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Want to Mobile DJ as a hobby


FabDJ
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Been reading the Aus forum for a change and after reading about licences etc have to reconsider if my hobby is viable.

I was planning to mobile DJ for friends and charity, nursing homes, church groups etc. I bought some equipment for mobile work and was going to use my cd library.

To do this properly I would have to

Register a business name

Register a web com address.

Perhaps apply for a A.B.N with the tax office

Apply for GST and perhaps register a company

Pay a solicitor and a accountant to register my company

Open a company bank account

Do quarterly BAS statements or employ a accountant to do this for me

Get a licence to play my CDs in public.

Destroy any CDs I may have bought at trash and treasure meets

Destroy any CDs not labelled that have been given to me by friends

Insure my equipment for loss or damage

Get P.L insurance in case I damage someones house or kill their child

with a collapsed speaker stand.

Get a Web Page

Advertise on the web or newspaper.

Get contracts drawn up and printed,

Get business cards.

Now that I have done all this I'm ready to go out and have some fun.

I would work for cake but seem to have run up a few expenses

I dont know how many gigs I will get so to be safe I would have to charge my first customer around $5000.00. to break even.

Another option would be to use my new mobile equipment in my home theatre room and forget the whole thing.

I might have a problem explaining the lighting truss and effect lighting

to visitors

FabDJ

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ok, do you think most of the mobile djs out there do all the things that are in your list here are my solutions for your problems

1.Register a business name - you dont need to at all when you apply for your abn just put it in your name, and then you can use what ever name you want for your business but when it comes time for the customers to pay you the invoices will be in your name

2.Register a web com address- myspace and face book are too of the best and free ways to get a page on the net for free

3.getting a licence to play music- this is a touchy subject on the boards although it is the "legal" thing to do its not as hardcore policed as it sounds, just remember to buy a majority of your tunes to support the industry

4. dont destroy any cd's they are yours if you are worried bout them just leave them at home

5. PL insurance would be a case by case basis because the venue thats hiring you should already be paying for all insurances and licences for you to be able to operate at the venue

but id like to note that if you are look to set up a business where you have other dj's working for you, it will be necessary to go through your list above

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I'll rip this apart line by line - it might take you a little while but these costs are pretty reasonable if you out lay and tehre is demand you will make your money back in a few months. Otherwise, would us other DJs have jobs?

Register a business name

Not necessary unless you want a trading as name

Register a web com address.

$25 for 2 years - www.ventraip.com.au

Perhaps apply for a A.B.N with the tax office

This is free and if you want to be able to invoice people it's necessary and, well, the law - www.abr.gov.au pretty easy to diy

Apply for GST and perhaps register a company

Only if you turn over more than 75k/year - not an issue, and if it is, you can do it yourself too

Open a company bank account

Bankwest offer a free one, but only need this if you use a trading as name, otherwise people will make cheques, etc, out to your name and you will be able to cash cheques yourself

Do quarterly BAS statements or employ a accountant to do this for me

Again this is only apparrent due to GST obligations if you turn over lots, otherwise, its just a sole trader thing on your personal income tax return which is simple

Get a licence to play my CDs in public.

$200/year from the PPCA

Destroy any CDs I may have bought at trash and treasure meets

Destroy any CDs not labelled that have been given to me by friends

If it's a legit cd, you're fine, if it's a burnt cd, you should be paying for your music anyway :evil:

Insure my equipment for loss or damage

For $5000 insurance, action entertainment insurance charge about $400/year

Get P.L insurance in case I damage someones house or kill their child

with a collapsed speaker stand.

I'd advise getting this unless some kid has a seisure from your strobe light - $800 a year again through action

Get a Web Page & Advertise on the web or newspaper.

There's plenty of computer science uni students who would do this for you for next to nothing - pm me if you want some of their details

Get contracts drawn up and printed,

Surely you can do it yourself? all it is is an agreement to pay contract

Get business cards.

www.vistaprint.com.au; $25-30 for 250 cards with quite a useful design it yourself system

I dont know how many gigs I will get so to be safe I would have to charge my first customer around $5000.00. to break even.

Most entrepreneur crash courses suggest to do market research before entering a business venture - but lets face it, most companies these days overcharge so as long as your pricing is reasonable and you advertise well you will get business

Another option would be to use my new mobile equipment in my home theatre room and forget the whole thing.

I might have a problem explaining the lighting truss and effect lighting

to visitors

Or you can always sell your gear on adjf :)

If you look at it all as a problem then of course it will look daunting - but rest assured there are answers and plenty of people on adjf to help you :)

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Thanks Guys

Feel much better already

Great support ,I'm almost crying.

200 bucks a year from this PPCA thing seems ok.

I spend more than this a year on aftershave.

Have been a company director and know all the requirements of setting up a company.

So Im looking at owner operator, PPCA Licence

PL insurance through my current insurer. Sister does web pages, mates are printers Just need the wife to carry the subs and I'm laughing.

Where can I contact the PPCA for a licence? Sounds like the RSPCA.

Fab DJ.

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