I may figured out my frustration with DJing today

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Boy, i've heard that before and no, it's so easy to just up and relocate to a better area. While the are you are in may not be the greatest, you know it and they know you.
Moving to a new area has hard costs and you're new there - nobody knows you, you know nobody. The first year, perhaps more, will suck for sales. To get known you'll have to spend more time/effort that you may have had to if you'd stay put.

Some advice is much easier to give than to do.

Maybe if your single, live in a apartment it's not too hard to move - have kids in school, elderly parents, be involved in your community, own a house and it gets more complicated.

You don't necessarily need to physically move to work in a better area you can market to that better area and be willing to drive the miles. I went from June to September out of the area every weekend last year and this year will be more of the same.

I don't know where you are at exactly but most places in Western Penn are only a couple of hours drive to at least 5 or 6 major cities
 
There is plenty of money to be made, you're just looking in the wrong places.
There was a time when I was a desperate DJ looking to make money any way possible. So I would go anywhere to do anything. Sometimes for very little money. I am no longer there today. I learned to stop being so desperate putting myself in dangerous situations. Also being desperate didn't help my reputation or business. The word got out he would do it for cheap no matter what it is. Like I said before I was excited to be back doing what I love to do. The excitement of being back has wore off. I still love what I do and am happy to be back doing what I love to do. I'm just not desperate today.
 
This has nothing to do with looking for money in the right places.
For me it's about not putting myself in situations that I don't need to be in to begin with. Not only for safety reasons but for reasons that it won't help my business grow. I'm talking private events. I have quoted a price that I know certain clients won't agree to. Reason for that is I don't feel comfortable with doing the gig and helps me not to lie and say I'm not available when I am. That's a trick I use to get out of even being considered for the job.