| JAVI'S ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED BUSINESS QUESTIONS: |
| Can bringing karaoke into my venue really help my business? Just like any other form of live entertainment, there are no sure bets. But much like rock'n'roll itself, karaoke is here to stay. People just love to sing, especially when it's just for fun in a comfortable, noncompetitive, friendly environment. Karaoke shows have become a favorite setting for socializing, dating, meeting new people, and celebrating birthdays and special occasions. In many respects, the wedding of this Japanese musical technology with the American bar scene is a match made in heaven. And for most venues, karaoke night is their most successful night of the week. (Please note that karaoke has been proven to increase bar sales by at least 20% on any given night.) This is not to say karaoke catches on in every bar and club where it's tried, but then the same can be said for live bands. There is usually no knowing until you try it out. The three factors that most affect the success of karaoke at any given venue are: location, advertising, and the quality of the show itself. We can't do anything about your location, and you're probably already used to advertising whatever promotions you run; a colorful window banner that says "karaoke here", and mentioning it in your regular business ads is all that takes. That only leaves hiring the right people to give you a quality karaoke show, and the best chance of success. We at JAVI’S are professionals with ten plus year’s experience, and guarantee the quality of our shows. Is my venue right for karaoke? Karaoke can work in almost any size venue, from neighborhood taps to large nightclubs. If you host or have ever hosted live music, odds are karaoke will "fit" in your bar or club. Our sound system doesn't actually take up as much space as a live band. If you have almost any kind of stage area, a small dance floor, or even just the space for a good size buffet table, odds are good we'll fit in quite nicely. No worries, we’ll visit your venue first to make any technical determinations. As to business considerations, it depends on how many more customers you are actually looking to draw in. If you consistently draw 40 customers on a Tuesday night, but your venue only holds 50 to begin with, you don't need karaoke; you won't make enough money packing in only 10 more customers to make it worthwhile. On the other hand, if your venue holds 50, but you only draw 10 customers on a certain night, then karaoke could be the magnet to pull in those missing 40 customers, considerably increasing your net revenues in the process. Okay, I'll try it. How soon do I start making money? The truth is, it can take awhile for any given show at any given location to build up a regular following, even when the KJ (or "karaoke jockey", as the show host is called) is very successful at other locations. It helps if you already have some regulars, as word of mouth is the best promotion of all, but even with a base audience of some kind it can take awhile for a show to "spark" or catch on. It's also common for a new show to have a couple big nights, only to see business taper off again before gradually working its way up to a consistently high level. We have been in karaoke for over ten years, and observed that it can normally take four to eight weeks for a karaoke night at a new location to really catch fire. This can be very discouraging to club owners, especially the ones who've been previously mislead by "fly-by-night" KJ's into believing things work any other way. They don't. It always takes money to make money. We would rather be honest, and tell you up front that you can't expect to see a profit the first few weeks. However, we'd rather you didn't think of the money you spend hiring us those first few weeks as "lost". It is an investment, and if you give a new show a fair amount of time to catch on, it could pay great dividends in the long run. We are in this for the long haul, and looking to build successful business relationships, not just make a few quick bucks and disappear just when things are getting profitable. We have too much invested in our gear to do that. A big screen TV doesn't pay for itself in just a couple weeks either, but a lot of venues find them worth having. We also know what it takes to build a successful show. Besides quality sound and a great song selection, it takes friendly and fair handling of the customers, and a large degree of consistency. Nothing derails a potentially successful show faster than canceled shows, late starts, or egotistical KJ's who hog the microphone for themselves, or give preferential treatment to their friends over the other customers. Obviously, we do not operate like that, but regret that there are people who do. Customers need to not only have a good time during a well run show, but they also need time to get used to the fact a certain night is always karaoke night at a given venue, and the show is always there and starts on time. This reliability is critical during the first few weeks at a new venue, as it's the only way to begin building that base of loyal regulars who will keep coming back and spending money every week. How about I try this once a month first? We will be happy to take your money if you really twist our arm about it, but this really isn't the way to build what (for you) will be a consistently profitable show. As mentioned above, the customers need to get used to a regular, weekly karaoke night to build up a good base of regulars who will come to every show. The fact is people just don't remember a formula, such as "karaoke is the second Saturday of the month", or "alternate Sunday nights", or things of that sort. They end up forgetting to show up the night karaoke is happening, then they show up on the wrong night and walk away angry because they didn't get to sing; that's when they start looking for other places to go. Having absent customers is bad, and having angry customers is worse. On the other hand, if we have an established karaoke night in your venue, adding an extra night monthly, or every two weeks, can work out very well. But this is because we've already created the regulars, and we can promote the extra shows directly to them over the mic while they're all there for the regular weekly show. Then it becomes a win/win situation. Okay, I've tried it, it's not working, now what? Fire us. No hard feelings or strings attached. There's no contract, no obligation to keep us, so you can cancel the show at any time. Perhaps you'll want to try it again later, or perhaps you'll want to try it on another night, but either way the decision is entirely yours. Of course we're very confident in ourselves, and will be working very hard to increase your business. After all, that's how we keep our business. But karaoke isn't for every venue, and sometimes it just doesn't work out. As stated above, it generally takes a few weeks for it to catch on, so patience is a virtue in this business. If there's no notable increase in your revenue after eight to twelve weeks, we'll save you the trouble and fire ourselves. This is business after all, and running a "dead" show isn't good for us either. We'd rather not wear out our welcome -- we'd rather keep you as a potential client in the future. What are the payment arrangements? Show fees are due in full at the end of each show, unless we have agreed to make a special exception in advance. What about karaoke contests and prizes? We love free stuff! Doesn’t everybody? Prizes and giveaways are never a bad idea. Also, costume contests and such that coincide with karaoke (such as for Halloween) can be a great promotion, and a lot of fun for the customers. Does JAVI’S offer other DJ services? Sure thing! If Karaoke really isn’t your thing and trying it out just isn’t something you’re interested in, then we are more then happy to provide your venue with one of our exceptionally professional DJ’s. Will JAVI’S do private functions? Of course! Feel free to call us for any party needs you may have, i.e. weddings, birthday parties, and corporate parties. For more information on pricing or bookings Please call us @ 540-379-8450 or email us @ Javi's Dj's & Karaoke |
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