TJ the DJ Published Articles
I would like to thank Skye for this wonderful referral letter from my work with Passionate Forward. Follow this link to read the Referral Letter.
I have a name mention in this article about a fundraiser I have donated my services to.
Here is a listing of my published articles.
DJ Pulse Magazine Issue #10
Page 29 Article Titled: Perception May Be Everything!
Article Reads:
By Teah-Jay Cartwright, Red Deer - Alberta Chapter
Is it better to extend your line?
Many DJs try to be a jack of all trades. This, in theory, would increase profits and create more employment. But often when companies have extended their line of services or features, they see a temporary short term gain before seeing a greater
lag in profits while increasing their work load.
Many DJs market to Schools, Bars, Lounges, Weddings, and Corporate with Audio Visual options, Karaoke, and a litany of other possibilities as well. But are they really making any more money? Has extending their line of production items resulted in more profits or can it become more of a hassle, costing them more money in new equipment
purchases, more upkeep considerations, larger music selections, increased training needs, bigger staff commitments, more storage space, more book keeping and so on.
Companies that tend to limit their services and specialize in a few production options typically have lower overhead and greater success in the markets they cater to. They can invest more money in their marketing with out hurting their bottom line because their specialties require less advertising space to explain. They can increase their prices when they only have to advertise as a specialty service and spending more time on preparation and training on their target skilled areas.
You only have to look at the auto crisis to see how an extended line of products can cause more trouble in the long run. What happens when you drop a service or product line and your customers notice? Their confidence in your business may take a significant hit as the public begins to wonder why you are unable to maintain your production standards to an excellent standard from before.
If you really feel that service or production extensions are the way to go, then one of the best means of maintaining a profit margin with out risking the loss of confidence and loss of business is to create a new name under which that production line can exist. You can also separate your financial records to really see how well your expansion is doing. If you are known as a Wedding DJ and suddenly begin to include Bars and Lounges in your marketing, your clients might lose faith in your professionalism as a Wedding DJ. Bar DJs have the
perception of being racy, vulgar and obscene whether in music selection/content or in their efforts to engage and entertain the crowd. The perception also extends to drinking and other lewd behavior in the DJ booth. This again is a perception and to a potential client, perception is their reality.
Even though you may have been a Wedding DJ for 10 years and recently started marketing to bars, new clients who are not aware of your experience might still attribute the wrong perception of your qualifications and skills that you have built up over the years.
One of the few exceptions is marketing yourself as a Wedding DJ for the summer and a Corporate (Christmas) DJ for the fall and winter. There are two distinct seasons which each have their own marketing window with very little cross over (even though there are cases when Weddings and Corporate events do co-mingle generally all over the calendar. There is also the perception that corporate events are often semi-formal/formal events which requires a similar level of professionalism and sophistication that would be expected for a wedding. The equipment needs are similar so you are not increasing your costs of business with the burden of extra equipment or
business costs.
The process to treat Wedding and Corporate DJing as similar in concept but different in execution bears no extension at all to resources. It merely means a slight shift in focus, like putting winter tires on your car in the winter where the car remains the same, but only the parts are changed for functionality and performance. Those who follow this idea will in the end increase their bottom line though better pricing while reducing their overhead which will enable them to maintain their position in the marketplace and
increase their market share over their competition which tries to do it all. The whole idea of “specification” produces streamlining in the production processes and saves money in many of the extras that DJ businesses try to provide and might not market properly or effectively.
There are many other combinations of similar services where a DJ company could find its niche and specialize thus allowing their equipment to work more to pay for itself over a shorter period of time by allowing you to clear a larger bottom line.
Specialization maybe the way to go if you want to save money on expenses and make a niche for yourself that can be a positive money-maker!
Perception may be everything!
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Red Deer Express Article: Think Options When Booking DJ
Published Summer 2009
Article Reads:
I would just like to offer some advice and wisdom for those who are using the services of a Disc Jockey this summer. I myself have been in the business for 15 years and have been making it my goal to turn my passion for this type of entertainment into my full time living.
Having met many other DJs that work both locally and abroad as well as meeting and talking with DJs from the United States I have come to realize a few things.
Most DJs are hobbyists or amateurs. These are people with full time jobs and view DJing as something to do on the weekend. While there are an exceptional few, the majority are barely average.
Quality entertainment demands professionalism, unique talent, passion and skill. Don’t be fooled into believing that just because someone can play music by pressing play on a laptop or CD player can be fun and entertaining. If your flowers cost more than your entertainment hope that they are up to the task of filling in where your DJ can’t.
The days of simply playing music for DJs are long gone and just as technology has allowed us more time to find the right music, it also also requires of us to also advance in what we do as well. Your entertainment is 80% of your events success. How much of your budget did you set aside for that entertainment? DJs must evolve and those of us who have are more than worth the investment.
Teah-Jay Cartwright - TJ the DJ - Red Deer
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