Platinum lifestyle

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
http://platinumlifestyleblog.com/2009/07/21/benny_black_200972122754flv.aspx