How To Start A Mobile Dj Business
A mobile DJ business is not only a desirable avenue for honing your talents –as somebody who knows the music others are interested in listening to –but also an opportunity for you to make reasonable wealth doing what you’re skilled at.
Nowadays, it’s very obvious that many party hosts and event planners hire professional DJs in place of live bands.
Provided you’ve got an ear for music, coupled with the required monetary potential, this article could be all you need to find out how you can start a mobile DJ business and make it a successful venture.
What You Need to have
» The Skills and Experience
A mobile DJ business requires you to have a strong social flair if you must make a success out of it.
Besides the need to interact with lots of people, you’re expected to know what appeals to their fancies as regards music.
Put simply, there’s a need to figure the music suited for a certain category of people at a given time.
Provided you’re readily given to going out with personalities and have spent much time figuring out the songs that hold people’s interest at parties, events, etc. you’re much likely to build a successful mobile DJ business.
When party hosts engage your mobile DJ service, they expect you to combine songs with the rhythm and feel best suited for their guests.
In that case, you’ll have to develop a strong ear for music so that you can maintain harmonious transitions while playing tons of tunes.
While it’s important that your hosts are contented with the kinds of songs you choose to play at their parties, you’re still expected to focus a lot on what your audience is interested in listening to.
» Start-up and Running Expenses
Before you set foot on the ground, ensure you find out the costs of acquiring business equipment, marketing materials, and insurance coverage.
You may not have to secure an office space since the majority of DJs out there prefer to work from their homes.
However, you’ll need a sizeable vehicle for conveying your business supplies to party/event locations.
As part of your start-up plans, you’ll have to hire a CPA/attorney whose business is to provide you with a well-written plan and execute it effectively.
Amongst others, the necessary supplies for your mobile DJ business are microphones, lights, PA equipment and high-quality laptops with lots of space for music.
You can visit your local equipment market to find out the price of sound and light equipment.
While it’s advisable that you beat down the price of this equipment, it’s much important that you purchase high-quality products.
Depending on your preference, you could be spending up to $40,000 on sound and light equipment only.
Tips for Starting a Mobile DJ Business
Provided you’ve deliberated on your start-up expenses conducted thorough market research and secured sufficient funds to cover all the required expenses, the next thing is to comply with the steps outlined below.
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Set up a Legal Entity for Your Business:
A legal entity is one of the critical requirements you should consider especially if you want to avoid personal liability in case of business suasion.
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Establish a Plan for Your Business:
A well-written plan shows what your business needs and the direction it should face in order to yield success.
Besides defining how long the business will operate before reaching the point of break-even, a comprehensive business plan should outline important details including the target market and the start-up expenses.
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Set up a Business Brand:
Of course, there is a need to keep your business in the minds of the people by providing it with a brand.
Not only will this brand set your business out of the crowd, but it will also reflect the purpose of your business.
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Business License:
If you don’t want your business to be brought to an abrupt end –perhaps as a result of government crackdown –ensure you obtain the licenses and/or permits that authorize your business operation.
Your state government may impose huge fines on you if it discovers that your business lacks the permits or licenses required for operating legally.
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Tax Registration:
Before you may be allowed to set your business in motion, it’s necessary that you register for a number of federal and state taxes.
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Obtain Business Insurance:
The importance of business insurance goes beyond mere professionalism as it provides liability for accidents that might affect you, your employees or your entire business.
One of the insurance covers you may have to obtain is “workers’ compensation insurance’’ especially if you’ll be employing workers.
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Establish a Business Account:
Obviously, you’ll need to keep track of your business expenditure and profits in order to assess the financial performance of your mobile DJ business.
By having a business account separate from personal accounts, you can easily monitor the financial position of your business.
Why You Should Network with Industry Experts
Certainly, you want to make a success out of your mobile DJ business and while other local DJs are considered your competitors, it’s still advisable that you network with them.
Doing this will not only open your eyes to the latest industry news, trends, music, etc. but also fetch you insight into how successful local DJs are making waves for themselves.
On a serious note, you could join the United States Disc Jockey Association, the American Disc Jockey Association or any other relevant groups in order to get information about starting up your mobile DJ business in the right manner.
Marketing Your Mobile DJ Business
Mobile DJ services are mostly demanded during the weekends, giving you considerable time to handle marketing issues.
Conventionally, word-of-mouth advertising continues to thrive but you shouldn’t think it is enough to get your DJ services in front of a huge audience.
Therefore, below are some marketing tips lots of DJs have found effective:
» Participating in Style Me Pretty, The Knot and other relevant online blog forums
» Participating in local and online organizations that provide networking advantages
» Equipping your website with an event/wedding blog
» Regular use of social networks
» Building strong relationships with wedding/event planners
» Establishing a responsive website