How to Run a Mobile DJ Business
Unless you are a house DJ with an ongoing gig, chances are you are operating a mobile DJ business, even if you are reluctant to call your craft by such a mundane term. However, it is what it is and you are in the business of employing your talent to make money. You’ve spent years learning your craft and have gathered the best DJkit available, so let’s examine some effective ways to run a mobile DJ business.
Developing a Business Plan
The first thing that needs to be done is a business plan. Here you will outline where you are now, where you want to be in the short term and where you hope to be a year or two down the road. From here you can begin to devise strategies of reaching your goals. If you doubt the efficacy or necessity of developing a business plan, just look at how major lenders determine whether or not a business concern is an acceptable risk.
Without a viable business plan, the chances of qualifying for a loan are next to nil. Whether or not you actually need a business loan is not the issue. What you should take from this is the fact that a business plan gives you a road map to follow on your way up, on your claim to fame.
A Major Emphasis on Marketing
You could be the most talented DJ in the industry but until your name is a household word, you won’t be getting very many gigs. Take the time to investigate and utilise as many marketing tactics as you possibly can. Carry business cards wherever you go, use adverts in local music and DJ magazines and by all means, take advantage of the Internet.
You might want to start with a website that showcases venues you have played along with music you perform. Here is where you can use video and audio clips of your music so potential club owners and venue managers can get a taste of what you have to offer. It is also important to expand your fan base through social media sites where they can follow you along the way.
A Word of Advice
One final word of advice is in regards to something often overlooked by DJs and other performers in business for themselves. Keep careful records of all your expenses down to the very last pound note. Much of what you spend on the operational and marketing end of your business can be taken as allowances when it comes time to pay taxes.
By keeping track of all your expenditures so they can be balanced against your income, you will realise the greatest profits when it comes time to pay the taxman. You do not want to be audited and you certainly don’t want to pay taxes that could have been avoided, so heed this advice carefully.
During all that time you spent learning your craft and keeping up with the latest DJ equipment on the market, did you ever think you would need to learn the financial end of the business as well?
Unfortunately, this is a sad reality that all too many musicians learned the hard way, being made bankrupt through unruly spending and poor business management. Learning how to run a mobile DJ business is work – plying your craft is where the fun begins.
