What advice do you have for a business just starting out in your industry?
I would first give advice to the individual about their "performance" and then advice about their "business". From the standpoint of performance, my number one piece of advice is that the service you provide is really just one more piece of the whole puzzle of vendors that make up an event. Some say, "A DJ can make or break an event" and to some extent I would agree with that BUT it does not give you permission to think you are "more important" than the event. A mentor of mine in this industry always reminds me, "Don't believe your own press clippings" and I for sure echo his sentiments. So many people see the glitz and glamour of being a DJ and in some cases allow it to consume them. You can be the most talented person at your craft but if people can't stand to be around you it is all for nothing. Bottom line, be humble, be appreciative that you have an opportunity to work in such a "fun" industry and always strive to be a team player.
From the standpoint of business, my most important piece of advice is if you are going to call you a "Professional" DJ (or any other part of the event industry) understand that "Professional" is not defined by "what" or "how" you do things. Professional is defined by "what one does as their MAIN source of income". The average national salary for a "professional" anything is around $40,000 a year. A simple mathematical equation to understand this point is to take the average amount of money you charge per event and multiply it by the average number of events you can personally do (should not be any greater than 50 - 60 when you are first starting). Where many people make the mistake is they say, "Well, I took your equation, plugged in my numbers and came up with $45,000. I am $5,000 ahead of the game!" While at initial observation this would "make sense" but what has been forgotten is all the expenses necessary to run your business (i.e., equipment, legal music, license, insurance, marketing, advertising, vehicle maintenance, gas to travel to and from events, computer & software to manage events, phone line for your company, website, etc.). All of that BEFORE you can even consider paying yourself a salary. You can easily see where your $45,000 (in the above example) can be depleted very quickly. There is nothing wrong with working this industry "part time", there are many great DJs who do, but if you are going to tout that you are a "professional" then NONE of the expenses mentioned above should be ignored because they "cost too much" nor should you be "making", meaning bringing home personally not charging and bringing into your "business" any less than a respectable salary based on the national averages. If you are not able to do this, it is usually based on what you are charging for your services. The amount of events you can do is typically only affected by adding more DJs to your staff or as your reputation grows in a positive way which should lead to more opportunities.
Therefore, you must address this in your pricing. You are not doing yourself or even worse the "industry" a favor by charging far less than other businesses in your area because you think it will get you more business. Instead what you do is reduce the perceived value of DJs. That affects everyone who is working hard to maintain a true "professional" status. I understand, mainly because I was there myself once, that the common thought is that when you first start out you cannot charge as much as someone who has more experience in the industry or with a specific type of event. This may be true BUT don't then fall prey to using the "I can offer the same thing they do for a cheaper price" tactic because if you really believed you could, you would be charging the same rate. Pay your dues, work hard, don't try to be someone you are not yet and when you have the proper experience and confidence to "Go Pro" then do so. Continuing Education is the key. I have been in the business myself well over 20 years and I never stop learning how to be better. Never fool yourself into thinking you "know it all". When (if) you get to that point, it is probably a good time to either take a self re-evaluation or look for a new career.
Do you have a most memorable wedding or funny story you'd like to share?
As I am sitting here typing this there is a tornado and flash flood warning for our area and I couldn't help but think about the wedding I titled "The couple that couldn't wait...In the rainstorm". It was probably about 8 - 10 years ago and the wedding was at the library in Fernandina Beach, FL. They have a room for functions in the top floor of the library. Upon arrival it was already raining pretty steady and I remember being concerned because the parking lot actually slanted down from the main street to the entrance into the library. At that point the water was draining pretty well. So, the wedding reception started off like any other typically does with a cocktail hour. I was setup next to a window so occasionally I'd peek outside to evaluate the weather. The rain continued and at many times became much stronger. Then the "untypical" began. A cocktail hour usually lasts that long, an hour. However, we were close to two hours into the event and still no site or word from the Bride and Groom. The wedding party had already arrived, the parents were in the room and even the photographers had finished their photos.
The longer the time went on the more I ran out of "excuses" why they hadn't arrived yet. It actually got to the point 3 hours in that the caterers decided to let people start eating to prevent the food from going bad. Finally about 3 1/2 hours into the event the Bride & Groom arrive, no dress, no tux...just regular clothes. As you can imagine by the title, they decided to make a stop at their hotel to "consummate the marriage" before coming to reception. I guess they figured the reception was for the guests anyway so no need to rush LOL The icing on the cake was after the event as I went to load up my truck, as expected the water level rose to just below my bumper of my truck and I ended up having to roll up my suit pants to my waist basically (which still didn't really keep them dry) and carry all of my equipment down and load it barefoot. All and all it was a pretty interesting evening and more than a few laughs and memories still linger long after my suit dried.
We are so thrilled with our bride, Sarah Jo, for introducing us to her friend 
"What do you mean, you aren't having wedding favors?"
We hear it a lot, usually from the parents of the bride and groom. The history of the wedding favor isn't really well known, but party favors in general have been around since the 16th century. Think back to your birthday parties as a child - didn't you always give your friends a little sack of goodies to take home?
