MOBILE BEAT #186 - SEPTEMBER 2017 Looking Beyond Saturday Corporate Gigs, Community Events and More This issue of Mobile Beat focuses on ways to fill your weekdays with more than just prep or busy work. Bring in some cold cash in the wedding reception off-season with the ideas you'll find inside! ~ Dan Walsh, Editor-in-Chief Click here to view it now!   FOCUS: LOOKING BEYOND SATURDAY Right in Your Own Back Yard - Stu Chisholm How to Book More Corporate Gigs - Staci Nichols Keeping the Heat on When Wedding Season Goes Cold - Robert Lindquist About Balance - Mike Ficher Family Events in Focus - Jay Maxwell OTHER FEATURES Traps - ... [read more]

I recently went to sales seminar that dealt with companies that were positioned in the A/V industry. While learning a ton of new techniques, I was also able to see that the same problems that affect the DJ industry pretty much affect the A/V industry. It was quite scary, in fact. A lot of time was spent on networking so I thought I would share some of what was talked about, as well as some of my own thoughts. It’s common knowledge (or it ought to be) that a networking event is not a place you go to ask for business. It is not a place you go to hang out with the people you know. It is not a place you go to stand by yourself in the corner praying to god that it will all be over soon. It is a place that you go to set the groundwork for getting business. You are there, as well as everyone else, to meet... [read more]

To be candid, connecting with others and the fine art of networking has delivered more return on my investment than any other marketing tool in my business. With over 1,550+ documented weddings personally performed at the time of writing this, a degree in marketing and lots of real world experience, that says a lot! The reality is, networking, when done correctly, yields tremendous results. It takes time because we are connecting — in effect, building relationships based on the delicate currency of trust. The next time you attend a networking event, look carefully, and you’ll see three distinct types of individuals guaranteed to be there: Givers, Takers and Matchers. This is perfectly described in the blockbuster book, Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success by Adam Grant, PhD at Wharton... [read more]

My long-time readers will recall the story of my first DJ system, a huge monstrosity built around a DJ “coffin” with two turntables, a full-sized mixer, two racks with cassette decks, dual CD player, two Sony Minidisc decks, a drum machine, and a wired and wireless mic. A stretch of box truss held a massive light show, with eight “intelligent” fixtures and several standard lights, topped-off by a 16” glass mirror ball. Why did I build such a rig? Well, back in the 1980s and early ‘90s, one frequent client was a local singles club that had dances in a school gym. It had a full-sized stage. When I first spoke to their organizers, I heard many complaints about their previous entertainer, who had one last scheduled engagement. I decided to be a proverbial “fly on the wall.” I slipped-in near th... [read more]

Today, with just about every DJ business involved with some form of online storage of data such as customer lists, employee information, receipts, tax documents, accounting info and, of course, credit cards, mobile entertainment businesses are increasingly vulnerable to cybercrimes like online identity theft, hacking or phishing. Surprisingly, nearly 83 percent of small businesses do not have a contingency plan outlining procedures for responding to and reporting data breach losses despite the fact that, according to the National Cyber Security Alliance, a nonprofit cyber security educational organization, one in three small businesses is a victim of cybercrime each year—with 60 percent of those victimized going out of business within 6 months. A data breach or hacking incident can not only harm... [read more]

At some point a prospective client has asked you this question: "What makes you different from the other guys?" It's all about personality, right? Do clients really book you based on blinky lights and big speakers? To really define who is different and unique in our industry there have to be benchmarks; those entertainers who set standards and keep raising the bar. Curtis Whipple knows all about that. I first met Curtis at a convention about five years ago. He was quiet, but moved with swagger and had a big smile. Curtis has one of those magnetic personalities and styles that make you want to hang out with him. He just exudes old school cool. His approach to events and entertaining is just as interesting. He is a DJ with a mission: Saving souls one gig at a time. Mike C: What was your first experience a... [read more]

Imagine standing next to a jet airplane with the engine running and trying to have a conversation with someone. Now imagine that’s how your clients and their guests feel when your music is too loud. Now imagine that you have to set up that plane by yourself, run the engines for a 100 people, then tear it all down and pack it away afterwards. If that’s how it feels at the end of the night once you’re done DJing a wedding, then it might be time to rethink your setup. Think of this scenario, you’re at a wedding and there are two tables three feet from your system. Who is going to complain the most that it’s too loud all night long? And worse, who do they always seem to put at those two tables? That’s right, grandma and grandpa. Don’t you think they’re going to feel that its like sitting nex... [read more]

You want big money? Seriously. Do you want to make big money as a DJ? You need big gear! So buy buy buy! Ok, I gotta be honest with you; that sounded like the worst sales pitch ever, but it's also the worst advice ever.. Kinda. Buying gear nonstop is a bad idea, especially without a business plan. However, gear really can be a big key to making more money. Sure, everyone's case is different, so I'll tell you my story and hopefully you can apply these principles to your business. When 4SchoolsOnly first started, we barely had any gear compared to now. Three 10' sticks of truss, some ADJ Pocket Scans, the ADJ Color Pod 250s and we had a badass show. We added two 5x7 video screens and we had a whole new market. Sure, there were other companies in Florida hitting schools with similar gear, but we h... [read more]

The “unknowns” at the events are terrifying. From a microphone suddenly failing, to the one drunk interrupting guest at an event, these unexpected situations can cause a nightmare for even the most seasoned professional DJ. But the question is, what can you do as a DJ to better prepare for these unknown circumstances and what can you do to turn each circumstance into a powerful and positive situation or what I call a “tool?” In this next part of my series, I will discuss the three steps in taking a problem, any problem and turning it into a valuable tool that will enhance your event. Before we get into the steps of this process, it is imperative that you understand a critical component of this discus- sion, NONE of the circumstances that surprise you are genuine surprises. That’s right, your m... [read more]

This issue hits popular subject from a bunch of angles: How much is too much? Be over-prepared or lean and mean? We look at how to scale your offerings and your productions to the right spot for you and your clients. Enjoy, Ryan Burger Publisher - Mobile Beat In this Issue   The Element of Surprise - Todd Mitchem Over the Top! - Arnoldo Offermann How to Avoid Overkill - Trevor West Multifaceted Music Man: Curtis Whipple - Michael Cordeiro Managing Cyber Security Risks - Mark Battersby Size Matters: To Scale Up or Pare Down? - Stu Chisholm Networking: All About Giving - Matt Martindale On-the-Spot Networking Skills... [read more]