Platinum lifestyle

Post Super Bowl

Benny Black — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 19:26:00 GMT

well, what a Super Bowl for North Texas. I'm not gonna scrutinize the weather like everyone else is doing. I am going to reflect the effect. First of all, it was all it was cracked up to be. Super Bowl is truly a corporate crowd. I had more Black Amex cards this weekend than I normally have all year. But the weekend itself was good for us. When vehicles were booked early in December and the majority of the early bookings were trucks, we got smart and overloaded on trucks. SUVs to be exact. That was the rage for superbowl. The crowd is definitely a money crowd, but the emphasis is more on spending the money on entertainment as opposed to spending money on something to make you look good. Now a few exotics hit the streets on Saturday when the streets were better but overall, Escalade ruled this town

The Super Bowl effect

Benny Black — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 01:53:00 GMT

So why does it matter to me who plays in the Super Bowl. Well I have to pay attention to the cities that play in the super bowl because of my product. Certain cities bring more luxury spenders. Thats what i have to pay attention to. For example, Seattle is a city of green, energy conscious, frugal. and thats just my opinion. Now compared to Atlanta, do I need to say more. They don't call it "hot lanta" for nothing. So my concern is solely based economically. Now dont get me wrong, We will still do well because of the market we serve. But if you have additional fans who spend and go to the games then you get a bigger impact.
What are your thoughts?

Getting close to the Big Game

Benny Black — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 23:41:00 GMT

So, is there anticipation before the game. I would say so. But its really more curiosity for me than anything. Is the spending going to be as good as anticipated. Besides the fact of obvious supply and demand as far as " rental cars", will there be a demand from the high end market? Superbowl to me is personified as strongly a corporate demographic client. Now I do serve a strong corporate base ongoing, but will they spend in order to exceed my supply. I have acquired what I hope to be able to sell out completely for those 4 days.
If I am able to sell all that I have pledged to me, then anything else is complete excess. Its literalll like shooting fish in a barrell

New money is gone, are you?

Benny Black — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 22:31:00 GMT

So it's been awhile since i've posted, and i should have really kept up online because its been an incredible ride.
The recession has touched just about everyone, but the key is were you in the position to adjust quickly to the change. Take my company for instance; it was setup initially to run lean because I had no money, so that made it run lean. I had a chosen demographic that I directed my marketing toward. That demographic is the first to spend once the recession settled in and starting leveling.The last year slowed spending of the middle class. I was not marketing to the middle class but i would definitely enjoy the business when it came. Well now my customer base is becoming the exact demographic i want and need. The wealthy have always been and are now becoming more aware and particular as to whom they spend their mooney with. For example, you could run a 3 year old luxury sedan with low miles and commnand top dollar cost to drive this vehicle. Reason why because the middel class would reach for the high price and the wealthy pay the high price because if its high it must be good. Well if you had low miles and kept it very clean, you could do very well on that car because you bought it low and made maximum revenue. Now the rich want low miles and newer car, so the value now has to be there, which means you have to spend more upfront and still try and get maximum dollar revenue on just one demographic. Sounds easy right?

Evolution of a Brand,

Benny Black — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 02:41:00 GMT

I' ve blogged about brands before. This is a topic that I feel every small business owner should pay attention to. Branding is one of the key marketing items that small business owners tend to neglect. A brand, when developed and bulit correctly can help launch a business to stratospheric heights and incredible market share. It' s something that if you nurture and protect, your customers will connect emotionally with what you have bulit. When you have that connection, that's what will help you to sustain as a lasting company. I am easily one of the tightest business owners when it comes spending money. But there are some things that I do not cut corners on, marketing materials

BEFORE

AFTER

Allstar Buzz

Benny Black — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 02:56:00 GMT

NBA Allstar 2010 is turning out to be the biggest hit..or biggest flop. Everyone is throwing a party. The problem is how do you know which party is good. Do you hit 3 to 4 in a night? well if you can afford that. Some clubs are charging as much as twice the normal drink price plus cover. Diddy is said to be doing 4 parties. Then you have the lines that will be ridiculous, and the traffic as well. What do you do. Then you have the money making opportunities. Sponsorships galore, everyone theowing , but the only problem with that is what does a sponsorship do for your bottom line. how can you capitalize on that. Is there an ROI. How can you best utilize your brand to get the maximum exposure while still trying to make some money. Well thats where you have to be creative and a great salesman on how strong your brand is. I am trying to partner with an A list celebrity party so as to increase my brand awareness as well as try and capture the celebrity dollar as a client.
So throwing away the business side of this event you have to look at the entertainment aspect. it is going to be crazy here. come on out and have some fun. The amount of money that will be streaming through this city will be ridiculous. Dallas being situated perfectly in this region makes driving in for the parties the popular option even if you are not going to the game. Exotic cars will be the hottest game in town, my opinion. its all about how you look in valet.

Not all money is good money

Benny Black — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 18:58:00 GMT

This week Terry Glenn was arrested and charged with auto theft. The vehicle in question was a suburban that was rented from National Rental Car in Irving. The irony about this is that this was a former football player and just a suburban. But I have been through this before where you have to go to extreme measures in order to get your equipment back. I have had customers come in and rent vehicles to weeks at a time. You run the credit card, get the big charge and you think cool, good rental. Return date comes up and you call to verify time to return and he wants to keep a few more days, so you run the card. its declined. You call the customer and they say i wil bring you a new card to extend the dates. No show. You call again and you get the usual excuse but i will be by there to take care of the charges. Now human instinct, you think, well he is "so and so", high profile he should be good for it. But thats your mistake, you assume. Everybody has been affected by the turn in the economy. Now that may not be the case with Terry Glenn, I dont know, but the real problem is that this customer has you handcuffed because you cant rent the vehicle to another customer because you really dont have a certain date on when it will be returned. He comes in and gives you payment for the days he has used and needs more days, and will pay up when he returns. Now good business sense will tell you to confiscate the vehicle or put anther card on file in order to extend the rental period. But you want the revenue so you say no problem. BIG MISTAKE. There are stories like this throughout my industry and the limousine industry where celebrites or athletes run up the charges and you have to chase them for your money. Sometimes even file a law suit. Good saying that I use, not all money is good money. When you a re dealing with a customer and if you have even the slightest feeling thats not warm and fuzzy, dont do it.

Tiger Woods- Brand destroyer

Benny Black — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 02:52:00 GMT

So what is my weigh in on the Tiger Woods situation, well I have two different outlooks.
As a married man with 3 children, it's dissapointing to see the hurt done to the family and the disrespect of the wife. I mean some of the stupid things that came out in the news were reminiscent of young single almost collegiate mistakes with the texts and voice mails. Once you actually heard the despair of please take your name off the phone, i think my wife went through my phone. That was really pitiful.
My second though was on Tiger as the brand.It came out today that Accenture has dropped him as a spokesman. Thats a huge blow to your bottom line. As a business owner as well, these creates an interesting dilema, how long do you stay away as a money making machine? I mean, family is first, anyone who knows me, knows where my priorites lie with my family, but as you see that the empire you built is crumbling because the products that endorse you have said your actions no longer represent what we stand for, what do you do? Nike is a different story, their decision will be the most compelling. TW golf generates 800 million. But, will people still buy and adorn products that a proven adulterer with numerous women represents. Isnt a majority of the demographic buying TW golf apparel middle aged married men? im just sayin

Missed marketing

Benny Black — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 19:51:00 GMT

So the holidays are wuickly upon us. In fact so quick, I am still trying to get my marketing together. This year I think I blew my marketing opportunities. Not to say that I lost, I just did not capitalize. I mean according to most marketing calendars, I need to be planning opportunites and marketing strategies at least a full quarter ahead of schedule. It is something I struggle with, but next year will not be the same. I am looking into adding streaming video to my site as part of my marketing plan next year. I also plan to utilize the marquee board that I own on my property as well. what are some other ideas you have that you are going to incorporate next year.

Bugatti in the Lagoon

Benny Black — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:38:00 GMT

so this Bugatti in the water is all over the internet and the news. Some guy traveling down I45 looking at real estate and a bird swooped in low causing him to swerve and drop his cell phone and into the lake he goes. First of all, that was his personal car. There is not a car rental facility in the US that has a Bugatti as a rental car. But to make the situatuion even more crazy is that someone got it on youtube. That shows how crazy attention these cars get. People pull up all the time and grab their phones to record and take pictures of these cars when their traveling down the road. Whats cool about this video is they just happen to come across this car and you can hear the guys talking about driving this car someday. The power of video is amazing

Porsche Panamera- luxury sedan or not

Benny Black — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:18:00 GMT

Boardwalk Porsche had the uveiling of the new Panamera. They always draw a good crwd first of all. Boardwalk is a staple in north Plano so their crowd was nice, a good mix. Great finger foods along with wine and imported beer. The car itself, well, I'm not sold.
Dont get me wrong, its has its appeal and it will draw. I just do not think it would make a good exotic car rental. The base vehicle model starts at $118,000. you are well north of a $140,000 to get the decked out turbo nodel. The inside is stellar. It has all the cool gadgets and a great looking cockpit. The backseat is not very comfortable if you are above 6 feet. The trunk will hold 3 to 4 large suitcases. But the rear end is really a hatchback and almost looks like a Chrylser Crossfire. I havent driven it but it is a Porsche.
My opinion, i would rather have a Mercedes S63 or loaded mercedes s550.

Branding power even in a recession

Benny Black — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:34:00 GMT

Im reading today that Bentley has announced the launching of the new Mulsanne. This vehicle is replacing the Arnage and starts at $300,000. Now what I think is interesting is that they announce this vehicle in the middle of a "recession". But, you have to ask, is their customer really in a recession. The people who buy this type of vehicle have extreme wealth. And I have always said the rich will still be rich. The reports have Bentley, Lamborghini and Rolls Royce and Maybach down a cumulative 31%. But Rolls Royce, Porsche and Ferrari reported individual increases of 8%. The brand in my opinion is whats driving the sales. The fact that only certain people can afford this car is a given, but the fact that this brand is such a status symbol is the biggest catch. Right now is the best time to increase market share and double up on your marketing efforts and strengthen your brand. When your competitor is slimming back on advertising and marketing, you swoop in and gain mind share, which is important.

effective marketing for small business

Benny Black — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:45:00 GMT

So how are you effectively marketing your company with the least amount of money. In my industry the product sells itself. But you have to convince them or coach them into why they should buy. I have always relied on setting up visuals when I am marketing my company. A perfect example is when I sponsor any event whether it is a golf tournament or show, I always make sure I have an opportunity to interact with the audience that is on hand. I think that is the best way to have people interact with you and your brand.
So you have to be dynamic. If you are not, the n you have to have a dynamic product. Now, you also have to make sure your dynamic product is in front of the correct audience and demographic. I think this is going to be the best way for small companies to continue to thrive and be successful. You have to be effective and take advantage of any opportunity you have to put your product in front of eyeballs with personal interaction.Thats the winner. If they like your product your halfway there, but to keep and gain them as a customer they have to like you.

Luxury Charity for a cause

Benny Black — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:24:00 GMT

Well, saturday night was a test of all things to get money to your event. The annual Cattle Barons Ball was held about 45 miles outside of Dallas in Kaufman.This is one of the most hyped charity event of the year with tickets going for as much as $3000.
Well this night was going to be interesting. It had rained all day steadily and being on a ranch it was a mudfest.
The crowd did come out in droves with at least a 1000 people in attendance. But with rain falling steadily and even though many people came out for the party and support a great cause mother nature prevailed.

How often do you think

Benny Black — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:48:00 GMT

What do you do to grow your business? I sit and think with a pen and paper in my hand. I try and think of different ways to generate more revenue. Different ways to create different revenue streams. What am I doing that is not working. What can I do to make something work thats not working. I think that as a business owner, thats the only way to grow. You have to be constantly thinking. Your mind should never stop trying to think of different ways to succeed. Thats the disadvantage we have being small business; is that in most cases you dont have a think tank or a marketing team to bounce ideas back and forth. But the edge that we have being small, is that we can move quickly when opportunities arise. Thats the edge you have to strive and keep. When an opportunity comes, be ready to jump

additional fees should equal additional value

Benny Black — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 21:06:00 GMT

So as I was thinking about writing the subject, I'm watching CNN which helped solidify the topic. The airline industry with their extra charges they hit you with on bags brought in 669 mil in the 2nd qtr alone.Thats pretty damn good for ancillary profits. Now as a consumer, I think it sucks, but as a business owner it makes me think that if you have declining sales, you have to think of different ways to generate additional profits. When fuel costs went through the roof, we charged a ridiculous amount if you didnt return the cars with the same amount of fuel. So now we also have a surcharge of 3%. well, when you charge additional fees, in my opinion you also have to give some additional value to offset that fee. Thats the only way you can charge more for your service or product and still retain your customers. For our fee, it covers toll tags, and also the personal concierge service that we offer for every rental. Its a great service! You can call and ask them for anything and they will find it. But what makes it unique is that you can brand your company with the service by the fact that every time they call the service they hear Platinum Motorcars personal assistant how can I help you.

Tuesday luxury in the rain

Benny Black — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 02:55:00 GMT

Today, on a tuesday, i witnessed Dallas' truly best...Picture this. a Tuesday morning where it has just rained for about half an hour from 845 to about 930. The event: Dallas Best Dressed Woman 2009 for the Crystal Charity Ball. The draw: Fall preview of Michael Kors that was featured at the New York fashion show. The place: Nieman Marcus Downtown.
Result:
Fabulous!!!At 10:30 in the morning, i saw the best dressed, well heeled and true socialite crowd that Dallas has to offer. This was a mixture of Highland Park, Preston Hollow, old Preston Hollow and University Park women. The first thing you noticed from my point of view were the ones that prepared for this event, rain or shine they came looking stellar. Makeup and hair was flawless. I saw hairdos that were so perfectly cared for, it looked unreal. Outfits in leather and fur. Shoes in Michael Kors, Christian and Jimmy Choo. Jewelry, which is the telltale of all, ridiculous.. This is the old money in Dallas. The wealthy, not the rich. Its an exclusive ticket that costs 2 grand. Then you had a few younger women that you could tell let the fact that it was raining try to determine how they would look. The show was great. Michael Kors has some awesome new lines. But I also look at this differently. The fact that Niemans drew this many women on a tuesday says as much in itself. They know their demographic. Old money still goes downtown at the original Nieman Marcus, you see as a luxury brand that's your draw. That store started it all, and all the people that help build it, still support it. Thats where as a luxury brand you have to be close to your client. Reach out to them personally. Thats the best way to increase your market share. The more intimate you make your brand with the client, the more faithful they wll be.

Weathering the storm and the competition

Benny Black — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 01:22:00 GMT

This is another entry about Walmart. Well not the whole thing. They are rolling out a strategy called Project Impact. This is a remarkable marketing ploy to see other opportunites for growth and capitalize by crushing the competition out of business.
As a small business owner, and a fan of the business system of Walmart, this fires me up. You have to keep an eye on your competitors, watch their moves and counter. But before you counter you have to understand why they did a certain thing. For example, lets say your competitor lowers their prices. Now if you are in business to make money, and you want to make as much money as you can, Do you lower your prices as well? It is a recession. Well, it depends on your marketing strategy and how well your company is set up as far as cash flow and your expenses.
My choice, stand pat. I have a certain dollar amount that i expect to make off each vehicle in my fleet. There have been and are times when I am between the decision of whether to take some money or no money. Well if you are in the luxury goods business, you have to make some serious decisions on survival of your company. Lowering prices is very difficult for me to do. Mainly because I do not want to. I will make deals in order to get the business and try to make both sides happy. Customers really want to feel like they are getting a deal. So you have to give a good deal. But that determines how good of a salesman you are. You need to put the value of the purchase on a number that you choose.
I had a customer call today and the first thing he says is that he is looking for a good deal. Well thats my job to help him realize what a good deal is. Thats where you have to take control of the buy and the buyer. In my business, the product sells itself. So all I need to do is give you your perceived value in the amount that I will take for the product, or in this case my car.
So lowering prices is not an option for me. Even in a down economy you have make some concessions, but I will try other ways to give concessions to make the customer happy to get the sale. But my bottom line is the last thing for me to want to change

recession end or eye of the storm

Benny Black — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 03:18:00 GMT

As a small business owner I wonder if this Recession was really just a good belt tightening of all the excesss that floating around a not doing business. I think this has turned out to be a good time for everyone to tighten their belts and run more lean, plus in my case it has also helped to stimulate more ideas for generating additional revenue streams and different marketing ideas as well. Now, not to say that I am not always doing the latter, but slower economic times makes you really consider many different options. What makes this so much better of a time in my opinion, is that if you come up with some great ideas, just think how more revenue will come when things get better.
There are some people who say that this is just the eye of the storm that we are seeing. We still have the backside of this ecomic storm to go through. So if that is the case then many businesses that were barely left standing after this will have a really tough time pulling through.

WALMART a small business?

Benny Black — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 02:39:00 GMT

So i am reading through the net tonight and I run across a Walmart story. The retail giant is gaining momentum. Now that would make anyone in the retail business cringe. I read the story and what impressed me the most was the ending quote "People are surprised at the merchandise and at the ambiance of the stores," says Sosnick. "Early in a recovery, people resume spending slowly, and Wal-Mart has already got them in their stores." The company can thank the recession for that, but it's doing what it needs to do to keep them there."
This is a very large company that is adjusting to the spending climate and poising itself to reap the benefits for years. The company moves at the rate and effectiveness of a small business. But they are in effect doing doing a business philosophy in customer service that I try and practice; C.A.M.
CAPTURE you capture the customer with your service or product. Walmart in effect was given then new customer.
AMPLIFY after you have them as a customer you amplify their experience with you. Walmart did this with the remodel of their stores.
MAINTAIN keep the customer.
Its that simple. You have to do whatever you can to capture the customer. I do this with displaying my cars in different areas where there will be a propensity and a higher likely chance for someone to spend money to drive one of these cars. I have marketing relationships with hotel Zaza currently and very soon Mansion on Turtle Creek. I will park a car at each hotel with a window sticker rate sheet. This type of marketing has been in Vegas for years, what better way to live a lifestyle.
Then to amplify your experience with contact through various forms of media, have your customer fall in love with the brand.

Luxury Spending- Congress Style

Benny Black — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:50:00 GMT

So Congress bought 3 new G550 Gulfstreams out of what was suppose to be 8. Ok, no big deal. Then I read they paid what i generally call a "Benny Tax". which is 66 milion for a 49 million dollar jet. Now you have to look at this from both sides. The guy who sold them the jets, as a business owner, hey shoot for the moon when your buyer can print money. I mean, it's the government. The seller went for a price and they bought. Even though there are many, mant private jets just lying around that have been repossessed or just barely bought. Plus there are many plane brokers now since there is a surplus of planes. And correct me if I am wrong; but doesn't the government take sealed bids when purchasing? And I would presume they would take the lowest bid. Well, like I said, shoot for the moon.
Now, the other side I guess would ask, "why would you overcharge for a product that the taxpayers are paying for". Not much really to say but that they could have bought from anyone. So what do you think about the way Congress spends money

luxury jets, a necessity?

Benny Black — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:07:00 GMT

So I was reading yesterday how Bill Clinton swoops into N Korea and rescues the two journalists held captive. Great story. But being in the luxury market and watching the event unfold when they stepped off the plane, my mind quickly goes to the fact of the plane. First of all it was a private 737 Boeing that was given to Bill by Dow Chemical. Steve Bing chipped in 200,000 to offset the costs of the roundtrip.What a great friend to have. then if you read further in the article, it talks about how congress has bought some other planes as well, and not the used ones that re out in the market or all the ones that have been repo'ed, and there are quite a few. They went and bought new G550s. It just helps to keep my mind on the positive, there are still some people and organizations that certain luxuries will not be given up.

Luxury bang for your buck, Hotel Zaza

Benny Black — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 21:03:38 GMT

Saturday afternoon at Hotel Zaza. The pool is packed with at least a hundred people alone. body sizes of every kind as well. real estate here comes at a premium. the north and south end of area adjacent to the pool is the most highly priced. The north end is a cozy 3 cott arrangement, 2 tables a beer tub and mixers. This one is sold as a bottle service at a 300.00 premiuim. Genius. The south end has the cott along with a daybed, umbrella and 3 tables, I think it goes for a two bottle minimum. Then you have the tanning chairs along the perimeter of the wall. These can be had by calling ahead and reserving or getting there at 10 am. either way you pay because you have to drink what they have serving to keep from passing out. The berry mojitos are excellent. The music is a mix of dance hip hop and 70's. We are rolling Lamborghini tonight. i've sat from my balcony and watched luxury car after luxury car drive by or pull into the front drive of Zaza.
Sunday afternoon is a little tamer crowd but they also bring in a DJ who spins from 2p to 10p. You see, as a luxury service provider, hotel Zaza gets it. They put out such a stellar product that you spend there no matter what. They have one of the top pool scenes in Dallas. As a business owner, the money they can generate from the pool on the weekends is beautiful. But the key is the marketing and the control. Its not a very big area, so you have to keep control on the number of people who come from the neighborhood and the guests you have staying at the hotel. Thats the only issue that can crush your profit center.

Successful Event

Benny Black — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 00:06:00 GMT

600 plus people through the door. Valet backed up 15 cars deep to get in the parking lot. Moet and Belvedere flowing so freely, and Trece provided some incredble bites to munch on. I would definitely say it was a success. I have a number of great supporters out there. We helped raise enough money for Cheryl to get almost 18000 pounds of food. Minnies Food Pantry is who we were raising money for to help feed the hungry. It was a great event. Successful definitely in the marketing. As a small business owner I can now guage my penetration in the market and continue to capitalize on that. I am so happy this was a successful event. Many more will have to come. check the dallas morning news article

platinum motorcars luxury explorer tv

Benny Black — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:19:00 GMT

luxury explorer tv in dallas

Platinum Celebration

Benny Black — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:38:00 GMT

Thursday July 23, 2009 Platinum Motorcars Day. At least that is what I am trying to pull off. That night we are hosting our grand opening with a great cause called "The Giving Movement". I have assembled working with me a great team of people to help pull this off. There are lot of working parts when you try and pull something off to the scale we are trying to do. It should be a grand event and a great showcase of cars, people and the need to still give during these times. I think everyone wants to give. Some people give openly with their time and money doing various fundraising activities. While others want and like to give but it takes a good event to really shake loose the cash. A good event encompasses every marketing tool and really can let a business owner know where he fares in the public market. It is the perfect opportunity to analyze your business. This is what we are going to do next thursday. Analyze.

ailing auto industry- this is not another cry me a song

Benny Black — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 02:26:00 GMT

ive written about the american auto companies before. it is really a shame how they were run into the ground. we never recurited good designers, and some of the brands were the worse. but you have to take a look at this factory in Germany. the place builds the VW Phaeton. this is the most spectacular place that builds cars. its not something you want to see happen to any of the autoworkers, but when you see this, there is no other way, this is the future. this makes it very hard to say we are the richest nation, because this factory puts our factories eons behind in progress and technology.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd5WGLWNllA

saturday night in dallas, four spots in a nght

Benny Black — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:58:00 GMT

saturday night in dallas. we pushed the Phantom around town last night and hit four spots.we stopped by Karlson's clothier lauch party. he has a great selection of patterns and ties. the place for his party i thought was very ecclectic. but there was no air conditioning. that is a BIG problem for throwing parties in texas. it was unbearable. we moved from there very quickly and dropped in at Bella. it now draws a nice neighborhood crowd from turtle creek through uptown. Tony and Peatrie are doing well with place. good food, great staff and a real new york feel. by the way, the drive up scene is 5 out of 5 stars. the lightly tinted wraparound glass and the highly lit valet area surrounding the patio as well, this is a great spot to pull up to. after a drink there bopped over to the Ritz. We have to have the ony Ritz in the collection where it is a designated hotspot. the rattlesnake bar was packed. this place is easily 5 out of 5 stars every time if the night is right. the valet is small but very good for pulling up to. you are bascially on display underneath the large concrete porta cochere, and the valet know how to treat you when you arrive. they all speak and announce your name if you are a regular. inside bar was packed with good lookin people everywhere. the outside patio even had a nice crowd and it there was a small breeze inside their patio. plenty of room to mingle and have good conversation.
from there we went downtown and hit PM lounge. this place has so much promise but the small things are going to kill it.
main street is such narrow street so it always backs up. the valet do not have a clue and have no control over the situation. when you get inside this place literally becomes a club, the lounge idea is completely wrong. it is so packed you cant even move through. the only place to be is at a table. but since the tables are floor level and not sectioned off they are basically small coves inset into the sides of the walls. a better idea woul be to raise them somewhat so that anyone sitting down does not have a drink spilled on them and no one walks by with their rear end in your face. they have some good music but way too crowded. and if you are dressed clean, its not the place you want to go to.
but the worst part was valet. my car was parked upfront when we walked out. there is still a ridiculously long line of people waiting to get into the club. the valet who parked my car, never gave the valet mgr my key. so while he was out running after cars and moving cars we were waiting outside to the tune of almost 20 minutes. thats never good when you see your car parked right in front and cant get in and drive off. the valet is a huge part in whether someone will return. if you cant leave when exactly when you want, it turns a good night into a very sour ending.

liquor parties

Benny Black — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 03:38:00 GMT

the joule is really doing a good of getting people to their pool. last tuesday was a party for veuve champagne. tonight was for Belvedere vodka. it was nice. lots of color promoting te different flavors of vodka. lots of little lovelies in bikinis and sun dresses. the fellas wer dressed very down. but it was a good event. perfect time for this heat.

super car trouble?

Benny Black — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:05:00 GMT

so i was reading today that lamborghini becasue they are down 30%, the wait time on a new one is less than six months. they say they do not expect production levels to get back until 2012. this puts a damper on lambo fans especially since their largest dealer shut down in nov 08. now this does not affect me since i never buy brand, but it will be interesting to see if they back off any of their marketing. that what i look for from manfacturers. how well are you marketing your product to creat demand. if they do good, people want to drive which cause them to want to rent one. now in a different zip code; the four season hotel george in paris has just unveiled their new hermes custom rolls royce phantom. the car apparently has a star lit roof, giving homage to the city of lights and they trained five drivers to spcifically handle this car. to be picked up at the airport it will run you a grand, and for day trips it cost just 5 grand. not too shabby.

PR yout ticket to exposure

Benny Black — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:37:00 GMT

When building a company, especially as an entrepreneur you have to decide where to spend your dollars to get the most bang for the buck. The hardest part is recognizing the difference between your marketing dollars and your advertising dollars. Now I dont spend much of anything on advertisng as far as print media. I do spend online as far as my website, search engine marketing and search engine optimization and keywords. My canvass marketing is done by attending events and driving with signs on my cars.
PR, if done right, is the best marketing expense you can have. Now some people try and do their own PR,and I have been one of those people before in the past. The only problem was that when you own the business, you think it's the best thing in the world. but other people may not see it as newsworthy as you do. plus in my opinion, you have to devote your time to doing whats best, mine is moving vehicles not writing press releases and contacting the media on story ideas. PR takes time and you have to have great contacts, writing skills, and the ability to sell a story idea. i use Susan Friedman @ FMPR. people, i gotta tell you, the lady knows what she is doing. PR is something that you have to have a skill at doing. it is something that every business owner needs. there is nothing like media touting and blowing your horn for you and your business. and when you get really good on camera, you become the go to guy for anything related to your business or category.

DUB does Dallas

Benny Black — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:36:00 GMT

Saturday night DUB Magazine had the 2009 Dallas show at the Dallas Convention Center. From what I was told this show was a lot smaller than previous shows. The acts were Chamillionaire, Gorilla Zoe and another rapper. We will leave that report for another day.
I entered the Phantom. We took Best Luxury. The amazing thing is what people have the ability to do with cars and so many of them love customizing cars. The highlight though in my opinion was the hot look of a customized Taurus. Yes, I said Taurus, check the pics.

Del Friscos Annual Golf Tournament

Benny Black — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 04:01:00 GMT

i was at Del Friscos dinner for their annual golf tournament benefitting Cystic Fibrosis. You want to talk about a group of giving individuals giving to a cause. Dee Lincoln is fabulous the way she works a room. It was a packed house. To start it off, They thanked Scott Riggs with Ashton Energy as a presenting Sponsor. Then before the Live auction even began an anonymous donor gave 20k.
After that they let people give in 10k donations, then 5k donations down to 100 dollars. What made this beautiful is that you can see that everyone there was giving to a friend and her cause. That was what made this night so special. You can tell and see it in Dee Lincolns eyes how important this is to her; and when all her friends(who btw are also loyal customers) all come out to support her, they really do. great night

Texas' Next Top Designer

Benny Black — Fri, 22 May 2009 03:20:00 GMT

tonight at the now vacant LFT space down in Victory the board for Texas' Next Top Designer threw a fashion show and gala. There were many models and over 30 designers. The crowd was very diverse, Baron James, looking as dapper as usual, was in the house. They really drew quite a crowd. You will have to stay tuned for who got the award.

West Village, The Scene

Benny Black — Sat, 16 May 2009 14:38:00 GMT

a beautiful day in Dallas on friday. The patio scene in Dallas as i have mentioned before is the best in West Village. While sitting there yesterday LaMarcus Aldridge pulls up in his range rover. Not many people may know him, but he is a native of seagoville which is just outside of Dallas and now plays for Portland Trailblazers. He is a 7 footer and when he got out, you definitely couldnt miss him.
Then 20 minutes later a Bentley GTC pulls up and Jerry Jones and his wife steps out to go see a movie at the magnolia theatre.
That is the scene and corwd that West Village pulls.

4th and Long

Benny Black — Fri, 15 May 2009 03:45:00 GMT

so tonight I attended the premier screening for Michael Irvin's reality show 4th and Long. It was held at Sting in North Dallas. This had to be the most diverse crowd i have seen. The Cowboys organization was in the house including Jerry Jones. There were also some prominent attorneys present, Larry Friedman of Freidman & Feiger. Then you had all the ball players including the groupies. the place was slammin. It was tastefully put together and well organized. the highlight wa to see coach Rich Behm and his wife. The donation was stellar and really touching.

overexposed

Benny Black — Tue, 12 May 2009 01:31:00 GMT

Theres no such thing as "overexposure". Donald Trump wrote a book about it. It rings true. When you are a small business owner you have to incorporate everything you can to get as much exposure as possible. These are the best times. People are doing a lot of looking and investigating on any of their purchases. But if you have a business that appeals to an emotion, you will still prevail. The trick is to make your emotional appeal stronger. I use cars. Luxury cars illicit a number of emotional triggers. So i expose my vehicles at every opportunity that i can get. You have to stay on top of their mind

Goodbye Roy Williams

Benny Black — Sat, 09 May 2009 03:31:00 GMT

Roy Williams signed with the Cincinati Bengals. I have to say this is one of the classiest guys that you will meet in professional sports. It is a shame we have to see him go. He had his annual celebrity golf tournament benefitting the Safety Net Foundation.
the pre party and celebrity pairings party was the night before on Wednesday. It was very well put together. Held at the womens museum, which help create a strong sense of what this organization supports in single mothers. the tournament was the next day at The Tribute golf club. Roy Williams is one of the most graceful hosts. He takes the time to meet everyone at his events and genuinely wants to know everyone. Sorely missed

Fight Night in Dallas

Benny Black — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:51:00 GMT

Last night I attended the Real Estate Council Fight Night at the Hilton Anatole. It was my first time at this event. Now I was told it was not as glam as it usually is, economy of course considered. But I thought it was good. It was casino style themed with tables everywhere!! It was black tie with everyone wearing tuxedos and evening gowns, a sit down dinner, and then real boxing!! they had a ring setup in the ballroom and actual sanctioned featherweight boxing. They brought in the announcer from Showtime sports. Im not that big on boxing, but it was a neat event.

How bad Do you want it

Benny Black — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:21:00 GMT

Reading in the paper today, Exon Mobile finally dethroned the behemoth WALMART on Forbes as the top company on the S&P. Walmart held the top spot for the last six of seven years. That is remarkable that oil and retail are the top two companies. It makes me think that even as things are quieting on the front as far media stories of economic woes, you have to keep your foot on the pedal. As a small company, you have to constantly be putting your self out there for people to know who and where you are. When you have a small business, the survival of your company depends solely on the fire and passion burning in you to succeed. You have to want to succeed and think of some new way to progress every day. Some people think that when you own your own business, you get to set your own hours. No, it means that you are always working all hours. You have to enjoy what you do in order to work on your business. notice that I said on your business. You canot work on your business if you are working in your business. Which is why you have to get to where you have the right people in place in order for you to work on your business. Walmart started out as one store in Bentonville.

Beauty Live Galleria Dallas

Benny Black — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 02:22:00 GMT

tonight was the pre-party for Beauty Live hosted by Stylin Steve Kemble. There were over 600 attendants for this party. they had Cirque De Solis acrobats pouring champagne while haging from suspended rings. There were samples of all different kinds of dishes from the participaiting restaurants. the vibe was fast and warming, everyone smiling because they make you smile. When you first walk through they have impromptu paparazzi flashing cameras at you while calling you a particular celebrity. the guy in front of me was called Chris Brown and badgered with questions about Rhianna. I was called Puff Daddy. Anyway very creative, it was fun and there were so many different age groups mingling together it was remarkable. then the fashion show started that had some great outfits for the summer. They are celebrating the grand re-opening and redesign of the Westin Galleria. It is definitely worth going over the next three days.

Wifey of the Year Award

Benny Black — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 01:02:00 GMT

I Had a female customer call and put together an incredible birthday present for her husband the other day. Now its not unheard of in the business. But to tell you the truth, women always take the time to put together a memorable birthday. They plan.
What was neat about this trip was that she put this together from San Antonio. They flew in on the first flight from San Antonio which landed in Dallas at 920 AM. He had no idea what all had been planned when he arrived that morning in Dallas. I had the Porsche convertible waiting outside. They drove to EuroCopter where she had planned flight hours for him to fly a helicopter. Once they were done there, I had swapped the Porsche for the Bentley coupe (the original car she ordered) and they drove to the Ritz Carlton where she had dinner reservations at Fearings. Then a leisurely drive back to Love Field and they caught the last flight out of Dallas at 830PM. Thats how creative women are putting things together for a special day. Easily puts her in the front for Wifey of the Year.

Faith or Fear?

Benny Black — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:33:00 GMT

I posted this question on Facebook, and it has developed into an interesting discussion. What drives you in your endeavors. the economy has raised this issue among many people. Fear is what most people do not want to admit drives them. One person told me both Fear and Faith motivates him because he is afraid to fail. But that cannot be the case today. you cannot be afraid to fail. Athough that is very tough to do. Failure is what most successful people have experienced. If you have not failed then you really have not succeeded. Fear of the unknown as to whether you will have a job when you arrive for work. Fear as a business owner as to whether you will make payroll or expenses the next month. Fear is what sets in when you hit that crossroad of do I look for another job or create one as an entrepreneur. It also does not help that many people around you will tell you that starting a business is risky or making that type of expansion is risky in the economy. I hear this from a lot od people about my business. But I thrive on Faith!!. I know my clientele personally. I try and understand how they think and ask them what they need and what i can do better to continue to have them support my business. They trust me. The only way you can be sure you made your best effort is ti step out on Faith. Because if you dont, you will always wonder what if I had done this or done that. Who knows, you may fail. Many people will say, I told you so! But if you succeed, and those naysayers are still around. Look who has made a difference in their own life and took control.

Grand Luxe or Envy

Benny Black — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:46:00 GMT

So I hit two automotive related events tonight both thrown by two different types of magazines. The first one was thrown in the new Autoscope facility at the Dream Garage complex. Grand Luxe Registry put the event together. The facility is great. This is the place i will be taking my cars when they go out of warranty. They had DeBoulle jewelry on display, RUF Porsche, and an electric steinway piano was playing. They also had V-Spa doing chair massages in one of the lounges at Autoscope. It was an example of the luxury network parties being thrown by Grand Luxe. The publisher is Tiim from American Driver.
The next one was at University Park Audi. It was thrown with Dallas Margarita Society. The DJ was Clevermonkeys, i want this guy at my party. They also had liquor pouring and some free bites. There crowd grew big very fast. I met the CEO Shnae Long. They were showing the new designed Q5. These two events served their purpose but the Audi event was very edgy and hip. Perfect for a beautiful day as today.

Rolls or Maybach

Benny Black — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:08:00 GMT

last week I did an experiment around Dallas. I pushed the Rolls one evening and then the maybach. One is purely meant to be driven and the other can both ways. The Phantom is by far my favorite of all the big cars. Black on Black. Easily the biggest thing on the road. The instruments and switches are very simple. The ride, smooth as glass. This car is put together so well that when you turn off the climate controls you ca actually see the caps inside the vents seal when they close to keep out side smells from settiling in the car. The sound system is good in the back of the car, but a bit pedestrian in the front. The power of a v12 turbo, excellent when you accelerate.But where this car rules is in valet. Nothing on the road shuts the place down when you pull up like a Phantom. The grill makes such a statement its as if your car makes everyone stand at attention. Then the suicide doors. there is no better exit than getting out of the back of a Rolls.
Now Maybach is a different kind of luxury. Driving is exactly as you would expect from a Mercedes built vehicle. Also smooth as glass. I dont think the ride is as tight as the Rolls but it does not have a lot of float as many cars do. The instruments in this car, a handful. It has knobs and switches in the front and back and gives you a lot of control as you are being driven unlike the Phantom.
But the downfall for this car, which some people may like; is that it does not draw near the attention as the Rolls. If you just look up when it comes by, it looks like a bis S class Mercedes, but when its parked, it draws attention but does not command it.

Marcus Spears Birthday Bash

Benny Black — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 01:43:00 GMT

Last night I popped in at Buddah 9 on Main St. in downtown Dallas. The VIP manager Rafael is very good at what he does. Personal service, his job os to make you feel like a VIP and he does along with his team in the VIP. The place filled quickly at around 11 pm. They played current top rap hits so the place had a good vibe. The roof top patio is also a nice touch at night. Bradie James and Chirs Canty were also in the house. Partychasers was the promoter. It was a good event because the players mingled in the crowd instead of sitting up in the VIP area off limits. Thats what people like to see.

Fresh Faces 2009

Benny Black — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:32:00 GMT

Park Place hosted Fresh Faces of Dallas last night at the mercedes dealership. they easiy had over 300 people show up early for this event. it went off very nicely. Now the free booze, and munchies also helps out, but Modern Luxury is the media partner and they always draw a crowd. Its events like these that help to solidify the move we are making to our new building. My facility will soon be hosting the same kind of parties for numerous events. People like to be around expensive cars. And there is no better way of marketing into the community when people enjoy coming to your location.

New Digs

Benny Black — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 23:35:00 GMT

Platinum has signed the lease on a new 7500 sq ft dealership. This location will be our anchor in an aggressive marketing strategy I have planned for this year. The location is on North Central Expressway and Royal Lane, this gives great visibility and an easy to reach location. Clientele will be able to walk into an indoor showroom to view the fleet and enjoy our lounge area. We start remodeling on monday. stay tuned....

Dallas economy still chugging along

Benny Black — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 04:09:00 GMT

You know, I guess I am looking at this economic situation through foggy glasses. All conversations now begin with how is your business doing during these times. My response, well people in a certain class want to continue the lifestyle they are use to. And the ones that can afford it,do.
The Dallas Morning News Business section had an article on how Uptown is still continuing to build despite other areas. The Ritz continued forward and finished their second tower. But it is the Ritz. They will not let a project look half finished. I stopped in on thursday for a meeting. Rattlesnake Bar was packed. Now granted it was all men from some type of convention or meeting, but at 530 you could not sit down anywhere.
Today, it was 70 degrees and West Village was packed.Mi Cocina, of course leading the way. Their sales are up. People still like to enjoy themselves and spend money. But the service is what packs thats place. But as I have mentioned before, on certain nights, thats the place to be.
So we are going to go against the grain and do what the Ritz is doing. Finish our plans. I took possesion of a dealership today. I am moving the company into a larger facility. Some people would say that's crazy. Thats where I guess my eyes are foggy. I see this as a great opportunity to increase market share and a stronger presence.This also increases exposure at a minmal cost for the move.
So that's an advantage in my eyes.

Valentines Part 2

Benny Black — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 21:14:00 GMT

So for the evening we got dolled up and went to have dinner at the Ritz.. We took the Bentley coupe. The line to get into the parking lot was a little backed up but it was a good scene. Out front sat a black Rolls Royce, another Bentley coupe, a Spur and two Ferraris. So you had to step out in style last night. Now the Rattlesnake Bar is my regular drinking hole. We got there a little before 8. , but expect that. During that of evening it's also quite a bit quiet. It was almost a whisper when we came in. It was crowded, but a very subdued crowd of couples. Which is exactly opposite later in the evening, much more louder and happening. But as many times as i have been there, I have never eaten there. What I found out from a friend of mine we were dining with was that there are three sections for dining. We ate in the formal room. Which was loaded with a Who's Who of diners. You can easily tell the baller table by the position in the room. The Champion of justice had that table. MR 22 himself and his wife stopped by and said hello. But the biggest thing is that Dean Fearing himself comes over and greets your table. Now i dont know if he does that all the time, and if he does, that's a nice touch. Talk about somebody who can sell an entre'. Listening to him talk about the dishes he prepared on the menu would make your mouth water. It was a good night. When we finished our meal and walked back out to the bar, it was slammed. Saturday night at The Ritz, still the place to be.

Valentines Day part 1

Benny Black — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 00:03:00 GMT

Here is a nice little tidbit writtten up about us in the Ft Worth Star Telegram.

Friday the 13th- Fabulous

Benny Black — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 03:39:00 GMT

76 degrees in Dallas today. the malls were bustling, took a spin through Galleria, as you can guess the dsy before valentines, the place was male dominated. You have to give us an A for effort for those that went and grabbed something last minute. I am one of those men, but at least I listen and knew what she wanted. Patios are packed. West Village was moving. Thats one place that when the temp rises above 70, thats the place to be for patios. Mi Cocina and Taco Diner, mambo taxis are the one to have. Then there was the cocktail party at Bengal Coast for the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic. She drew a very diverse crowd. Which is nice to draw in Dallas. Stylin Steve was in the house. This cat is just fun, you can tell he really loves what he does. But the host Lexi Hammond, she pulled off a nice event, everyone was intermingling and the Dj spun some good tunes. But what was cool is that some of the people eating dinner in the next room, slid into the event also. The whole weekend has some action in Dallas, stay tuned.

Above the Rim w Jason JETT Terry

Benny Black — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 04:57:00 GMT

Tuesday night was the premier show. It was in the new restaurant Tres Amici. The place is fabulous on the inside. The bar is small but is open to a large dining room that is very dimly lit with rich woods throughout. The food is being prepared by Judd Fritsch for formerly from Pappas Bros. I had a sea bass appetizer that was exceptional. Jason Terry has to be one of the most personable professional basketball player. He does well on the mic and is very entertaining. Antoine Wright was his first guest, he was good.

Houston, luxury overnight getaway

Benny Black — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:22:00 GMT

Yesterday when snow and ice hit Dallas and locked everything down i was just 250 miles away down I45.It was 77 degrees in Houston. I stayed at Hotel ZaZa in the Museum District. The place is stellar. The area around the hotel is beautiful. I would guess that area would compare to our turtle creek/highland park area. The hotel is twice the size of the Uptown property and shows well. The Hotel is built around the pool. If you like the Urban Oasis in Dallas, then you will love the oasis at this property. I stayed in the Bella Suite; FABULOUS. Its a two bedroom suite on the 12th floor. The hotel is 8 miles from the Galleria area, The Heights and Midtown are all within 15 minutes. i do reccomend GPS. I had one and it made things so much easier to move around. I wanted to try a restaurant that was only Houston. This city has a lot of the big names that we have Del Friscos, Arcodo..etc. I went to Benjys . Another great choice. i was at the original on Dunstan. I was told they have another location in the Heights that is much better than the original. you need to try it, definitely worth it. The staff in both the hotel, and the restaurant are so attentive. It was a good trip.

Timing

Benny Black — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 22:38:00 GMT

Ferrari announced the opening of a brand new facility in Tampa Florida. The timing is perfect as that is where the super bowl is being played next month. Sure to bring in some definite traffic. There are some incredible opportunities that if you have been resourceful you can actually gain ground in spite of the situation. I am looking to try and do the same thing. CALCULATED risks. But if you utilize timing you can win. i will keep you informed

2009 Bigger and Better

Benny Black — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 04:37:00 GMT

2008 was a tough year in the end for many people. But i really think it depends on the person. Businesses have different ways of cutting costs to continue to survive. People who think like a business will be the ones to survive. There are so many ways to either cut back on certain items, or think of new more creative ways to enjoy certain items and luxuries. Many of my clients are making those ways a reality. The Platinum Motorclub is a new project that i am working on that will afford certain clientele the luxuries and lifestyle they are accustomed to. Owning an exotic is a money consuming liability. Especially in this market. So let us carry the burden and added expense, and you carry a fixed monthly fee. Tell you mre soon.......

WALMART or walmart?

Benny Black — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 18:55:00 GMT

WALMART. Many people do not realize the behemoth of what is the the nations largest retailer. I realized something as I was watching a commercial today. When did they add that little symbol as part of their new brand. Then, when you hear the little music behind it, you think, hmmm. WALMART has softened their image. They aren't the big box chain thats stuffed in your neighborhood any more. walmart* cares about the consumer. Come in and see our stores and get good fair prices for all your needs. But on the back side, i read an article in the Dallas News that walmart will be selling iphones. Bsically they leaned on APPLE and said you can't move enough of these phones without us to make it a total global success. So im going to go in and sell them discounted at $197, and if anyone else tries to lower their price, i will match it. That is domination.

A Day of Giving to Remember

Benny Black — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:33:00 GMT

You sit at home at night watching the news and see all the news coverage of the charity events and galas. Today i had the extraordinary opportunity to be a part of one that was special. Friedman & Feiger, in conjunction with the Gene & Jerry Jones Foundation and the Playmaker Foundation, put on a dinner and organized a christmas shopping spree for over 150 families through the Salvation Army. Nick & Sams was the place where a needy family was ushered in through the oppulent doors and greeted by volunteers dressed as elves. You got a christmas wish list to walk through over 30 stations of gitf tables and pick out for your wish list. Coats, jewelry, school supplies,blankets, and many other donations were given out. Dallas Cowboys Hall of Famer Michael Irvin showed up as Santa Claus. Its these kind of events that whe you interact with the different people that are there; its a beautful moment. So many volunteers and donations were given that were unsolicited was the real treat. You could see the happiness throughout the place from the families that were present. This was the first event for its kind from Friedman & Feiger and after being a part of something like this, the next will be something even more monumental.

Phantom Coupe unveiled

Benny Black — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:44:00 GMT

Last night Park Place Rolls Royce had the official unveiling of the Phantom Toupe(two-pay) pronounced. The crowd was small and intimate by invite only. Apparently my invite must have gotten lost in the mail. I called and tried to get on the list and no one returned my calls, so I crashed the party. Rolls Royce apparently does not favor their pristine vehicles being used in a rental fleet. Needless to say, the car is bad!!! This car had a metallic chocolate paint with tan interior and stainless trim. I am not sure if I like the stainless. For an additional 10 grand you can have the hood paitn matched, which makes no sense to me. But it was the kind of party and small group that you stand around and wonder, who really can afford to scoop up this $400,000 behemoth.

Practice with the Dallas Cowboys

Benny Black — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 01:56:00 GMT

Today I got the glorious opportunity of watching a practice and tour the locker room of Americas Team. Now if you have never been to a practice and tour of a professional sports team, you are starting at the top when you visit valley ranch. When you walk through, there is a feeling of a powerful brand. When you get up to date coverage on the internet it's because it is live. There are reporters there all day and every day. Then, on this day, and according to some well known statistics, I got to meet some fans from Mexico. That shows how far this brand extends. The highlight of this is you meet everyone in the organization including Jerry Jones himself. Mr. Jones took 20 minutes out of his daily routine of running an empire and spoke to us personally about how strong this brand is in the fact that the cowboys just secured 400 million in financing. Now that is incredible during these times of credit scarcity to secure that large amount of money. Mr. Jones also relished in a a couple of stories of how he bought the team and the work ethic of Michael Irvin during practices. Now I dont know how often you get to see and spend time with a man running a billion dollar organization. But this is something you get when you buy seats at the ew stadium. You are genuinely treated as if you are part of the organization. They make you feel like you are part of the organization. How do you get to be a part of this? Buy seats at the new stadium.

Monday Night Off With The Helmet

Benny Black — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 03:18:00 GMT

Tonight was big in Del Friscos. TO was the guest. This was by far one of the more entertaining of all the shows. The show was again held in te main dining room. The crowd of course very large. Memorabilia was everywhere. But there were maybe 10 items signed. If you had just walked in, you would have thought that they were being rude because they were not signing autographs. But if you made a donation to the Marcus Spears Foundation. I thought that was brilliant. Because if you think about it, most of those signed items make it to EBAY. The segment covered everything about the last 3 wins, but the most entertaining was the interviews between Marcus and TO. They gave us some inside jabs on Former coaches and the comradery inside the locker room. They also spoke of TO'S foundation and his second annual birthday bash. Its a good show, and afterwards Marcus hung around for sa live auction of some autographed sports memorabilia to raise money for a family in New Orleans.

Black Friday, how about a Green Saturday

Benny Black — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 05:12:00 GMT

Black Friday is suppose to be the busiest shopping day after Thanksgiving. Well the reports are still coming in. Today, we did a ride and drive at Lombardos Custom Apparel with Boardwalk Maserati. There were over 100 people scheduled to drive. So you say, its just 100 people. Well, it was first of all by invite only. And some ofthe people present were actually in the market to buy a vehicle of the type they were driving, but didint want to deal with pressured salesmen who as you can guess are very eager to sell a car.
So for an invite only event, 100 people to arrive on a saturday morning from 11 am to 3 pm is not too bad

Saturday Night at PM Lounge

Benny Black — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 16:11:00 GMT

PM LOUNGE, a new hotspot below The Joule made famous by the Adam Jones incident; was an interesting debacle last night.
Saturday nights in Dallas typically are date nights, I also like to call it amateur night. Word was that PM draws an older crowd from the clientele of Medici and Sense; the private club that closed from entrepreneur Tristian Simon. This could be true as I think the money crowd from those clubs are looking for a new upscale lounge. Well on saturday night, that was definitely not the case. Dont get me wrong, you could see a few upscale gentlemen in the place but majority of the crowd was late twenty somethings, and early thirties. The door is handled by a fabulous hostess named Sarah. and it does not matter how good you look, she is very serious about her job, if you are not part of the A-list crowd you dont get in immediately. The line starts to build around 11 and never really dies down. The scene is strong. Main street becomes a drag strip of people driving back and forth. Because of this, valet is horrible. It is just like any high end place, only because of the drag issue, it takes some time to get your car. But if you are in a hot car, andeasily remembered you tend to get in and out pretty quick. I gave my valet stub at the same time with another patron and my car was there easily within a couple of minutes, the other patrons car took 40 minutes. I know this because a friend of mine was riding in that car and rode him with me. The inside of the place is sweet. not very large at all, so you have to be a table buyer or you are stuck trying to work your way through the crowd. there are two bars, one half circle in the front and one long one in the back, but unfortunately that one was not available due to Jerry Stackhouse having a VIP party in the back. Once the players started arriving, that really made the valet ridiculous. All those people waiting to leave had to wait even longer as valets were taking cars of those players arriving. Is it the spot to be? I think so on any other night during the week.

Why should I change my lifestyle

Benny Black — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:35:00 GMT

so I saw this video on yahoo about the Big 3 automakers flying private jets to washington and asking congress for 25 billion dollars to bail out their companies or they will go bankrupt.
Wow! the balls they have. When I see this it makes me realize that if you are marketing to a niche clientele, no matter what condition the economy is in, some luxuries will not be discarded. Private air travel is truly the ultimate in travel. i compare this with my business. If you are accustomed to flying private there is no substitution. I think that my clients feel the same way about renting certain vehicles.If you are accustomed to driving a mercedes, why should you have to look forward to driving a ford product. Seriously, can any of the big rental car agencies provide you with a vehicle suitable to the lifestyle that you have attained?
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?cl=10744823

Big 3 failure

Benny Black — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 04:49:00 GMT

General Motors, Chrysler and Ford are asking congress for a 25 billion dollar bailout. General Motors is burning through 1 billion dollars a month and will be out of cash in early 2009.My position on this, I feel really bad for the jobs that are being lost, thats the worst part of it. But the designers at these companies have been putting out poor designs for years. These companies built their base on trucks, so when trucks and suvs got scarce because of gas prices, they were all left dumbfounded. The imports and their designs are so far ahead, and in my industry the luxury vehicles have the staying power. We have two good luxury brands in Cadillac Escalade and Corvette. The XLR should be included, but this vehicle does not stand as well against the import roadsters such as SL.

Tony Romo in the house

Benny Black — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 04:15:00 GMT

Tonight the house was packed at Del Friscos for the Off with the Helmet show. The show was moved from the cigar lounge to the front dining room from all the table reservations. As soon as you walk in, you can feel the buzz in the air. Whats wierd is that its a different kind of buzz because you can tell everyone is there for Tony. Well what made it smooth was the fact he came through the cigar lounge into the dining room very casual like. It was like any normal guy was walking past your table. Thats the kind of distiniguished crowd at Del Friscos. No one rushed the man for autographs. It was run very organized, if you wanted something signed, hold your hand up and an ESPN staff member would come to your table and go have your item signed. Only one item per person. He signed them all and even posed for pictures. This show brought a number of people out. They needed this win. That shows the impact the Cowboys have on other buisinesses. If they had lost, would as many people be there, even with Tony Romo. Its makes you wonder. I know in my business, a winning team is a good product that people think is worth spending entertainment dollars. When entertainment is good, it makes people want to look good. That in turn gives people a reason to enjoy themselves.
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Thursday night in Big D, can you handle it!!!

Benny Black — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:09:00 GMT

Last night there were so many events, you either had to choose one and make the best at that one, or do like I do, hit as many as you can and leave them wanting more. I did three events last night.
Dream Car Garage had their big unveiling last night. So you wonder, what is it and why. as you can see its a fancy storage facility for your prized auto collections. Basically a condo for your car. The concept is huge in Miami and some other states, will it do well in Dallas, time will only tell, but they drew a decent crowd of hip car fanatics. Libations were served by Belvedere vodka and Moet so as i have said before free booze will bring a crowd.



Then there was HATCH. This was a pop up retail experience shwocasing some Dallas' most prominent designers and artists. It was held at La Reunion TX Gallery in the Art District. Abi Ferrin had some items on display along with a very ecclectic designer of fashion purses, Chance Jackson. He is a west Texas boy, like myself, and they have a Texas twist using exotic leathers and different hides. This was a small intimate event but its always good to support the local artists and designers, that way when they blow up, they will at least remeber you.


Finishing off the night at Lombardos with a casino night. Eye candy was supplied by Boardwalk Auto Group in the form of Ferrrari, Lamborghini and Maserati. Jay always throws good events. They have a customer appreciation night on thursdays normally, but this night was fun. Blackjack, Craps, and slot machines were n full force. Cigars were furnished for that smoke that went perfect with the fact that this event was also outside. they drew a large crowd of fun people gambling. They also had a great spread of food from a new restaurant venture they are doing with Judd Fria; formerly from Pappas Steakhouse. Their new place set to open on Dec 10 is off the tollway in north dallas called Tre Amici. That should be a great opening with the crowds and clientele that Jay commands. He has a loyal following so it should do well.

August Alexander Fashion Show

Benny Black — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:17:00 GMT

Last night a young and talented brother put on a fabulous fashion show in the crescent room at Rosewood Crescent Court. Courtney Alexander shut it down with some new designs for fall and winter. it was a packed house, with the likes of styling genius Steve Kimble from fox 4. libations were compliments of Remy Martin, and there was a private tasting with the ambassador of Louis XIII. They have a grand opening tonight for the showroom on cole. I wish him all the best, fashion is a tough biz to crack

Modern Luxury Dallas and The Mansion on Turtle Creek

Benny Black — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 04:35:00 GMT

Tonight Modern Luxury Dallas threw a four year anniversary party at The Mansion on Turtle Creek. A grand, but yet informal event. Great crowd. Many new faces came out to support the luxury magazine. Kenny Goss was moving through the crowd and Geoffrey Hennning, designer of the fabulous dress that Terry was wearing, was also there to support. The bar packed quite a crowd early and small bites, wine and champagne were moving through the crowds. But once it got really packed, people moved outside to the patio, where it was chilly, but felt great with the heat lamps anddual fireplaces flanking the patio. it was a good night to be out on a monday.

A Simon Doonan Endorsement-WOW!!

Benny Black — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 19:09:00 GMT

Recently I have had the pleasure of driving a very influential and talented man in the fashion industry. Simon Doonan is so great to talk with. A person who travels as much as he does and and the many people he meets, you always respect their privacy by not speaking unless spoken too. Well Simon Doonan enjoys good conversation. We were discussing the luxury transportation industry and comparing Texas and New york. He gave me a glowing compliment " this car is fabulous, it is so clean, you could eat off the floors." That was in reference to my Mercedes S550 Sport sedan.

Is the economic wheel of prosperity slowing down

Benny Black — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:05:00 GMT

So, going into the month of november, with all the disturbing news being thrown in our faces, its tough to keep a good outlook when you have a small business. Employers slashed 240,000 jobs in october. Mercedes Benz cars were down 18% in sales world wide. That of course hits close to home, as that is the brand that I carry.
But I think these times are when small businesses can really win by massaging their low hanging fruit. Service businesses who have taken care of their clients well should only see a small decline in business if they can figure a way to market out of the box.
I am offering gift cards as stocking stuffers for clients who want to give something exciting but not break the bank.
It is a good alternative to buying an exotic or luxury car, and really helps if that person might eventually be in the market to buy the car they might like to rent

Luxury car sales dipping

Benny Black — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:18:00 GMT

today in the Business section of the Dallas Morning News an artcile written by Terry Box on whether the luxury car segment was being hit during the recession. He interviewed Ken Schitzer whom I think is a marketing genius on getting his product to his cleintele and beign part of the community. Park Place, when the facility hosts the event, are remarkable at giving you a memorable experience. He states that there is some slowing but he conitunues to build his dealerships for the long haul.
it will struggle for a little, but it will rebound very quickly.

TX/OU weekend, Fashion at the Park where were you?

Benny Black — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:05:00 GMT

so this weekend in Dallas was crazy. The press release I sent out was a big hit with fans. both cars were scooped up and the celebrations began. TX/OU weekend really is a good shot in the arm for Dallas. In my opinion, it really just gives our city a little shot of B12 from the fact we were already buzzing from Fashion in the Park at Northpark center. Add the fact that our weather was phenomenal this past weekend, there was no better place to be.
For those who weren't around for either type of festivities, i always say, you wanna be about it, not hear about it.

Bailout Good or Bad for luxury car client

Benny Black — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 17:56:00 GMT

so Congress passes this $700 B package. People ask me repeatedly how is business goign with wall street up in shambles. Well, it depends on who you ask from my demographic. my customers are very successful. and although there may be some cutbacks in large bg ticket purchases, there is not going to be a cutback in entertainment or lifestyle luxuries. these days and times you may not be rushing out to buy that lamborghini when you know the asset is going to depreciate tremendously and you may not have the time to really enjoy the vehicle every day. unless you make it a daily driver, which is really not a great idea, but not out of the question. i guess it really depends on your daily commute. lets say you finance a lamborghini Gallardo and get a payment of say $3800 a month. then add insurance of say $250 a month. now if this is just your play toy and you drive say every weekend on friday night,sat, and sunday. so gasoline $4.50 a gallon and you will fill up at least twice thats about $500 in fuel, we wont go into mileage loss you get from driving, so monthly you are around $5 grand a month. oh and plus you are committed for at least 24 months. so in two years you pay $120,000.
now lets say you rent one every other weekend 6 grand and you do this for only 1 year and then decide to try another car. well you end up paying $144,000. but theres no committment!! you stop renting when you want.

weekend jaunt in Dallas

Benny Black — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 01:30:00 GMT

So this weekend I met a very fun couple doing a weekend getaway to Dallas from a very small town. He is a successful businessman and had been away for work for a number of weeks. As they were driving in to Dallas, he called Onstar and had them connect to Platinum and reserved the SL63 convertible. Mercedes being the epitomy of upscale Dallas vehicles and a convertible for the great weather we are having. what was neat about this is that even in the light of the economy people are still finding ways to reinvent themselves and enjoy time together. They stayed at the Crescent Hotel and enjoyed some spa time together. they made a brief stop through west Village and Barneys New York Dallas for some shopping and danced the night away at Suite.

leukemia & fashion show

Benny Black — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 03:05:00 GMT

Last night I went to a great event for a great cause. Designlife Inc, a fabulous company, put on a fashion show and bachelor/ bachelorette auction at Candleroom. The proceeds went to the Leukemia Society, a charity that was very dear to the host.
The designers were great!!! Oscar Fierro and Abi Ferrin were two that had some response from the crowd. Another new designer August Alexander finished off the show in glowing form.

The Auction with some great date packages was fun, the MC didnt know the packages very well. But the crowd got into it. They raised some good money.

Del Friscos and Marcus Spears teams up for Off with the helmets

Benny Black — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:37:00 GMT

The second event I had to attend was the inagural live radio broadcast of Off with the Helmets with Marcus Spears and Chris Canty. It was held in the cigar room of Del Friscos on spring valley in North Dallas. This is going to be a great event, that will only get better. Marcus Spears of the Dallas Cowboys has a great personality. I have met many professional athletes and this young kid from LSU really has his head on straight. Brady Tinker, a a very popular local sports authority, I think, really interacts well with Marcus. Some personalities tend to overrun and talk way too much, when you really want to hear what the athletes have to say, he compliments Spears very well.
Dee Lincoln, the owner, knew how she wanted this to play out in her restaurant and it was done well. Other places that have done these shows, usually have all theses fans lined up just t get autographs and they never spend money. That wasnt the case last night, it was a small group, but very intimate, the food, wow, all i had was the cold shrimp with this sauce and it was spectacular! I will be making this an every tuesday event so stay tuned. If you want to attend a show, you do have to call and make reservations.

Go Fish and Maserati Gran Turismo S

Benny Black — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:57:00 GMT

So last night I had two events to attend. my timing had to be perfect and it was. The first one was the grand opening of Go Fish Loungeat Noel and Alpha. Its in a new area around the Galleria Mall. I arrived at 6:05 for the event which started at 6 pm and it already had a good crowd. The place is swanky.
It has a great lounge area in the middle of the dining room thats great for mingling over cocktails. They also have an open shell oyster bar that I definitely made use of. The upstairs has a wall of windows on one side that looks out into the square where its located. the crowd was definitely different from the usual crowds in Dallas. I think you have to classify them as North Dallas. you could see some swagger in the room and also a great deal of executives. But then again the way they were mingling and huddling together they may have all been investors in this concept.Mike Hoque, the brains behind the concept showed and glad handed everyone he could. Grey Goose was pouring freely and you know anytime there's free alcohol, you will get a good crowd. This restaurant concept started in Addison and they have gotten great press, but the early arrival of the crowd, I believe that was due to the brilliant idea of partnering with Park PlaceMaserati.

People arrived for test drives starting at 5 pm. The car itself, stunning. When you hit the Start button it growls to life as if you were standing on the accelerator. So if you backed into valet, whoever is standing behind the car will definitely jump when they hear it start. They had a dark grey, not my choice and a brilliant red which is the same color as the red in the Ferrari F430.

Housewives of Orange County in Dallas County

Benny Black — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 18:12:00 GMT

So, I try and read Alan Peppard in the Guidelive section of the Dallas Morning news every chance I get. I try to get out every chance I get, but this guy really has the pulse of Dallas on who may slide into town. Well I read The Real Housewives of Orange County were in town last week. This new cast member Gretchen Rossi checked into the Stoneleigh Hotel. cameras were there, and the glitzed all over her. I am surprised Dallas does not have some type of show like this one. I have met some women in Dallas that I have as clients that will make those women look middle class and struggling to perpetrate that lifestyle. I think one of my cars would have really made that show. Especially if they were filming her arrival and hang out while in Big D. Seriously, Stoneleigh Hotel has one of the most most elegant valet areas in town. You pull up to a large black canvass porte cochere. The walk up to the hotel doors is completely covered with a lengthy red carpet. what better place for a cameras to post up while a black rolls royce phantom pulls up. We have women who love driving this massive car when they step out in Dallas. Trust me when I tell you, all eyes are on them when they arrive.

Economy bad? Is renting an exotic better alternative to buying?

Benny Black — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 02:44:00 GMT

this weekend for labor day, I had one vehicle left to rent. Gas prices have been down and are hovering around $3.50 a gallon for regular. Since none of my vehicles use regular that leads you to realize that my clientele are not affected or concerned with gas prices. the economy bad? well once again, my customers, I think are well off and were probably thinking or looking around at possibly buying an exotic car, but now may be in a holding pattern of buying but do not want to alter their lifestyle completely. best choice, rent one every other weekend. I have many clients that are married, double income, double suv with children. So a two seater italian job may not be the most practical. With the monthly leasing costs of a ferrari somewhere north of $2500 a month, not including insurance, the price of $2250 a day may not be so bad, if you also throw in the fact that you are locked into that lease for at least 36 months.

Welcome

Benny Black — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 21:24:08 GMT

Welcome to my blog. Please check back soon for new entries.