How much would you charge?

[rickryan.com]

Mr. Drapery-Man here. :triwink:

I ordered 50 yards of FLAME RETARDANT fabric and P&D hardware to make up 4 of the drapery columns below (nicer, hopefully):



Jokes aside, wanted to know how much you would charge for this. The past 2 meetings, I've shown pics with these in them and the brides were asking, "How much for those?" I already have a wedding in May where I'm doing these (freebie to get good promo shots). I'll have roughly $225 in each column (including the lighting fixture). Uplighting comes with the column and the columns can go from 7-12 ft in length. For simplicity, I'd planned to charge the same, regardless of length. For starters, I threw out $50 per column on my website. How does that strike you, price-wise? (time will tell if it will sell or not)

 

[djrox]

What is the $50 fee based on?

Anyone in your market offering similar service?

What are your fixed and variable costs?

What is your expected profit margin?

$50 dollars could be too high too low or just right, but without more info it's pure uninformed guess work.

[RA]If that is what you want, then $50 is perfect. [/RA]

P.S. Looks nice.

 

[SoftJock Rick]

I honestly have no clue -- I think you would be better off asking this question of chicks. I can't see a guy getting upsold on them, unless he's seriously drunk, or carries an iPad...


BTW, just for S&G Rick -- do you actually play music at your gigs, or are you focusing on art installations...?

 

[rickryan.com]

I honestly have no clue -- I think you would be better off asking this question of chicks. I can't see a guy getting upsold on them, unless he's seriously drunk, or carries an iPad...


BTW, just for S&G Rick -- do you actually play music at your gigs, or are you focusing on art installations...?

The music is free with the purchase of any of my goofy ideas/gadgets. :tricool:

 

[ahoustondj]

The music is free with the purchase of any of my goofy ideas/gadgets. :tricool:

You are quite a hobbyist aren't you? :trirolleyes:
Am I mistaken or did you not do a drapery job awhile back just to get exposure? How many more freebies do you have to do before someone starts paying?:triconfused:

 

[djrox]

How many more freebies do you have to do before someone starts paying?

Unfortunately, free typically begets free, cheap fuels more cheap, and on and on.

The act of "prospecting" through "donation" is folly at its most obvious and it breeds the expectation for more. Seems there is always another prospector or wildcat (props to rick) standing by to scoop (as in pooper scooper) up the free work. That is a contributing factor into why so many people have an entitlement complex as there is certainly logic in the belief that if you can find it free once, why not twice, why not always.

 

[ahoustondj]

I honestly have no clue -- I think you would be better off asking this question of chicks. I can't see a guy getting upsold on them, unless he's seriously drunk, or carries an iPad...


BTW, just for S&G Rick -- do you actually play music at your gigs, or are you focusing on Interior Design installations...?

There Rick,
I fixed that fer ya. Rick Ryan might even like it.......yorofl:yorofl:yorofl:

 

[DJ Cam]

If people want something they will pay.

$50 seems way too cheap to me. I'm charging $50 an uplight. I would charge $250 a pair. No less than $100 each, so if the got 4 I'd do them at $100 each.

It seems like a lot of work to me, It's too much I think doing a full light setup and uplighting. I don't want anymore work on a wedding day.

It's great to sell extras but I have learned to charge more for my basic service, instead of trying to sell extras to everyone to make my number.

 

[rickryan.com]

You are quite a hobbyist aren't you? :trirolleyes:
Am I mistaken or did you not do a drapery job awhile back just to get exposure? How many more freebies do you have to do before someone starts paying?:triconfused:

One more. I did the one in the pic back in December. I hadn't intended to offer this but a couple of weeks back I met with a lady and she was complaining about the ugly drapes in the 4k sq ft room at the Hilton. I showed her pics and she loved the idea and asked me how much. I knew they were already stretching to do a lighting job so I gave them away in order to up-sell a lighting package. I'm going to re-work the presentation a bit (need to have the ruffles in the fabric instead of just a flat 4-foot across piece) and stack either 4 or 6 columns behind a head table. Colors will be all-pink. I think if I get good before and after pics it will make for a nice add-on that'll sell. If the $50/column price floats, it should add $200-$300 rev to each event while only adding about 15 minutes of set/strike time.

I look at this diversification just like a photobooth. I resisted the idea then finally ran the numbers and jumped on it. This one should make the lighting jobs pop, which will sell more lighting jobs, not to mention there are plenty of venues around here with ugly drapes that are just begging to be covered up.

 

[rickryan.com]

If people want something they will pay.

$50 seems way too cheap to me. I'm charging $50 an uplight. I would charge $250 a pair. No less than $100 each, so if the got 4 I'd do them at $100 each.

It seems like a lot of work to me, It's too much I think doing a full light setup and uplighting. I don't want anymore work on a wedding day.

It's great to sell extras but I have learned to charge more for my basic service, instead of trying to sell extras to everyone to make my number.

I can't speak for your area but here there's already way too many "music specialists" floating around. I'm going to be fighting commodity pricing on those terms. By expanding in this area, I'm tapping into bigger events and effectively taking a piece of pie from the big lighting firm here in town. I'm not only getting their money but the clients I'm moving into don't even blink at the basic DJ service price. It's nice to not be hearing those "Well so and so will do it for $300!"

 

[rickryan.com]

If people want something they will pay.

$50 seems way too cheap to me. I'm charging $50 an uplight. I would charge $250 a pair. No less than $100 each, so if the got 4 I'd do them at $100 each.

It seems like a lot of work to me, It's too much I think doing a full light setup and uplighting. I don't want anymore work on a wedding day.

It's great to sell extras but I have learned to charge more for my basic service, instead of trying to sell extras to everyone to make my number.

Cam, it's literally just a few extra minutes and very little space consumed in the trailer. The extra budget is letting me hire more help, which is making things waaaay easier on this old cowboy. Not to mention, the extra services are breaking me into a higher-pricetag market.

 

[rickryan.com]

There Rick,
I fixed that fer ya. Rick Ryan might even like it.......yorofl:yorofl:yorofl:

That was funny ya fuggar.......yorofl:

Don't worry, I put my man-card in the mail this morning. :triwink:

 

[Jon Tuck]

Hey Rickster

once you start charging for the extra oohs and ahhs maybe you can spring for another set of speakers to put up on another tripod to balance your system, gaining looks and possibly even decent sound to properly fill the room. Its nice to see all the pretty but everything has to work together even setup and speaker location for full effect.:triwink:

Unfortunately, free typically begets free, cheap fuels more cheap, and on and on.

The act of "prospecting" through "donation" is folly at its most obvious and it breeds the expectation for more. Seems there is always another prospector or wildcat (props to rick) standing by to scoop (as in pooper scooper) up the free work. That is a contributing factor into why so many people have an entitlement complex as there is certainly logic in the belief that if you can find it free once, why not twice, why not always.

 

[DJ Cam]

Cam, it's literally just a few extra minutes and very little space consumed in the trailer. The extra budget is letting me hire more help, which is making things waaaay easier on this old cowboy. Not to mention, the extra services are breaking me into a higher-pricetag market.

That makes sense, if it's working for you more power to you. Keep up the hard work.

The venues here are barely acceptable for uplighting. They pack the rooms so tight there is generally tables, buffet, wedding cake, or something else on the dance floor to start the evening. Not to mention ceilings are 10 foot high at best.

Believe me, I would love to be able to get creative.