You've got the Gear...Now you need the work!

Business cards, are a must and should beprofessionally printed ones rather than printed on your PC!. Make sure that you have your roadshow name, a short description of your service and your contact details included.

Have some professionally printed leaflets done. Make them as professional as possible but don't overload them with information. A5 size is ideal. Avoid catchy slogans or cliche's just make it business like and phrase it as an introduction to your business which is offering it's services to their establishment.

Landlords are always on the look out for money saving opportunities so offer some form of discount for regular pub work or function room bookings. Such offers are usually phrased as "Loyalty Discounts". But don't undersell yourself pricewise, you can be TOO cheap, and thats when people start to suspect your abilities!.

Once you have produced these leaflets, mail them out to venues which are within a reasonable travelling distance, aim for hotels and Pubs which have a function room attached, since you are likely to get more private functions this way!. Don't forget to look out for pubs which have billboards outside advertising Live Music Here, or Karaoke every Monday since these obviously have some form of weekly entertainment and even if they have a D.J currently they may not be 100% happy with him or her!.

Contact each venue around 5 days after the leaflets have been sent, introduce yourself and your business and the fact that you are ringing to see if they have received your recent mailing!. Offer to call around, when convenient, to discuss any requirements that they may have. Although you may like to visit instead of 'phoning and speak to the manangement in person? I always used to do this and I found that it is often harder for somebody to say NO, to you in person, than fob you off on the phone!.

If you have kids or know somebody who has then if see if they have a paper round, this can be a good way of getting your leaflets distributed to the local community, just get your leaflet unoffically delivered at the same time as the paper!.

Put your business cards, anywhere where a card can go!. Ask if you can leave a pile of cards on the counter in the local petrol stations and shops, Pin one up on Village Hall notice boards, Leisure Centres, Shop Windows, Library, newsagents. Even if a pub doesn't want a disco at the current time, ask if you can leave some cards on the bar, or next to their public phone for use by their patrons. Also leave a supply of cards in any place where a large number of people will go:- The Local Chippy, Doctors' Surgery, Hospital, Motorway Service Station etc,  the more cards you can distribute the faster you'll get the work coming in!.

Have some request slips done which are over printed with your roadshow name and details and place a pile of them on every table at the start of your gigs. The main aim of these are for the audience to fill in any requests and pass them back to you, but they are also a very good form of advertising, and I often see mine being put in pockets and handbags for future use!. They are a great compromise for people who are to lazy to come over and ask me for a card  .

Getting a Web Presence

A website is your best form of advertising and it can also be the most competitive. Most people can build their own websites with only basic knowledge, and this can save you £100's. I find that nearly 95% of my existing work comes from online customers. Professional Ad-Free Hosting can start from as little as £10 per year. Don't be tempted to use a free host, since pop ups give a very unprofessional look to a website and are annoying. Consider buying a domain name which includes the name of your mobile disco for instance if your roadshow name was "Mighty Soundz" - you could register www.mightysoundz.co.uk for your website. This gives a very professional image and looks better (and fits on a card easier) than the long names often given my free hosts.

Directory Advertising

Advertising in directories can be the most expensive form of advertising costing well into £100's. The results of this sort of advertising are also mixed and varied. Some Mobile Disco's may get several bookings, others believe their advert to have been a total waste of money. The same applies to www.yell.com which is the website equivalent of the Yellow Pages.

Local Newspaper Advertising

Again, another expensive method of advertising and with a very short time span. It can however be far cheaper than the directories and yield better results. Ask the newspaper about having a discounted advert in more than one issue and don't automatically go for the biggest advert offered. Most Papers will give you a block discount for Ad's in consecutive issues for a period of a few weeks or a month.

Don't forget to keep receipts for all of your advertising and business expenditure since it will all work in your favour when it comes to tax!.