Episode 36 - Behind the Scenes with Korno's Concert Service

Self Starter

Ben Kornouchovs has been a part of the local Adelaide music scene for years. As a musician himself, Korno has seen both the needs of the performer and the punter when it comes to live music. His time working in music lead him to launching his own business, "Korno's concert service" which has been up and running since 2014.

Specialising in artist support for touring and local bands, Korno and his team offer transport, chaperoning, stage and road management as well as merchandise services. Korno's jack of all trades approach ensures that artists are appropriately taken care of, ensuring that the 1 percenters are considered and performers are left to focus solely on their job which is to perform.

Korno's involvement in the local scene often sees him as the go to guy for local metal festivals such as Heavy SA and The New Dead where he has an opportunity to not only work with Adelaide musicians but also interstate and international touring acts. A great opportunity to provide his services, network and carve out new opportunities.

Korno has taken a measured path when it comes to his business where he has launched it as a side hustle outside of his normal job. Communication, negotiation and balance has ensured that he is able to meet the needs of his full time employer as well as hit the personal goals he has with his own business. As Korno's Concert Service grows, he will continue to assess the viability around taking on a more full time investment in what he does.

It's not just the musicians that continue to get better and better, it's the support network behind the scenes who are findings ways to add value and create services that support the music we all love. It's an exciting time for opportunity and you don't necessarily have to be on stage.

To learn more about Korno's Concert Service, check out selfstarter.com.au and find Korno on Facebook. For now, please enjoy this great chat with Ben Kornouchovos and Korno's Concert Service.

What did you get out of this episode? Here's what I learnt;

1. Keep it simple – It’s not rocket science, folks. It's the small things that count. Working in music is similar to any other industry where often the smallest of things make all of the difference, especially when they are overlooked. Ben ensures that communication is a big focus when it comes to his work and is not reluctant to handle the menial tasks. Ben knows he has a duty of care and wants to do all he can to make sure the artist has the best experience possible. It's not always glamorous, but the small things can give you a tangible point of difference that makes what you do memorable.

2. Balancing it out - Ben has taken a conservative approach with his business where he still retains his full time job working at a winery. He negotiates with his employer, gives notice and does all he can to maintain a balance between his full time employment and his own business. The balance he has created is satisfying and he's in no rush to quit his job. When it comes to starting a business, remember that you don't have to drop everything in order to make it happen. There are plenty of ways to execute on an idea or a passion that you have whilst still maintaining an existing job. There's no rule book!

3. Learn everything - Ben's domain is in hard rock and metal music, however over the years he has found himself working for artists from a wide range of genres. Learning from different styles of music and their scenes has given Ben exposure to different ways of approaching similar situations or problems when it comes to live music and artist support. It's like sharing best practices. You may not be completely interested in a particular industry or niche group, but there are often parallels where you can pick up skills, ideas and insights that you can apply to what you do.

Follow Korno's Concert Services via Facebook

Location – Adelaide, South Australia