Disc Jockey News

Entrepeneur.com

Business Overview:

Disc Jockey Service
Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000
Home Based: Can be operated from home.
Part Time: Can be operated part-time.
Franchises Available? Yes
Online Operation? No

One of the best part-time entertainment businesses that can be started is a disc jockey service, as not only are disc jockey services in high demand, but the business can also be initiated on less than a $10,000 investment and the monthly operating overheads are virtually nonexistent. There are basically four ingredients required to start and operate a successful disc jockey service: 1. An excellent and varied music selection. 2. Suitable DJ equipment and reliable transportation. 3. A talent for public speaking and an outgoing personality. 4. Good marketing skills. Potential clients for a disc jockey service can include event planners, wedding planners, tour operators, nightclub owners, and the individual consumer seeking to secure disc jockey services for a celebration or event. Potential income range is $200 to $400 per night.

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I wrote back this response:

I have been in the Disc Jockey industry for over twenty five years and a Full Time Professional DJ for the last eleven. I wanted to clear up a few misconceptions that your article about starting a DJ business may give your readers.

1) “Monthly operating overheads are virtually nonexistent” The monthly expenses can include advertising, insurance for equipment, vehicles, health and bodily injuries. Working out of the home there is lighting, heating, air conditioning, phones, internet, web site hosting, food and insurance. Operating my business costs a minimum or $2000 per month.

2) “An excellent and varied music selection” Music is not free, each week new CDs are released. In 2007 as a single operator DJ service I spent over $5000.00 on new music. “Free” music or “sharing music” web sites is nothing more than “STEALING” when it comes to the DJ industry.

3) “Talent for public speaking” The majority of humans have a fear of public speaking. A DJ can not be afraid, but you also must have eloquence, technique and the ability to think on your feet. There are several DJ conventions to attend each year, training classes, educational classes and talent/skill classes to keep you up to date with your profession and they are not cheap.

4) “Good Marketing Skills” most people don’t have a clue as to what makes for good marketing. Marketing of Disc Jockeys has really changed over the last ten years and will continue to change. Even the list of people you mentioned in your article still might not know how, where or when to market a “DJ” properly.

5) “Potential earnings of $200 to $400 per night” Even if your potential investment was only $10,000 as you suggested, at $400 per night it would take you twenty five events just to break even. A new DJ may perform ten events the first year and fifteen the second, but don’t forget you have so many other expenditures to pay that it could take up to five years to pay off this original start up costs.

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They only allow a 2000 character response to any of their articles so I really had to keep it short and simple. I could have gone on for days about this bad idea of theirs.

This web site is hailed as a leader and spokesperson for the business industry and yet they give out such nonsense, misinformation and uninformed information it is just a horrible shame.

I would like to see any DJ who has an opinion about this article send them an e-mail and let them know the truth.

go to http://www.entrepreneur.com then click on business ideas and look back a few days to this article written about DJs. You can't miss it, it has the stereo-typical picture of a hand and a turn table.

WHO USES TURN TABLES ANYMORE? Why don't they show an eight-track tape or an old 78?

On the bottom of the page they have an area to add your comments. I have noticed that my comment (at this time) has not appeared on the site. Infect no comments are shown as of yet.

I read some of the other ideas they offered for starting a business and from what I read, they really shouldn't be giving out this kind of false or misinformation as they do. (Just my opinion) ???

Jeff Richards: Party Time Productions

http://www.PartyTimeProductions.biz

UPDATE:

Entrepenuer.com has added five comments to this web page, two by myself and three by fellow DJs. After posting my first comment I decided it just wasn’t enough and added a second comment, and here it is:

J. Richards
It is unfortunate for DJs like myself to let you know that being a Disc Jockey is no longer a HIGH DEMAND business. National statistics show that the number of weddings and other events that typically require entertainment (Band or DJ) has dropped each year for the last five to seven years and are now at an all time record demand low.

People are deciding not to get married, wait until they are older (40 and above) and don’t wish to put on a big event or they are doing the latest fad of destination weddings (out of the country)

At this same time the number of people calling themselves Disc Jockeys has quadrupled each year for the last five years. The reason: these so called professional DJs are building music libraries by sharing, downloading and producing illegal copies of music. A music library is a constant and the largest expense to a DJ business owner.

With companies like Radio Shack, Best Buy, Costco and Guitar Centers offering low quality, low priced DJ equipment it is easier for a person to pick up DJ in a Box at a wholesale retailer and believe that they have everything necessary to call themselves a Disc Jockey.

The majority of Disc Jockeys are not even registered as a legal business with their Secretary of State and are not paying taxes on their DJ income. Is this fair to all the other hard working, tax paying people of America?

With free advertising locations like Craigslist, these unskilled inexperienced people can fool hard working Bridal Couples to pay a very low price to have them entertain for their reception. It is unfortunate that these clients don’t find out until it is too late that they Get What You Pay For!

posted: 6/19/2008