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Thanks for all the helpful info, guys. I'm sure I could get more gigs if I did any advertising at all, but I haven't really tried yet. My boss was in charge of that and he's kinda been dropping the ball lately. (Got into a band and went back to school and decided karaoke wasn't worth the money). Now that I have my own equipment, it's time to get organized and get my own name out there, I guess. Like I said before, I'm in it for the fun, so I haven't done much yet.
I have 2 semi-reg gigs now. The first, my boss started 5 yrs ago, every Fri. night. I subbed for him regularly, then took over several yrs ago when he gave up on it. Since I divorced the owner's "best friend" last summer, they cut it down to once a month. They're the ones who keep changing the date. This month, it was becuz the cleaning guy didn't want to clean up 2 nights in a row. Last month, they needed to set up for a wedding rehearsal for the next day. I think most of the problem is that I'm too accomodating and let them get away with it. My regulars don't go out there unless I'm there, so they think they'll get more business if they have to come out every week to see if there's karaoke. They might get a few drinks out of it, but those people don't stay if I'm not there. Now, they call me first and don't go out at all.
The other gig is a fill-in when the other dj isn't available, usually at least once a month. They usually put an ad in the paper and put flyers up at least 2 weeks in advance. I do some birthday parties, private gigs and weddings too, but usually for friends or aquaintances. My boss usually took the high-paying jobs and gave me the left-overs. Even the ones I was allowed to take, he got most of the money. If I was lucky, I'd get half for a kj gig, and $150 for a $400 wedding gig, and I did all the set up and tear down too. I couldn't say much because it was his business and his equipment (except for the computer), That was the main reason I got my own equipment this summer. We're still on good terms, I just don't have to ask him before booking my own gigs now.
I know most of you are doing this for a business, not a hobby. I'll be reading your posts and learning from your experiences for awhile, I'm sure. I appreciate all the help I can get.
Thanks again,
Kathi
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