Less gadget reviews, more business columns

Christopher A Johnson, post: 24141, member: 157 wrote: Hi Phil,
Just a polite reminder of an email we exchanged a few weeks back. I asked about accounting software and keeping track of business expenses. Any progress on that column?

I’m not Phil, but I would tell you that you should download demos and/or try out cloud services like Mint.com. It really comes down to how much expenditures you have and what you need to keep track of. I once tried to do my personal finance with Quicken, but found I didn’t have much to put in, so I stopped.

Maybe some details here, and I can possibly help guide you.

Christopher A Johnson, post: 24141, member: 157 wrote:
Second, I’d like some feedback on dealing w/ bar owners who have high/unrealistic expectations of a DJ bringing a crowd. I’ve had 4 gigs recently at bars that I thought would be good but ended up being dead, dead, dead. One place is a huge bar/bowling alley/band club in the suburbs. I did my usual promotion but I don’t live in the area so no one I know was going to come. The bar did next to nothing and only posted 2 of the 15 posters I had printed. Point is, I get this all the time from bar and restaurant owners that expect me to fill their bar on my DJ night when the place is virtually empty every other night. The second place I played was from 12-3am following a couple of ‘original music’ bands. Each night, the bands had about 5-8 ppl show up. I played for the bar staff. Sure, its good practice but still not very fulfilling.

I think you need to confront them when you set up these gigs. If you’re being hired as a promoter, then you need to make a deal with them as a promoter but then determine the costs they have to incur to you in order to make it happen. Not just paying you, but any percentages of the bar or specials/giveaways to help drive people in. If they’re hiring you as a DJ, then it’s on them to do their own promotion. You should help, but not do it all.

Frankly, when I see venues who simply toss it all on the DJ and not even help, then it screams to me “walk away”. They’re not serious about their business and thus they’re destined to die. Believe me, I’m from Chicago too. I’ve seen this loads of times.

However, if you want to take on the job of promoter, then maybe read up the series we have on promoting. Maybe it’ll help. You’ll have to do the work and think “marketing”. I personally would not do it unless there’s good money involved and you think you can pull it off. Remember that an AVAILABLE venue doesn’t always equate to an IDEAL venue. Look at the market, where they go, and even why they might not come to this place.

Christopher A Johnson, post: 24141, member: 157 wrote:
Third, I did have one good gig w/ a full room and for the life of me, no matter what I played – someone wasn’t happy. One waitress came up to me 3 times telling me to play good songs, the crowd is bored and more Top 40. I was having a melt down for about an hour until I got into the right groove. The lesson I learned is #1 – Top 40 means different things to different people #2 have a set list planned and stick to it, #3 even if the owner says “No Hip-Hop” if enough people request Hip-Hop, then f’n play Hip-Hop. And #4, despite how much songs are over played on the radio, in a bar setting after a Cubs game on a Saturday afternoon, people STILL want to hear songs they know. I hate LMFAO but it saved my ass.

Always bear in mind you won’t please everyone, and there are always people who come out thinking their favorite music will work everywhere.

You always look at the floor as the decider. So if the floor is packed, jamming, and yet one or a few people want different music, you as a DJ have the right to say “no”. I also agree if the owner is going to say “no” to some genres, then try to understand the “why”.

Usually when I see an owner ban hip-hop, it’s basically because he doesn’t want to see his place get filled with “ghetto folk”. I know many times this is pure racism, but it’s his spot, so he can run it into the ground if he chooses. I would simply play what a former employer called “chick-hop”, which is basically “easy to swallow” stuff that white people would love. It’ll please both sides in this.

I also know most managers won’t worry about the standards or “rules” if the floor is packed, alcohol is selling like crazy, and register rings are soaring. Money still talks in the end.

And yeah…the one thing to bear in mind with mainstream folk is they value SAFETY and FAMILIARITY. They don’t want to be “enlightened”, they want to be in their safety zone. It sucks musically, but it works.

Hi Christopher – I use Freshbooks for invoicing and expenses, and pay my acountant to do the rest! As D-Jam says, in the US Mint has a great reputation (it doesn’t work with our banks here in Spain yet). Most of our audience are hobbyist DJs, but one book I recommend (it’s not digital, but it is business-oriented) is The Mobile DJ MBA by Stacy Zemon. Much of it may not be relevant to you, but one thing it does do is look at DJ business management software. Hope that helps!

Regarding playing to empty rooms, I think it’s just a case of laying down expectations up front. If you know in your heart nobody is going to come, tell the guy who’s booking you, and if he still wants to book you, at least his expectations are managed.