Today’s blog title is based on my twin sisters ingenious way of “summing up the situation” and used on Pawning Planners Apparel.
Cindy’s Redneck Reality Quotes are shared worldwide and incredible poplar. An example of #Cindyism would be “You don’t MEND fences WITH the NEIGHBORS by BORROWING a LADDER, to STEAL fruit FROM their TREE” (BE a MOOCHER) Amen. My twin sister is a REAL CHARACTER ya All and has yet to be speechless under any circumstances.
Yes, I created an Apparel Line to fund sponsored families featuring my twin sisters Redneck Reality Quotes that are shared worldwide in numerous languages IE:The truth is popular! My sister is always “spot on” with her sometimes sarcastic and occasionally inspirational quotes. For a list of #Cindyism Quotes, visit this link-#Cindyism Quotes-My Sister Has Something To Say About Everything! She has a new one everyday and keeps us laughing with her observations!
Little Pawner Maryssa Mahaney Models A Fan Favorite “Not My Luggage-Not My Trip!” Pawning Planners Apparel T-Shirt
Today while driving to the boonies to check out a possible trade near Mineral Wells, a local number that had called earlier but left no message (I don’t return calls that don’t leave a message), called again so I answered the call on my Bluetooth assuming it was a possible client.
Instead it was yet another new venue owner. For the past 5 or 6 years, I’ve recieved at least 300 calls from venue operators in other states as well as Texas.
Trying to be helpful to these “new business owners” has taken hours and hours of my patience on a call. One “new venue owner” after hearing me suggest blogging to rise in search engines even asked me to write her blogs “because I’m so good at it!” Blogging takes hours a day and isn’t quick or easy which is why I’m not willing to spend my time promoting your business.
The ridiculousness of another business operator wanting me to do their work for them is the reason that I stopped everything (as usual) to address this new trend of calling wedding planners to generate a client base for someone you’ve never met.
Today’s blog will address why these new business people don’t bother to get more information on my client base (Pawning Planners Clients have no money- they trade items and obviously cannot afford a venue) as well as advise callers “wanting to pick my brain” regarding getting clients and building their business with my knowledge of the market and the industry can hire me for $275 an hour.
Spending several hours on a call to tell a venue operator how to market their business and generate clients continues to be a “thankless task” so, I’ve decided to start charging these “inquiring minds” who want help but aren’t willing to pay for it.
I’m a consultant with Gershman Leighman Group as well as a previous brand merchandiser and promoter for numerous well known brands. Why? Because in very good at what I do and available as a consultant for a fee. I can promise you that when consulting with a GLG client on marketing trends, my time isn’t free and neither is Cindy’s. We have both spent years as top performers in numerous industries and know how to target buyers.
My “knowledge” didn’t come cheap- I earned it in any industry I’ve worked within including the wedding & events industry as has my sister, my nieces, my son, my grandnieces and daughter in law.
Everything we know was learned by experience. Every client we’ve had has been to both Texas Twins Events or The Pawning Planners and know which business fits their needs. Vendors wanting me to send them clients apparently haven’t visited my websites and know little about me and less about our clients. Why? Because 30-40% of my client base could never afford a venue. Texas Twins Events Clients are either using a venue that my team have an established relationship with OR booking us through a venue that I am on staff at. I don’t give my client information to another vendor simply because they ask me to and neither does anyone else.
Learning the wedding & events business to expand my own took years and a lot of money. I didn’t call other vendors or venues asking them to send me clients- quite the opposite, I found them myself. Target marketing, website traffic, word of mouth and advertising brought new clients not phone calls to other vendors.
Many of my loyal readers wonder why I have Texas Twins TV and keep it on top of search engines so I will answer that question first. This site is a “down the road” site that will be funded after acquiring my own venue and eventually a production company for our events and the families we help through Texas Twins Events, Texas Twins Treasures & The Pawning Planners.
Texas Twins TV will be used for a documentary of our journey and diverse clients. Over the past 5 years, Cindy and I have been under contract with four production companies who couldn’t accurately depict our journey so I set up this site to do it myself and will eventually sell our book “The Pawning Planners-Paying It Forward” on this site as well.
Attention production companies & networks-Cindy & I are currently under contract and working on another project. We will be available after September 2017. I have a list of production companies & networks contacting me and plan to interview anyone prior to signing another contract with my sister.
It is important to me that anyone contacting me about another project or pilot actually understand how Texas Twins Events, Texas Twins Treasures & The Pawning Planners “work together” to give anyone a Dream Event-if you have not visited the sites, read the blogs or understand our story-please take the time to do so. I’m including the links for you-The Pawning Planners-We Take Trades! For a list of services-Family Owned & Operated-Texas Twins Events. Where we sell refurbished bartered or “flipped items-“Visit My Treasure Chest-Texas Twins Treasures. All 3 of the businesses “work together.”
Since a few readers want to know when we will have a venue, the projected date is 2 years and the venue will be called Texas Twins Events. Why? Because Texas Twins Events is already well established and also on top of search engines as well as being copyrighted and trademarked.
We will offer officiants that are already on my staff for $300 an hour (the going rate) and photographers already on my staff at $250 an hour with prints at the clients expense. Wedding planners will be my twin sister Cindy & I. Venue costs will be between $750 for two hours and up with a la carte options. As many other venue operators realize—these prices are far below my competitors. Why? Because when I started Texas Twins Events, my “goal” was to help families who couldn’t afford a traditional venue or vendor. My original concept won’t change when we expand to include a venue. I “believe” in who we help and what we do.
The future Texas Twins Events Venue site will not be available at no cost. My reasons for this should be self explanatory but I will “lay them out.” If you don’t have any money-your event can be at a park, backyard, karate studio or even a C130 if you are military but it won’t be at a business I’ve invested money in to generate revenue. Pawning Planners clients will have their events like they always have-at a FREE venue.
Although this may be surprising to a few readers, when I started Texas Twins Events, my goal was for low income family events to be covered by families who could afford traditional price structures.
Three years ago, I quickly learned that wouldn’t work so I merged Texas Twins Events & Texas Twins Treasures to create The Pawning Planners in order to put an end to everybody telling me they didn’t have any money.
A soft heart will cost you money and mine did. Wouldn’t all businesses have more clients than they could handle IF their services were free?!! Well now you know why I rebranded and expanded over and over to find a way to force these prospects to “put some skin in the game” if they wanted something from us badly enough-they found something to trade or came up with the money.
Rarely, do we sponsor an event but we do make exceptions after an Appraisal Appointment because now Cindy and I know you don’t have any money or anything of value to trade. Sponsored events are funded by Pawning Planners Apparel. For more information on this unique clothing line, visit this link-#Cindyism Quotes & Pawning Planners Apparel.
Don’t be surprised-I effectively “had to” find a way to get out of sponsoring EVERY FAMILY who came to us. Making everything work together took time and money along with patience to rebrand & expand Texas Twins Events.
I can promise you that other vendors weren’t calling me with “tips” or client information to keep my businesses going! Quite the opposite. Many “in this business” laughed at a business plan to “help poor people” who couldn’t afford traditional price structures.
Well now, my fellow jokers- who is laughing now? The truth is that there are FAR MORE low to middle class consumers than there are rich families with money to throw at an event. That’s right kids- I directly targeted the consumers NOBODY ELSE WANTED. Texas Twins Events was started because I had never had a photographer, wedding dress or even flowers for MY OWN wedding nor had my sister. There’s a reason I knew this “market existed” and the reason was my own experience. My officiant charged $500 and my son’s charged $600 to give you a better idea of the actual cost to hire an officiant. Many Texas Twins Events Clients would’ve wound up at the JP if they hadn’t found us.
Advising other vendors to get a website, write a blog and set up social media while walking them through every process is getting old and quick! Today’s caller didn’t even have a name for her business. Ironically, my twin sister belted out a name for her off the top of her head. The name of your business should reflect what you do-I cannot stress this point enough. Using a name to describe your business isn’t easy so spend some time on it and and check to be certain the name you come up with isn’t already in use.
Contacting me to “send another business my clients” is somewhat crazy but it’s been happening so often-I needed to address venue owners finding me on Linkedin, Google, Instagram & Twitter telling me “you and your sister practically own the Internet-how did you pull that off? You’re everywhere!” I’m going to give ya all a few “pointers.”
1. Social media is time consuming and a lot of work. Prepare to dedicate yourself to liking, sharing, retweeting & promoting your connections if YOU WANT THEM TO PROMOTE YOU.
2. If you don’t have a website-GET ONE! You will never have clients if no one knows your business exists.
3. Any business will operate in the red the first 1-2 years it’s a learning curve. Don’t make the mistake of thinking just because you started a new business that “you will put your competitors out of business.” Your competitors know what they are doing. They know the market, they price other vendors and they work hard to keep a good reputation and happy clients that refer friends and families.
4. If your business is located in the country or a remote area-don’t try to charge prospects $3-5k Why? The reason “city” venues can charge more is convenience. They are centrally located and easy to get to.
5. Calling wedding planners to send you THEIR booked clients isn’t a great “business plan” because booked clients choose a planner and officiant or photographer AFTER the Venue is BOOKED. Photographers, Officiants & Planners are often the LAST vendors booked.
6. Texas Twins Events Clients PAY HALF or LESS than traditional vendors fees to us so “pitching your 5k venue” to them might get me a laugh but it won’t get you a booking! I never refer a vendor or venue I haven’t visited in person. I’m on call at numerous venues and on staff at several others so (for obvious reasons) the venues that I have a relationship or affiliation with will be who I refer a Texas Twins Events client to.
7. While I’m “not in the business of making money for everyone else other than myself & my staff” please understand that we are “in season” and rather busy operating 3 businesses, juggling Appraisal Appointments, viewing other venues and refurbishing and/or delivering Texas Twins Treasures items or attending/sponsoring fundraisers. IE: I don’t have several hours to spend telling you how to get your business up and running-after all I’m busy operating my own. I find myself wondering how all of the other planners handled your “surprise call” to them seeking advice but am fairly sure they didn’t spend hours “walking you through the process.”
8. If you don’t know if you are an LBGT friendly venue-you probably aren’t. I’m going to strongly suggest NOT marketing clients who you admit “make you uncomfortable.” I cannot believe that when I ask these venue operators a simple question like this it’s “surprising.” Either you are or not this isn’t rocket science.
9. I made a business plan ten years out when I started Texas Twins Events. Planning that far out might sound odd but I am OCD and realized the first year or two wouldn’t be profitable “going in.” Nothing I’ve ever “dove into” has ever failed. Why? I was willing to do whatever it took to make my businesses work and that includes investment, expansion, websites & social media. What my plan didn’t include was getting other people to “bring business to me.” I earned my client base and connections the hard way-organically like anyone else.
10. Yes, I know websites cost money-I’ve spent plenty myself but if you are too cheap to put a website-you are planning to fail. This isn’t the 90’s! A new business venture today needs a name, a website, a blog and social media.
If you still have questions and want more “direction” with your new venue, I’m going to suggest hiring a consultant. Asking another vendor to send you clients is certainly a “unique idea” to generate revenue for your new venue but it isn’t one that is going to work for you…or me.
Wendy M Wortham