A blog for escort business entrepreneurs

The Blueprint Blog is often updated with tips, ideas, and advice for entrepreneurs interested in opening and operating an escort service.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Advice for Escort Business Owners and Clients

This could turn into a complicated post if I allow it to; I will try not to go that direction herein. Anyone that has read any of my books is aware that I discuss the blocks on escort business telephone numbers and websites during conventions in Orlando. Memoirs is all about the blocking and the Blueprint books mention it more than once. I have also posted occasionally on the topic on the Accused Madam Blog.

There are always ways around such blocking. First, what do I mean by blocks during conventions?

When there are large conventions in your city you may notice that you receive few calls, if any at all. This is obvious in Orlando, at least to me. This was obvious to several operators in Las Vegas for years and civil suits were filed over the problem. In past I heard from operators in Los Angeles that it was clearly happening there as well. Now I am hearing that the practice has become all too obvious in New Orleans.

Check the conventions in your area. I cannot define “large” in relation to the number of attendees at a convention, but I have seen it with a convention of 45,000 and with a convention of 1000. Today I was asked: “What are the chances that nobody at all calls during a convention with 45,000 attendees?”

I asked what specific convention was being referenced and the answer was Rotary International. Well, the chances in Orlando that no one will call are 100%. No one at all called during the Golf Merchandise show here back in late January and 45,000 people came here for it. Imagine how many hotels fill in New Orleans when that many people come in town for a convention. Yet, not a single call. This owner had his eyes on the situation because previous large conventions brought zero calls and he has great placement in search engines.

One trend that you will notice is that you receive calls immediately before the convention and immediately after it from people there for that specific convention. Some people do arrive early or stay a day or two extra in a convention city. You may even hear from a random caller there for the convention – I try to question on how he found the website and what device he is using to dial me.

Up until mid-January, people using some advanced smartphones were able to view the site and call without issue, but something changed by the end of January 2011. I do not have a grasp on it yet and can only research and make educated guesses. When I figure it out, I'll post about it.

One thing you may notice is that your websites are still receiving high visitor numbers from unique IP addresses and the numbers get higher during the huge conventions. So is it believable that not one person from that huge convention will call to ask a question? No way in hell, especially when considering that it rings off the hook when there isn't a sizable convention in town or from outside areas when there is.

Let's consider possible solutions for the escort business

Plaster your email address on top and bottom of every page on your website. Announce on the main page that interested clients should save your email address – the blockers sure as hell cannot block your email. Include a short statement on the main page of your site that if an interested client is coming to the area for a convention they may find escort service websites blocked and may not be able to get through on the telephone. Assure them that you will respond quickly to email and instruct all to save your email address and/or book an advance appointment.

This is a plug for the adult business forums and sites that offer ads to adult business and are at the top or near the top in the keyword phrases that matter: Place ads on a few of these sites that will run before, during, and after that big convention. Use a new telephone number in any of those ads. Your number on the website may be blocked by the blockers; mine is. Repeat this, always getting a new telephone and number, for all large conventions. You decide what large is, but to me it is 10,000+.

The most known site with great ad prices is EROS. Bigdoggie.net is another well-known site that has been around for a while, but their ad prices are high. You can also post in the forums on these sites. One more to look at is World Escort Guide – they have great prices and are somewhat high in search rankings in the cities they operate in, but they are not in that many US cities.

While you are at it, grab your netbook and wireless modem (all major wireless companies have them) and head out to the hotels during one of the larger conventions. Sit in the lobby and see if you can search for and click on your own website using the wireless modem you brought with you. Dial your own telephone numbers from different wireless phones. Now, go online using the hotel's Wifi if at all possible. If at all possible, use the hotel's ISP for a cable connection in a hotel room reserved by a convention attendee. What worked and what didn't?

Encourage clients that visit your website from elsewhere prior to visiting for the convention to book advance appointments. To do this you would want accurate photos of escorts on the website and know each escort's schedule of availability. You may want to offer a decent discount for appointments booked in advance. You may also want to aim your marketing at other areas and try to grab potential client's attention before they come to your city. If you are in Las Vegas there are many options that are not online.


Possible solutions for clients

If you have any idea that you might be interested in seeing an escort when you attend a major convention, search in advance for the websites. Save the telephone number and the email address. Consider booking in advance or at least calling and making sure that the business will respond quickly to an email when you are ready to make an appointment.

Remember that a Google or Yahoo or Hotmail address cannot be blocked by the hotel. Never use AOL because they have always been known for blocking issues – in email and in search results. Businesses are going to need to adapt to responding immediately to emails – no more 24 notice by email stuff.

This may not be happening in your area at all, but as long as I have been aware of the problems (since 1992), I have known that a major connector is a hospitality industry entity that works closely with conventions in most major cities. The situation has evolved over time, but the convention and hospitality industry connection to the problem has never changed.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Open an Escort Business Anywhere

My Blueprint books are really more easily applied in the US, but they do have information that is useful anywhere in the world too. I must imagine that most areas of the globe have zoning rules and licenses to enter any type of business. Interacting with the escorts and answering the telephone is similar anywhere – in some areas you can be more open than in others. How to answer a telephone and collect your money would also be more the same than different in any geographical location.

There are some areas of the planet I which a person would go about many aspects of the business differently, even within the US, and certainly between the US and Canada, for example. Really it all comes down to the level of acceptance for adult business on an outcall basis. It is the level of acceptance in any geographical area that will ultimately determine how you operate and the type of license that you will want.

Another disparity will be communications: You must advertise and market in the way that is most accepted in the area you choose. It does no good to market your business entirely online if potential clients in the area look at local newspapers. It also won't help to place a print ad if all the clients are online. Every geographical area has its own unique attributes and it is your responsibility to research for the area that you intend to open the escort business.

There are some areas that are truly unique. In the US, Las Vegas is one of them. This of course relates to the level of acceptance and adult business has always been welcome in Vegas. At the same time, Vegas is a highly competitive area and starting an escort service on a small budget is not really possible.