Weekly karaoke night at a partner venue

Guests pay a cover charge or buy drinks, and the venue may pay you a fee or share the takings to bring in customers on a slow night.

A fee from the venue, a cover charge or ticket sales, or a share of extra bar sales. Private bookings such as birthdays or staff parties can add extra income.

• Confident hosting and crowd handling
• Basic sound and screen setup
• Promoting events on social media and locally
• Negotiating simple deals with venue owners

• The venue should hold the liquor licence for the space, and a hall without one may need a special occasion permit, so check with your provincial regulator
• Music licensing for public performance, usually held by the venue, and using properly licensed karaoke tracks, so check the arrangements
• Commercial general liability insurance, and check whether the venue also requires you to be named on its policy
• Noise bylaws and finishing times set by your municipality
• Winter weather and slow nights can hit turnout, so keep a back-up plan and promotion going

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $1,500 to $6,000, depending on the sound system, screen, song library and promotion. Price your own equipment before you approach venues.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $800 to $4,000, depending on your deal with the venue, turnout, cover charges and how many nights you run. The estimates start from about 6 hours a week.

Check that the venue holds the liquor licence, or whether a hall needs a special occasion permit. Also check music licensing and licensed karaoke tracks, commercial general liability insurance, venue policy requirements, and municipal noise bylaws and finishing times.