| I often read on the DJ online communities newbie | | | | National Insurance - £2.35 per week |
| questions such as "How much should I charge?" or | | | | Public Liability Insurance (£10m) - £0.95p |
| "What methods should I use for structuring my disco | | | | per week |
| fee?" | | | | He basic charge for a gig is slightly over three hundred |
| This year, I had a pleasant chat with a full-time mobile | | | | pounds (£315.00). Incorporated into this is a |
| DJ based in the South East (Kent) with over five | | | | provision for TAX, a mark-up of fifteen percent and |
| years DJ experience, who was kind enough to share | | | | allocation for a full tank of fuel (£66.00). For |
| a breakdown of his calculations for inclusion in a | | | | seasonal work, he'll vary his fee slightly according to |
| marketing section of a DJ forum. | | | | demand for particular key dates. |
| Although mentioned a couple of times, I've presented | | | | Under his Terms and Conditions of hire, to secure his |
| his fee structures as a sole-trader again for perusal! | | | | DJ service, he accepts a reservation fee of fifty |
| Personally, he needs to take home clear over fifteen | | | | pounds. The balance must be settled either fourteen |
| hundred pounds per month( £1543.31) which | | | | days prior to the function or on the night in cash. |
| broken down is approximately around three hundred | | | | Before undertaking any overtime, he ensures that the |
| and fifty pounds per week (£356.14) or around | | | | payment is upfront which equates to thirty pounds per |
| fifty pounds per day (£50.87) | | | | half hour entered. |
| When added together, his major monthly outgoings | | | | Given that his service is a 'Retro Disco', he has little |
| which include the mortgage, council-tax payment and | | | | need to make new music purchases on a regular |
| utility bills total over nine hundred and fifty pounds per | | | | basis. He also provides a Karaoke disco service. |
| month (£950.00). His food bill is around two | | | | For 2009, his diary is sounding pretty busy. He intends |
| hundred and twenty pounds a month (£220). At | | | | to add at least ten pounds to his fee from April. |
| this point, it's worth reminding that these where his | | | | On a side note, he flatly refuses to operate for a |
| calculations broken down. Purchases which have not | | | | venue who pay out less than two hundred and fifty |
| been included yet in this break-down are music | | | | pounds a night. This is due to a number of factors |
| purchases such as mp3 downloads and Compact | | | | which he briefly summarised as not wishing to work in |
| Discs, diesel fuel or repair costs towards the | | | | those areas which would not pay his fee. Baring in |
| maintenance and upkeep of his disco equipment. | | | | mind that he covered the South East across London, |
| Breaking down his figures a little further into a weekly | | | | Kent and Essex, there are several London Boroughs |
| cost which totalled over eighty five pounds per week | | | | alone he particularly (and happily) avoids. |
| (£86.15) the following outgoings equate to | | | | Our conversation was drawing to a close. I enquired |
| around three hundred and seventy pounds per month | | | | how much he would charge for his service if he was |
| (£373.31):- | | | | out entertaining on-top of a full-time job, he said he's |
| Office: | | | | charge around one hundred and fifty pounds to two |
| Telephone, advertising and stationary - £38.46 | | | | hundred pounds a function. This, in his opinion, was a |
| per week | | | | reasonable fee for a part-time entertainment service |
| Electricity & Heating (Office Use) - £10.57 | | | | and around half of what he believed full-time services |
| per week | | | | would charge for the same hours. |
| Web Host - £3.25 per week | | | | Given the recent licence introductions, before I could go |
| Mobile Phone and wi-fi (PAYG) - £10 per week | | | | any further he was quick to jump in and say the |
| Vehicle: | | | | licence did not apply to him, he did not need it! |
| Car tax - £3.55 | | | | On a final note, I asked him how concerned or worried |
| Vehicle Insurance and Breakdown Cover - £10 | | | | he was about the future of his service in the current |
| per week | | | | downturn. He agreed that the future was pretty |
| Insurances: | | | | uncertain, especially for the South East although so far, |
| Equipment Insurance £4.23 per week | | | | everything was not looking too bad! |
| Portable Appliance Test - £2.79 per week | | | | |