If it don’t make dollas, then it don’t make sense!”

Mobile Bartenders: How Much to CHARGE?

An e-mail from Sherron…

I am currently beginning my own private party bartending because this is something I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve been researching your site for information, but I haven’t found any information on what should be charged as for parties or events. Can you give me some information on prices and what not as of charging for parties or events? I don’t know where to begin in that area of a price to charge or even what profit I could make.

I get this question all of the time! And it is a great one. In fact, I even devote an entire chapter (and quite a long one) to Mobile Bartending Rates and how you should find the rate that works best for you and your customers. I have soo much that I want to say on this topic that I felt that I had to turn Sherron’s email into a blog post. If there is ONE article that you should read on my blog…THIS IS IT! So, I hope you are ready to get your hands a little dirty, ready?

CHARGE WHAT YOU WANT:

As a business owner, you have the POWER to choose your rates! You do not have to have “competitive” prices, and you do not have to charge the same week after week! And frankly, you must ask yourself this question: “If I charge my client $XXX.xx, is that WORTH it to me?” If the answer is “no”…than you are NOT charging enough! I know that isn’t exactly the answer you wanted, but as long as you have the mindset that you can charge WHATEVER you want, you will be successful!

PREMIUM RATES=PREMIUM SERVICES

People really believe that they get what they pay for! You proudly show off those $200 jeans that are cost no more than the Target brand. Your clients will proudly flaunt their premium bartender that is always booked and in high demand, even if you charge WAY more than the competition.

YOUR RATES ARE NOT FIXED:

On my bartending website, I NEVER display my rates…why? Because they change depending on my mood! That’s right, when a client calls, I am actually interviewing them! If they live in a “bad neighborhood” or they sound cheap or rude, etc, I increase my rates! I am always booked every weekend, I do not care if I don’t book them! Someone else ALWAYS comes along!

WHEN DEMAND INCREASES, SO DOES YOUR RATE:

There are days, months, and seasons of the year where your services will be in higher demand than others. You can only be in one spot at a time, right? Well…increase your rates, when this happens. (BTW, for all you beginner mobile bartenders, we are turning the corner onto the BUSIEST time of year! The FALL is crazy and it ends with a bang with Christmas and New Year’s…so get ready! Oh and my product: Bartend-4-Profit identifies all fo the major holidays and seasons where you should be increasing your rates!)

DON’T CHARGE BY THE HOUR:

I hate this! (Actually I love it! When my competition does this it makes me look sooo much better) Listen up guys, this one is important! never charge based on the hour, because no one should ever hire you for just an hour! You are charging based on the “EXPERIENCE!” YES! Your bartending experience that you provide your clients, for an evening of your services! So, instead of “Our rates are just $25/hour” say: “An evening of our bartending services includes 5 hours of bartending complete with all professional bartending tools and equipment for just $155.” If you take away one thing it is this:

Increase your Perceived Value and you can charge what you want! When you sell your client on an “Experience,” your Perceived Value will skyrocket!

DON’T FORGET ABOUT GRATUITY

Remember folks, this is just to get in the door! I inform all of my clients of the required gratuity. Standard rate is anywhere from $1-3/per guest (if they do not let me put out a tip jar) This means your gratuity should match or exceed your initial rate!

THE UPSELL:

Now your client is ready to book you! Rent them a bar ($30-60.00), glassware (.$50/glass) and servers ($130) to make even MORE money! This is your upsell!

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER:

Ok, so if you are new into mobile bartending, charge less so you can break into more events and get the experience and confidence you need. Depending on your area and demand for mobile bartenders, something like $100-150 is a great starting out rate.

Once you have a Reputation, Experience, and Confidence, why not increase your rates to $175-$225 for just 4 hours and then an additional $35 for each additional hour they decide to keep you. And remember, you always have gratuity!! The Bartend-4-Profit System & Tip Attraction shows you how you can EASILY increase your tips and become an entertainer for your guests.

Well…does that help? It works for me and my staff, and it is helping tons of bartenders that I have helped and coached all over the country (and Canada!) Please POST your comments below and any additional questions that you may have.

For now, focus on getting ready for this Fall Season, Halloween parties are HUGE! So get out there, market your services and make some money!

To your Bartending Success,

James Wedmore
Bartend4Profit.com

Liar Liar! Your Shot’s on FIRE!

At Bartender Confessions, my writers and I are big advocators of busting the myths behind bartending! I am all about working LESS and making MORE money! The problem is, most people are intimidated by a bartending job and feel that they could never become a bartender themselves. Thanks to guest-author Jeremy Shirk (author of Make Money Bartending) we can rest easy! He has provided us with a great article on some of the biggest bartending myths of all that keep most people from ever getting started! Take notes people!

The 3 Biggest Lies Of Bartending

In my time as a bartender, I’ve come across what I like to call the “3 Biggest Lies of Bartending”.

A long time ago before I set foot into this industry, I was convinced by others that the following were �requirements� in order to become a successful bartender.

Well, I’ve had great success in this industry as a bartender, and let me tell you, I got there without any of the so called �requirements�listed below, and you can too.

So here they are�

Bartending Lie #1 - You need to know hundreds of drink recipes to be a great bartender.

Nothing could be further from the truth! I make the same twenty drinks every night at the nightclub I currently work.

Sure, there are drinks other than those twenty that get requested once in awhile� but it�s nothing you can�t handle.

If I get “stumped”, I’ll ask the bartender I�m working with, look it up in the recipe guide, or ask the customer.

Yeah, that’s right, if all else fails, ASK THE CUSTOMER how to make it. There’s no need to have an ego around this. If the customer doesn�t know, I’ll try and narrow down a color/flavor and make them one of my specialties. (which they end up liking better anyway)

No matter what type of establishment you work or want to work at, they’ll have a base of twenty or so drinks that are asked for, not hundreds.

Sure, it’s nice to have a some killer drink recipes up your sleeve when someone asks “Make me something good.” But you don’t have to know hundreds of drinks before you step behind the wood. There’s no need to numb your brain studying recipe books in order to become a money-making bartender.

Bartending Lie #2 - You need a Bartending “Certificate” or “License” to bartend.

I’m not sure where this concept came into existence (although it sure benefits bartending schools). But there is absolutely, positively NO LAW that requires you to have a license or certificate to bartend.

Now, many states and provinces require an alcohol awareness certification to ensure responsible service. But this is required by all service staff in the industry and is issued by the government for a fraction of the cost of a bartending school tuition.

I�’e got nothing against bartending schools, they are a great way to get your foot in the door and get confident behind the bar, but their “certificates” aren’t mandatory in order to bartend.

Bartending Lie #3 - You need to “pay your dues” and work as a bar back for years in order to bartend at a hot spot raking in the big bucks.

This is absolute bull! I know so many bartenders that got behind the bar faster than you can imagine� including myself.

If you think it takes years, it will take you years. If you believe there’s a better and faster way, you’ll find one. Either way, you’ll prove yourself right.

If you’re looking for proven strategies for landing your dream job as fast and easy as possible, then check out my highly acclaimed Bartending Secrets Exposed program.

If you’ve been sitting on the fence, saying you’d like to become a bartender someday. Then I hope the truth revealed here will inspire you to get up and get going to make it happen.

~~~
The author of this article, Jeremy Sherk, is an expert, world-class bartender who has helped thousands of bartenders land their dream job and explode their level of cash tips. Rather than hitting your head against a brick wall trying to succeed on your own, let him take you by the hand and show you exactly how to land the bartending job of your dreams making hundreds in cash per night! 100% Guaranteed! Click here now for all the details!

Too Fast-Too Furious: Drunken Nights! (Part II)

And now, with out further adu, Part II of Jeremy Shirk’s(author of Make Money Bartending) blog post on increasing your speed as a bartender. Why is this so important? Well…the faster and more efficient you are as a bartender, the more tips! You can serve more customers and they wait less for their beverage. You’re happy, they’re happy…it’s a win-win! ENJOY!!

Becoming An Extraordinarily Fast Bartender - Part 2

ef-fi-cien-cy [i-fish-uhn-see]
n. pl. ef-fi-cien-cies

1. accomplishment of or ability to accomplish a job with a minimum expenditure of time and effort.
2. The ratio of the effective or useful output to the total input in any system.
3. The ratio of the energy delivered by a machine to the energy supplied for its operation.

As a bartender, if you can churn out drinks with minimum expenditure of time and effort� you will make ridiculous amounts of cash and have the option to work at virtually any establishment you like.

In Part 1, we spoke of ways you can increase you speed. All speed requires is the decision to� well� move fast. However, increasing efficiency requires more time and preparation than simply deciding to turn it up a notch� and that�s exactly why many bartenders collapse under the pressure of being thick in the weeds� because they fail to take the time to prepare their bar for maximum efficiency.

So how do you become more efficient?

1) Contemplation

Look at your bar surroundings:

Is there anything that can be improved?

Is there a certain action you hate doing, because it eats up so much time?

Now, while you may not be in a position to start reconstructing shelf and fridge space to suit your needs, such a minor change, like the location of your shot glasses, can make a drastic difference to the amount of effort you expend in during a shift.

And if you are in a position to influence bar reconstruction, do it if it will increase your bar�s efficiency! The bottom line is, become aware of your bar�s environment and make changes if necessary.

2) Preparation

Showing up 30 minutes earlier to prepare for your shift can make a world of difference to your night. Extra preparation time BEFORE your shift will result much less time and effort expended DURING your shift.

3) Systems

Systems allow you to execute without thinking, and that�s exactly what you want as a bartender. You shouldn�t have to �think� about where to reach for your grapefruit juice when someone orders a Seabreeze. It should be automatic. It should be second nature.

Have you ever seen a bartender buckle under the pressure of a mob of customers all screaming for a drink? Well, it�s not a pretty sight.

When every action is second nature, you can keep your cool easily, even when it gets crazy. Systems mean you follow the same procedure each time. You don�t do things randomly and sporadically, you do them the same, everytime! Everything from the way you set up your bar, to the sequential order you make drinks, etc.

4) Organization

While organization is a requirement of a good system. It�s important to stay organized throughout the night. Especially if your work alongside other bartenders.

Put things back in their place. Make sure you�re on the same page as your co-workers. It drove me nuts when I used to work with bartenders who didn�t put things back, or worse, because of their lack of preparation, have to come to my well/work area and grab a bottle.

As an efficient bartender, you will pull in the highest sales, and create the most enjoyable experience for your customers. Instead of dreading �the weeds�, you will welcome the craziness of working in a busy establishment because you know you can handle it.

~~~
The author of this article, Jeremy Sherk, is an expert, world-class bartender who has helped thousands of bartenders land their dream job and explode their level of cash tips.

Rather than hitting your head against a brick wall trying to succeed on your own, let him take you by the hand and show you exactly how to land the bartending job of your dreams making hundreds in cash per night! 100% Guaranteed! Click here now for all the details!

Speedy Gonzalez was an Alcoholic

We all new it growing up! “Speedy G.” (as he likes to be called now) is a complete lush! Even worse, he’s an impatient and angry drunk. To avoid having Speedy G. and other impatient guests breathing down your neck on a busy night, I have guest author Jeremy Sherk with Make Money Bartending with a great two-part article on how to increase your speed so that even Speedy Gonzalez will be impressed

Becoming An Extraordinarily Fast Bartender - Part 1

Your speed and efficiency behind the bar is crucial to your level of tips as well as the quality of bar you can work at�

So, how does one become a faster bartender?

Speed and efficiency are the two primary ingredients of a �fast� bartender. Efficiency is working �smarter�, exerting raw speed is working �harder�.

With that said� please do not underestimate the importance of speed. Both efficiency AND speed are crucial to becoming a fast, money-making bartender. Just because you�re efficient doesn�t mean you can slack it behind the bar, being efficient simply means you won�t be wasting any effort.

If you�ve ever been �in the weeds�, you know that there�s no time to waste� you�re flying and moving as quickly as possible! Having a systemized, efficient bar setup will allow your night to flow� you�ll be able to effortlessly stay in the zone without hitting any unnecessary �speed-bumps�. Being �in the weeds� will no longer take you over. You�ll actually find yourself relishing the opportunity to be behind the bar when it gets crazy!

Increasing your actual speed, like anything, comes with practice. If you�re concerned about your speed, try practicing pouring shots over your kitchen sink at home.

Does this sound crazy? Well, in my early days I did exactly that. I would fill up an empty liquor bottle with water, stick a pour spout in it, and just crank out shots as fast as possible.

Doing this for just 10 minutes a day will drastically increase your shot pouring speed in as little as a week!

You can also try setting up a few different bottles with water to more closely resemble an actual behind-the-bar experience� where you�re moving back and forth, grabbing different bottles, etc.

~~~
The author of this article, Jeremy Sherk, is an expert, world-class bartender who has helped thousands of bartenders land their dream job and explode their level of cash tips.

Rather than hitting your head against a brick wall trying to succeed on your own, let him take you by the hand and show you exactly how to land the bartending job of your dreams making hundreds in cash per night! 100% Guaranteed! Click here now for all the details!

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