avoid patronizing most businesses that put flyers beneath my windshield wipers.

Also, while I spend hundreds of dollars advertising all of my businesses every month, every once in awhile something special is going on and flyers are the quickest and least expensive way to target a small area. I realize I am taking a risk when I flyer but the upside far outweighs the downside.

And when I flyer I never touch any vehicles windshield wiper or place anything on the windshield that could distract a driver in a moving vehicle. I always place my offering in the crack of the driver's door. If nothing else what I hate most about flyers on my windshield is not seeing them until I am on the road. Worse case, it starts to rain and I have to stop to retrieve the damn thing.

Re: Ever been fired for doing too good a job ?

You post really has nothing to do with being fired for doing too good of a job IMHO.

But to answer your question, I have been "fired" for doing too good of a job and that, unfortunately, happens.

It is common in companies that accept mediocrity and you perform in a manner that shows everyone else up!

It is also prevalent in privately owned enterprises where the owner is never wrong and will not accept being proven wrong, even if the effort that proved him wrong achieved startling results!

I'd probably just move on if it happened to me, but I have to admit, if it was legal in that area, leaving fliers on the car windows is a interesting way of dealing with it.

Some towns all you have to do is get a permit to do so.

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I had to go back and read it over to understand your position here. Literally speaking you are correct; the text implies more that MoJo was used.

He was used to build the clientele and used to train the owner how to do it right. It would be interesting to see in the future how well the bar owner learned.

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