Blueprint for an Escort Service

Classy DC Escorts Indictment

2012-01-29T15:24:00.000-05:00

This is a short informational post concerning the "Classy DC Escorts" indictment unsealed a couple of days ago. The case is in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia and the defendants were indicted by the Grand Jury. Thanks to a reader for alerting me on the indictment and the fact that unindicted co-conspirators (UCC) from this case are seeking work from services in other areas. I will offer my thoughts and dissect the story and indictment on my Accused Madam Blog late tonight.

Thanks to someone for uploading the indictment on Scribd. The case is USA v. Akuiyibo et al.

My apologies - totally forgot about my statement here that I would post on the other blog last night. I will be late tonight or tomorrow - I'm overwhelmed with other stuff at the moment.

The Escort Business: Reflections and Thoughts

2012-01-26T16:50:00.000-05:00

I hope that the readers of this blogare having a happy new year, or at least are on the road to a betterfuture. Many of you arrive at this blog by typing the phrase howto open an escort service so Imust imagine that this is your intention.

Thisblog actually gets more reads than my Accused Madam Blog,unless I am blogging about topics of interest to many people, liketrials in the news or well-known cases like the Miami Companions caseor the Southwest Companions arrests. I never intentionally ignorethis blog – it's just that there isn't much that has changed in theescort business, so what is there to say?

When Ioffered two of my books free through Amazon Kindle store at the endof 2011, the downloads overwhelmingly (4 to 1) favored my “Memoirs”book and not the “Blueprint” book. I considered this odd as Isell so few copies of Memoirs in comparison to any of the Blueprintbooks. If you missed the free offer I am sorry, but it's available ata low price for anyone actually interested in opening an escortservice.

Thetech aspect of opening and operating an escort service is alwaysevolving, but the rest of it stays the same. As the internet andsearch indexing change so do the businesses seeking clients online.I found no solid reasoning to publish a new edition of “Blueprint”over tech stuff as I am not an expert on that topic anyway. Justbuild a website viewable and findable on smartphones and laptopsalike and do not forget the new focus on local and you'll do fine.

Stateand federal law enforcement agencies have not paid anymore attentionto the escort business than they always have and often this isdependent on the area you choose to operate in and the level ofacceptance. Always take the safe and consistent side and realize thatall money is not good money. Learn to walk away. Realize that you oweno one an explanation for anything that you do. When people startquestioning me, I start making up stuff. No random stranger or oldacquaintance appearing out of nowhere should ever be questioning youand if it happens, head the other direction quick.

Aperson that I have posted an article about on both blogs long ago(Doug Ketcher of the former Sweethearts Escorts of South Florida)dropped by to comment as he was recently released from prison. I amsure that his ordeal is not anything that any of you ever want to gothrough and I implore you to pay attention to what I have stated inthe book. I feel for Mr. Ketcher, but at the same time, I didn't havehis party and neither should you. Acceptance of credit cards for yourbusiness and pretending the IRS doesn't exist as you rake in thebig$$$s could place you in harm's way and it is never “worth it”as Mr. Ketcher stated in the comment.

Andthen there is the New York High Class case.... There were drugsinvolved in the case and it is not just an escort serviceprosecution. I have no clue if the many defendants are guilty ofanything or not, but according to the indictment, the case involveddrug delivery to clients. A similar set-up of the infamous JasonItzler (of NY Confidential fame) took place a couple of months laterin the same jurisdiction. Just skip the drugs and you won't have thesort of problems that any of these defendants currently do. Yourmommy should have taught you that much, but if she didn't then takeheed of the warning now.

Realizethat most of the YouTube videos posted on my blogs have significanceto me in one area of life or another. I have never just posted randomvideos. Not that it matters to you... I'm just sayin'....

If youhave attempted to post a short comment and link to your escortwebsite here in past, please realize that if I allowed all commentswith adult business links to go through, this blog would be finishedin short time. I like my blogs and the US is a censored country, nomatter what they tell you, so the comments won't be posted.

On arare occasion I will let a comment and link to a conservative site gothrough, but I check that link later to make sure it hasn't evolvedinto a porn site. One semi-intelligent poster dropped his realcomment with a profile link on my other blog long ago and the profilewas nothing that mattered at that time, but soon readers wereflocking to this seemingly unimportant article. Yes, his profile linkbecame a XXX explicit porn advertisement. It was deleted.

Irecently changed my consultation policy on my website to accommodatethe small group of people that asked everything from..., well, you havethe idea, I'm sure. In the books I do advise that you are welcome tocontact me with a question or two and you still are, but if itreaches the point of exasperation and is too time consuming for me,I'll be responding with a link to the consultant page of my website.The one party that actually paid for email consults actually turnedout to be really nice and just wants to make damn sure everything iscorrect. That is something I do understand. Just realize that Icannot hold your hand through the set-up and opening of a business asit places me in jeopardy.

Realizethat I do not allow anyone to place me in legal jeopardy. This issomething that I learned form my many years in the business and mysubsequent prosecution and acquittal by jury. Yes, people have tried– one too recently for comfort. If I even suspect that your goal isto throw me under a bus for your own prosecution, well, I reactdifferent ways. Sometimes I ignore the party and other times I juststart making stuff up, but whichever route I choose, realize that youare no match for me, at least not in anything even remotely relatedto the escort business.

Last,but not least, please do not bother downloading my titles for free onone of those illegal file sharing websites. Realize that I can't bein the business because of my past and I barely survive. I don'tthink $8-10 is too much to pay for a book that could help you makehundreds of thousands of $s legally and safely, do you?

Staysafe and prosper!

Vicky Gallas

Blueprint FREE in All Kindle Stores 29-31 December 2011

2011-12-28T15:59:00.000-05:00

Blueprint for an Escort Service andMemoirs of an Accused Madam: The War on Adult Business in Orlandoare my New Year's present to you:

From 29 December at approximately12:01AM Pacific Standard Time (PST) through 31 December 2011 atapproximately 11:59PM Pacific Standard Time (PST), both ebooks arefree in ALL Amazon Kindle stores.

Blueprint for an Escort Service description:

“Blueprint for an Escort Service”is written with legal issues in mind, but from a businessperspective. The idea is to send out sexy escorts ordancers/strippers by the hour, and not for sex. If opening an escortbusiness or entertainment company is your plan, this book will saveyou unimaginable trouble and avert potential disasters at everycorner.

You are receiving the benefit of my 13 years ofexperience in the escort business, and the 13 years does not includeseveral years of knowledge developed from the arrest, case, and trialthat resulted in my acquittal by jury. If you are going to readadvice and operational plans in relation to the escort business,don't you want that advice to come from the one escort service ownerin the US that beat racketeering and conspiracy charges?

Thisbook is written for those people that suddenly find that they're onthe verge of poverty and have the desire, audacity, and guts to digtheir way out of that hole. It is also written for the wage slavethat wants to live for a change, or the single mother that wants tospend time with her children, not working 50 hours a week fornothing. It could also be for the person with health problems thatcan't go out and do physical work, or for the reader that simplywants to know about escort business operations. Adult business iswhat you make it, and it certainly can be fun, exciting, andprofitable all at the same time. It is a potential solution tofinancial problems.

The entire point of the book is to makeopening an escort service or entertainment company anywhere a simpleproject. Some chapters are short as it is not my intention toreinvent the wheel. The word count total is 32,000.

Memoirs of an Accused Madam: The War on Adult Business in Orlando description:

The story begins in early 1993, withthe discovery of blocks on escort service telephone lines in Orlandoarea resort PBX systems during large convention bookings. The blocksbegan in the late 1980s and were not isolated to the Orlando area,but were also in operation in Las Vegas. The blocks have evolved, butstill exist today.

In 1992, Vicky Gallas opened escortservices in Orlando, Florida. Two years later she became the focus ofan intense criminal investigation that resulted in her arrest in late2001, and subsequent jury trial and acquittal in 2003. In thishard-hitting memoir, she reveals how racketeering and organized crimecharges were brought against her based on proof so flimsy that agentsand prosecutors could not get a wiretap or a warrant to search.

Foranyone fascinated with the foibles of our criminal justice system,the sensational Orlando connection, and how escort services reallywork, this is a must-read book.

Happy New Year!

On the Escort Murders in Detroit and Safety

2011-12-27T12:14:00.000-05:00

I, like many that purchase my Blueprintbooks, am not a big fan of the independent escorts that post onBackpage. They offer ridiculous *specials* and many post ads that domore than allude to prostitution and the great majority are cluelesswhen it comes to actually verifying clients for safety reasons as isobvious by this current story: 3 of 4 Detroit women murdered had profiles posted in the escort section of a website

An excerpt from the article above:

““We don’t have very many ways tokeep ourselves safe other than to go by the sound of the guy’svoice,” said the woman who did not want to be identified. She askedus to conceal her identity because she uses the site as a part timejob, selling her body to support her and her daughter."

Somehow the media will manage to twistthis into a problem with Backpage and a problem with all escortservice websites when they wake-up and realize that “Packages” issupposed to be Backpage: Detroit police say 3 deaths tied to dating services site

I am sorry for the families of the deadwomen and I hope the the Detroit P.D. will escalate the investigationand catch the killer.

Any reputable escort service verifiespotential clients before sending out the escorts. I have discussedmany methods of verification in my Blueprint books so I won't do ithere and this is not a sales ploy – Blueprint for an EscortService is set for a free promotion in all Amazon Kindle storeson 29, 30, and 31 December, 2011 PST – that is Pacific StandardTime, but don't be angry with me or Amazon if it's an hour off as allpromotions have not started and ended at precisely the minute they'resupposed to. You do not need a Kindle – a Kindle app for yourAndroid, Mac, PC etc... will work fine. If you can place an ad onBackpage, you can download the book from Amazon.

Why am I giving this book away free for3 days? Because I am sick and tired of reading about escorts dyingbecause they don't bother to verify information and escort businessowners in deep legal problems because they operate incorrectly –this is a two-part reasoning and part two will be discussed in thenext couple of days.

There are the unknown number of murdersin Long Island, NY of escorts that posted on Craigslist in past, thePhilip Markoff murders (known as the Craigslist Killer), and themurders in Detroit of escorts posting on Backpage today. We have noidea how many more escorts that post their own ads have been murderedaround the world because of a lack of knowledge in the area ofverification.

Still, many do not heed the advice inthe book. I am sorry that a non-professional in an apartment can't beverified, but it is what it is. I do not hate apartment dwellers –I am one. Not all money is good money and the sooner you learn that,the better for all involved, especially in relation to the escortbusiness. I hope that independent escorts all over the world downloadthe book free – there won't be any excuse for not verifying apotential client.

So now we brace for the media andso-called "sex-trafficking expert" onslaught when they all figure outthat the dating website referred to in many different articles is not“Packages” and is actually Backpage. The truth is that this isnot a new technology problem and we must only look at the Green RiverKiller case from Seattle area to know that.

Important Note: While many will spend their days attempting to get independent escorts to quit and work at McDonalds or Burger King, I prefer the reality-based approach of helping these escorts understand client verification. As with anything in life, one must take what they need and leave the rest.

Announcement: Blueprint Updates

2011-12-19T08:55:00.002-05:00

In the near future, all Blueprint updates will be in the Blueprint Updates section of my website. I decided not to publish any future editions of any Blueprint books because there really isn’t that much to update with the exception of tech-related information.

All information in relation to website hosting and design is found on the Websites page. Working with WordPress websites is simple once you do it once and it doesn’t take too much effort to learn. These days a local presence is absolutely necessary and all updated information is found on the Focus on Local page. Any important updates related to advertising your business, including both print and online, is located on the Advertising page. Last, but not least, if using a variation of the business model in the books is of interest to you, visit the Business Models page for ideas and information.

A main theme that I will be focusing on is reaching your audience that is online via a mobile device, tablet, or smartphone. My recent research has revealed that this is how the great majority of clients and customers are searching and your website(s) and ads should be targeting this market more than any other.

Some information from the Blueprint Updates on this blog is repeated as it is still current, but there will be much new information on the above noted pages also.

I expect to be finished with this section of the website by the day after Christmas. I have been ill and am not able to do much each day or it would already be completed. I do intend to continue blogging here in the future, but not in reference to Blueprint updates.

Issues with Advertising Venues for Escort Services

2011-11-10T18:55:00.001-05:00

The problem of state and federalprosecutors and agents going after publishers (print and internet)that offer advertising to escort services is not new to me. This issomething that Orlando's MBI has done for two decades and back in1996, they succeeded in Orlando when they threatened SprintPublishing (R.H. Donnelley) into eliminating the “escort services”category. The MBI went after Craigslist long before attorney generalsfrom around the US decided to attempt it.

This year the major attention is onBackpage and has been since Craigslist caved. An escort serviceshould never advertise its business on Backpage. In my Blueprintbooks I state that placing a sponsor ad in the “adult help wanted”category is okay if you feel it's necessary, but if your website isup and indexed in search engines and you have your local listings(like Places – formerly Maps), you shouldn't need to advertise forescorts because they'll call searching for work at the same time thatpotential clients start calling. The print yellow pages are also goodfor that, but unnecessary if you are in a major metropolitan area,like NYC or Los Angeles, and even Miami these days.

There is an even worse issue withBackpage right now though and I figured I had better mention it here.Sure, Backpage is fine for independent escorts that work completelyalone to advertise, but I'm not so sure I'd book with one if I were aclient. It is just too hot, hot, hot! The fly-by-night nature of thevenue – anyone with a credit or debit card can place an ad any timeand it immediately appears – has various law enforcement agenciesusing it in a variety of ways.

Yes, there are sting operations whereinthe “escort” is actually a cop. When this happens it is often aresult of cops busting the escort and taking over her ads with herpermission. Anyone can be a Backpage escort at any time. Having awebsite and getting a Places listing is a bit more complicated andfar from instant in either case. I have never liked incall operationsand women that advertise incall at area hotels on Backpage areimmediately suspect to me. Trust me – if the hotel had a clue,they'd call the cops and trespass her quickly, and these days hotelshave cameras everywhere, at least here in Orlando.

However, my reason for posting thisgoes beyond all of this reasoning. I have been watching a trial thatis currently in federal court in Orlando. All 12 defendants are fromEastern Europe and everyone in the case was indicted for conspiracy.Many defendants also have other charges – yes, even the unlicensedmassage therapists. This outfit advertised on Craigslist in past andthen later Backpage and it was all incall massage or the womenworking at spas here in Orlando, but also in Tampa, Ohio,Massachusetts, and Georgia. There could be other states that Ihaven't noted too. Anyway, all they did was offer incall massage orbody rubs (unlicensed). I have discussed this case and trial in moredepth on the Accused Madam Blog – all related posts are listed inthe Sex Trafficking Trial – Orlando label. The Orlando Sentinelrepeatedly referred to it as a “sex-trafficking ring” and Ididn't realize how it was really charged until I accessed casedocuments in PACER.

One situation that I have not postedabout on the other blog is that there are a lengthy list of clientstestifying against these women. There is no witness list available,but if you look at the court/trial minutes for each day you can seethe names that testified that day. Transcripts of testimony aresealed, but will be unsealed in December or January, once the trialis over. But they are clients, I have no doubt about that, and thereare many. The telephone numbers these people had advertised inBackpage were wiretapped for almost a year according to casedocuments, so anyone that made an appointment would have beencontacted by law enforcement.

Beyond that, the escorts.com case wasresolved in a plea deal and the site is no longer operational. Thatwas a messy case, but more because this business had so many phonesex 800 numbers and also sold porn on other websites. The escortadvertising venue was also used in the takedown of the corporationsinvolved. Read more about this case from First Amendment attorneyLawrence Walters: Killing the Messenger: The Campaign Against Online Escort Advertising Sites; Part 1 – Setting the Stage

So where does an escort businessadvertise? It should have at least one website and listings in allthe online local listing services that are free, especially Places.Beyond that, it is best to search for the keyword phrase that is mostimportant to your business and see which directory listing sites showon page 1 of search results. Don't forget the print yellow pages ifyou are not in a major metropolitan area, and even then a bold printone-line listing sure won't hurt.

Entrepreneurial Interference

2011-10-16T18:51:00.000-04:00

Anyone that reads my Accused Madam Blogknows that I abhor social injustice and the fact that there is notuniversal healthcare in the US. If you read this blog you alsounderstand that I am pro-business and all for the entrepreneur thatturns an idea into income rather than suffer in a low wage job andbarely make the rent. My anti-war stand has many considering me fromthe extreme left. When I operated escort businesses, I had healthinsurance for myself and my son, but haven't been able to afford itsince. Because of no insurance and serious health problems I am nottoo far from death.

Suddenly, because of this Occupy (yourcity) Wall Street movement, I am confused as to how I define myself.

I am a left-wing extremist because Ihate war and war (military/defense) spending.

I am a conservative because my basicvalues are admiration and participation in entrepreneurship in all ofits forms, including businesses catering to adults. I wantDestination casinos to come to Florida.

I am greedy and corrupt because I lovethe markets and understand that playing is gambling.

I have mentioned this in another post,but in the last few years that I was in the escort business, I spentmore time researching and playing in the stock market. This was backwhen most people were still using dial-up internet access. I had ADSLback in 1998, in the early days, and used it to my advantage to tradeonline. I watched CNBC on a regular basis and when an analyst wasinterviewed on stock picks, I was hitting the buy buttonbefore the analyst finished the sentence. I was hitting the sellbutton before the conversation was over.

Yes, I made money trading. I theninvested anything I made in gold and silver bullion and gold andsilver stocks. I bought low and intended to sell high to fund myretirement and buy my son a new vehicle and a house. The State ofFlorida (its agents and actors) interfered with all of my plans and Iended-up selling for a bit less than I bought on the bullion and thestocks just to cover expenses, discovery, and life while awaitingtrial. I played and daytraded in the market to make the money neededfor well-researched long-term investments. If you note the price ofgold and silver today, you'll know that I was absolutely correct inall of my research.

Sometimes I'd play in the gold andsilver stocks too – I learned that it is always better to go aheadand sell, then buy again once there's a turnaround. There's no pointin riding a stock down and watching your account go from flush topoor. An ex-cop I know taught me that: Do not ride the stock down. Ifit's as wonderful of a pick as you think, then sell it and buy itagain when it's moving up.

I have just given you a basicassessment of my involvement in the markets. For the first and onlytime in my life (1998-2001) I loved getting up at 730am and startingthe espresso machine. I loved Wall Street and the markets. Just onemore thing that the lousy MBI stole from me.

Fast forward to today:

Someone actually called me greedy andcorrupt for participating in the market as I have described here.That someone was with the Occupy Wall Street movement. When theperson stated this, I had not even mentioned my escort services oranything else entrepreneurial that I have ever done in life. This wason an Orlando Sentinel forum. I subsequently announced myparticipation in the escort industry, but exited that forum and neverreturned to read what I am sure was an all-out attack.

This time last year I was posting onAmazon's Kindle forums. There was a woman that was about to behomeless – she claimed to be an American living in Mexico that hadowned successful businesses for years; however, an ex-husband raidedand/or stole all of the money from the business and she was left withonly one option: a return to San Diego broke and apply for section 8housing, Social Security disability (she had minor health problems),food stamps, medicaid and any other state or federal program that mayhelp. I will call her “DF”.

I offered DF a free copy of “TheComplete Blueprint for an Escort Service,” informed her that shecould use it to start a party entertainment business instead of an“escort service” and even offered to design a website for her andpersonally help her – all free to her. She attacked me for myoffer. How dare I, right?

It has been an entire year since I madeDF that offer and she has been homeless and on the streets of SanDiego since, with some time working for (and living with) some cheapelderly witch that paid no more than room and board and then tossedher out on her ass for full-time work. About a month ago, DF resortedto begging on the Kindle forums. She had various believers sendingher gift cards and paying for expensive toiletries etc... until thatblew-up in her face when longtime posters called her on it. As a lastresort she had to sell her Kindle (absurd) and then read hernaysayers the riot act in many posts as she exited permanently. Sheincluded an inference that she'd commit suicide in her last post.

Now one thing that I have noticed aboutmy past attackers (except DF) that basically managed to get me banned from theAmazon forums is that they all have Kindles and iPads, eat out often,buy lots of books and merchandise from Amazon, and take vacations,but they're all on government assistance of one sort or another orall available assistance.

This is a small, obnoxious group andcertainly not all Kindle users, but they're all extremely outspokenand the first to attack in any situation. They worked together to getme banned, calling me names like “pimp” and “prostitute” -stuff that I had to respond to. My responses were more kindthan any of their accusations, but of course Amazon saw the numbers($s) and they won. Amazon is a business and I do not blame them. ForAmazon it was a group of flush government money-suckers vs brokeVicky the former escort business owner and writer.

The only time I have acceptedgovernment assistance was after my trial, when I was in college, whenI applied for and received food stamps. I am, no doubt, eligible forSocial Security disability today and food stamps, but I have notapplied. Why? Because as entrepreneurial as I am, I just keep ontrying to make it, no matter that I have been a target since the juryacquitted me on racketeering and RICO conspiracy charges. I write, Ipublish, and on occasion I dip my foot back in the escort businessarena as I consider an all-out return to business.

I am at a point where I must go onedirection or the other: apply for any and all assistance or jump backinto the escort business. You are lucky because you do not have ahuge red target on your back as I do. They are sore losers. So do Ibecome the poster child for entrepreneurial pursuits on a budget ordo I succumb and suck-off the state and federal government? Am Igreedy and corrupt for trying to survive without government help?

That woman (DF) was angry that I daredto offer the book and the help for what she considered an awful andillegal business. The government really hasn't helped her because shereally isn't disabled or unable to work; I definitely qualify. ShouldI be like the rest of them or give serious entrepreneurship anothershot? I need retirement money and some security, not pocket changewhich is what I make writing and selling books, especially sincePayPal killed my account. Any opinions?

Note: When I refer to the "government money-suckers" this is also a reference to agents, prosecutors, and other government workers that spend their days finding new strategies and adding red tape to interfere with any adult-based business, from escort services to gambling. They are an interference to entrepreneurship on a budget.

Opening an Escort Service: Yes or No

2011-10-10T15:47:00.000-04:00

One statement that I make in myBlueprint books is that the escort business is not for everyone. Manywill consider the option of opening an escort service, read the book,and then opt to pass on it. I tried to not glamourize the businessand clearly state that it is highly unlikely that you will ever make$millions as some people claim.

Over the course of the last year I havereceived numerous emails from interested people that ask if I woulddo it all over again as they try to decide their own paths in life. Igive you no hype on the topic, but yes, if the circumstances were thesame, I'd do it all over again. I state this even though I ended-uparrested, in trial, and acquitted by jury.

Yes, I lost everything that I had as a result of the criminal case and I had more than most people (law enforcementand prosecutors) seem to think as I had invested everything in goldand silver bullion and equities. I studied the gold and silver marketfor almost two years and bought back when gold was $250-$280 an ounceand silver was $3.50-$5. Because of the many costs involved in myarrest and case, I also sold it all as I went along and by the time Ireached trial there was little remaining. As the dealer that I soldto stated, I should consider myself lucky that I had it all to selland cover expenses. Yes, I cried on more than one occasion over it –it was my retirement and my son's future. Who doesn't want to buytheir child a new car etc... and offer financial security?

I was left with no retirement and nofinancial security whatsoever, gold recently passed $1800 an ounce,and silver was around $40, but it was the equities (stocks) that Ireally lost on. Back then I could have told you anything about anygold or silver mine in North America, South America, or South Africa.I learned much about a topic that doesn't matter at all anymore.

I decided that after knowing for fact that agentsbroke into my Orlando house without a court order or warrant, I neverwanted to own property in the US again. I also used to have perfectcredit, but really who gives a shit about credit anyway? So make nomistake here – I exited the business with less than I had when Istarted it in 1992. However, I was able to spend my son's years ofgrowing-up with him instead of working all the time and we had themoney to take trips to NYC, the Bahamas, on a cruise, shopping etc...all the stuff that never would have happened without that escortbusiness.

One recent email I received:

If you had to do it all over again,would you? I've been presented with an opportunity to enter thisrealm, however, I am unsure if the risks are outweighed by therewards.

Thanks for listening.

My response to that email:

Well, it was not presented as anopportunity to me - I was attempting to support myself and my childon an $8 per hour job with no health insurance and we both had healthissues. So yes, I would do it again - my son and I had fun as hegrew-up, we did things and had the money to. Otherwise I would havenever seen him as I would have been too busy working.

If your life is already good, Iwouldn't get involved in the escort business. If you are unemployedor barely surviving on a low wage job, you may want to consider it.

You also must analyze the person(s)providing the opportunity. I advise in my book that one should onlyhave a partner if they're married or know the party really well. Youcan go into business on your own - you do not need an "opportunity"or a partner. Be careful - there are treacherous people involved inthe escort business.

Hope that helps.

The response to my response:

Thank you Vicky. That is exactly what Ineeded to hear.

I assume that the emailer chose to passon getting into the business. Many of you that read the Blueprintbook may do the same. Keep the book in case your circumstances changeand you decide to go ahead with the project in the future as we neverknow what tomorrow will bring. Also keep it because you never knowwhen I will decided to stop selling it – yes, there has been somepressure in recent days and I admit that it is a consideration, albeit a small one.

If you are already in a dire financialsituation or have similar reasons as my own for entering the escortbusiness, plan carefully and proceed with caution. Analyze all thatyou say and do before you speak or do it and you'll be fine. I usedto pretend that a jury was listening to every telephone conversationand everything stated to every escort; the sad part is that I stillmust do this because they are sore losers that never, ever go away.

So I won, but I also lost and you needto clearly understand that. I have serious enemies. Caveat Emptor.

Registration Begins on XXX Domains

2011-09-07T19:15:00.004-04:00

Today begins registration for the new .xxx domain names. I found an excellent article in the International Business Times that explains the registrations schedule far better than I could and it includes a chart: .XXX Domain Registration: A Cheat Sheet for the Sunrise

I do not care for the segregation aspect of .xxx and feel that it will make blocking all adult websites, no matter how conservative in design, much easier for ISPs, hotels, and anyone else that so desires. However, if you already have a TLD (top level domain), you really do need to buy the matching .xxx if nothing else.

Blueprint for an Escort Service Books: The Future

2011-08-26T20:17:00.001-04:00

As some of you may be aware, I haverecently come under fire over my Blueprint books. I discuss this onmy other blog – The Accused Madam. The most recent issue for me isthe censorship by PayPal and the result is that I can no longer sellebooks. Sure, I could attempt to make it all work with GoogleCheckout or numerous other payment processing services, but PayPalwas convenient because of the debit card issued on my account. Youcould pay for a book and I could see cash in hand whenever I feltlike going to a cash machine. I also used it to pay for hostingaccounts and iStockphotos etc...

The censorship shouldn't be, but anyonethat has had issues with PayPal can tell you that arguing anything issimilar to talking to a brick wall. None of my books has anything“explicit” or “obscene” as PayPal claimed, but then PayPalpeople do not bother to read before passing judgment. It screwed meup, no doubt. Screw PayPal.

Beyond PayPal, I will say that I havebeen peppered with legal sounding questions in relation to thecontent of the books on occasion. Once Sheriff Grady Judd of PolkCounty (the anti-adult business dolt) contacted me with bullshitquestions – I later watched a video of him and he has a distinctivevoice, so I know. I have also had numerous people email me over timethat made compromising statements to me and then asked questions,claiming to have purchased a book. In each case, the way it was done,I know the party was attempting to set a legal trap; however, mysolid experience in the escort business has always helped me torecognize bullshit legal traps and exit the conversation (or email)quickly or toss it back at them; I have done both.

I do still offer consultations for $50for one hour. If you bought the book, read it, and still needassistance beyond a question or two in email you can always contactme and schedule a consultation. I would instruct you on exactly howto pay me at that time as obviously my frozen account at PayPal won'twork for this either.

If you have purchased my book fromGoogle ebooks contact me for a simple solution. I will ask you a fewquestions so that I am clear that you purchased the book and when youdid so. I have had a reader inform me that Google ebooks eliminated acouple of pages from The Complete Blueprint for an Escort Servicethat includes the example independent contractor agreement – itstates “image cannot be displayed” but there is no image – Ityped out the contract in Word and it converted to a PDF with noproblem at all and the PDF is what I uploaded to Google. When Ireviewed the uploaded book it was there.

Anything tech related in the Blueprintbooks needs updated as the last publish date was May of 2010, and aswe are all aware, much changes in relation to technology in thecourse of a year+. All updates are available on this blog – justclick on the label “Blueprint Updates” to your right in thesidebar. Read all articles in that label and even some of thecomments – Google Places has changed and a few of us wereattempting to figure out the best way to go about Places (Maps)submissions.

I have decided to publish a finaledition of The Complete Blueprint for an Escort Service. I amcurrently working on the research, mainly in relation to newertechnology and updates, and intend to publish the book inDecember 2011 – it will be referred to as the 2012 Gold Edition. Istill intend to leave the other books published as many readers donot need or want my assistance in relation to tech stuff.

One other important note here: Back inJanuary 2011, Google started using a new algorithm, referred to asPanda. They have updated it occasionally with the latest update atthe end of July 2011. For more information on it, Google the term“google panda algorithm 2011” and you will find all sorts ofhelpful information. I have figured out a few things about it, butcan't announce it here as the entire idea for Google is to make it sothat SEO won't help a website. I will say that I have no copy sitesor the type of site that is supposed to lose ranking in searchresults, but they did anyway. The algorithm sucks and I now preferYahoo! and Bing, but as stated, I did figure out a couple of fixes.Learn what you can from the experts and then contact me via the emailaddress in the book if you're still having trouble.

Thank you for all of your support. Ideeply appreciate those that have bought my Blueprint book with theintention of getting into the escort business. I think that theentire industry has undergone a professionalization of sorts with thethe many entrepreneurs that took the step and opened abusiness somewhere, anywhere. In many geographical areas the old,unprofessional businesses have disappeared. Best to all of you inyour entrepreneurial pursuits!

Censored by PayPal

2011-07-10T18:12:00.000-04:00

I awoke today to read the followingemail from PayPal:

We are hereby notifying you that, aftera recent review of your account activity, it has been determined thatyou are in violation of PayPal's Acceptable Use Policy regarding yoursales / offers of an ebook about escort services onblueprintforanescortservice.blogspot.com.

Therefore, your account has beenpermanently limited.

Under the Acceptable Use Policy, PayPalmay not be used to send or receive payments for certain sexuallyoriented materials or services or for items that could be consideredobscene.

It is a trick statement as allof my books are “about escort services” including Memoirs. Allare also sold on my website,The Accused Madam. I only had funds from the last three sales in theaccount so the balance is $30 after PayPal took its fees on the threesales and adding the previous balance of $2.

The censors atPayPal must not want anything sold that isn't for children. DoesDisney own PayPal or a piece of the company?

Nothingin any book I have written could possibly be considered “obscene”or “sexually oriented material”. My books are all intended for anadult audience, but if they were rated they would all be PG or atworst R. There is nothing sexual in any book I havewritten.

Screw the censors at PayPal.

When I login to my PayPal account Isee the following notification:

Why is my account access limited?
Your account access has been limited for the following reason(s):

Jul 10, 2011: When you signed up for your PayPal account, you agreed to our User Agreement and Acceptable Use Policy. Because some of your recent transactions violated this policy, we've had to permanently limit your account.

Please remove any references to PayPal from your website.

You'll be able to withdraw any money in your account 180 days after your last transaction. We'll email you when it's ready to be withdrawn.

My email response to aup@paypal.com:

Nothing in any book that I have writtencould possibly be considered "obscene" or "sexuallyoriented material". While the intended audience for my books isadult, if anyone were to read and rate any of my books they wouldeach be a PG or at most an R. There is nothing sexual in any book.

What you are doing here is incorrect,but this is the US and I respect your right as a company to not dobusiness with anyone you choose. Welcome to Amerika, the new Disney,where everything is for children and adults do not exist except inrelation to children.

Screw PayPal's censorship of me and mybooks. So you manage to stop me from selling ebooks that areavailable from Google ebooks and in Amazon's US, UK, and CanadaKindle stores and as paperbacks through any bookstore. Thanks a bunchand screw you.

Vicky Gallas

Advice for Escort Business Owners and Clients

2011-05-24T03:26:00.002-04:00

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 know 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. Also post an ad on Backpage if the convention is an important one - make it a sponsor ad.

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.

Open an Escort Business Anywhere

2011-05-04T21:48:00.001-04:00

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. I am currently working on several guides that offer step-by-step information to open in specific areas. The Vegas guide will be released in the next couple of weeks. Once the Vegas guide is published, I intend to finish a guide that would be helpful to international entrepreneurs that intend to open outside of the US. These books will be all about getting the necessary paperwork in order and opening in as short a time as possible.

Look for my new releases in the near future.

Seeking Partner in Las Vegas

2011-04-17T22:05:00.003-04:00

This is a different post, but I figure I will give it a shot as enough entrepreneurial people read this blog daily. To be clear, I am not the one seeking a partner - I wouldn't need one.

The specifics:

Problem solved - often the best partner is no partner at all.

Have a great holiday weekend!

Starting a Business

2011-04-12T19:09:00.001-04:00

Starting a business of any type is not simple if you've never done it before, but starting any type of adult business can be complicated. My Blueprint books tell you how I did it and the few things that I would change today. None of the books can motivate you to read, research, and actually get up and deal with everything that must be done.

A few of my readers probably consider me the bitch from hell, and a few more will be feeling the same in a short time (time to cut the apron strings). I cannot hold your hand or research for you or walk you through every damn step. If you do not understand that then you probably do not belong in adult business of any type. When I state adult business of any type I include the party stripper business, escort services, entertainment outcall, and even adult clubs for that matter. You may not be entrepreneurial if you cannot manage it after reading Blueprint for an Escort Service.

Sure, once in a while a reader has a good question and asking for help is the best way to go. I will confess that this is directed at a couple of people that I am close to. Just because you are close to me doesn't mean that I will do every step of your research and work for you. In the US there is an old saying: Shit or get off the pot. This means do something or stop talking about it. In the case of adult business I will add that if you absolutely cannot manage it, then it may not be for you.

Money can be the divider here – if you have plenty of money, every part of opening an outcall entertainment business anywhere can be simple. However, if you are moving forward on a budget you may fight to get everything done, including figuring out the zoning issues and where to rent an office. Each geographical area has its own specific requirements outlined in ordinances or accessible by going and speaking to a technician in the zoning department. Read the ordinance – don't expect me to fill you in on each provision. Make an appointment with a technician and ask any question necessary to get it done.

Opening an outcall entertainment business in Las Vegas can be really easy if you have plenty of money, but it is not so simple on a budget. You cannot afford the simple and direct route of leasing an office for $1000 a month, so you must hunt for an office at a much lower monthly rental amount and make sure it is appropriately zoned first, before you rent it. Zoning for addresses that do not already have outcall businesses leasing there can get really complicated. If you want this to work for you, then you'll accomplish it.

The great thing about Vegas is that they are friendly to adult businesses. Half of your battle is already over. They will never try to do to you what was done to me in Orange County, Florida. Just follow their guidelines, get the proper paperwork done, and pay taxes as you're supposed to. It cannot be that much of a flippin' problem – at least these people won't charge you with first degree felonies for no reason at all. And because I know you so well, Vegas is the only place that you'll be getting into such business.

On that note, if there is anyone opening an outcall business in Clark County, Nevada that would like to split rent on an office please contact me. Sharing an office is absolutely okay with the county as long as the property owner is aware and signs the form. The party that I am helping will never even need to enter that office – they already have a business address, corporation etc... – and the office is for licensing purposes.

For all purposes, the outcall business is truly mobile and no one should have to go through all of this, but because the area is friendly to adult businesses it is best to just do what they require.

Image: The Welcome sign on the south end of the Las Vegas Strip. Shot with a Canon PowerShot G6 by Wikinews contributor David Vasquez in April, 2005. {{PD}})

The XXX Top Level Domain has final approval

2011-03-19T02:52:00.002-04:00

The news that we have all been waiting for is here (not)! Of course we must have at least one .xxx and maybe two or three, but the expense is higher. ICM Registry will be charging $60 wholesale for each domain. so this means that the registrars will set a price higher than that figure. The .xxx domains will be available during Q2 – 2011 – this means sometime between April 1st and June 30th 2011.

In my opinion they are attempting to isolate adult businesses of all types, so don't give-up your .com or .net domains.

Any questions that you may have are answered in the FAQ section on the ICM Registry website: ICM Registry and FAQ

Website Hosting and Design for Your Business

2011-03-02T03:31:00.001-05:00

This will be a much shorter post than the last. It could be considered both a Blueprint update and an update to the earlier post, Websites and Hosting on a Budget. If you can afford to pay a professional then you could probably skip this.

I have had several professionals seeking promotion here on this blog and all that I asked of each was to offer a decent portfolio of their work, but no one ever took me up on the offer. Two regular (non-adult) business websites could not be described as a portfolio, so I have no one to recommend at this time. Come on people - how hard is it for you to buy a few domains and create a few escort business websites for a portfolio?

This is for the escort business entrepreneur that is on a strict budget. In the Websites and Hosting on a Budget article I described the many benefits of creating a Wordpress website and I will reiterate that thought herein. Wordpress design is something that you can learn in a few days to two weeks – that depends on you – so this is the #1 reason for going with Wordpress.

Page.ly Wordpress Hosting

I still like Page.ly and they still offer the deal of registering the domain name free for the first year if they host your website. For the first website, hosting is $14.98 a month. Additional websites are free domain registration and $10.49 a month. Page.ly only hosts Wordpress so many plug-ins are already installed and Wordpress is already installed on your chosen domain. From choosing your domain name to staring at your Wordpress dashboard takes about 10 minutes. If you watch a few videos on the Page.ly website or even on YouTube, it could actually be finished in a day and ready for you to start submitting to search engines.

Go Daddy Hosting

The budget route is to go with Go Daddy. I will tell you something that few people know: If you sign-up for Go Daddy's Hosting – the Deluxe plan for $7.99 a month – you could actually host up to 500 domains on it. Yes, - let's say that you want 3, 5, or 10 websites – all could be hosted under this one $7.99 a month plan. I have been doing some website work here and there and have 10 sites hosted for that low figure of $7.99 a month in total. If you pay for a year in advance it goes down to $6.99 a month.

For Wordpress websites you MUST use Linux – not Windows – DO NOT forget to state Linux hosting to the sales representative when you call. Wordpress sites get screwed-up with Windows hosting, so if you see people screaming about Go Daddy hosting being a problem, that is likely the problem.

When you go with Go Daddy hosting it is a bit more complicated than Page.ly and you will have to do a bit of reading to install Wordpress on each domain, but then look at the cost difference. I was able to accomplish installing Wordpress on 6 domains before a complete night was over with so it isn't that hard.

Go Daddy also offers a great deal when you buy domain names in bulk – 6 or more at one time. You receive a good discount AND private registration is free. Private registration is usually $9.99 by itself for each domain so this is a substantial savings.

I was a Go Daddy and Page.ly affiliate, but am not participating anymore so these are not affiliate links – they are just links to the websites. You could also just Google each if you have doubts. If you go through Go Daddy always call. You can add the domains to the cart on the website, but call to make payment as they sometimes give you an additional discount. Don't forget that you need Linux hosting.

Search Indexing and Advertising for Adult Business

2011-02-28T16:54:00.001-05:00

Where your website would show in Google, Yahoo! and Bing used to be somewhat predictable over a period of time, but it isn't anymore. In case you haven't noticed or wonder why your telephones stopped ringing, Google has a new and mostly unpredictable algorithm. Yahoo! and Bing often take so long to index websites that hopefully you have not isolated your attempts to get websites indexed with Google alone.

Advertising for adult businesses – escort services and party or stripper entertainment businesses that serve adults only – on the internet has become extremely complicated lately. I admit that I resent this as we are not all 10 years old and the parents of the 10 year-old (or whatever age) should be responsible for the non-adult's internet access and not the rest of the damn world. I am not sure about the rest of the world, but it seems that in the US everything is being optimized for children. It has always been that way in Orlando because of Disney so I am used to it, but I imagine the rest of the country is surprised. Welcome to my censored world.

This new obscure algorithm will soon be implemented throughout the world, so don't get too happy if you're in another country. In all that I have read recently I understand this is a really serious issue in Germany too. This surprises me – no adult ads in Google, Yahoo! and Bing in Germany? What happened that I missed? Germany has undergone serious changes since I lived there. There is a list of countries that have been affected by these new rules concerning adult content so it isn't only Germany.

Focus on Local

I think we all realized the importance of the local focus a while back. Google Maps was really great for all while it lasted, but it has changed (see previous posts) and Places is not so great. If you read through the help forums for Places you will see what I mean. If you already had a listing before the major change then you may be okay, or not. Now they are even rejecting many that use a mailing address instead of a physical location, but that is far from the only problem. It isn't only adult businesses that are having problems with Places – it is all types of business, but you could forget about phone verification as the rules have changed. Read through the Places Help Forums

People are actually changing their websites in attempt to conform to Places demands and get a listing. Now that is crazy – the website is what it is and if you delete all the keyword phrases that matter, well, your website will be worthless anyway.

A while back I had a couple of websites that were refused by Yahoo! Local. The email stated that there was no way to appeal this so don't bother trying. Please keep in mind that I have never designed and submitted any website that even had nudity! Not even a breast! Any website I have ever submitted could easily be considered general audience, but focusing only on adults. Bing Local has always been out – Microsoft has never been keen on anything adult, which is ironic as the first escort service website in the world was in Seattle, Washington (Microsoft territory). Now Bing and Yahoo! are together.

Yet you see escort businesses with listings in Google Places, Yahoo! Local, and Bing Local. So how do they get there? One way to get in Yahoo! Local is through Express Update or through City Search as both feed Yahoo! Local. City Search looks far too expensive, but I admit that I haven't read thoroughly and am not exactly clear on what you get for your $s. Express Update has a free listing option.

I am not clear on Bing Local yet – supposedly they're mailing a few postcards out so I will post when I see what happens next. Perhaps they have changed, or not.

The New Algorithm

Google's new algorithm is supposed to use a secret formula and thus far it is a secret kept from all. I am getting mixed messages between Google, Yahoo! And Bing. Yahoo! appreciates the keywords in the domain name and this will give your website higher ranking with those keywords. Read the section on Domain Implementations in this Yahoo! Advertising guide. I do not believe that Google appreciates this anymore though, and it may serve to lower your Google ranking – I have seen evidence of this in the new algorithm.

Perhaps you must have one website optimized for Google and one optimized for Yahoo! and Bing. It has all become confusing. It used to be that you simply had one website that said what your business did and offered information, and then the SEO (search engine optimization) people came along and changed that – your website needed SEO or it would sink in rankings. Now the SEO craze seems to be over, except that everyone is attempting to figure out and master the new algorithm. Read through the ongoing discussion on Webmaster World.

As an example, my site that I use for research has been lost at times and research is not really possible as the phone doesn't ring anymore, except periodically (I will get to that issue). Websites that do not relate to the keyword phrase at all have a better rank now, including one that has a couple of sentences and a telephone number and otherwise several blank pages. What the hell? Somehow I do not believe that deleting all information from my website will help it get back the better ranking. I do not get it.

I sometimes check ranking on that site from different IP addresses – easily done by checking from a Blackberry, an Android, and a PC or laptop. Well, the results are astonishing to me: Using the same keyword phrase it will not show at all (I only check up to page 5 of search results) at times, it will show on page 1 at times, and on page 2 at other times. There is no formula possible here except a rotation of some sort. There is no way to optimize with that algorithm and perhaps that is the idea, except that when it doesn't show some total garbage websites do show – and what good is that to the searcher? What good is it to the business? It is just screwed-up and nothing more.

What about PPC (pay per click)?

This is also confusing. You will certainly see PPC ads at the top and side of search results for adult business websites; however, Google has been suspending accounts of adult business sites using AdWords and Yahoo/Bing are anything but clear on adult content ads in their advertising program. Still, you see ads on all three that are wild in comparison to your mild content and images, right?

Want to be confused? Read Microsoft Advertising's Adult Content Guidelines and the Google AdWords Help forum to start. Apparently the rules do not apply to all of us.

Final Thoughts

My advice is to have at least two websites that are different and use different keyword phrases. One domain should make use of the most important keyword phrase in the URL and the other should not. They have decided to confuse us all to death. Use confusion to your advantage and have 10 different websites and watch and see which websites make it in which search engines. Now that is time consuming!

Goodbye to the Old Maps

2011-01-27T13:59:00.002-05:00

An anonymous poster commented on Inventing a New Business Model (last comment at this time) that Google no longer offers phone verification for new listings, at least not in the “escort services” category. In other words they now want to mail you a postcard so the address in the listing must be correct. An excerpt from the comment:

“Google no longer offers phone verification for new business listings. I'm sure it's because of the category (Escort Services) I'm trying to submit a new listing under. I've tried pretty much everything to create an account this past month (using different IP"s, submitting to local directories, followed by Google Places, etc.) - but to no avail. The rules have changed, and it's no longer possible to enter rogue addresses for new listings...”

Perhaps this is where the Virtual Office could come in handy, even if you have an over-priced broom closet in a challenging (read crime ridden) area of the county as many in Las Vegas and Clark County must to obtain the “outcall promoter” license. If you're opening a service in Las Vegas you have probably figured out that you will be paying between $600 and $1000 a month for a broom closet that you'll never use, except of course to hang your license on the wall.

In my opinion, challenging Clark County on the requirement of the M-1 or M-D zoned office for the “outcall promoter” license is not really intelligent. Why? Well because they are otherwise friendly – they just want your money (for the license and the 1% of your gross revenue). It is best to choose your battles wisely.

Many office buildings in good areas close to McCarren International Airport or near the Strip offer virtual office space for a low monthly rate. They even toss in access to their meeting rooms so it could be the location that you use to interview escorts, dancers, and strippers initially. No escort in her right mind will want to meet with you at your broom closet office in an industrial/manufacturing area.

Now you could use that appropriately priced virtual office address for Google to mail you a postcard. Make sure that you rent one in a building as close as possible to the Strip resorts as the address should be in a good geographical proximity for this purpose. What's another $200-300 a month to have a real interview/ meeting room to use and an address for Google Places to send a postcard? Of course you could also use it for your listing address in Local.com or to receive all mail for your business. That's the point of the Virtual Office.

The thing about Google Places (formerly Maps) is that the top listings really ring the phone. If you are open to flexible pricing and quote a lower rate on that phone line, you'll be in the money. If you quote the same rates as you do on your website it is a waste of time. Quote $300 an hour in Orlando and you will say goodbye to 10 to 20 potential clients daily, on the average. If these blind callers wanted to pay that price they'd view your website, see the escorts, and pay it. People that call Maps listings are shopping around based on price.

Do not attempt to include a website in your Places/Maps listing as Google won't allow any in that have “escort” or “escort service” in the domain name, at least that is my latest research conclusion. No problem though – simply give your callers a website address with the lower rate and photos of the escorts as this is frequently requested.

The bottom line is that you'll spend a few hundred $s for that Maps listing and use of the meeting rooms, but as stated previously, the phone really rings and allows the opportunity to adjust your rate and book lots of calls. If you booked three (3) calls a month and charged $100 fee from the escorts for each call you would cover costs, but I am sure that you'll do better than that if you're flexible on rates.

Of course you could also use your actual office in the industrial area for the Maps listing, but then a business with an address closer to the Strip or the particular resort the searcher is at will show in the listings above yours. This is using Las Vegas as an example and it could be different in your city and you may be able to actually have your office in the best area for business.

Edit @5pm to add: I looked on Craigslist in the office / commercial space category and found many listings for "virtual offices" that include a mailing address and box, use of conference rooms, and 24 hour access. This could easily be used for all mailing for your business and to schedule interviews and use the conference room. I believe that most cities have many listings in this category. Make sure the address is in the geographic proximity of where you want to book calls, for the purpose of the Maps listings.

Life evolves and we must evolve along with it.

Failed Experiments

2011-01-14T17:35:00.001-05:00

I tried the advertising venue idea and although I considered it a wonderful arrangement for independent escorts and for me, it just didn't work. I always view it as most intelligent to toss ideas that just don't work – no point in clinging to them and hoping that some day in the future...

Anyone that read my last (now deleted) post will understand what I am referring to. If you missed it, well, you missed nothing important. We shall move forward from here.

It seems that I need to go back and read my own book. I will state that answering telephones has always worked for me and verifying clients is not an issue at all, so perhaps I tried to go the route of the advertising venue just because I tired of collecting fees and heard a few too many wild stories from escorts claiming they didn't have my money. One story in particular was just too damn much and the escort was a mental case – so she keeps the fee as I do not intend to meet with her again.

Perhaps it wasn't the phones that got to me at all, but some of the escorts. With this understanding it did no good to ditch the telephones. I'M BACK!!!!!!

Sometimes we all need a timeout and I took mine. It's over and business resumes, but I'm still going to read my own book.

What was I thinking?

Inventing a New Business Model

2010-12-27T02:29:00.002-05:00

It is a fact that life is always evolving. Technology improves and situations change and we must go with the flow and change as well. Some changes are for the better and some are not. Sometimes there are new beneficiaries to changes in technologies and situations in life - even anti-adult business crusades.

A reviewer of my Blueprint book on Amazon made a statement that stuck in my mind - the review is titled Incredibly Useful Book, and the statement:

"...This book doesn't have 100% of the answers. Each area and each philosophy have their own complexities. But it has really valid guidance for anyone in the adult entertainment industry. For your tiny investment, you'll get thousands of dollars worth of information."

In other words, there is much information to gain from the book, though there is no one size fits all plan. There are probably as many ways of doing business as there are people in the business, and every geographical area has its issues that are specific to the area. Anyway, this isn't a book ad, so on to the idea of inventing a new business model.

Ideas always evolve and my last post was the beginning of an idea. There are a variety of situations that have changed in the escort business in the past few months.

Craigslist eliminated "adult services" and "erotic services" in the US a few months ago and as of this weekend they have eliminated these categories worldwide. Some entrepreneurial adult business owners were placing ads on Craigslist outside of the US for businesses in the US, and now that is cut.

Google Places/Maps has evolved to the point that one doesn't want to include a website with any listing because Google has issues with any adult business landing page - even when the dancers, strippers, entertainers, escorts or whatever are dressed and it is an "R" rated website. I admit that I don't get it, but then that is immaterial, right?

Backpage has adult categories as of this point in time (LOL - see date of this post), but I seriously doubt that this will continue for much longer.

I am finding that it is taking an excessively long time for escort businesses to be indexed in Google's regular search results as well these days. I'm not sure when all of this began, but I submitted several sites a couple of months ago and none show where they need to show as of yet. Perhaps this isn't a completely new problem: A few years ago it was over six months before the research site that I've used showed in the appropriate keyword phrases, but then I really didn't work at it at all either so it was unnoticeable at the time.

There isn't much money in selling ad space to independent escorts, unless you've been doing it for a while and your website is well-known in the world of adult business. Unless you have some reason to be happy with earning close to nothing for the first year or two of business this idea should be out.

I posted about the Craigslist situation on my Accused Madam Blog tonight and at the moment the best category name for the new business model that I could come-up with was appointment referral publisher. I will work at renaming the category this week, but this is the business idea behind the name:

As a business you'll only be charging entertainers and escorts one referral fee - this depends on what rate you quote as your fee will be higher if you quote higher, otherwise you have no incentive to quote a higher rate for the independent contractors. The idea is to have lots of escorts/entertainers to call at any point that you are answering. You can give only basic information - name, telephone number, and address or include some sort of verified information. The Blueprint books get into verifying.

The general rule would be that the escort or entertainer must call back immediately if she isn't going to the appointment. The reason for this is so that you could contact a different escort/entertainer and make your referral fee. You'll find that plenty of independent contractors are interested in signing-on with this type of operation - they keep more money and there's no game involved in passing out their telephone number or staying longer.

This business model must be refined and independent contractor agreements must be clear on the referral only aspect of the relationship. I'm just making changes to the same contract that I include in my books - simple.

The idea here is to take this idea and adjust it so that it works for you. It sure beats the label of escort service these days with all of these groups on a crusade to finish off adult business. It will work because the great majority of independent escorts really want to be completely independent; however, they're clueless on the topics of websites, marketing, and advertising so they'll never get search engine optimization.

What you are actually doing is marketing and publishing online and scheduling for independent contractors. Many clients call services to begin with because often these independents are unable to schedule them or do not answer a phone when they call, so build a business model from that.

Booking Calls: Ideas and Issues

2010-12-18T14:45:00.001-05:00

It has recently come to my attention that some escort businesses in Central Florida take exorbitant fees from escorts for the sole act of passing on a telephone number. Let's be clear here: that isn't booking a call. Booking a call involves verifying client information in some way, calling the escort with the information, and then anticipating that the escort will call you when she arrives. It doesn't end there either – you really are responsible to make sure that she safely leaves that call.

This problem seems rampant in Central Florida so there's little doubt that it is transpiring in other locations as well. These businesses are not new and inept in the booking process; they are merely shirking all responsibility. One in particular that was brought to my attention actually just passes the telephone number on to the escort and tops that off by taking over 50% for a fee. So if the person answering the telephone quotes $250, the fee for the call is at least $125 and sometimes more. I was told the split was 60/40 with the higher amount going to the service by one escort and 50/50 by another, so I must assume they charge escorts differently.

In the case of one particular company that's been around for a long time they sometimes do no more than retrieve the telephone number from voicemail and call the escort and instruct her to call and quote the price and client information; often they will then go to sleep and the escort is on her own.

This could be acceptable if the company charged a small fee. I recall a business from South Florida that was open for many years – at least a decade – that only passed on a name and telephone number. They gave the escort 5 minutes to call back and say she was not going, and if she didn't call back in the 5 minutes she owed the $50 fee. It didn't matter if the escort went to the call or not or went and stayed for 5 hours, making $2000 – she owed the $50 fee. They did collections daily at a Denny's restaurant and if an escort didn't show to pay she was off the call list.

This could actually be a good way of doing business – it eliminates the concern of escorts stealing calls or pretending to leave and staying and collecting hour after hour. If the escort called back within the 5 minutes to say that she wasn't going, they called someone else immediately no matter what her reasoning was. If she did that too often (perhaps 2 times in a row?), they no longer called her and instead called someone else. Try to cheat them out of their $50 fee and you were out quick – end of that gravy train.

I have also noticed lately that so many of these independent escorts are thieves that I can't really blame these businesses. Often these escorts accept a call and then call back with a short story about why they will not be going. They then go to the call and keep all money for themselves. Who knows what they state to the client to secure his silence – I have no clue as I'm not the escort. Sometimes the client calls back later and the service finds out anyway.

With all of the thieving independents out there today that simply do not know how to advertise and market for themselves and want to steal agency clients, including the first booking fee, it may be time for change. If you are not inclined to run around all night to see who is doing what where, you may be better off with charging a small fee for the information and just letting her work on her own. I do not advise you to take 50% in such an arrangement though, and I do advise you to note the specifics in a contract so that the escort is clear on your level of responsibility and hers.

The way that you operate should be based on your level of participation and your expenses. I am seeing viable reasoning for that old South Florida business model, but prices have gone-up across the board since then and charging $60 or $75 for a name and telephone number isn't entirely out of whack. If you have plenty of escorts to call the thieves will soon realize they have been checkmated.

This business model is somewhere in-between an escort service and an internet publisher. I think I actually like the idea and will be putting it to good use.

Google Places and Banned Words Update

2010-12-07T03:32:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I submitted a question on the Google Places forum concerning censored words. This is the question and a very helpful response that included the link below. The linked article and list is referring to Google Instant, but the same holds true for Places/Maps. This is the question that I submitted:

When and why did someone at Google decide that "stripper" is a 'naughty' word?

The Places listing was only accepted when I changed "strippers" to "exotic dancers" and is there actually a difference? No, there's not. I would like access to a list of these "naughty" words please. Is there a link anywhere?

Whether we are in agreement with the concept of banned words on the internet or not, it is what it is. These words are not banned in regular search results - they are banned with Google Instant which is explained clearly in the article: Google Blacklist - Words that Google Instant doesn't Like

Advice to New Escort Business Entrepreneurs

2010-11-28T16:09:00.002-05:00

This is somewhat of a rehash of various issues the new escort service owner faces. I have also recently noticed certain search terms that have led people to this blog and will address a few.

On licensing issues in various geographical locations: If I were opening an escort service today I would argue my point as far as was necessary concerning the virtual office. If you read my post on virtual offices then you know that is really all you need. However, you're new to this and I wouldn't really suggest ruffling feathers quite yet. You are probably better off abiding by the bullshit zoning rules and renting an over-priced broom closet for them. Make sense?

Mentioning licensing issues, there have been searches for these terms and my thoughts follow each term:

is michelle's escort book really helpful? If you need a babysitter the answer is yes, but in my opinion you shouldn't be entering the escort business if you need a babysitter. Michelle is evasive concerning her knowledge and income and I tend to believe that she owned a small service for 2 or 3 years.

how to open escort service in las vegas – I know how, but you will need to buy my book so that you understand how it all works. Once you have thoroughly read the book (no skimming), email me and I will give you a step-by-step on getting the appropriate license in Vegas. I'm not announcing it here because I have friends in business and entering the business in Vegas and do not want to advise you to open in Vegas as there will be more services and the calls less for each, but I will still tell you how. Make sense?

escort advice – Consider buying Amanda Brooks' books: The Internet Escort's Handbook Book 1: The Foundation and The Internet Escort's Handbook Book 2: Advertising and Marketing

Amanda is still active as an independent escort and travels the world – working for herself. She has the best advice. If you feel that you need more help than a book can offer, see the link for Companion Helper in the "Blogs to Watch" area on the below right of this blog.

I had someone email me requesting advice about "hotel incall massage" this week. How in the hell would I know about incall operations in hotels people? I am anti-incall and if you read my book or this blog you'd know that. To me an incall operation is a brothel and not much more.

A recent discovery in censorship: Yahoo! Local Listings Guidelines

And we thought Google Places/Maps was getting bad? Ha! Yahoo! won't allow any adult type of business to be listed in their Local Listings (maps), which really sucks. Read the guidelines linked above and understand that they are serious. I had submitted a few entertainer / party stripper websites and was refused via email a few days later. The rest of the country is becoming like Orlando and it is a U.S. war on adult business.

Backpage under Attack on Anderson Cooper

2010-11-12T00:06:00.001-05:00

Anderson Cooper and Amber Lyon are now attacking Backpage in the same way they went after Craiglist. The show is on the air right now so I cannot find a link yet. Give it a while and do a Google search for the link.

Because of a runaway girl and some idiot that sent her out via Backpage these people attacking adult business in the US will most likely succeed at censoring out any adult categories on the Backpage website. I'm sure you've noticed how prices have risen since Craigslist exited; well wait till the categories are removed on Backpage. Already – as of two or three weeks ago – no images are allowed in the "adult jobs" category.

Ad space for any adult business anywhere will be premium price. In my opinion this is overkill and purely an intention to eradicate adult business in this country except under the most controlled conditions. What is next? Internet Service Providers that host adult websites, in my opinion.

Keep your eyes open here folks – life is really changing in the US.

Blueprint Update on Maps Listings

2010-11-07T22:48:00.004-05:00

Well, I have spent some time sifting through the forums this evening and must conclude that some extremely conservative person has set flags on words that shouldn't be any problem whatsoever. Google Places and Maps listings are in process of serious changes and I doubt that anyone is immune.

According to what I read even locksmiths are being flagged for review on listings as someone has been spamming the category. Someone has always spammed the "escort services" or "Entertainment – Adult" category so it doesn't look good. In Blueprint I discussed a guy that had 30+ listings in Maps and advised you not to do it or your account could easily be deleted. I consider 3 listings okay, but the new rules say 1 listing for a location, and they won't let you get around it if they figure out you're attempting to. It is Google and they have means of discovery that most have never imagined.

So now you should only create 1 listing in Google Places/Maps and even then you may have a problem. It doesn't look like there are any lists available of unacceptable terms, but as stated in my last post – "strippers" is unacceptable. From my reading this evening I can also tell you that "sexy" is unacceptable.

Without Maps listings you must count on your website being indexed with a decent rank – first page of relevant keyword phrases or keywords. Concentrate on tweaking the website and submitting to all search engines, but one at a time and not with one of those programs that submit your site to 100 at once.

The phones sure did ring with Maps listings so it will be missed. On the other hand, it is quality callers that visit the website and contact you and you don't have to hear from every idiot that has $100 and thinks it should be enough. There have always been far too many trash calls from the Maps listings. It was like sifting through the crap calls from yellow pages ads – you made more money, but had to hear too many people to make it.

It is time to update websites and make sure they're viewable on various devices, including Blackberry, iPhones, Android phones etc…. If you have Wordpress websites just activate the WP Touch plug-in or have your webmaster do so. If you have a website in which the plug-in cannot be installed it may be time to get rid of the Flash as it won't be accessible to a list of wireless phones.

The Google Places forums can be found HERE. This man has some really great advice concerning Google Places: Understanding Google Maps and Local Search

Blueprint Update Concerning Censorship

2010-11-07T20:41:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I ran into a situation that was new to me. Don't get me wrong – I'm used to censorship of adult business, but this was odd, even to me. China has nothing on us when it comes to censoring the internet. I used the term "strippers" in describing a business and what the business does in a Google Places submission to a Maps listing. It is a party stripper business, so how in the hell was I supposed to describe it?

Being a "stripper" is an absolutely legal occupation. Booking "strippers" at bachelor parties or to do a "strip" show in a hotel room in Las Vegas is also 100% legal. I was used to the censorship of "escort" and "escort service" but this is flippin' ridiculous. What kind of flippin' country is this when the word "stripper" is not allowed in a description?

I returned to check my listing of the site yesterday as it was in "pending review" once it was submitted. Often "pending review" could be interpreted as they intend to not list it; however, when I returned it had a red triangle that signifies an issue or problem. That was the problem – "stripper" is not allowed according to the guidelines. I changed it to "exotic dancer" and it went through. So now I'll see how long it takes to move-up in the ranks as there are loads of "stripper" websites in this area of Maps in Vegas.

Not sure where to go with this as these are obviously new guidelines. Who in the hell does "stripper" offend? In Las Vegas? You've got to be kidding, right? I have a website to submit in Maps with "stripper" in the domain name and wonder how that will go.

What has this place come to when someone at Google is offended by the use of "stripper" in a business description? And what of all the "stripper" businesses already listed? And all the websites with "stripper" in the domain? WTF?

Call me surprised at the new forms of censorship I encounter regularly in the United States.

Websites and Hosting on a Budget

2010-10-20T14:32:00.002-04:00

In my Blueprint books I advise that if you cannot afford professional website design, use Go Daddy's Website Tonight. I state this because Website Tonight works to design a simple website and it isn't all that complicated. I am not a website designer and know little about use of HTML and codes. A professional will charge you anywhere from $300 to ? and an average might be around $1000.

The problem with going professional isn't only the money – you need the ability to make changes and add images anytime you want to without being charged for it or having to wait. So this is the issue I have with using a professional more than the money issue and the main reason for the Website Tonight suggestion.

I have recently discovered a new way to go: create a Wordpress website. Wordpress is not only for blogs and is also used for websites, though there are usually different themes used for a website than for a blog. At the same time I found a new host that lets you register your chosen domain name free for the first year and hosts Wordpress websites and blogs for $14.98 a month for your first site and each subsequent website is $10.49 a month.

If you already have a domain you can move it to this host – Page.ly – this is what I did with The Accused Madam website. I can't say that it was simple, but it wasn't that complicated and the new website is much more versatile and allowed me to embed PDFs, which Website Tonight did not. Once you learn how Wordpress works and the variety of themes that you'll be able to use and the plug-ins available, you won't look back.

Page.ly is a newer company with super secure servers and I considered it the best choice for hosting Wordpress websites after thorough research. This is how the people at Page.ly explain it on the About Our Company page:

The reason why we built page.ly and spend all hours of the day and night improving it is simple: After nearly 8 years of running our own agency we saw a need: People want to control their online content, and they want it to be easy, portable, and worry free. Page.ly does that just that, it allows customers to create a Better Website, Fast™.

From what I have read, the owners are website designers that realized there was a large potential client base that needed control of their online content. Thus far I have only needed to submit one support ticket – I locked myself out with login lockdown by using an incorrect login a few times in a row. (duh on my part).

When I was in business I paid other people to do all of my website design work. Back in 1993, website design was very expensive as it was a new occupation and designers could, and did, charge a fortune. My first website was basic by today's standards, though it did have an animated tinkerbell looking character waving a wand (Abra-Cadabra Orlando Escorts) and was designed by a man that had recently ditched Disney to work with an internet start-up for better pay. I paid $5000 for design and $250 a month for hosting. Gag!

By late 1995, I went with Jason at Stepoff! Graphics. His prices were better and he was quick to make changes when I needed it done, though changes weren't free. Jason became a professional golfer back in 2001 so I do not believe that he still does websites. By trade he is an architect; at least that was what he went to college to do.

So, if you've read my Blueprint book and chose Go Daddy's Website Tonight and are now comfortable with it, consider changing to a Wordpress website hosted by Page.ly. And trust me – no one is paying me to recommend either company and the links provided are not affiliate links. Just Google the company name if you have any doubt. I am recommending this move because I know you'll have a better website for less money.

Wordpress websites do have a learning curve and you can expect to read and watch videos for a few days before you have any idea what you're doing, but in the end it's worth it. This is coming from someone with very little design knowledge and experience.

To view an example, look at my new website: The Accused Madam

I have also been working on two other websites, but they aren't mine and I am designing both for someone else. I am about finished with one and have already started submitting to search engines and adding Maps listings. No one will answer if you dial the number as it isn't answered and the business isn't opening until it is appropriately licensed, but it must be findable to open. The other is a party stripper website, and again – neither site is mine, but I registered each and am working on the design for someone else. You will see that Party by Valentina doesn't have much text yet and that will change in a few days. All images are from iStockphoto.com - first you purchase credits and then use the credits to license images. Check it out.

To summarize here, if you can afford a professional and know the party will make changes anytime for you then go with that. If you aren't comfortable with attempting design and choosing your own theme in Wordpress, then stick with Go Daddy's Website Tonight. If you're ready to move-up to a professional looking website and want the ability to make frequent changes yourself, check out Page.ly and claim your free domain name when you sign-up for hosting.

When you choose a domain name it is a good idea to be city specific if possible, but when I registered the domain names stated, the person I registered each for wasn't positive which city he would be moving to and operating in. If you're not positive about the city you want to operate in don't use a city in the domain – at least this way you can change your mind and it doesn't cost you a dime as you switch "Las Vegas" to Los Angeles or Miami, or Paris by creating a "new page" and deleting an old page. All of that for $14.98 a month – what a bargain!

Backpage Raises Prices - Update

2010-09-28T00:50:00.003-04:00

The law of supply and demand has finally taken a turn in favor of Backpage. Now that there is no "adult jobs" or "adult services" on Craigslist, the company is able to raise prices for its "Sponsor Ads" in the adult categories.

I always thought the prices were too low considering the ability to upload up to four images in your ad. Well, last night I placed ads in Backpage "adult jobs" (how many readers found me to begin with) for my books. Last night it would have cost me $26 to place an ad in New York City. Tonight, for some weird reason, I returned to Backpage to see if the NYC price went down, but instead it is $95. Cities in which I did place ads last night have gone way up – like $3.50 to $19.50!

So NYC is out for me – trust me; I don't make enough on my books to pay that. However, I did manage to place ads in some other areas as I anticipate a move upward in the next day or so. If you're smart, you'll place ads with a lengthy renewal now, before you're priced out. This goes for the "adult jobs" category and the "escorts" category.

In my Blueprint books I state how cheap it is to place a sponsor ad in "adult jobs" so consider this an update. Check out your city now!

The Outcall Escort Business

2010-09-13T10:24:00.001-04:00

I will be the first to admit that I am over the escort business. With all the years that I was in business in Orlando ending with the trial from hell, the earlier years of answering telephones in Miami, and the recent years of research, well, I've just had it. Perhaps this was obvious to you after you read my previous post.

We all reach our snap point and I think that I've passed mine. For financial reasons I have considered putting that research site to good use, though I have been quite ill the past month and my voice sounds terrible. I almost feel as if I'm losing it (my voice). And then 99 out of a 100 callers are a problem for one reason or anther: too cheap; a group; made a compromising statement prompting me to disconnect the call; expect a Playboy Bunny but cheap; out of the jurisdictional boundary. You name it, I've heard it lately and it's a problem.

Many callers are treating an agency as if they called an independent escort. You could translate that to they've been too cheap and do not consider that any rate quoted includes a booking fee. Before the year is over I will be giving the research site to an independent contractor that I've known for a while. Perhaps she'll have better luck or opt to quote lower rates and do all of the calls herself.

I may be going into business in another city, but it will be an entertainment company that sends out dancers and strippers for parties, not an escort service. Sorry, but I can't tell you which city I have in mind and actually I may operate in several cities as the rules about crossing state lines do not necessarily apply if your true goal is to book dancers at parties and it is 100% clear that it is a Strip-o-Gram and party style of operation.

I have had a target on my back since 1994, so actually booking parties will be a fun change for me. There won't be any private parties or one-on-one involved in this business and any independent contractor (dancer, stripper) that crosses the line will be promptly dismissed. The dancers and strippers will be required to have a variety of costumes.

When I have the business and website set-up properly I will announce the location here with the hope that interested dancers in the cities of operation will contact me for professional work.

I probably will not be advertising my Blueprint books anymore in short time, but the paperbacks will always be available on Amazon.com or any could be ordered from Barnes and Noble. I also intend to stop selling PDF copies from this blog and my website. All of this will transpire before the year is over. I will still support my books, but readers will need to contact me at the email address included in the book for a response. All I ask is that you actually read the book before asking the questions – you may need to refer to the book at a later date if issues arise, so don't lose it or toss it out. You never know…

Look for my announcement in the near future or feel free to contact me if you have an interest in working as a professional stripper/dancer for events and parties only in any specific city.

New Trends and Ideas in the Escort Business

2010-09-08T04:07:00.000-04:00

I was checking my stats on this blog tonight and came across a unique search term that landed someone here: cheap ghetto escorts service --- Really – a person actually landed on this blog with that search phrase. I admit that I'm laughing my ass off (LMAO for the politically correct).

I must wonder if it was a client searching for an escort service or ? If you're out there reading this please do post, anonymously of course. Okay, I'll move forward on the presumption that it was a potential client for someone – God help that someone. Callers have been so cheap lately. What in the hell is going on? Do you think my fucking rent went down? Hell no – it went up. Do you think the garage fixes my car for a fucking pittance? That's a laugh – they want a month pay for a brake job these days.

I don't know any escorts that want your stupid fucking $80 to drive to your $150 a night hotel in tourist land you fucking idiot. Just in case you missed it your fucking hotel charges $20 to park. People are really damn dumb these days. It's okay to pay $400 for a car rental for the week because you must have the fucking Cadillac, but hell no, a woman driving to your hotel at 2am out in theme park land doesn't deserve anything close to that, right? And you wonder why you get ripped? Haha.

Okay, so now that I'm done with my rant here's the idea:

Open an escort service and name it:

Cheap Tricks

Street Services

Ghetto Girls

So you get the idea right? The thing is this business model would really fly these days. Finding the escorts wouldn't be much of an issue either – if you're in Orlando area just hit Orange Blossom Trail close to the Beachline late at night – that's where they all hang, from what I hear of course, now that Craigslist is gone. Just joking ladies… Whatever city you're in you should know where the street action is, and there's your supply. Just make sure they're not too pretty – those real cute ones are the cops.

Blueprint Updates and the Sex Police

2010-09-05T21:12:00.004-04:00

It seems that we have many different groups in the U.S. that are jumping on the censorship bandwagon these days. By now most are aware of the Craigslist decision to bow to the public ridicule in the U.S. and kill the adult services and adult gigs categories. Just don't let them kid you – it has nothing whatsoever to do with minors being sex trafficked. It is all about the anti-prostitution crusade.

I have had several readers question as to how to find escorts for their new business and must stick with what was stated in the Blueprint books: Once your website is up and indexed on the first page of Google and your Maps listing (one anyway) is listed and visible to clients, the escorts will find you. If you are also publishing a small ad or a bold print one-line ad in your area yellow pages, once the books are distributed you'll hear from escorts seeking work. I also advise you to place a sponsor ad in adult jobs on Backpage in your area and two nearby areas.

You will never have the escorts sitting and waiting on the ads to be published, the website to be indexed, or the Maps listing to be visible so stop trying to do it that way. In the beginning you will be juggling, but in short time it will all work out if you have followed my advice in the book – go back and read as there was more that I'm not stating here. One reader emailed me back to state that I was correct and he now has so many escorts contacting him for work that he's juggling scheduling appointments with them. I'm always correct when it comes to the escort business, though some factors may evolve in time.

The escorts go where the business is, and now they have one less website to place their own ad – Craigslist – so really the crusade to kill the business will not kill yours at all. So you don't have the free adult gigs category; it is really not a big loss to anyone in business. It's a loss for the country, but not for you. We can no longer claim to be much better than China in regards to censorship, but that is immaterial to the crusaders, notably CNN and Amber Lyon, but you can read about that on my other blog if you want to.

One update that most have already figured out is the change of Maps to fall under Google Places. It's the same thing and still called Maps, but you do need to sign-up in Google Places now. No real change there.

If you are in the Orlando area and attempting to make a go of a business you'll note that within a month or two of your number being visible and website indexed the telephone stops ringing. It is what it is – there have been various forms of blocking in the Orlando area since 1989, and little has changed except how it is being done. This is discussed in my books and on my other blog, so I won't be rehashing it here.

Don't forget that as we approach election time the crusaders will be coming out of the woodwork. It is what happens every two years in this country and there is nothing different this round. Awareness is the difference between having a problem, or not.

Image: Media Blind - Censorship Concept: 2007 © Darko Novakovic / 2010 © iStockphoto.com

The Touring Concept

2010-07-26T02:12:00.000-04:00

It sounds like a great business idea unless you are aware of the potential pitfalls. The concept of escorts touring to different cities for pre-booked appointments should be a viable business plan, but it isn't. I have stated this fact in each Blueprint book, in every phone consultation, and in any email that touched on the topic. Of course I also add it to every other blog post for maximum saturation. By now you know my opinion if you're reading this.

It is a widely known fact that crossing a state line transforms a state issue into a federal issue. But why should that matter because you are not doing anything illegal, right? The simple answer is that it shouldn't matter. The explanation is that you must only be accused of doing something illegal. Being accused and being guilty are two different situations. The base of any allegation by federal prosecutors would be a description of the defendant crossing a state line in the course of business, so if you've never done this then you do not need to worry about the entire issue.

These days it is often teamed with the sex trafficking allegation when it pertains to touring escorts or companions. I have discussed the evolution of the term sex trafficking in depth in other posts, so I won't be repetitive here. This is merely a reminder with proof attached. Many that read this blog are not interested in The Accused Madam Blog, but I want you to read these two recent articles:

Miami Companions Owners Indicted

Unraveling the Miami Companions Indictment

If you still think that touring escorts is a good idea after reading, well, we don't know each other. Sometimes I have little to say about the escort business as it is like an old hat to me – how much can one say about it? It is what it is.

Image: Downtown Miami Florida at Night 2010 © FotoMak / 2010 © iStockphoto.com

For or Against New Porn Domain

2010-06-27T02:03:00.001-04:00

This was just posted on The Accused Madam Blog, but I consider it important enough to post here as well.

The new .xxx top-level domain name for websites that have adult content is now here, or at least will be soon. This topic has been an argument for years and is now a reality.

What's my position?

As with many others I will grab a website or two with the .xxx because if I don't I'll be sitting on the sidelines at some point in the future, and it's always better to be prepared. It is not mandatory for websites to move to this domain yet, with "yet" being the keyword. At this point one can only reserve a specific .xxx domain for $60 and it will be assigned in the near future.

This is not a good thing for adult business. They want to shove any website with adult content into the .xxx ghetto, and mark my words – that is precisely what it will become. It will be the internet equivalent of the red light district on the outskirts of town. Some will find the websites, but most will not when their internet service providers (ISPs) begin to block all .xxx websites. But then that is the general idea, right?

There are already so many tools available to ISPs, parents, hotels, and anyone in-between to block websites by keyword searches, categories, and URLs, so this move will take it a step further and enable blocking of any website considered adult or with adult content. I view it as tossing the adult books in a pile across town, blocking the road to them, and instructing interested parties to search as they wish.

The new ghetto will be blocked by every library, hotel, or business that offers free internet access or WiFi. If you are in adult business you should understand this translates to much of the population never finding your website. Write erotic stories? Better find something else to do. Own an escort service or an entertainment company that books strippers at parties? Good luck reaching your potential client base.

They are indeed killing the internet for anyone that is an adult and thinks that they should be able to view normal adult material or visit an adult website if they so desire. The results will serve to kill-off much of adult business.

So why are websites like CNN, FoxNews etc… presenting this as if it is an achievement for adult businesses? Either the writers are just plain dumb or they assume the readers are. To pre-reserve your .xxx website, visit the ICM Registry and have at it, but first you must sign-up for an account here – I just did.

The Virtual Office

2010-06-26T13:48:00.001-04:00

I will admit that I had to Google the term in order to be clear on the definition of a virtual office, so much of the information herein was gathered from Wikipedia. We in adult business have been conditioned to believe that a virtual office is not possible and we must comply with code enforcement demands that specify zoning and anything else concerning our cyberspace businesses.

In Orlando and Orange County, Florida, code enforcement actually dictates the hours of escort services – the rule is that an appointment cannot begin before 9:00 am or after 10:00 pm. As we are all aware such hours would be the death of business, but then that is the point, right? The rule is also that an escort business must have a physical location that is open during all hours of operation and law enforcement are free to stop-in and check all client and independent contractor records at will anytime that the business is open. Yes, the ordinance in this area actually states this, though it's hard to believe. They also dictate the specific type of records that must be kept.

It should go without saying that a business couldn't comply with the Orlando and Orange County, Florida ordinances for a variety of reasons. The best reason is safety: They cannot force you to be a sitting duck in an office in order to be in business when in reality, your business has no need whatsoever for that office and is conducted in cyberspace and on wireless phones. The next best reason is that to offer client contracts, as they require, to law enforcement without warrant would be a violation of the client's privacy – this translates to you could be sued in a court of law. So let's toss the comical and abusive requirements of the ordinances in Orlando/Orange County Florida. Face it – these people do not want you in business so you'll never be able to comply with all the rules, and certainly that is the point.

I'm using central Florida as an example here, but this business analysis stands for any area in the United States. In Orlando the catch is that Embarq/Sprint Yellow Pages will not sell you an ad if you do not have that physical office, an installed business telephone line, and the license to go with it. Of course Embarq/Sprint is the predominant yellow page book in the area and law enforcement set-up a company representative back in 1996, forcing the company to omit the "escort services" heading in the upcoming 1997 phonebook. If you're curious or unaware, read The Yellow Pages Fiasco. So company policy in central Florida is already dictated by law enforcement.

What is the Solution?

You must use a different term and business model as "escort service" will never work with the many issues at play. You could be an "entertainment company" or you could simply describe your business as conducted in cyberspace and on wireless telephones and skip the phonebook altogether. Technically you are a booking agent or an appointment setter and are paid a fee by the escort, model, hostess, entertainer, dancer, stripper etc.... So search through the categories of licenses available and choose the appropriate one to describe your business.

As I stated in the previous post, this is where your argument will begin, and you should plan to have an argument if you are in central Florida. It isn't intelligent to allow them to force you to have a physical location so that they can use the location against you – it doesn't make sense, considering that you have no need whatsoever for the physical location. This is where you refer to what your business actually does – market and promote on the internet and set appointments that take place elsewhere. Plenty of other business types operate in the same way and few small businesses that conduct all business in cyberspace and on wireless phones rent offices. They use the virtual office.

Wikipedia describes the virtual office completely here, and it includes a lengthy list of articles references for in-depth understanding of the concept and how it is used by small businesses across the country today: Virtual Office

As a business consultant, I use a virtual office. The article linked above lists 20 business types that make use of the virtual office and "business consultant" is on it. It also includes "mobile salespeople" which fits when combined with "internet marketing". Of course there are others not listed – some mentioned in The Complete Blueprint for an Escort Service and in articles on this blog.

One thing about law and law enforcement is that they could find something wrong with anyone and any business no matter how it is set-up. As stated before, I am not an attorney and this is not legal advice. It is business advice and common sense combined. If you want legal advice, you'll need an attorney, and though they are unknown to me, the law firm mentioned in the previous post seems to have a grasp of the issues encountered by adult businesses today.

Adult Business Licensing Issues

2010-06-25T23:54:00.000-04:00

We should all be clear here that your escort service or entertainment company is an adult business and this is not about a company that dispatches clowns to children's parties. You've already got that? Good, then you're ready. I promise not to turn this into a legal technical discussion of licensing and bore you to death.

First, I need you to understand that when I was prosecuted it was for reasons unknown, except to me of course. It was not because I violated any law; state or federal. Most of you are clueless to this fact because you haven't read Memoirs of an Accused Madam – I know as the low book sales are revealing to say the least. So before you get too far with reading here, venture on over (via the link) to my paperback page on Amazon and vote down the two lousy 1-star reviews by the adult business hating cop and his sidekick – neither graded my book and instead graded all of adult business. You should be offended – screw them! They sure don't support either one of us. I've been having an erupting argument with the one miscreant – B. Parker "Scott Jenson" under both reviews. I think "boop" is his wife.

I'm really tired of the attacks, but that book really matters to me, so if you like me answering your questions go vote "no" it's not helpful at all on the lousy reviews. While you're there vote "yes" on the 4 and 5 star reviews. I'm not so vain to believe that I deserve 5-stars, and 4 is great, but anything less is pure bullshit from a hater cop with too much time on his hands. I don't ask readers for help often – don't think I ever have, but I need it on that book. I'm tired of my story being buried and whacko cops calling me a liar.

Now, back to the licensing issues:

During the 10 years that I was in business in Orlando, I held licenses exactly as described in the Blueprint books. I was an obedient idiot and played the game they wanted me to. I did everything absolutely the way they dictated that it should be done without questioning much at all. You know where it got me, right?

On that note, if I were to do it again today I'd argue with them frequently, in person, in writing, and in court if necessary. Why? As I stated, they sure don't support me and as far as I'm concerned they can take their broken system and shove it where the sun don't shine.

The reality that they don't want you to realize is that you do not need a friggin physical brick and mortar office and zoning restrictions shouldn't apply to your online business. An escort service and an entertainment company are easily considered virtual and exist in cyberspace alone, unless you have some oddball reasoning for wanting to sit in your little physical broom closet sized office. Toss all their abusive adult ordinance garbage out the window – your business isn't a place that anyone stops in or conducts transactions by a physical presence.

Don't get me wrong – you do need an occupational license – but if a business exists in cyberspace alone, why would you need a physical location only to have hundreds of rules applied to your business because of its physical location? Think for a moment – what are you actually doing? Here's a list of possibilities:

1. Answering a phone

2. Booking appointments

3. Dispatching escorts or entertainers to appointments

4. Marketing and promoting on the internet or in print publications

5. Collecting your booking fees

6. Interviewing escorts or entertainers at Denny's or Steak or Shake or wherever

Does any of this list have you sitting in an office or needing an office for any reason? Hell no – it can all be done from a Blackberry, a netbook, or a laptop anywhere that offers WiFi, like Starbucks or a hotel room or in your car.

They've sure pulled the wool over my eyes over the years. There's simply no reason to kiss their asses; trust me – they don't even appreciate it. What they consider the "right" way is more just another way to take your money for nothing in return.

Now here is the info to hand your attorney when the powers that be in your city and county decide to challenge you on your virtual office in cyberspace, and actually, this case info was posted by an attorney - Professor Leora Harpaz:

Voyeur Dorm L.C. vs. City of Tampa

The Voyeur Dorm case was decided in late 2001 – click on the PDF and read it; it's not that daunting. While you're at it – look at the figures these people were bringing in!

The next case was posted here, by a law firm - and guess what? They represent those who offer adult entertainment: Meeting the Sin Laws

Flava Works Inc. vs. City of Miami

The Flava Works Inc. case opinion was just published today. They won but the City of Miami appealed and won one of the issues on appeal. You're probably thinking, but Vicky, this isn't good, right? Well read before you decide that. It's not that lengthy and it's a PDF. They couldn't apply the zoning ordinance regarding "adult entertainment" to the location. They can only apply "Illegally Operating a Business in a Residential Zone". In your own case you're not even using any residence; you're using cyberspace.

So toss out my instructions on how to obtain a license for an escort service, dealing with zoning, and renting a hole-in-the-wall office in the Blueprint books, and be prepared in case there's a fight and find an attorney that knows his or her stuff.

This is not legal advice as I'm not an attorney and have no desire to be. It is common sense based and how I intend to go about it. If you appreciate me at all please purchase a copy of Memoirs.

Escort Business or Entertainment Company

2010-06-25T19:00:00.002-04:00

There are a few important differences and some minor, though notable, dissimilarities between the escort service and entertainment company operation models. First, the main differences:

Credit cards – You really don't want to take credit cards if your business is an escort service, but on the other hand, if it's an entertainment company that books dancers or strippers at parties and other events, you would want to accept cards.

If you're dispatching four dancers to a bachelor party it would go more smoothly if you could charge a card in advance, but if you do something like this you should make your cancellation policy clear on the website and wherever you accept payment. I could easily see PayPal Business working for this instead of physically charging a card once the dancers arrive. There would be details to work through, but it is indeed viable.

The office set-up – With an escort service one must always adhere to zoning issues for licenses and in most states a physical brick and mortar office is required. With an entertainment company that dispatches dancers and strippers, you should be able to use a virtual office. Many cities and counties across the country have been fighting the virtual office as it takes away their ability to charge additional fees for building inspections and zoning, and this is where they make most of their money. It also changes the rules on them.

If I were to open an entertainment company that booked strippers and dancers for events and parties today, I would push the local governing authority on the virtual office issue, but there's no doubt that it would be an argument for the stated reasons. I know this as I hit such a conflict when obtaining an occupational license – mine is for "internet sales" – that could easily be open-ended, right? "Internet sales" is a license that could be used for many purposes, including the virtual booker.

A virtual booker never actually sees anyone and utilizes the internet entirely in all aspects of operation. In my case "internet sales" is me selling eBooks, but add marketing and promotions to that license and voila – you have the virtual office for the booking agency. This should work with the escort service as well, but would anger the tax authority, so I'm not necessarily recommending it.

The fact is that the tax authorities need to update or modernize, but haven't figured out how to go about it and still make the money they're used to. They had little choice with me as I argued that no part of my internet sales required a physical presence anywhere. I could operate completely with a netbook or laptop and/or a Blackberry, so how can you force me to pay monthly for an empty office? If you think about this for a minute, internet sales and internet marketing would work the same for an entertainment company – why would you be required to rent and keep an empty or unused office?

The answer, of course, is that the system is set-up to take your money on various levels. The exception to this seems to be Washington state, according to a couple of readers that have responded to my Blueprint books in past. I considered this admirable and modern of the state, but the readers responded that really it's just because they never figured out how to soak you via commercial real estate, zoning fees, licenses, rules and more rules. Okay – I'll accept that.

The other notable differences in escort and entertainment operations include changing your contracts to fit the business type and seeing an accountant before you get started.

If you're collecting money through credit card payments and later paying out money to the independent contractors, well, you must have an accounting system of sorts. Money comes in to you and money goes out to contractors – it is different than the escort service operation model wherein the money is paid to the independent contractor who in turn pays you a fee for booking the engagement or appointment. You would need to show the outgoing money, and pay the dancers, entertainers, and strippers by check on a regular basis. This wouldn't make any an employee, but only change how the money is handled. An accountant isn't expensive and could guide you in the appropriate method to avoid scrutiny of tax authorities.

There are many different ways that you could operate your escort business or entertainment company and nothing is set in stone. Flexibility and vision are important. If you've read this post thoroughly you'll realize that I've told you how to avoid all the scrutiny, zoning garbage, office rental costs etc… for any business that uses the virtual office, but as stated, you'll hit an argument with that tax authority. Some arguments are worth having though.

Late tonight (probably early morning tomorrow) I will be posting an article of substantial importance in regards to licensing issues. Stay tuned or sign-up for this blog if you're interested in operating your business correctly.

A discussion about Drivers

2010-05-31T18:12:00.002-04:00

Whether your business is an escort service, companionship service, or an entertainment company there is no reason to ever hire a driver to drive the independent contractors to calls, houses, or events. Your independent contractors must drive themselves or have their own driver to transport them. Your business should never have interactions with their drivers, if they have one.

Hiring a driver for other reasons is usually a good idea though. That driver should work for your business and not for the independent contractors. The driver's job description would be to collect your fees from the independent contractors as directed at the time and place that you instruct. Really your driver is on-call for you during pre-determined hours.

An added use for a driver would be as a chaperone at a party if you are booking bachelor parties or other celebrations and providing strippers or dancers to entertain more than one person. A dancer or stripper will often have her or his own chaperone – usually a friend or boyfriend, but it's a good idea to have your chaperone present for all party-type events, and collecting fees at the event is convenient when you do it this way.

Paying your driver can be done anyway that you want to do it, but here is an idea that's fair to all involved:

To have your driver on-call for your business from 8pm to 6am (or whatever hours) you will need to pay that driver a specified amount per shift, whether you call the driver or not. All of this depends on how busy you are, and when you first open it's a better idea to be your own driver. This type of pay should be in the form of a weekly pay check, but your driver could also be an independent contractor and receive pay for each shift. Read IRS guidelines on independent contractors v. employees and decide which best describes your situation.

If using a driver as a chaperone for parties or events that you dispatch dancers or strippers to, that driver should receive added compensation. The driver would already be receiving shift pay from your business if attending a party, but this is an extra duty and that shift pay is really only to collect your fees. It is a good idea to have a surcharge – the amount is up to you, but don't cheat your driver/chaperone. A surcharge of $20 per dancer/stripper added to the total tab shouldn't be an issue for the customer. You can explain it just like that – we have a $20 surcharge per dancer for chaperone services, and sorry, but we require that a company chaperone be present at all events. Your driver/chaperone should receive the entire amount.

Other compensation for the driver that is a chaperone at events should include a tip. The dancers/strippers should value the chaperone services enough to part with a decent tip as they are tipped by partygoers. In America services are rewarded with tips. Sometimes dancers/strippers try to be cheap though, so there should be a set percentage. You'll never be able to keep everyone honest, but then the chaperone is there and will see whether tips are flowing or not. If the driver feels cheated on the tip – he or she must deal with you, and not with the individual stripper. You will deal with that stripper. The percentage would vary from 10% to 20%, depending on how many partygoers and strippers are at the scheduled event. You'll have to offer a solution that is acceptable to all – the chaperone and the strippers.

If you don't already understand this I will state it once more: Your company driver should never transport an escort, entertainer, dancer, stripper, or companion to a scheduled call or event. Their transportation must be their issue. Your driver should also never appear partial to a particular person as he or she is there representing the company and shouldn't accept any tips for picking up your fees as you direct. All involved should be clear that your company driver is exactly that, and not their ride or tool to more calls or events.

Edited to add: Your driver should always be reimbursed for expenses. Expenses are gas, tolls, or any other expense that is a result of carrying out your instructions.

The Escort Business

2010-05-17T01:14:00.000-04:00

Okay I confess – I can't think of much else to say about the escort business. I think that I have said all there is to say in the books, so I'll reiterate a few important points here and if someone has a question, please feel free to post it.

I still see ads all over the place seeking escorts willing to tour or travel with claims of business in Florida and New York or New Jersey, Connecticut, and New York etc…. To be clear, I consider it ridiculous that anyone risks federal attention when it is not necessary to make money. I never operated anywhere except Orlando for ten years and did just fine, even with the escort service line blocks. If I didn't do fine at times it was because I was harassed to death practically by overzealous whacko agents with nothing better to do; they're gone now – the old MBI is no more, in part thanks to me and my continuous denouncement of their tactics and win in the criminal court case.

As far as Miami goes, why would anyone operating in Miami also need to operate in NY? Orlando is one of the most conservative metropolitan areas in this country because of Disney and there's still plenty of business here, so if you're not doing business in say Seattle, it's because you've marketed and advertised incorrectly. Perhaps your listing is not in Maps yet and you submitted several two months ago – well really, contact Google and ask why it's not there. If your website still isn't in regular search results, keep working at it. The idea in Blueprint was to expect it to take several months to show on the first page of results with applicable keywords, while you awaited the publishing of the yellow pages. This never was an instant plan – people that advertise on Craigslist and Backpage get instant results with a side dish of trouble. Maps can make it a semi-instant plan, if your listing shows.

I see plenty of businesses accepting credit cards too – another recipe for disaster at a later date.

I also see ads that promise escorts they'll make $5000 a week, but there are no guarantees in the escort business. You could make such guarantees if you book every idiot that calls, but who needs that? I can tell you that most services don't bother to verify shit when they book a client – I know as I've heard it directly from independent escorts that now work on their own. Take control of the phone call; if the caller won't let you take control, then hang-up. The escorts don't want to go see a bunch of controlling jerks – would you?

I recall once booking a call at a dumpy motel in Kissimmee (the no name inn), but I only booked it because the caller was genuinely nice and verifiable. I called an escort with this, knowing it was a good call, and she refused to go. She pointed out that some of those places have infestations of one thing or another and she wouldn't sit on a chair in the room. She told me that if I thought it was good I should go myself. At first I was taken back by her response, but later realized that this is how I should view a call. Would you go to the place? Does the person sound normal, genuine, real? Are you able to verify something about the caller so she can feel safe from cop crap, lunatics, or other trouble? Is he scraping together his last dollars for this encounter? Look at it as it could apply to you for a moment.

These main points are all about what I hear from escorts and see in ads frequently. These days most of the sex trafficking prosecutions are nothing more than prostitution that somehow, some way crosses a state line. It is how the DOJ is using the U.S. Codes, whether you believe it or not. I have come across a mile-long list of cases in a variety of states and that is all it really is, so do yourself a favor and skip the touring concept.

One other issue I've heard frequently lately concerns age. Why chance serious trouble? An eighteen year-old doesn't belong doing escort calls, regardless of legalities. On my website the most requested escort is Natalie, who doesn't really exist, but she is listed as age 43. The next most requested person is Tina – I think she's listed as 37 years – okay I'll look – nope it is 38 years, but again she doesn't exist. I do not think I've ever had anyone request an eighteen year-old, so I'm not real clear on why many services offer escorts age 18 to 25, but I see it often in ads, as if this is a plus. There are frequent requests for escorts in their 20s though, but this can easily be twenty-eight.

Please do feel free to ask questions if you so desire. This is nothing more than my extensive experience in the business talking and you should take what you need from it and leave the rest.

Announcement

2010-05-11T23:55:00.001-04:00

I haven't been posting on this blog lately as I've been busy with a new book, a second edition of an older book, a new cover for a recent book, and merging and reorganizing the material in the two Blueprint books into The Complete Blueprint for an Escort Service.

If you're already familiar with the budgeting aspects of opening a business and have knowledge of all related internet marketing, then you are better off purchasing Blueprint for an Escort Service. If your service is already open, but you're not clear on how to market to clients on a major budget, then you're best off purchasing Blueprint for an Escort Service 2: Beyond the Original Blueprint. If you have little idea where to begin and know little about the realities of an escort business operation, or you are simply interested in how it all should work, you should go for The Complete Blueprint for an Escort Service.

I had no idea that I would write Blueprint 2 when I published the original or there wouldn't be three to choose from here. I discovered that most people purchasing the original also bought the second book, so this is my answer. If you've already bought both books (from me or anywhere) I will happily send you a PDF or Word copy of the new one, though I may ask you a question to verify that you've bought both titles. There is some new material in it, but most is accessible on my blogs; the rest is just me writing – I tend to add this or that here and there. Other than that, the cover is much better and has professional photos on front and back.

I changed the cover on With Prejudice: The Perspective of an Acquitted Defendant, mainly because the old cover was terrible. The new cover has professional images on front and back. It is simply a compilation of blog articles and essays, but you never know when one will come in handy, and digital copies are only $7.99.

I am in-process of making revisions to Memoirs of an Accused Madam: The War on Adult Business in Orlando. I've decided to use real names this round and expound on several important parts. Why not? It is all public information, even if they did steal the original file and the recreated file. I've checked the libel issue thoroughly. The second edition will, of course, have a beautiful new cover. It is my belief that the book hasn't sold well because of its awful cover (I actually paid for its design). I can't attribute the lack of sales to the content – hell, I'm the only escort service owner in this country tried on organized crime charges and acquitted by a jury, and I was in business in conservative Orlando for a decade. To me it's a more important story than one in which a person was in business for a couple of years and pled guilty (all the others that do sell).

The Complete Blueprint for an Escort Service paperback edition will be available on Amazon by May 20, 2010. I will post a link as soon as I have one. The second edition of Memoirs will available in two or three weeks – I'm finished with it, but have much formatting to do. At this point I need a break from the book stuff and will be back to posting on the blog tomorrow.

Defining Sex Trafficking

2010-04-24T04:32:00.001-04:00

Just so we are all clear, this is about the new and different definition of sex trafficking as it is being applied to cases in recent years and since the passing of the final version of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act in December of 2008. Before former President Bush exited he signed into law a bill that enhances the 2000 Act. This is not sex trafficking in any way that you understand it; this is applicable to any business in which the escort commits an act of prostitution or any sexual activity for which a person could be charged with a criminal offense or attempt to do so, and is affecting interstate commerce. This is also not at all about minors and only pertains to adults.

For all intended purposes herein, "affecting interstate commerce" is defined as operating across state lines. So that escort business that operates in Dallas and Atlanta is eligible for prosecution, if an escort in either location commits an act of prostitution. All that must be shown is an interstate character of the offenses. That means that if you have a website that offers escorts in the NYC area and in Bergen County New Jersey, well, you are affecting interstate commerce. Yes, I know they're right next door, but this is immaterial.

You do not necessarily have to play any part in the prostitution and must only know that it transpired and you are making money from it and there is an interstate character to the offense, like your website advertising escorts in NY and NJ. Add money laundering to the picture if you have the escorts depositing that money to your business bank account and you spend money from that bank account to promote that business – like paying for your website or posting ads online, or paying for a yellow pages ad. Or apply the concept to accepting credit cards – the money credits your account and you spend it to promote the business.

Yes, you might have a contract with the escort that states that she won't do any of the above stated, but all it takes is a recording of you telling a potential client that it is full service or insinuating this, and some agencies actually state this on the website!

The U.S.Codes use wording like "knowingly," "coerced," "intended," "recruits," "entices," "harbors," "transports," "obtained," and "fraud" to cover all the bases. This isn't about throwing an escort in your trunk and driving her to a client. It is about booking a call, saying that she will provide GFE services, full service, happy endings or all the other lingo, or even simply posting enticing pictures on your website that would allow one to believe that this is what you offer.

The term "transports" doesn't mean that you must drive her to be charged. It does mean that you arrange the transportation, like having a driver that drives escorts to calls, making a flight reservation, booking a cruise, calling her a taxi etc….

The term "enticing" could easily be applied if you book a big money call, like a four hour call in NJ and you dangle that enticement carrot of more money to drive from Long Island to Bergen County, NJ.

And what is an act of prostitution? Well this would vary from state to state, but in Florida a hand-job is considered prostitution, and I'm sure that Florida is not alone. Keep in mind – the U.S. Codes state that it doesn't have to be an actual act of prostitution; it can be "any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense or attempt to do so." Is that scary stuff or what? Say a dancer is charged with lewd and lascivious conduct because she showed too much – you are on the hook.

Do you see how simple this is to prosecute if you are on anyone's radar?

I have been conducting research of recent sex trafficking prosecutions pertaining to the escort business and have a list so lengthy that even I was surprised. I do intend to start posting about these cases, one after the other, on The Accused Madam blog, but haven't gotten to it yet.

None of this is an issue to me as I am not in business, and even when I was I stayed a cautious distance from anything federal or interstate. Certain politicians attempted to have this December 2008 bill passed with additional definitions – like making a telephone call a part of the interstate character description; however, they didn't succeed as even the DOJ realized that the prosecutions would be too overwhelming to deal with.

Do realize that none of this is legal advice. It is only a defining of the new character of sex trafficking prosecutions and trends. To learn more you must either read the U.S. Codes applicable or schedule an appointment with an attorney that understands the nature of adult business under current federal law. I engaged in arguments with a poster in the past that stated I was wrong, but guess what? This isn't a debate and you can do whatever the hell you want with your business.

The U.S. Codes that I refer to in this discussion are:

18 U.S.C. 2421; 18 U.S.C. 2422; 18 U.S.C. 1956.

The Erotic Review and Reference Verification

2010-04-18T18:16:00.001-04:00

Best known as TER, The Erotic Review is a website visited by "hobbyists" and "providers" that interact on the boards. The "hobbyists" are of course clients that often post reviews of the "providers" that they arrange appointments with. These odd terms came to be back in 2002, following the arrests of operators of the Big Doggie website and a lengthy list of participants on the site that followed sting operations. Prior to late 2002, I never heard the term anywhere and then it suddenly became the accepted lingo.

The practice of references and reviews is indeed questionable. The great majority of reviews written by hobbyists are explicit, though many make an attempt to mask the reality by using commonly known terms in the adult business world. Newsflash – the terms are so common that law enforcement officers would have to be buried in sand to not get it. I have known some stupid cops in my time, but none that dumb. The references system began innocently enough with providers exchanging references for clients to avoid arrest and to at least feel safe from harm when with a new clients, but later escalated to operations like Date Check.

The Erotic Review has reviews by city and state that are sorted by the date posted. The last time I looked there were over 800 posted in Orlando area. Both hobbyists and providers seem to believe that they are anonymous, with all the aliases; however, TER has been under investigation by state and federal law enforcement agencies for too many years. They kid only themselves. To read the explicit reviews one must be a member of TER, and otherwise can't read "the juicy details". Only post reviews there or join if you really do not care about arrests or the exposure of your "hobby".

Date Check is another crazy operation – let's not pretend that law enforcement officers can't create their own references. The minimum amount of information for hobbyists/clients includes first name, last name, and middle initial, the last four digits of a social security number or driver's license, an employer's name and location, and a direct line to reach you at work. They also want a list of providers that will provide references, whether members of Date Check or not. At the end they offer a "this is for entertainment purposes only" disclaimer. No kidding, right? What a database/client list this must be, right? It sure wouldn't surprise me to hear the feds were/are involved in this operation as it sounds like it could be far more successful than the credit card sting operations.

Anyway, my point herein is that having reviews plastered all over the internet or allowing anyone to verify information for you can end negatively. Don't believe me? Read the farewell statement from John St. Marie and the ABC News article about the situation in Minneapolis in the Nice Guys investigation. You can also read about the Mississippi cardiologist charged with Mann Act violations in Mississippi Cardiologist Won't Go to Prison for Online Dating. Mann Act violations and touring prostitutes is a topic that I will post on in the next few days.

Credit Cards and Escort Services

2010-03-29T01:36:00.000-04:00

There are divided opinions on the topic of escort businesses accepting credit cards for service, but most readers are aware of my position in the argument. The main reason that I would never take credit cards is that it creates a client list for the bank and anyone that wants to subpoena the records – read state or federal government. If I wanted to pass around client lists then I would go ahead and accept credit cards.

Jeane Palfrey (the accused DC Madam) didn't accept credit cards, but she did have the escorts mailing her money orders on a regular basis. If they managed to locate all of the escorts that testified by tracking the money orders, what do you think they'll do with your credit card records in relation to tracking your clients? That is how they located close to all escorts that were called as government witnesses in her case, and even a few clients that she had mailing her money orders.

It is not that you are conducting any illegal business. It is that if you are ever under scrutiny for any reason, the first thing that they will do is subpoena those records. Those records are client lists. Do you not believe that if squeezed by state or federal authorities the clients will state whatever they're told to state? Whether escorts provided prostitution or not or you discussed full service with the clients on the phone or not, you have set yourself up for a fall. It depends what that client has to lose, and most would say anything to get themselves out of a jam. Credit card records are there for years.

It is also important to note that the credit card billing must be in the correct legal name of your business and the paperwork with the credit card processing company must reflect the correct type of business. Surely you have heard of charge-backs, right? Well, you'll have more than your share of charge-backs and the consequent problems with the escorts. Few escorts want to work for the service that accepts credit cards once they realize that it could mean they won't be paid for an appointment.

I read through, and still have, all of my co-defendant's credit card records in the case from hell. Why do you think he pled guilty? Certainly the client list/credit card records played a part in the plea. There were plenty of people with incentive to testify against him. In the case they located only one client from my agency, and he had given an escort a business card a week before agents accosted her and searched her purse. She was not arrested – but they stole the business card from her purse. They then contacted and threatened the client by telling him that they had all of my client records, and dipshit that he was, he bought it hook, line, and sinker. He then helped them get me to send an escort out, and that escort was arrested. I never thought anything of sending her there as he was a repeat client. However, because he was the only client they located and because he hired an attorney, they didn't call him to testify. Of course the manner in which they located him also had something to do with him not being called as a witness.

These days there are cash machines everywhere – from 7-11 to the hotel lobby. How can anyone that wants to book an appointment claim that they cannot get cash?

You may never have a problem with cards, with the operative word being may. I will state that there is a 10% chance that you will never have legal problems as a result of accepting credit cards. Is it all worth the chance to you? If it is, then you should accept credit cards for your escort business. If it isn't worth the probable fallout, then send your potential clients to cash machines. It is really that simple. We all operate our businesses as we see fit, but any agency that I have ever encountered has had legal troubles over the cards, eventually.

Advice for the Independent Escort

2010-03-23T12:39:00.010-04:00

My Blueprint for an Escort Service book and Blueprint for an Escort Service 2: Beyond the Original Blueprint are written for the escort business entrepreneur and are all about the business side of the equation. An independent escort interested in turning her (or his) lone venture into one in which they are able to profit by setting appointments for other escorts and operating an escort service will benefit from both books. Everything that I write is from the perspective of the escort business owner (former anyway).

For the independent that is only interested in booking her own calls and is looking for advice that is more escort oriented, there is a list of great books available on Amazon.

Amanda Brooks writes The Internet Escort's Handbook Book 1: The Foundation and The Internet Escort's Handbook Book 2: Advertising and Marketing. Amanda has two blogs and writes frequently on the escort business, but from the perspective of the escort.

Kay Good has written an excellent advice book for independent escorts, and as far as I know, she is still in the business. Her book is titled In Good Company: The Escort's Guide, and it is available on Amazon. Kay doesn't have a blog or website – at least it's not connected to her book page on Amazon.

If you are seeking tax advice, J.D. Roberts is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) that has written two books targeting the independent escort that works on her own. This is his specialty tax area. His books are:

The Business Side of Escorting: The Ins and Outs of Running a Business in the Cyber Age for the Escort and Sensual Masseuse Serious about Her Business

The Business Side of Escorting II: The Escort's Guide to Intelligently Running Her Business in the Cyber Age

Now J.D. Roberts is an accountant and his titles are mainly tax advice for an independent.

Hopefully, with all of the real books available, you will pass on these $100 to $600 books or guides offered by so-called experts. I'm sure that each knows something about the escort business, but anyone that tells you that you'll make millions$ or tries to convince you that you need a 5-volume package is pulling your leg.

Most people that get into operating escort services never read a book about the process because there is no exact process. It is business and not much more. Tips and advice are helpful, but in the end it is really up to you to make your business work.

How to Open an Escort Business

2010-03-21T23:11:00.000-04:00

My last post induced me to look and see what information is actually available for the inexperienced escort service entrepreneur that has little or no knowledge of the business. So guess what – I'm going to do your work for you and include a list here; I will also offer my opinion on each listing, though I recommend my Blueprint books for the entrepreneurial types that need to get involved in a money-making business and do not expect 24/7 live support. I certainly answer questions, but there are limits to this.

1. The most findable information is offered by Michelle of Exotic Publishing.

The first issue that I have with Michelle is her opening line: "Have you ever dreamed of getting rich by opening and owning your very own escort agency?"

To me this is scary stuff. Why? Because I have known people with agencies from Orlando to NYC to London, and none have ever hit the "rich" category. To me the escort business is simply create-a-job. Sure, you can make a decent living at it, but it is a lot of work, and you'll never get rich if you operate correctly. Sorry, but those are the facts. Michelle offers a 5-volume box set for $544. Sorry Michelle, but the escort business isn't rocket science and I cannot imagine what information requires five volumes, and I've opened over 20 services in a 22-year time span; keeping one open for 10 years. I did it all without a book too.

After reading the "about" page on her website, I decided that Michelle seems like a nice lady, that probably knows her stuff – except for the credit card thing. If you want 24/7 live support it might be a good idea to go with Michelle's deal. From my perspective, if you need 24/7 live support you don't belong in the escort business, and this is not a service that comes with my books by any stretch of the imagination. Just do yourself a favor and ignore what she says about credit cards.

2. The next most simple to find information is from Lenexa & Hefner, whoever they are. They say that they are "experts in the escort industry," but don't you want to know why they claim such a title? I do. Who are they? Well, they do not explain that at all. I don't know about you, but I want a resume of some type from anyone that claims expert status.

They state that their information is valued at over $550, but it's on sale now for $188. That's quite a markdown – better hurry. They list a featured client as "Las Vegas Escorts" and have a banner link to the website. I'd place bets that they are Las Vegas Escorts, but few services in Vegas refer to the business as an "escort service" as escort services cannot be licensed there. Vegas has loads of "entertainment companies" that send out dancers or entertainers; really. I do know people in Vegas.

3. The No Name Company – they just call themselves "Start Escort Service" and there's a cool picture of a couple on the main page. They charge $199 via PayPal only.

Their claim to fame and the reason to choose their "guide" is that all the rest of us "were either never in the escort business, or they were and got caught in prostitution charges and are selling their life story." Fuck you no name.

The first reference is dubious at best – I think that every person offering information was in the escort business, even if it was for a year. This is a pointless knock of all competitors, and I know they ain't referring to me. The second reference most likely is to me, and it's why I respond with a fuck you to no name. First, I was never on trial for prostitution charges dipshit – I was on trial for racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering (RICO), and guess what? I won – comprende acquitted? Second, I know I do not sell my life story – Memoirs of an Accused Madam: The War on Adult Business in Orlando is not exactly about me, but then you'd have to read it to realize that. It begins in 1992, when I opened services in Orlando. Well read it if you care.

Who are these people? They do not give you a clue. Spend the $199 if you've got money to toss in the garbage, but if not then skip the no name company.

4. And then there is Carrie's Escort Books:

Well, judging by her website, we know that Carrie didn't operate her agency with a website, right? She says that her book is worth $500, but she's selling it for $99. It's not really a book, but is a spiral bound notebook of some sort, according to the photo. Carrie guarantees that you will make millions$ - I'd go with that if you believe it as I've never encountered anyone in the escort business that's made millions, of dollars anyway.

5. Where is Mr. Winky? I can't seem to find his information anywhere, but this guy can tell you how to get girls and use them to operate an incall – which is not an escort service at all. So if that is what you want to do, then find Mr. Winky on your own. He does sound like an expert on that.

So there you have my take on all the materials available that I could locate. There are several real books on Amazon.com that relate to becoming an escort, advertising and marketing for the escort, and accounting for the escort, but that is not the discussion here. This is all about opening and operating an escort business – I never went out as the escort and I'm not figuring that you intend to. This is all about running a business.

If you are seeking a babysitter, I would advise you to go with Michelle - she charges a high price, but she also states that 24/7 live support is included. At the same time I must ask you to analyze your ability to run escort services.

Good luck and happy shopping!

A South Florida Case

2010-03-21T18:40:00.003-04:00

Back in May of 2009, I discussed the case of Christina Wypych and Douglas Ketcher in South Florida Indictments. Both made guilty pleas in the case back in November 2009. At a later sentencing hearing Wypych was sentenced to 22 months and Ketcher to 23 months. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Ketcher is currently in transit. According to Christina Wypych, she is required to report to the BOP on March 30th.

Here is the article on the sentencing from the IRS website:

February 3, 2010, in Miami, Fla., Douglas J. Ketcher, aka Brian Davis, of Siloam Springs, Arkansas, and Christina L. Wypych, aka Danyella Valentine, of Broward County, were sentenced for their roles in running an escort service. Ketcher was sentenced to 23 months in prison and Wypych was sentenced to 22 months in prison. In addition, the defendants were ordered to forfeit $1,001,086. Ketcher and Wypych were charged in April 2009 with operating a prostitution ring, money laundering, and tax fraud. According to court documents, Ketcher was the president, director and sole shareholder of BDDV Associates, Inc, (BDDV), dba “Sweeties,” and Wypych was the vice-president and director of BDDV. From approximately July 2, 2002 through approximately February 2007, Ketcher and Wypych ran a prostitution business in Broward County and in other states. The defendants advertised their prostitution business as the escort service Sweeties. Ketcher and Wypych maintained “Sweeties.us,” an adult Internet website, and placed ads in local newspapers to solicit the hiring of “models” and “phone operators.” According to court documents and in-court statements, prospective customers would call Sweeties to schedule an appointment with the escort, ranging from $250 to $400 per hour. Ketcher and Wypych enticed escorts to travel to cities outside of Florida to engage in acts of prostitution by promising them large cash rewards, payment of travel expenses and other incentives. During the plea hearings, Ketcher and Wypych admitted that they impeded the Internal Revenue Service by hiding cash profits, paying employees in unreported cash, and by overstating business travel deductions.

Christina commented on my South Florida Indictments post or I would be unaware of the case resolution. She seems like a nice lady caught in the middle of a mess. My main reason for posting this on both of my blogs is as a reminder to those deciding to get into the escort business, or already entrenched in it, that Going Federal is serious. This case is not only about tax filings; it's also about crossing state lines. Yes, I know that you see so many services operating in this manner, right? Trust me; that will not be a defense in the end, should you ever arrive there.

I have been criticized by a couple of readers of Blueprint for an Escort Service for my statements in relation to accepting credit cards and operating in two different states (Atlanta and Dallas or wherever), but I stand by all that I state. My experience with the escort business is extensive – I don't give a crap if Michelle or Mr. Winky state that it's all good. I could charge $500 for my information too, and at least it would be solid information, but who charges that much for a book? I do not know who either of these people are, except that they claim to have extensive experience. And then there is Carrie that promotes the idea that you can make millions$ in the escort business and start with less than $100 – good luck with that! There is also a new outfit that sells their help and information at an even higher price, and again they neglect to state who they are and where their experience comes from. One major point is that I am verifiable and use my real name.

Be careful who you listen to when it comes to escort service operations.

Booking Parties

2010-03-04T00:15:00.001-05:00

An entire business could be built on booking parties, so it is not in your best interest to skip this area of the business entirely. Research reveals that few agencies know how to book dancers at parties. Most services tend to ignore this part of the business and have the outlook that it is too much trouble for too little money; however, this would be an incorrect assessment of the situation once the initial footwork is done.

The best entertainers for parties are the strippers that are already doing them in the clubs. Most professional strippers have the required costumes and the know-how, and some are willing to moonlight for scheduled bookings. Of course the ideal situation is to have two dancers on-call for the last minute (same day) bookings.

To clarify here – we are talking about real parties, for example bachelor parties or birthday surprises, and not a party of two or three men. I do not consider three drinking men in a hotel a party – I consider them unbookable!

During the years that I was absorbed in the business I would often drop-in select clubs and tip specific dancers, wrapping a business card in the tip. If the dancer that I gave it to was not interested, usually she would pass it on to someone that was. The idea is to let her know that you are seeking a dancer for parties and not attempting to recruit her as an escort. If she had interest in becoming an escort it is likely that she would already have followed through.

Once you have dancers to call, when doing this as a sideline to your escort business, your job is simple. The great majority of party strippers will insist on doing it their way. You will quote the rate they prefer, supply her with the time, date, location, and contact information, and she will take care of the rest. She will contact the client to make the final arrangement and secure the appointment. All professional strippers that I ever encountered also had a man, usually a boyfriend, to go to the parties with them.

The problems that I have seen in this business often involve an agency booking a few drinking men and calling it a party; the booker then follows-up by sending an escort instead of a stripper. That is not a party and she is not appropriately chaperoned and costumed, whether she can dance or not.

If you decided to really make a business of booking parties, you could be the chaperone, or at the least an additional chaperone. If you focus your advertising on this type of booking there really is a lot of business available. It is an opening that you can build a reputation on. Build your contacts in area resorts and create a portfolio of dancers available for clients to choose from. Dancers' rates may vary as will their requirements in relation to ratio of partiers to dancers.

Once you begin speaking with dancers you will understand that each has perimeters that they work within. You may need to adjust accordingly. If there is one major lesson that I learned in the escort business, it is that versatility is the key to profit.

Hiring an Attorney

2010-03-02T19:04:00.000-05:00

If you've made the decision to start-up an escort service, when do you need an attorney, if at all?

Simple answer here: You should find a criminal attorney that you are comfortable with before you answer the first telephone call for your new business. I waited until I made the money from the escort business to cover the cost, and there's not any problem with doing it this way. I seriously doubt that you could be on any police agency's radar in the first month of business. You can always correct any legal issue or mistake in your business set-up at this point.

Be prepared to pay for an initial consultation. You would want about an hour of the attorney's time, so expect to spend between $150 and $400 for that consultation. Don't try to be cheap and get it free or for $50 as this will most likely be the attorney that you speak with for the duration of your business if you have a question, a problem that doesn't involve your arrest on charges relating to your business, or just need some solid advice concerning the legally correct way to go about a specific task.

You do want to avoid ever being charged with anything in relation to your escort service, and trust me; this is the way to do so. Here and there you will spend a few hundred dollars, but this shouldn't have much of an effect on your bottom line at all. You don't need the top attorney in town – you simply need an attorney that specializes in criminal law. There are plenty of recent law school graduates walking around that have just passed the bar exam and are eager to offer advice.

I met with an attorney shortly after opening my escort services back in 1992, we had a lengthy relationship, and one in which I could contact him anytime that I had a problem or a question about a situation that could lead to a problem. I just found him in the area yellow pages under the "attorneys – criminal" category. He never gave me bad advice – my arrest had nothing whatsoever to do with anything that I did. His name is John and today he is a circuit court judge, so I won't offer his last name.

Shortly after my arrest in late 2001, we parted ways as I chose to represent myself with the goal of locating an attorney that could take-on a complicated and voluminous organized crime case. John had political aspirations, which made him a lousy candidate to represent me in the criminal case that I faced. I do respect John, so I also won't go into the specifics involved in our parting.

If you are ever arrested in relation to your escort business you will require a different attorney as it's unlikely that the original attorney you chose for occasional advice meets the necessary criteria. How you choose an attorney to represent you in such a criminal case is entirely dependent on the charges and your knowledge of your level of guilt. Realize that you can always have your longtime attorney represent you at first and look at the original indictment or arrest paperwork. An assessment of your chances could then be offered from a legal perspective. Just hold off on paying that attorney any more than an hourly rate at that point.

Going Federal

2010-03-02T18:24:00.001-05:00

Since publishing Blueprint for an Escort Service I have heard from numerous people that have questions, usually pertaining to licensing in a specific area. Since this is not about licensing I will make it short and sweet. Opening a service anywhere in the U.S. is always possible, but there are areas that you are better off becoming an "entertainment company" that sends out entertainers by the hour.

For that matter one could always set it up as a telephone answering service, as long as the contracts with independent contractors clearly outline each party's duties, goals, and boundaries. In fact, what I have done throughout the years in the escort business could easily be defined as operating a telephone answering service if it were set-up just a little differently and clearly outlined in contracts. One can become a web publishing company that offers telephone answering services etc… I'll write something on the topic later this week. I'll call it Setting-up the Business.

The term going federal means (to me) that the party has opted to accept credit cards or decided to cross state lines by doing business in, say for example, Atlanta and Dallas. Now they could set-up entirely different corporations in each place and never mix the two, except that both lead to the same party that simply set-up different entities. Ask an attorney about this and you will get what I am saying. I'm explaining it simply and anyone armed with the knowledge that crossing state lines makes for federal jurisdiction should understand. This is something taught in primary school. States have legal control within the boundaries of the state, but when the boundaries are crossed, legal control cedes to the feds. It's not law – it is basic knowledge of state and federal powers.

Now let's apply this simple knowledge to accepting credit cards, or as in the case of Jeane Palfrey of D.C. madam fame, to accepting payment by U.S. mail. If a business is not at risk of being labeled an illegal operation, then this is not of concern; however, an escort service operation is always at such risk. As an escort service operator or owner, you are always defending your operation and always clearly outlining how it is not illegal. The consensus of the general population in the U.S. is that all escort services are illegal. This is, of course, an incorrect conclusion, and I will forgive the general pop for their misconceptions. Cops and agents and politicians everywhere say this, so it must be true, right? Wrong, but that is a different topic for another day. Regardless – as an escort business owner you are always defending your business as being legal.

As a business that must always be on the defense, and by accepting credit cards and allowing transaction processing in other areas (i.e. jurisdictions), you are now going federal. Hopefully you are developing an understanding of my usage of the term at this point.

Read Operation Out Call (IRS) and Operation Plastic Empire (MBI) to further understand my point. There are many other similar legal operations that aim to eradicate escort services, but these are operations that I was all too familiar with and knew people involved.

One thing that I have learned in various areas of my life is that fighting the feds is futile. One can always fight the state, but not the feds. The simple solution to this problem is just to not do anything with your at-risk business that could be construed as going federal. It's not law and it's not rocket science, it is simply common sense.

The Escort Business by Another Name

2010-03-02T14:05:00.000-05:00

When I posted on the topic of setting up the business several days ago, I stated that I would follow-up on other possible types of businesses an operator could use instead of that often hated term, the escort service. I do know of parties that have done this (still do), though I will leave these parties nameless for the safety of each.

One party offers a print publication that contains ads for any paying advertiser (escort service or independent escorts). The small newspaper is distributed in area resorts. Those that place an ad can also have the publisher answering the telephone lines. This is a publisher and telephone operator service and is priced accordingly. Print publications are not a viable option in most areas though, so we look to the internet and web publishing.

The other party has a website and an internet marketing approach similar to that of the print publisher. Now this is something that anyone skilled in answering escort service lines and website design and promotion can easily do. In this case the customer is the independent escort, and similar to the print publisher scenario, that escort can answer her own telephone number or use a number provided by the answering service. A service could also be the customer.

If I were to seek a license for such a business I would want it categorized as internet publishing, promotion and sales, and telephone answering service. I believe that both categories would be necessary. In both situations – the print publisher and the web publisher – separate fees are charged according to what the client (escort service or independent escort) wants. One could place an ad for a monthly fee and answer their own telephone line. One could also place that ad for the monthly fee and contract with the answering service to answer an assigned number and provide verified client booking information.

In either case it would be immaterial to the publisher/answering service if the call went through or not, and the fee quoted to potential clients or callers is the choice of the independent or the service utilizing the publisher and/or answering service. Of course one would quickly lose the advertisers if there were no contacts provided or if they were unverified or problem-type calls. Contracts should not be longterm, but should be renewable on a monthly basis. Such a business could also charge a one time set-up fee.

This type of business collects fees from 2 directions – a fee for the monthly ad and a fee for caller information provided every time that it is provided. Each service requires its own contract with the independent escort or the escort service.

More escort business tips will be posted in the upcoming weeks.

Setting Up a Business

2010-03-02T14:00:00.000-05:00

When I wrote Blueprint for an Escort Service, I did so with a presumption that most people know how to open a business in their specific area – not necessarily an escort service, but the initial steps of opening any business. I offered some instructions in the book, including how to get an occupational license. One used to go to "occupational licenses" to get a license, but many areas in the U.S. have renamed it to something tax related, for example: department of revenue; business tax receipts, county tax collector; tax receipts etc…. I don't know why, except that the new naming scheme instills the thought of paying tax and you are paying a tax when you purchase the license. So what used to be self-explanatory now takes a little thought and exploration, but it's the same thing and usually the same people work there and it is in the same location.

I did outline basic steps of opening a business in any state, usually using a corporation or limited liability company, but it can also be done with a "fictitious name" or "assumed name" by filing the Joe Schmoe doing business as "xyz" name with the state. If you do not already know which state office to fill out the form with, it is usually easily found by Googling "open a business in Florida" (substitute your state). In Florida it is the Florida Department of State - Division of Corporations.

Only professions are licensed by the state. Some examples are: attorney; plumber; real estate appraiser; real estate sales; beautician; massage therapist; and accountant. In this situation the professional must pass a state exam of some type and be qualified to operate in the particular profession. Escorts and entertainers are not qualified by any state that I know of, so no need to dwell on a state license. To operate a business of any type, a license is required, mainly so that the local government can collect money from you. Well, it's the truth, and I'm always real on this blog.

There are some areas in the U.S. that make a person jump through hoops and spend a fortune to obtain a license to operate as an escort service. To be an escort and get the appropriate license is not much less trouble and any escort that works as an independent contractor with you will need her own license. For more information on classifications, read Independent Contractor vs. Employee. So for those geographical areas that promote a religious or moral agenda and force one to jump through the hoops in a lame attempt to circumvent the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, well that is good reason to see what other operators in the area do. It is highly unlikely that you will be the only service in a given area, so research it.

In Orlando and Orange County, Florida, the easiest route is to be an entertainment company that sends out entertainers. The same holds true for Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, believe it or not. You will encounter disdain and contempt when requesting a license for an escort company in most areas, but move beyond this and be a big girl or boy. Take control of the situation. If you know that there are 30 companies in your area and each is called an "entertainment service" then don't buck the trend. Just go with it. If you know that each is an "escort service" just get your damn license. Don't whine about people giving you a hard time – these are local government employees – just instruct as to exactly what you want. That means instruct, not ask demurely. Got that?

The escort business can be rough and plenty of people are going to throw interference in your path. The music business, pro wrestling, transportation, and even house cleaning in a heavily competitive area, are not much different. Free enterprise in the U.S. is competitive and often a fight. If you can't make it through the licensing it is unlikely that you would survive anyway.

Before the week is over I'll discuss other potential categories of businesses that could easily fit the method of operation, as discussed in Blueprint, of an escort service.

Independent Contractor vs. Employee

2010-03-02T13:51:00.000-05:00

The IRS has several specific guidelines and also offers a vague description that's open to interpretation. In relation to operating an escort service, at least in the way that I always operated, I view the "escort" as distinctly an independent contractor. In my criminal case trial, the prosecutor, John Craft, referred to each escort as an employee consistently. I had to clear-up the difference for the jury. In the DC Madam case, during Jeane's trial, I noted that media quotes of the prosecutor revealed the same issue. For some reason these prosecutors were hell-bent on declaring each escort to be an employee. During Jeane's trial I emailed her and stated that it needed to be clear for the jury, whether she testified and did the explaining or her defense attorney, Preston Burton, called an IRS agent to the stand so that the difference could be explained technically. I never heard back from Jeane and Preston Burton never clearly defined the reasons that the escorts working for Pamela Martin & Associates were independent contractors. If he had, the government version would have been easily contradicted and discredited.

Though it sounds simple, it was the root of the tree in relation to exposing twists on law in the government's case. Look at it this way – the prosecutor consistently stresses "employee" when referring to the escorts for several days in a row; probably states it a hundred times. The defense comes out and exposes the twist on words. Suddenly the defense has the attention of the jury as each juror silently wonders why the prosecutor needs to attempt to pull the wool over their eyes.

Looking at the IRS explanation and using my former business as the example:

In determining whether the person providing service is an employee or an independent contractor, all information that provides evidence of the degree of control and independence must be considered.

Common Law Rules

Facts that provide evidence of the degree of control and independence fall into three categories:

Behavioral: Does the company control or have the right to control what the worker does and how the worker does his or her job?

The actions of the worker were out of my control. I never went to a call with an escort.

Financial: Are the business aspects of the worker’s job controlled by the payer? (these include things like how worker is paid, whether expenses are reimbursed, who provides tools/supplies, etc.)

The customers were quoted a specific rate. The escort collected the money and then paid the agency its set fee from the amount collected. The agency had no way of knowing what specific amount the escort collected – an escort could easily collect much more, but she was still paying the same set fee to the agency. The escort always paid the agency, not the other way around.

The escorts were responsible for their own expenses – dressing appropriately, cellular phone, valet, gas in their own vehicle, and any other necessary expense. The escorts drove themselves to the calls.

Type of relationship: Are there written contracts or employee type benefits (i.e. pension plan, insurance, vacation pay, etc.)? Will the relationship continue and is the work performed a key aspect of the business?

There was no pension plan, vacation pay, or insurance, and the great majority of escorts only worked on occasion, setting their own schedules. An escort was never required to work any set schedule, any assigned time or assigned day. There was a contract, an independent contractor agreement, between the escort and the agency.

Why do prosecutors need to lie repeatedly to make their point? In my case the prosecutor even had the escorts that testified claim to be employees. The escorts that worked for my business could not possibly correctly confuse themselves as to having employee status. I'll conclude that the escorts in Jeane Palfrey's case could not either - but her attorney didn't bother to bring this to the attention of the jurors.

Defining Escort and Escort Service

2010-03-02T13:42:00.001-05:00

What is an Escort Service?

In the course of my research for a second book that's in progress, a situation of great importance, at least in the adult business world, has come to my attention. I believe that what is transpiring can easily be attributed to law enforcement continuously labeling hookers as "escorts" and brothels and in-call operations as "escort services" – it is as I stated it in Memoirs of an Accused Madam – the general population listens to these police agencies and believes what they state, and after it is stated repeatedly on various forums over a length of time, it becomes factual, at least in the mind.

Definition of "escort" from two sources:

Oxford University Press Dictionary & Thesaurus (2002 version):

noun (1) – entourage, attendants, bodyguard, protector, convoy, defender, contingent.
(2) – partner, companion, gigolo, hostess, geisha; informal date; dated beau.
verb (1) – accompany, guide, conduct, lead, usher, guard, protect, safeguard, defend.
(2) – partner, accompany, take out, go out with, attend on.

Cambridge University Press (2009 online version)

noun (social companion) (1) – a person who goes with another person, usually someone of the opposite sex, to a social event. (2) – someone, often a young woman, who is paid to go out to social events with another person: He hired an escort girl to go to dinner with him.

verb (formal) – to go to a social event with someone, especially a person of the opposite sex: Who will be escorting her to the ball?

Nowhere in either definition does this describe "prostitute," as a geisha is not a prostitute. Only in the U.S., thanks to overzealous law enforcement agencies, is "escort" defined as "prostitute." It must be noted that both Oxford and Cambridge are universities in the UK, so one may find "escort" defined as "prostitute" in a recent US dictionary – this is the trend lately, and not the proper English definition.

Definition of "escort service" or "escort agency":

Cambridge states: a business which supplies people who work as escorts.

Oxford online nor my 2002 version list these terms. Merriam-Webster also does not list it, so I'll go with the above stated Cambridge definition.

Now that we've straightened that out I'll get back to the problem at hand. I met two ladies a couple of days ago and each told me they had worked as an "escort" recently; however, both described an incall/brothel situation, and not at all an escort service. According to their stories, the business operator set them up in an apartment, scheduled 15 minute appointments, and sent in men. This could never be described as an "escort service" – it's clearly an incall operation, and if sex was involved, a brothel situation. Neither stated whether sex was involved or not and I didn't ask, as it falls in the category of none of my business. It simply infuriates me that a business operator would present such an operation as an escort service and these ladies had the audacity to refer to themselves as escorts! But then, I'm sure they interpreted it to be exactly that from listening to local law enforcement rhetoric that is now embedded in the minds of the general population.

An escort service sends escort out, and the escort and client go out to dinner, to a club, or tour the area. They do meet in the client's hotel room, but only to take care of business matters as this is not done publicly. An escort service can also operate as an entertainment business. An entertainer can entertain a client in the privacy of his home or hotel, and by "entertain" I mean offer a non-therapeutic body rub, a private dance, or a lingerie show. Certainly there will always be greedy and/or in-need escorts that will accept additional money (in the form of tips) for illegal services, but escorts are paid for time and company, not prostitution services. I have not yet encountered a real escort agency that takes any part of these tips, and few promote this type of service – why would they? While any escort service operator would hope that the ladies are tipped, at the same time none would expect it to be at their expense or for prostitution services.

These days every prostitute in the country is referred to as an escort, from the street hookers to the online hookers found on BigDoggie.net, Backpage, Craigslist, in Village Voice ads, or on The Erotic Review. The ads clearly reflect prostitution services, not escort services. There is a difference in services just as there is a difference in ad content.

Skip the inappropriate labels, please.