advice about working for a mobile dj company

[gcdj]

i have recently been offered a job with a company but i dont know whether or not i should just keep doing my own thing or work for him. im pretty young but im going pretty good. i've been booked at least once a week the past 3 months and still got lots of gigs ahead. but if i did go with a company does it mean i can still do all my regular gigs and charge them what i usually do or would i have to tell them to book me through the company? also what are people's thoughts about working for someone else?

[Buck_Choi]

do you have the correct licensing ? might be "safer" to go with the company.. but then agian.. pay may not be as much if you go with the company but you know for sure it will be constant.. so im guessing =)

but im just an amateur. im sure the others will comment soon ^.^

[Funky_Steve]

I have done both, so am happy to offer some advice.

I don't see why you couldn't do both. Work for the company and keep doing your own gigs. It may depend on what your potential new boss thinks.

There are things you will learn working for the company which you may not learn on your own and you will also get to know other DJs who may be able to help you out at times.

Before you do work for this company, check out it's reputation around town and make sure they are someone you would feel comfortable working for.

Happy to answer any other questions you may have.

[Jaz]

i do mobile and would rather do it all myself then have someone telling me where and when to go, and then take half my pay....

just my opinion...

that said you gotta have all the gear i guess, but if u do then i say stick to doing it yourself

here's a hypothetical, your doing yours privately and also for the company, someone asks you to play saturday night, then the company rings you and says we need to sat night....there's your dilemma....you might get say $350 for private, and maybe $175 for the company cause they will defo take a big chunk....so which would you choose....

[eggssell]

but with a company, they could say hey one of the bigg four accounting firms wants you to do a gig in star city, they paying $1K you can have $500?

cuz trust the big four, or the banks will not book a small independent.

even the small companies ive worked for would only go with some of the overpriced major names for functions.

on the other hand, only because i am dying to make a living off my own company, i think that is a nice way to go. so if you can build your own thang to get bigg enuff then do that.

i find it hard to believe you could do both in the mobile scene anywho. if you do club gigs under your own co. then private functions for the mobile company fair enuff, but if you get a call how do you say the call is for the company or for yourself. surely the comapny wouldnt allow??

of course im neither so just my thoughts

[Funky_Steve]

If you can work for them when they need you but keep your own gigs, that would be ideal.

Any gigs where the customer contacts you direct are yours, and any that go through the company are theirs and they get their cut. If you get asked to do a gig while on company time, then again it's theirs.

Use the company gigs to gain as much experience as you can about the industry, etc. About using different equipment. How they set up or pack up a gig. About how to play to different types of crowds. And it would help to make contacts at venues that you work.

Or you may find that the types of jobs they book aren't for you. But my advice would to at least look into it and give it a go.

[pill]

I agree. When I started doing heaps of gigs i almost took a job with a company but had already Outlaid so much on my gear that I figured to go alone. It is a tougher learning curve, but there's pros and cons. A mate works for a company and they have a deal where they can hire he gear off them for house parties and otherwise they get 40 an hour for properly booked ones. I also know other djs working for the big companies on no less than 100per hour, but they are very experienced wedding djs.

Up to you. I would see what they can offer you and take all the help you can get! But then again it is certainly possible to make it alone, I'd like to think I've done an ok job in my year and a bit! And here's plenty of us on here to help you.