Désolé, ce texte est en anglais seulement, pour l’instant.
What's A DJ Really Worth
Ten things to consider when valuing your DJ service
Cost of living
The Consumer Price Index is the averaged costs of a variety of goods and
services.
In 1984 it was 100. Today’s index is 174.4. This is an increase in the cost of
living of 74.4% since 1984. In 1984, the average rate for a pro Mobile DJ was
about $400 for a 4-hour party or around $100 per hour. It is exactly the same
today. In today’s economy, a Mobile DJ charging $400 is making a gross income
74.4% less than it was 16 years ago, which equates to $102.40 for a 4-hour
party in today’s dollars.
Hourly rate
Do your fees take into account the hours you spend on event planning, meetings,
transportation, set up and tear-down, music research and acquisition,
accounting, marketing, etc.? If you work a 40-hour week operating your
business, do one party per week, and charge $400, you will gross $10 per hour.
At two parties per week, that’s $20 per hour… before paying business expenses!
Wal-Mart pays better and has more benefits!
The 3x Rule
If you’re leaving employment to start your own business, a common guideline
states that in order to maintain your current pay rate you must multiply your
current wage by a factor of three. This means that if your business is grossing
$20 per hour, the adjusted rate based on the 3x Rule is $6.67 per hour. $6.67
per hour x 40 hours = $266.80 per week x 52 weeks per year = $13,873.60 gross
annual income before taxes. Did somebody say McDonald’s?
Retirement
To retire in 20 years with $1 million (which won’t be a lot of money by then),
you must invest $1,317 into a tax-free account bearing 10% every month for 20
years.
Job description
As professional Mobile DJs we are: Announcers, Masters of Ceremonies, Music
Programmers, Audio Technicians, Lighting Technicians, Event Planners,
Coordinators, and more. How much would these individual professionals charge
for each service? An MC alone commands between $300 and $1,200 per event.
Price comparisons
Based on a wedding reception with 200 guests held at a Southern California
hotel, a reception coordinator goes for $950, a cake ranges between $300 and
$1,500, meal service averages $6,000, gratuity is $1,080, and sales tax is
$1,550 for the day. At $400, a professional Mobile DJ is a steal.
The pie
In 1995, the estimated national average cost of a wedding day was $18,000. The
average cost of music was $910. Today, the total is closer to $20,000. If your
fee is only $400, not only is it less than 1995’s average for music, but your
"piece of the pie" is only 2%. Are you responsible for only 2% of the
event’s success?
Scarcity
There are 52 weeks each year. Most events happen on the weekends, usually on
Saturday. Most are wedding receptions and are somwhat seasonal. This limits the
time a DJ has to create income. Hotels plan their years around these seasonal
trends and factor in an occupancy percentage ratio to fit their budgets. They
don’t depend on filling all the rooms to make ends meet. Anything over that
ratio is considered a good year. How many events can you do each year?
Talent
Not everyone can successfully DJ a party. Most people do not have the music
knowledge, technical skill, sensitivity, motivational ability, music programming
savvy, announcing skills, etc. to do a professional job. Most people can’t read
an audience. In other industries, talent and knowledge warrants a premium fee.
Would you go to a cut-rate cardiologist?
No. 1 fear in America
The No. 1 fear in America today is public speaking: getting up in front of a
crowd and talking on a microphone. Sound familiar? Not everyone is willing to
do what we do routinely. In other industries, this fact alone dictates a high
value-added fee. Would you become an underwater welder for $10 per hour?
From www.mobilebeat.com
