Hey Brian!

Got Lights? Rent Them!
 
DJs that already offer lighting for their own gigs can also build their business by renting their equipment out for added income

Recently Brian S. Redd posted a video on YouTube asking DJs what type of Par lighting they offered. I thought it was such a great video that I posted it on the ADJ Facebook page as well. It was exciting to see the different responses, including people posting photos of their Par lighting in action.

As LED technology has evolved, DJs are buying more lighting than ever to offer to their own clients as an added upsell. With a small investment they can change their visual looks from one party to the next. This gives them increased flexibility and added worth to their entertainment services. Brides, party planners and corporate executives have become more sophisticated and are now asking for Uplighting, logo (GOBO) projection and Moving Heads by name for their functions. Some DJs have become like mini production companies as they offer sound, lighting production and party planning in one package.

So what do you do with your lights when you are not working? Chances are they are sitting in your garage, trailer or storage facility collecting dust. By adding lighting rental to your list of services, additional income may be made to help pay back your lighting investment, plus give you more cash flow for your business. You can rent your lights to venues, churches, halls, convention centers, and to other DJs as well. I asked three leading DJs about how they added lighting rental to their business plan. Check out how it’s help their businesses.

Casey Brown of Tyler Uplights, Tyler, Tx
“Being a full time DJ usually means you're booked regularly, but you are
limited to how much you can do by the number of DJs you employ,” says, Casey. “And, you can always have an unexpected slow month.”

“In 2009 I embraced LED lighting and started offering uplighting along with my DJ company, CMB Music Productions,” added Casey. Before the end of the year, I realized I needed to market the lighting separately to be more approachable by people that might be using another DJ for music. By the end of 2009, I launched Tyler Uplights. I started with uplighting, but after another year, I realized to survive I would have to grow and expand the line of lighting services we provided. I went from offering simple uplighting, to offering high powered black lights, pattern projection, special effects, pin lighting and more. While we do a lot of events, there are still plenty of weeks where this gear sits. And while it's sitting, it's not making any money for the business. So the next jump I've made is renting certain items for weekend use. My customer picks it up on Friday, returns it on Monday, and I've made money without having to set up any gear.”

Casey continues, “Our biggest rentals are high powered black lights, uplights, special effects, and video projectors. Our rental customers are individuals, schools, DJs, and bands. Getting into rentals may be as easy as going through the storage building and pulling out some lights you don't use any more.”

Edgar Gonzalez of Designs by Lighting, Los Angeles, CA
“I get asked all the time on how to make additional income at gigs. One of my answers starts off by not even having a gig at all,” admits Edgar. “You’ve spent endless amount of money purchasing lights, you have multiple fixtures for different type of scenarios, and you have built a great lighting rig!”

Edgar continues, “Lighting rental for me has become a successful stream of income. I don’t have an army of lights, but what I do have is a nice selection of effective fixtures that not only benefit me, but my renters and their clients as well. Rentals have helped me bring in extra income, and have given me the ability to network with other event coordinators and entertainment companies with their lighting needs. It has even helped me book full lighting jobs with them!”

DJ Mike Eventos, Anaheim, CA
“As an extra source of income when I’m not DJing I provide uplighting services to many hotels in the Orange County, California area,” says Mike. “There are two ways I sell uplights. One, static mode (one color) for weddings, or, two, dancing lights (many colors) for really festive parties. It is a somewhat affordable investment that sure pays in the long run. I am also very much involved in renting to expos and trade shows. By adding lighting it help create excitement for the trade show vendors. And, with proper lighting they often double or triple their trade show sales. I also offer a ‘club type atmosphere’ for weddings, sweet sixteens and corporate events, using programed uplighting and Moving Heads.”

Here are 5 rental tips from Edgar Gonzalez:

1. Always have a detailed rental agreement! I can’t stress enough the importance of it. Make sure    to have all the appropriate info and cover grounds on what they’re liable for in detail when    renting out from you.

2. Always collect retainer fees prior to equipment going out, not when coming back in.

3. Always inspect equipment on pick-up and return to insure functionality.

4. If starting out, try to rent to a network of people you normally work with.

5. If you finally decide on doing lighting rental, try to separate your lighting fixtures purchases    apart from what everyone else is traditionally using. Try having different options for better rental    results.

Here are a few more tips I came up with to set yourself apart from other renters:

1. Offer pick-up and teardown service as an extra.

2. Put lights in padded gig backs and include a clamp, DMX cable and safety cable. Label each    bag with the name of the fixture. This insures additional protection to your lighting investment.    No one treats your gear the way you do.

3. Offer a defined price list of all items in your inventory. Add, AC extension cords, clamps, safety     cables and DMX cables as a la carte items.

Lastly, another great resource for DJs who want to offer lighting services to their business is to rent lighting from an authorized ADJ Rental Dealer. This is a great way to start your rental business slowly and at almost no risk. You can contact a dealer in your area about renting directly from them until you have the funds to start renting your own inventory.

To find an ADJ Rental Dealer click here: http://www.americandj.com/WhereToRent.aspx

If you’d like to share your thoughts with me about my article, you can e-mail me at: marketing@americandj.com

Brian Dowdle is the Marketing Director of ADJ USA