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5 Tools To Help You Manage Your DJ Business

We've come a long way since the pencil and paper diary, and there are some excellent tools out there you can use to help you run and manage your DJ business. Here's my top 5!

1. DeckBooks / DJ Event Planner / Ents Booking

Being able to manage your bookings is a basic requirement of running a DJ business, and the good news is that there are some cool apps out there to help!

DeckBooks and DJ Event Planner are online, cloud-based apps that feature all the basics you need, and some advanced features too! You can manage your bookings, send quotes, digital contracts and also give your clients access to a portal where they can tell you about their favourite tracks, and because it’s online and runs in your browser, you can access it from anywhere in the world.

Ents Booking is slightly different in that it’s a Windows-based application you install on your computer so other than being able to synchronise your bookings to a Google Calendar, if you need to access any information you’ll need to wait until your sat in front of the computer the app is installed on. That said, Ents Booking has been around for a long while, is feature-packed and is a great tool to help run your business.

For a limited time, to celebrate the new year, you can take advantage of special discounted pricing on DeckBooks at just £3.00 per month or £27.50 for the whole year!  Simply sign up on their website on the 1st or 2nd January 2020 and don’t forget to tell them you’re a NADJ member!

DeckBooks | DJ Event Planner | Ents Booking

2. Cold Turkey

If like me, you get easily distracted when you’re meant to be sat in front of the computer working then you need a tool that will take care of that for you.

Cold Turkey is a smart app that blocks websites and apps of your choice at any time of the day. You feed it a list of websites and apps you want to block and for what times during the week and the app takes care of the rest.

It’s pretty tough too; there are two modes to choose from. One so extreme that when you’ve started blocking apps and websites, there’s nothing you can do to turn it off. There is another, less extreme setting you can use however to give you a bit more flexibility.

So if you find that your daily productivity is spoilt by regular visits to Facebook and YouTube or some other time-wasting app, then Cold Turkey is a great app 🙂

ColdTurkey

3. Polymail

There are so many email apps out there, and sometimes it feels like I’ve tried them all, but Polymail is my latest favourite and allows you to manage your email like a God!  Its main selling point is that it offers email collaboration for teams, which is really neat but it’s got some awesome features under the hood that make it an essential app on its own.

You install it, add your accounts, and then you have access to handy features like email tracking so you can see who is and isn’t reading your emails and follow-ups which bring emails back into your inbox if the recipient doesn’t reply within a certain amount of time. This allows you to keep on top of quotes you send out for example.

You also get customisable message templates which save you from repetitive typing, and you can also use the send-later feature to tell Polymail to send your late-night emails in the morning when they are more likely to be read.

It’s a great app and works on both your desktop and mobile devices. IMAP, Gmail, iCloud, Yahoo and Outlook accounts are all supported so take back control of your inbox!

Polymail

4. Audacity

It’s the best free sound editor around that’s just as good as many premium applications.

You can use it to edit sound recordings, remove noise, cut and combine clips, add special effects and if that’s not enough, you can also expand it with plugins that give you new effects or integration with other apps.

Audacity

5. Grammarly

Any professional communication you send to your clients needs to look good, read right and not contain any spelling mistakes.

Grammarly is an app that automatically detects your grammar, spelling and punctuation errors. That’s not all, it also offers suggestions on how to improve your writing with word choice and other style corrections.  There’s an app you can install on your computer, or it can also work through browser extensions for Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge.

It’s a really useful tool and one I’ve used for many years, I even used it to write this blog post!

Grammarly

I hope you’ve found this list useful, send us an email if you’ve found any other useful tools!

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Made with ❤ by Ian

Nick Chatten

Avtar Thethy

WHAT WILL I DO?

I have a ‘Goldmine’ of ideas, that, if elected, I will endeavour to implement and achieve top results.

EQUALITY

Equal partnerships with manufacturer’s and service providers within the DJ sector.

Strengthen existing relationships and look for new participants to drive us all forward.

Create more fund raising opportunities for NADJ.

Social Events

The 1st Internal NADJ DJ Awards evening.

We all are from the same entity, so I believe that we as a membership, we deserve equal recognition as other Associations, past present and future.

ACCOUNTABILITY

To promote the visibility of NADJ, at exhibitions and shows, both Nationally and Regionally.

Reintroduce the NADJ clothing range, with additional items.

To make myself as the National Chairman more accessible to existing Members in all classes of membership, and new ones – introducing new opportunities for the membership as a whole to perform at top level events and functions.

Allowing the membership to “air” their views as we go on, and make a positive but constructive contribution on matters that effect YOU the member.

Have standardised forms available for the whole network to use and adapt, with all Health and Safety documentation required by venues in a Welcome pack.

STRENGTH

To be a strong chairman who truly represents the membership interests at high level meetings and events.

To maintain, strengthen and underpin the membership voice by improving the NADJ’s representative role in the open marketplace.

Empower all members and NADJ Reps to become co – creators of Change (Regional Led Projects)

INNOVATION

Improve NADJ facilities to allow Members to deliver a more professional service in their own respective businesses, in an ever growing industry.

The development of a more social and approachable network of DJ’s across the UK.

Introduce a ‘one stop shop’ making it easer for the member and client to obtain everything under one roof.

WHO AM I ?

My name is Avtar Thethy, 55 years old, married and a father to two boys.

Based in West London for last 52 years.

Running my own business LED Factory for last 9+ years.

An active and helpful member of NADJ London and I’m also the London Chairman.

I am determined, committed and will always endeavour to get the best results possible for YOU, the Member.

WHY ME?

Existing NADJ Member, Chairman for London.

I’ve been blessed with many opportunities week in week out to attend the TOP Events up, down and across the UK – as a supplier, organiser, judge and simply as a guest.

I enjoy the creative benefits of product and service integration with the following well established AV companies daily:

Kudos Av & Kudos Music
Calibar Events
Ritzy Music
UVD Ultimate Visual Display
AVH

(There are many more.)

We are consistently facilitating well over 100 events pa. All of them different,
So you can see that not do I only talk the talk, but I am constantly and walking the walk.

I feel the Association needs CHANGE and Change for the better, It needs to recognise the huge talent that it has within and needs to promote that from within.

It also cannot have its members to have disproportionate inequality in the outside world.

I certainly have the Passion, Commitment and fully understand the hardships in running a business without help.

In talking to a few fellow members, over the last few years, I understand what is missing and what Needs need to be addressed – If you can see these gaps, then,
I am the man to deliver.

Avtar Thethy
Led Factory / NADJ

Fabio Capozzi

Change is good but change for change sake can be a sign of not understanding the true needs of what must be done. I believe the secret of change is to focus all your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new. The Association is long overdue revision and reform that better suits the members.

A new approach to reviving the many reasons why membership is the right choice for hard-working DJs is a better understanding of today’s DJ. By helping members maintain a better work-life balance with money saving benefits or having access to advice from experienced fellow members or sharing work opportunities, it is all for naught unless there is a fundamental mutual respect towards everyone, no matter their view or standing.

Community is important to the success of NADJ and it is the huge support of the membership that we can all pride ourselves on. It is, however, inevitable that a collective of people will disagree from time to time, albeit having a common goal. It is essential that open and fair discussion is encouraged to allow opinion and debate to enhance the values that NADJ stand by. I believe that by creating a culture of positive ideas backed by action this forum can encourage us to move forwards in boosting the public opinion of UK DJs. By way of a campaign, aimed directly at the consumer, NADJ in collaboration with other associations and DJ groups, can represent the benefits of choosing a DJ that is encouraged to apply best practices towards their clients with a view to enhance their business. This path can be applied to all types of DJ, from bedroom to festival and radio and by being more inclusive and properly acknowledging these equally important types of DJ into our community, we can be enriched with their viewpoint and expertise of the industry we all work in.

Our industry is one of supplying a serious amount of dedication and excellent customer experience wrapped in an evening of fun, music and dancing. When you are passionate about your work and strive to be professional, it is a welcome relief to be able to meet, network and collaborate with industry colleagues whilst having a little fun. The branch sessions, events and gatherings that happen across the UK require dedicated committee officers to make these happen regionally and nationally. Without the hard work, that is volunteered, the branch sessions would not be possible – and I thank all of you for your unflagging efforts to run great branches. I agree with opinion that NADJ life has become overly serious and in some cases stale, adopting a tired constitution, no longer in keeping with current member needs and aspirations undermined by language that is outdated. I see the need for reform of the constitution, more inclusive language and attitude, updated to reflect the industry we work in today and instrumental in helping the membership to grow and develop by attracting younger DJs to understand how the NADJ can offer a sound platform to boost their DJ career.

All this I believe is important to make being a member an enjoyable and enriching experience but the serious business of running an association is not all about fun (not for NEC committee members anyway), it is a task that relies on consistency, diplomacy and the ability to make new relationships whilst maintain the ones we have happy. Without the support of members and the industry, no matter how much fun and energy you would like at a branch session, it will be difficult to achieve without the help of great content organised on time and with consideration – this is not a job where you can ‘wing it’… I have never winged anything. I look forward to your vote.

Alastair Craig

My name is Alastair Craig and I am a full time DJ with over 30 years’ experience of providing services to many events, including Weddings, Birthdays and Corporates.

Apart from DJ’ing I am also involved in the IT industry and have been advisory on protecting Children’s Data and more recently been involved in testing software for a leading DJ company.

Outside of work I am is a keen Scuba Diver and currently serve as the Diving Officer for Reading University in which I also act as a mentor and Assistant Instructor.

I am running for Secretary for NADJ as I feel that I can bring some new ideas as well as my organisational skills to the table, not just from my experience within my DJ work but from my other involvement in IT to which assessment, planning through to delivery  was key to my role.

At this time, I feel NADJ is ready for change and I am certainly open to listening to new ideas from the membership to move the association in a new fresh direction.

Let’s leave the politics behind and concentrate on building new relationships from within as well as looking after the ones that have already been established.

Yes, it will be a challenge for the new committee but no doubt, as D-ream sang “Things Can Only Get Better” 😊

Dave Mills

Firstly, thank you to those who felt I was worthy to be nominated for a position on the National Committee. I’m not sure I should be grateful, but I am very honoured by your faith in me.

Some of you may know me as the fun, gig addicted, rock music loving Chairman of the South Central Branch but if you don’t and haven’t seen my recent profile piece in Pro Mobile issue 95 (yes shameless self-promotion) then let me briefly introduce myself.

I’m Dave Mills; I had been a struggling DJ for many years working for an agency in Berkshire until I was invited to a NADJ meeting. The people I met within NADJ inspired and helped me to leave the agency and successfully branch out on my own. I’ve made some great friends and learned A LOT. By joining the committee and then becoming the south central chairman I have found myself in a position to encourage and support other aspiring DJ’s to do the same as myself. The range and wealth of knowledge, experience and professionalism within NADJ still floors me making me feel in awe but very proud to be a part of it all.

I am open minded to new ideas and using feedback from our members and non-members, working together as a team so everyone has a voice and every member gets something extra from being in NADJ (not just a P.L.I.) and feels part of our mad music addicted community.

*I hope I haven’t bored you to death yet, nearly there*

I would like to think that my 6 years on an NADJ committee have given me the experience required to move up to the challenge of becoming National Secretary. I am under no illusion that there is a difference between running a branch and taking on a role at national level and it’s not always going to be easy (but I hope not to the point of sitting on a chair sticking pencils up my nose, with pants on my head and saying ‘wibble’) but for some insane reason I’m looking forward to taking on the challenge.

If you are kind enough to vote me in, my main aims would be to help make the association more open and inclusive, encouraging and supporting the current membership as well aspiring DJ’s of any age and gender to join us in our mission to make the DJ industry truly recognised as a profession in a positive, encouraging way.