117,000 & other rumours, myths & lies

[Guest]

Looking at the saturation level of the market because of pirate host I see the pay level continuing to stay low until they are eliminated. Yes there will be venues that can't or won't pay a higher level but in the end that means attendance at legal shows (that pay more money) will go up justifying the increase in pay.

Elimination of even 25% of the pirate population will have results!

Relying on "if and when" is a really poor way to conduct a business. You have already put everything on the table at a given price and are now waiting for some external change to come along and effect a raise in your pay?

How about taking some initiative and changing the vlue of what you are willing to put on the table? Is that not the sure way of increasing your pay?

 

[Loneavenger]

You keep repeating this claim: "piracy has a huge effect on rates" and consistently fail to make the connection.

You are certainly not at the top of what bars will pay, because you rate is lower than most karaoke rentals, and barely commensurate with the cover charge for karaoke studio venues.

Are you promoting your karaoke nights or are you just showing up and hoping "your show" will magically attract people to the bar?

You consistently connect Karaoke rentals and Weekly Karaoke gigs, Totaly separate business ventures. My rates on Karaoke rentals have nothing to do with weekly gigs

 

[Guest]

You consistently connect Karaoke rentals and Weekly Karaoke gigs, Totaly separate business ventures. My rates on Karaoke rentals have nothing to do with weekly gigs

If people will pay more to rent karaoke than a venue will pay you to host commercially - how is that unrelated to the decisions and actions you take regarding your value?

 

[Mantis1]

Pro,

How bout sharing your vast knowledge of the business world with us, instead of telling EVERY one of us how we are wrong!

We are here to share and learn right.

 

[JoeChartreuse]

......Are you promoting your karaoke nights or are you just showing up and hoping "your show" will magically attract people to the bar?

You know, this a big one. I know SO many hosts that do nothing about getting the word out, and hope people will magically appear. I've heard them say - and this REALLY gets me- that it's not their job. They feel that they are only there to help keep the customers occupied, I guess- and feel that if any promotion is to be done it's entirely up to the venue to do so.

Note: If a host doesn't bring in MORE PAYING CUSTOMERS as well as hold keep the originals spending longer, then he/she is LOSING money for the venue through the fee. No business needs that. It seems like a little self promotion is worth it to me.

Besides promoting NEW shows in print ( The local entertinment magazine and maybe web listings once in a while), I spend time the day of every show e-mailing and texting reminders of some sort.

I also make a point of stopping into my venues on off nights as a customer. Two reasons:

1) The regulars get to know me and I become more "one of the gang" and less an outsider that shows up on stage only.

2) The venue sees me spending some of what I make there, and it develops into a more "give and take" relationship.

Keep the venue full of paying customers, and most owners will give you Carte Blanche... I have never had to ASK for more money- it just happens.

Kinda common sense if you think about it. If you are a moneymaker for someone, they want to keep you happy so you will continue to do so..

 

[KjAthena]

great post Joe...we follow alot of the same promotional methods.... that is how we have kept many gigs for 5+ years. Promotion of the venues is just as important as self promotion:biggrinpill:IMHO:yespill::yespill:

 

[Guest]

Joe

Really kind of hard to argue with that logic as far as keeping your shows and having managers from other venues interested in you. But it doesn't change the fact of the availability of numerous pirates out there making offers for less than half what you are making that doesn't hold every manager down on be willing to increase the pay according to what you are bringing in.


Porformance,

I see a lot of what you write refering to "rental systems" for karaoke, so exactly what are your rental terms?