To My Professional Brothers.......

[Hank5]

How has this economy been treating you? My commercial electric account is raping me, My bad debt list and slow paying client list is at a high.I am at a slowdown to the point of liquidating a few assets to make ends meet. I haven't dropped my rate yet but am now entertaining that as a thought just to attract new clients. Any thoughts? What are you guys doing to stay afloat

[studiojimi]

Originally Posted by Hank5

How has this economy been treating you? My commercial electric account is raping me, My bad debt list and slow paying client list is at a high.I am at a slowdown to the point of liquidating a few assets to make ends meet. I haven't dropped my rate yet but am now entertaining that as a thought just to attract new clients. Any thoughts? What are you guys doing to stay afloat

i'm very careful to think thoughts and speak words that are positive

i remind myself that i can only be in either fear or faith and i choose faith

and not both at the same time

i realize
(with my "real eyes", my spiritual eyes)
that I AM the child of a doting parent (God) who only wants the best for me and will never ever let me down.

and of course...
when it appears i've inherited a bushel of lemons...i make lemonade!

i used to love that tune

"my future's so bright i need shades!"

so at 57 and sitting here reading your post...i'm thinkin'

this cat can think his way out of this mess he is claiming!

never let'em see ya sweat!

i'm more thankful in attitude than wanting more of what i already have

i do however ask that God would come in and make my magma chassis talk to my 192 with cs 6 and 7.

i'm picturing Him writing that cs8 code right now!

[ProTooler]

Originally Posted by studiojimi

i'm very careful to think thoughts and speak words that are positive

i remind myself that i can only be in either fear or faith and i choose faith

and not both at the same time

i realize
(with my "real eyes", my spiritual eyes)
that I AM the child of a doting parent (God) who only wants the best for me and will never ever let me down.

and of course...
when it appears i've inherited a bushel of lemons...i make lemonade!

i used to love that tune

"my future's so bright i need shades!"

so at 57 and sitting here reading your post...i'm thinkin'

this cat can think his way out of this mess he is claiming!

never let'em see ya sweat!

i'm more thankful in attitude than wanting more of what i already have

i do however ask that God would come in and make my magma chassis talk to my 192 with cs 6 and 7.

i'm picturing Him writing that cs8 code right now!

Brilliant!
You rock!!

[John_Toolbox]

Generally people say the entertainment business tends to do better in difficult economic times, because people want a distraction from from the grim reality of whatever the problem they are faced with is. This means that at the retail end of the food chain, entertainment is still selling. If you are able to create a product from start to finish and get it in the market without borrowing money, this is probably a good time. If you're trying to do something that requires cooperation with someone with deep pockets, I would probably say that getting anything off the ground is much harder right now though, because no one wants to lend money or invest money in anything.

In my opinion this is not the time to spend, it's the time to save. If you have debt, get rid of it as fast as you can.

[Natural Sound]

Picture
of 2 men in a small boat, weather is bad, seas are high, shore line is far in the distance.
Outlook is bleak.

Caption
'Pray to God, but row to shore'

[Hank5]

Thanks guys for the insight

[25ghosts]

Originally Posted by Hank5

How has this economy been treating you? My commercial electric account is raping me, My bad debt list and slow paying client list is at a high.I am at a slowdown to the point of liquidating a few assets to make ends meet. I haven't dropped my rate yet but am now entertaining that as a thought just to attract new clients. Any thoughts? What are you guys doing to stay afloat

To be honest with you, I dont think this "Lehman Bros." incident is going to affect the average person too much. The industry is still healthy on the REAL market only the VIRTUAL market has dropped.

Funny thing with stocks are that the money depicted on the stock trade arent real money and the amount of "virtual money" floating around the stock exchanges could NEVER be paid out in cash. The world does NOT have that many bank notes.

The whole system is a fraud and now with the global media YET another way of scaring the hell out of NORMAL earners and folk.

Today it is the stock exchange, tomorrow Oil, Global Warming and terrorists, the next day Cancer and heart attacks and so it goes in our "beautiful" capitalistic world where the poor guys takes the fall when the banks fail to see that their system is rotten and malfunctioning.
In Germany, the Government is putting together a "Help Package" which includes about $ 40 billion. You have only ONE guess to who is actually paying for this.... The TAX payer. Who else. The ONLY monies that the government has is what the TAX payers contribute.

The prez of the United States did swear an oath as he entered the skulls and Bones to ONLY follow the rules of their agenda. The agenda of the new world order is NOT something very hard to find. All you gotta do is to dig a little. Well, one of the points on the agenda is to FEED the worker with FREE entertainment in order to be able to control his "Spare Time" - and by faking various scenarios that could be a global threat to our financial ways "some" people hope that "other" people like "US" will adapt new price policies in order to eventually be able to act upon the agenda of free entertainment to the masses.

Keep your prices up folks and let 'em pay for the quality you have to offer.

[Wasaia]

Originally Posted by 25ghosts

Keep your prices up folks and let 'em pay for the quality you have to offer.

AMEN, glad to read some common sense indeed, a lot of manipulation's going on. Very smart guys at the top, you know. Very clever and powerful. Sorry if that sounds spooky!

[25ghosts]

Originally Posted by Wasaia

AMEN, glad to read some common sense indeed, a lot of manipulation's going on. Very smart guys at the top, you know. Very clever and powerful. Sorry if that sounds spooky!

Well if it sounds spooky it MUST be spooky

[DrFord]

Advice from a Real Estate Broker...

My mother is and has always been a very prominent Real Estate Broker in California. Consitently in the top 100 in the United States for women and Re/Max agents. She trained me at a young age to be a successful real estate agent, which I did for 5 years until I went back to school for music.

Real Estate is very much like Producing / Engineering in that you are self employed, most of the time you pay to have your desk, and the operational expenses are your own responsibility unless you work on a split (commission) which means you only make a percentage of what you make (not the ideal situation for success, but you pay for the security.)

The one thing my Mom has always taught me about being self employed, is that when times are hard, Market more.

Yes, thats right, advertise.

When people around you are crumbling, spend money on marketing.

The smart businessperson is a farmers. You choose a market segment, a demographic, and a geographic location. Once those facotr are chosen you advertise. And you don't stop advertising. Because advertising's real return (especially with mass mailers) is the future business not immediacy. Immediate business is alway sought in person (unless you get magical random phone calls - which do happen from time to time.)

So here's what I would advise for anyone's up and coming marketing strategy to beat the economy. Just remember "If anyone can, I can." Also, down economies cull the idiots and let the professionals succeed. I also agree with the above post of "Do not lower your prices, raise quality."

1. Target your "Preferred Accounts."
Vocal teachers with students who need demos.
Publishing companies with artists who need demos.
Local Radio Stations who need editing for adverts and spots.

Preffered accounts get "Local Negotiated Rates." As in "Discounted" rates because you get their business over anyone else. Make up a 1 year contract with a rider that says you will increase rates at 6% (make up a number that works for you) as long as you get their exclusive business. Find other people / business who do regular recording and get them. First thing first your job is a sales job, once the sale is made you can make music.

2. Begin Mass mailing.
Monthly mailers to all residences / business in a geographic area.
Colleges with kids who have parents money and may want to spend it on Rap demos cause they are the next big thing.
Businesses who may need ads, dialog recording for marketing videos
Residences and Churches who may have choirs, or children who want to sing.

The most important part here is that you mail monthly. Repeat, mail monthly - indefinately. This is a game of time, not chance. Eventually, someone is going to ask someone if they know someone. On the refridgerator will be your mailer, and you will get the call.

3. Live Shows.
You need to pass your production / engineering demos out at Live band shows. I have the luxury of being in Nashville, where there is a band playing every night. You may have to plan weekly to prioritize which events have better capacity for sales. Bring flyers and demos, and pass them out to anyone with a pulse - including the band on stage, then move on to the next show. This is for tomorrow's business.

4. Print Ads.
Look to see who is advertising where. You advertise where they do, at a reduced rate. No Hype, no crap, just "Studio, Pro Tools, $5 less than the ad above me per hour." The people advertising in print do it because it earns profit. Just beat their prices and you will get their business.

5. Event Sponsorship.
It takes money to make money, and being a sponsor for the "make a wish foundation" got me a gig (pro-bono) where I engineered for a young cancer patient who wanted to record the new theme song for them. This of course is on my demo, and it got me business just because of the affiliation.

6. Alternative methods for money making.
In real estate you deal with rentals when you have no sellers or buyers. In todays weird digital marketplace, I am beginning to get into ringtones. Ringtones are instant gratification quick $99. Use any of the main dowload places to have people buy your ringtones. How about Halloween scream ringtones and Xmas sleighbells? They sell. An extra $300 a month would be nice wouldn't it.


Good luck!