Which Would You Rather Be?

[Jim Casey]

Originally posted by Cap@Sep 8 2005, 11:10 PM
Total slave?

Forget about the money for a moment.

100 gigs a years is just shy of two a weekend.

4-5 of performance hours each event.

Done right, perhaps 3 hours of prep, 1 hour of travel, 1 hour of setup and breakdown.

Even stretching the timing, say 11 hours per gig, that's 1,100 hours a year, all compacted into three days (Friday-Saturday-Sunday).

A 40 hour a week laborer with 4 weeks vacation is 1,920 hours a year.

100 gigs a year is semi-retired, far far far from slavery.

Now let's take your money average. 45K working 1,100 hours is $40/hour. If you should approach the mentality that it's a full-time job, you need to work 1,920 hours a year, and you'd make $76,800.

What are you really saying? How do you justify saying above 50 gigs is slavery? I'd like to read your rationale.

JX2 - If it was justthe performace time, you would be right, I have 300 days off per year

Cap - I think you know the work involved in doing it the way I do. 3 hours of prep simply doesn't cut it (for me anyway)

I average when it is all said and done 15-25 hours of prep per wedding between client meetings (unlimited in my guarantee), phone calls, music purchases, travel, consultations with the other wedding professionals, etc.

My breakdown on average:

15 hours prep time=
Original Contact (.5-1hr),
Phone conversations (1-3hr),
Email (.5-1hr)
appointment in office before signing contract (1-2hrs),
UNLIMITED Pre-Wedding Consultations (2-6hrs),
Consultations and phone time with Catering director (.5hr),
wedding coordinator of facility (.5hr),
photographer (.5hr),
videographer (.5hr) (most of the time I don't see one),
officiant (.5hr)(If I do the ceremony)
-------------------------------------------
15 PLUS
1 hour to (about 50-70 miles one way on average)
1.5 minutes before PLUS
5-6 hours performance time PLUS
0.5 minute breakdown
1 hour back

Almost 25 hours at its max, 15 at its minimum

I do that 50 times a year...I will feel like a slave

1250 hours usually compacted into 5 months (60 hrs per week for 20 weeks)


This of course is in addition to bar work, corporate events, and the time it takes to be rejected, to market my service in groups such as BNI (2.5 hours per week), Trade Exchange, Maine Disc Jockeyt Network, maintaining my websites, and conferences, plus time networking on the various Bulletin Boards

It adds up very quickly

THAT is my rationale. I am looking to improve the time spent, but it has been a great marketing tool over the years enabling me to make $1199 and up for each wedding I do in 2006.

My goal is balance. My wife still complains I am out working too much and I need to be there for my family. She realizes this is what i do for a living, but she does not want me to be doing this 70-90 hours per week. I realize this is a tought prospect as a business owner.

I do what I can

[Cap]

Jim : Please don't take offense but your reasoning decries the same mental objections you formerly had against the "Worth" ideology.

Simply put, you need to get more business minded and treat it as such. Get paid for your time or get more efficient with your time. 20 hours per client at a reasonable rate of $100/hour means you're underpriced. If your target is 50 gigs max per year and you do 20 hours per gig, that's 1,000 hours, and at $100/hour, that's six figures a year IF YOU CHARGE $2,000 a pop. 10 hours per client times 100 gigs a year at $100/hour is still that six figure income IF YOU CHARGE $1000 a pop.

Trying to be elite and bargain at the same time simply won't work. It builds personal resentment against your clients who got the Bargain Jim.

So, again, slave to the business means to me you don't have control of it. It just sounds out of control and subject to the next breeze.

Then on the other hand, you may have a game plan and it's in its developmental stage. Then what you're saying is more frustrational that factual.

Either or, you'll do fine if you're paying attention to your gut.

(How's that for a ramble?)