Quoted my first bride with the "inclusive pricing" next year

[IceBurghDJ]

My experience renting tools and cars and such in the past is the day I need it they've got nohting in stock to rent..someone didn't return it on time, they broke it, it's a high demand weekend, etc.

It's my business and i'm not gonna let an outside vendor control my future. Seen too many issues in the past - including a photog friend that had a very large issue this year when pictage crashed and then folded - they were his main vendor for 30 weddings a year. It cost him in time, money and reputation.

Not everyone is in a location where they can rent gear, my nearest rental l ocation with any substantial inventory is a couple oh hundred miles away, pa and basic lighting is a little closer at 70 miles

 

[Randy A]

That presumes you are selling the gear - not the practice. I would be careful not to fall into the modern DJ trap of selling inventory instead of services. If you have inventory to book then a flat price will generate consistent revenue from that gear. I know because I did rentals for a long time. Every time someone describes these all in one packages - I see what is essentially a rental service that comes with a tech.

As a DJ this can place a cap on opportunity because there's the tendency to view every job through the lens of your specific inventory rather than your creative potential. In the effort to sell the "package" we stay blind to a bigger vision of our personal talent and what the client might be willing or prepared to do. Yes, there are people looking for packages all nicely wrapped in a blister pack but, in the long term will you really feel rewarded for moving gear in and out of locations? Up lighting, Photo booths, Chocolate fountains, etc. - these are all essentially attended rentals and nearly any and every DJ has a similar offer, or people can even do it themselves. This means you can never really be the go-to source for this stuff.

I keep moving further and further away from owning equipment. When I want LEDs I want a very specific type for that particular event - so, now I rent instead of own. I do the same with video as well. Now, since I don't look at bigger events solely on the basis of what's in my inventory I literally sell my talent - a specific plan. The customer gets exactly what they want rather than an adaptation of my specific habits.

I've very well aware, but for myself it came down to evaluating my market and determining the best direction. Since the need to have such a diversification was not needed, it was simple economics from that point and the ease of not having to complete a site visit for every gig. It also doesn't presume that I'm selling the gear instead of the design factor. You're making the assumption. You should not presume that others don't do their due diligence in creating a business plan that fits their particular situation. Yes, my inventory does limit the type of design(s) that I can do, but again, it came down to my target market and the type of design(s) I wanted to offer. If someone needs to go larger than what I can offer, I have some very good vendors that I can refer.

 

[Proformance]

I agree that throwing up 3 packages, and just listing a bunch of equipment as part of each package looks like we are essentially just selling the gear.

I tend to be more service oriented as well. However, when it come to attracting potential clients, how do you go about outlining that on your website. Wedding Wire, and other wedding outlets claim that brides and grooms want to see pricing information on the website otherwise they are likely to move on to the next DJ. They also want to have a feel for what they are looking for before the contact a DJ today. It seems they don't want to contact the DJ being blind about what we do.

How best to showcase, and present this to them? Packages? Price List? Just a bunch of info, and telling them to contact us? Explain what we do, then throw up a Price Range, and tell them to contact us for a custom package just for them?

You can't ignore the virtual (limited) reality of marketing online. The functional basis of Wedding Wire and similar online directory/shopping sites is to reduce everything to a commodity. This is why they preach listing a price as so important. The only effective way to compete on that basis is with pictures - hoping the client wants exactly what you are showing them or some minor variation. Even if what you present is unique it won't stay that way for very long. Eventually the only distinguishing feature is price and prior knowledge - that is, a good price from a name you already know.

To compete on that playing field requires a lot of resources and puts part-time operators at a disadvantage. You simply won't have the volume to stay on the front edge of that wave, constantly reinventing yourself with the next trendy thing. You are better off making the most out of relationships - those customers who already think only of you when they need a DJ - and find ways to make your name heard more often in their circle of influence. You have the further advantage of already being compatible with the taste of these birds who flock together. Get involved in churches, schools, community funds, charity, and civic organizations where you can be part of the process that develops and plans these events. You will know about and have access to the opportunity before they start looking online.

 

[DJ TJ]

I think you need to have your core gear of lighting and sound that will do up to "x" number of people.
I would shoot for four tops and subs. That will cover probably 90% of the events most of us do here.
Rent your upsells (and reserve them in advance as soon as you have the date solidly booked). That way even if something goes for a crap and you cannot get the equipment needed for the up-sell, at least you will only have to refund that portion to the client and not feel obligated to return part of your core service fee.

 

[Proformance]

My experience renting tools and cars and such in the past is the day I need it they've got nohting in stock to rent..someone didn't return it on time, they broke it, it's a high demand weekend, etc.

It's my business and i'm not gonna let an outside vendor control my future. Seen too many issues in the past - including a photog friend that had a very large issue this year when pictage crashed and then folded - they were his main vendor for 30 weddings a year. It cost him in time, money and reputation.

I don't think you can compare production houses with Taylor rental and last minute decisions to rent a tool or car at retail. Also, the former Pictage model was an online back-end fulfillment service not a source for rentals.

Bottom line - you need to have a relationship with your sources that goes beyond simply showing up on the other side of a service counter. This relationship should be setup before your first rental because it matters that they can expect your business. Also, be respectful - they are renting you gear not education so, be specific with what you are asking for, resolve your own technical issues, and have the knowledge required before you call. Always have a plan B and be open to qualified recommendations.

Everyone I rent from takes very good care of me. I just got some video solutions from one of the countries most renown film and cinema staging houses. The gear was setup and tested prior to my picking it up to make sure it met and performed as I had specified. I gave them my plan and approach, with one or two key gear requirements and they made recommended improvements and simplifications based on what I wanted to accomplish, and equipment they had in the city at that time.

 

[IceBurghDJ]

How do you 'return the fee' and still do the job?
Say you rented subs for a prom and couldn't get them...you can do the job but it's not gonna be what they wanted or you promised, not sure refunding some money is gonna keep your reputation in tact.

Or you show up without a ceremony system or the lights/uplighting.

 

[IceBurghDJ]

There are a couple of places locally I cna rent gear---lower end stuff not the good stuff. And they don't have an unlimited supply of it.
And it does get returned late, broken, etc.
Now can I go further afield if I need some gear? Perhaps...but time is money, and stressful. If I show up friday at 3 to pickup the subs and am told they're not there and sorry, no thers...now I start to call around and try to drive the hour plus to go get some before they close for the weekend. And if it's prom weekend around here you're not rentin' nothing. it's all out.

as for pictage - he sold and shot and edited the wedding and then EVERYTHING else happened with pictage. album design and fulfillment, online proofing, prints, etc. their computer system crashed and they were down for a week..promiding to be up 'tomorrow'. he of course is fielding calls from brides and working on weddings that he can't get uploaded.
then the say 'we're shuttering our doors forever in 3 weeks'.

So now he needs another vendor - what product? will his brides be happy with the substitions? what baout turn around time? workflow? He's got the time to move all those images to the new company, explain to current/past brides that everything is changing, weddings sold in the future need notified that there's a change..are you ok with that?
NONE of that time is being paid for. He's lost a full weeks time ot get things turned over if not more. And a lot more coddling of customers to keep them happy.

I don't think you can compare production houses with Taylor rental and last minute decisions to rent a tool or car at retail. Also, the former Pictage model was an online back-end fulfillment service not a source for rentals.

Bottom line - you need to have a relationship with your sources that goes beyond simply showing up on the other side of a service counter. This relationship should be setup before your first rental because it matters that they can expect your business. Also, be respectful - they are renting you gear not education so, be specific with what you are asking for, resolve your own technical issues, and have the knowledge required before you call. Always have a plan B and be open to qualified recommendations.

Everyone I rent from takes very good care of me. I just got some video solutions from one of the countries most renown film and cinema staging house. The gear was setup and tested prior to my picking it up to make sure it met and performed as I had specified. I gave them my plan and approach, with one or two key gear requirements and they made recommended improvements and simplifications based on what I wanted to accomplish, and solutions they had in the city at that time.

 

[rickryan.com]

You can't ignore the virtual (limited) reality of marketing online. The functional basis of Wedding Wire and similar online directory/shopping sites is to reduce everything to a commodity. This is why they preach listing a price as so important. The only effective way to compete on that basis is with pictures - hoping the client wants exactly what you are showing them or some minor variation. Even if what you present is unique it won't stay that way for very long. Eventually the only distinguishing feature is price and prior knowledge - that is, a good price from a name you already know.

Personally, I think a better biz strategy is to use multiple approaches. As time passes, if you're doing a good job, referrals are going to become a significant portion of your lead stream. These are premium, pre-sold leads. We all need them. The commodity, online directory approach is what reaches the un-touched masses and there's a huge value in having a website or directory entry that does your pre-screening for you. You use it to present your best photos (generating the "I want that" lead) along with some kind of textual pitch and finally the price. If it's done correctly, you gather good leads that basically are also pre-sold as well, and in my experience those are not always the bottom of the barrel. By not solely putting all your eggs in one basket or the other, you're effectively halving your lead stream.

 

[Proformance]

I think you need to have your core gear of lighting and sound that will do up to "x" number of people.
I would shoot for four tops and subs. That will cover probably 90% of the events most of us do here.
Rent your upsells (and reserve them in advance as soon as you have the date solidly booked). That way even if something goes for a crap and you cannot get the equipment needed for the up-sell, at least you will only have to refund that portion to the client and not feel obligated to return part of your core service fee.

I think you also have to be reasonably prepared. If you are renting something critical to what you need to do, then have a plan B or rent the necessary backup as well. If you promised 12 up lights and you know the gear you selected is of a type of source prone to failure or damage then rent 15 to be sure you can pull off what you intended.

For example, it always amazed me how DJs that didn't have their own PA system would always rent ONE amp instead of two. We always talk about our own gear in terms of backup but, even these guys who were traveling well out of my service range would leave with no such backup plan for that critical link. While I never had any real issues - the possibility of an amp failing for someone who has traveled 125 miles away with it was always there.

 

[DJ TJ]

How do you 'return the fee' and still do the job?
Say you rented subs for a prom and couldn't get them...you can do the job but it's not gonna be what they wanted or you promised, not sure refunding some money is gonna keep your reputation in tact.

Or you show up without a ceremony system or the lights/uplighting.

Even though a ceremony system could be an upsell, I would still own it as core gear. It's too critical an up-sell to not follow through on. It is it's own core service as it is seen as a completley separate function from the reception.

Renting subs for a prom is not an up-sell, it's the core equipment needed to do the job based on the size of venue.
If you want to service that large of a market then you should already have enough inventory to do the job if you don't want to take your chances. It's about mitigating risks.

Your problem really sounds more like you don't have a reliable rental service in your area.
Or you are unable to establish a good relationship with them.

 

[rickryan.com]

There are a couple of places locally I cna rent gear---lower end stuff not the good stuff. And they don't have an unlimited supply of it.
And it does get returned late, broken, etc.
Now can I go further afield if I need some gear? Perhaps...but time is money, and stressful. If I show up friday at 3 to pickup the subs and am told they're not there and sorry, no thers...now I start to call around and try to drive the hour plus to go get some before they close for the weekend. And if it's prom weekend around here you're not rentin' nothing. it's all out.

I know there are several here who are big on the "rent it" mentality. I am not for precisely the reasons you mentioned. For the past few months, we've been renting a 3rd camera body/lenses on shoots. A couple of weeks ago, I bought a 3rd unit (with lens) just because I didn't want the stress of having to remember to setup the rental, then worry about getting everything back to them the next day. Same thing on my DJ gear. Every time I've come up with something new to add (uplighting, photobooth, etc), I've gone out and bought the needed gear just because I didn't want the stress of promising a client something, then have the rental company not follow thru on their commitment to me.

 

[DJ Ricky B]

I think you also have to be reasonably prepared. If you are renting something critical to what you need to do, then have a plan B or rent the necessary backup as well. If you promised 12 up lights and you know the gear you selected is of a type of source prone to failure or damage then rent 15 to be sure you can pull off what you intended.

For example, it always amazed me how DJs that didn't have their own PA system would always rent ONE amp instead of two. We always talk about our own gear in terms of backup but, even these guys who were traveling well out of my service range would leave with no such backup plan for that critical link. While I never had any real issues - the possibility of an amp failing for someone who has traveled 125 miles away with it was always there.

I had an amp failure at a Sweet 16 one time. It turns out the Power Cord somehow got fried on the inside. ...I had my back up amp with me...Brought it into the ballroom, and the power cord to that amp wasn't in the case!!! ...I somehow left the power cord out of the case at home. ...As guests were walking in, and the sweet 16 girl introduced herself to me, and was Happy her party was happening, I had to tell her I had to leave because I was having a technical problem, but would be back asap. I drove to Guitar Center...about 5 miles down the road and purchased a new amp. Opened the box, and plugged it in, and hooked it up to my speakers. Worked great. ...That's my story of how I ended up owning 3 amplifiers. ...guests at the party ate dinner with no music...I had my laptop playing a playlist through it's tiny speakers...they couldn't hear it lol. ...I was embarrassed and mad at myself for the rest of the day. ...The father who hired me was cool about it though and said "Hey, stuff happens" ...I was grateful he didn't ask for some sort of a refund. Thinking back, I probably should have offered a 25% refund or something. That was back in 2010.

 

[Proformance]

There are a couple of places locally I cna rent gear---lower end stuff not the good stuff. And they don't have an unlimited supply of it.
And it does get returned late, broken, etc.
Now can I go further afield if I need some gear? Perhaps...but time is money, and stressful. If I show up friday at 3 to pickup the subs and am told they're not there and sorry, no thers...now I start to call around and try to drive the hour plus to go get some before they close for the weekend. And if it's prom weekend around here you're not rentin' nothing. it's all out.

It sounds like you are renting from a very questionable source. That kind of contingency should not exist. Everything I rent is contracted for in advance. My reservation is not contingent on someone else returning something on time, or being broken. One way or another they are obligated to have what I need available when I need it. How they manage to do that in-house if difficulty in their operation arises is a responsibility they are not allowed to pass through to me.

 

[Proformance]

I had an amp failure at a Sweet 16 one time. It turns out the Power Cord somehow got fried on the inside. ...I had my back up amp with me...Brought it into the ballroom, and the power cord to that amp wasn't in the case!!! ...I somehow left the power cord out of the case at home. ...As guests were walking in, and the sweet 16 girl introduced herself to me, and was Happy her party was happening, I had to tell her I had to leave because I was having a technical problem, but would be back asap. I drove to Guitar Center...about 5 miles down the road and purchased a new amp. Opened the box, and plugged it in, and hooked it up to my speakers. Worked great. ...That's my story of how I ended up owning 3 amplifiers. ...guests at the party ate dinner with no music...I had my laptop playing a playlist through it's tiny speakers...they couldn't hear it lol. ...I was embarrassed and mad at myself for the rest of the day. ...The father who hired me was cool about it though and said "Hey, stuff happens" ...I was grateful he didn't ask for some sort of a refund. Thinking back, I probably should have offered a 25% refund or something. That was back in 2010.

We've all been there and done that. My worst nightmare would be that I'm so busy replacing the amplifier cord I don't notice my mixer has also crapped out.

 

[steve149]

I know there are several here who are big on the "rent it" mentality. I am not for precisely the reasons you mentioned. For the past few months, we've been renting a 3rd camera body/lenses on shoots. A couple of weeks ago, I bought a 3rd unit (with lens) just because I didn't want the stress of having to remember to setup the rental, then worry about getting everything back to them the next day. Same thing on my DJ gear. Every time I've come up with something new to add (uplighting, photobooth, etc), I've gone out and bought the needed gear just because I didn't want the stress of promising a client something, then have the rental company not follow thru on their commitment to me.

I think if you shoot with 2 shooters .. you should have a 3rd if not 4th body as a backup body anyway .. having a 3rd shooter might mean a 4th or 5th body to maintain live backups. I always bring a backup body and sometimes 2 to an event .. usually for me to have multiple lenses available instantly but also to have backup should I drop one, or have it die unexpectedly.

 

[rickryan.com]

I think if you shoot with 2 shooters .. you should have a 3rd if not 4th body as a backup body anyway .. having a 3rd shooter might mean a 4th or 5th body to maintain live backups. I always bring a backup body and sometimes 2 to an event .. usually for me to have multiple lenses available instantly but also to have backup should I drop one, or have it die unexpectedly.

We have 3 full frames and 1 crop sensor (T1i). Will likely add one more down the road but sometimes you just have to go with what you can afford. I just bought a 3rd B800 Alien Bees strobe today. Am hoping to through the Nov-Dec shoots without more gear.

 

[Proformance]

If you're DJ or a photographer than you should be fully equipped to do that base level job. That means owning the gear and supplies you use time and again on every job.

A photo booth is an example of something entirely different. It's a novelty and I don't want to be involved with that kind of stuff so, I would rent it if the task fell to me to provide one. If I wanted one of my own I would wait until I had enough bookings to justify buying it. Otherwise, I'm simply resigning myself to selling something unrelated to my core service - which is not novelties and that is a distraction.

So many DJs run out an buy something based on how they want to appear or what they want to offer without any real measure of whether or not they have customers who will want it. Ask anyone who bought into one of those game show systems and then barely ever used it.

 

[DJ Ricky B]

The time to get into photo booth was 2007 - 2011. Today the PB market is sooooo Saturated.

At the same time...where would you rent a photo booth? I'd imagine the photo booth rental cost is so expensive that it's nearly impossible to make any profit or be worth while sell.

Most weddings I have done in the last 2 years the bride/groom found a photo booth for $400 - $550. A lot of companies claim they charge $649 - $999 for a photo booth rental here in Maryland, but they aren't actually getting that. I can guarantee it. For a while one cheap company was doing $249 photo booth bookings through groupon. I imagine the quality of that photo booth had to be low to sell it at $249.

I remember when they were super expensive up in the $1300 - $1500 range. That didn't last long once a boat load of DJs bought into them.

 

[rickryan.com]

My consumables cost on a PB is $150-$175. $100 for a technician and the rest on paper/ink. I get $600 for mine. I don't chase those gigs but it's worthwhile when they come.

 

[DJ TJ]

I never saw the value in them and have never offered them.

We all know they've been around in malls and dept stores forever but as soon as they started being offered for rental for events where alcohol is involved, my first thought was I would need to hire an extra person just to look after the photo booth to make sure drunken morons don't overstuff it and either hurt themselves (read liability) or wreck the booth.
At the time I decided it wasn't worth the hassle. I still don't see the value in it today with everybody having a camera on their phone and the newer ones take pretty decent pics even in low light.