Comments wanted

Thanks guys, you're giving me valuable help and I appreciate it.

We do so well in LA that I thought this would be the time to try Vegas again. But like I said, in the last two years the "only Vegas" I saw was the Strip.

It will be an interesting lunch on Saturday, and I'll be sure to order something I enjoy eating, because I'm going to be doing a lot of listening instead of doing the talking.

If its small businessmen you're having lunch with,
ask yourself why they so desperately want your
small business to come in and save their small
businesses. Because they're hurting and they
need to be rescued, thats why. In a good ecomomy,
you'd be seeking them out, not the other way
around.

Evenbob you are very perceptive. Yes, their own advertising business is in the dumps, so it is not surprising to me that they are looking for something new (or recycling something that's old) to try.

But one minor correction: in a good economy I wouldn't be seeking anyone out... I'd do it myself just as I did it in LA when I left the TV news business five years ago.

Thank you again. These comments are keeping my head on straight.

I've had two brick and mortar businesses and
my wife had one. Most people don't realize that
you're usually 3 bad months in a row from the
point of no return. So you have to watch out for
your bottom line all the time, protect what you
have because nobody will do it for you.

I had my meeting and the ball is in their court. If they can sell it, I can produce it. Their feeling is that the market is much different now than two years ago. I told them that I was willing to help them but I am not going to put any money into this because there is no need for it-- I already have the camera and editing equpment and staff from my LA show and all that is needed now is sweat equity of calling and lining up potential advertisers.

In the next couple of days I'm going to make some changes to the Vegas website to promote the "possible return" of the TV show to help them with marketing. I'll put one of the original "test shows" on the home page along with the new contact info.

We'll see what happens. I appreciate the entrepreneurial spirit, which is afterall, how I got started after leaving the news business.

Quote: AlanMendelson

I had my meeting and the ball is in their court. If they can sell it, I can produce it. Their feeling is that the market is much different now than two years ago. I told them that I was willing to help them but I am not going to put any money into this because there is no need for it-- I already have the camera and editing equpment and staff from my LA show and all that is needed now is sweat equity of calling and lining up potential advertisers.

In the next couple of days I'm going to make some changes to the Vegas website to promote the "possible return" of the TV show to help them with marketing. I'll put one of the original "test shows" on the home page along with the new contact info.

We'll see what happens. I appreciate the entrepreneurial spirit, which is afterall, how I got started after leaving the news business.

Have you done any research in L.A. into why your show is successful? My suspicion is that your name and reputation still carry some weight from you TV news days. Do you have / have you had the same exposure in Las Vegas?

Everyone loves a bargain. The fact that there are more Wal-Marts in the Las Vegas metro area than any other major city in the country speaks to that. However, the preponderance of big box, and "outlet" stores has really put a stranglehold on mom and pop businesses.

You are wise to put all the initial financial risk on the locals.

Thank you Aye. Im sorry its taken so long to reply. Yes, i am sure that after being on the news in LA for about 20 years that helped to launch my new show here as well as my Infomercial business. But the problem was not that there wasn't an audience in Vegas -- we had an audience. The advertisers on our first three shows got good response. The problem was that we couldnt find enough advertisers for future shows.

The first three shows we did were "test shows" but to keep the show going, we needed to have commitments from advertisers -- and we couldnt get it back then.

Now an update: it's still going slow. I really have my doubts that there is enough "activity" in the Vegas market to bring the show back. So far my total "re investment" has just been the quickie trip into town to meet with the "new guys" and buying them lunch. And lunch was good.

We'll see. "The ball is in their court."

Alan, you should move your infomercial business to Texas.

Lots of opportunities here.

I made it here. You'll do well.

Come!

Quote: AlanMendelson

We'll see. "The ball is in their court."

You told them they're putting up all the money, couldn't
you see the wind go out their sails right in front
of you? They have no money.

Quote: EvenBob

You told them they're putting up all the money, couldn't
you see the wind go out their sails right in front
of you? They have no money.

Actually, they are doing the work, there isn't much up front money needed.

The paid programming business (Infomercial business) has a unique model. Once your basic video and editing equipment is paid for (and in my case it is because we've been in business for years) it's just a matter of signing up clients who then pay you for the production (always paid for in advance) and pay for their media (air time).

It's not like you have to go out and finance a big investment in anything.

So the question for these guys is whether or not they can line up advertisers who are willing to make a committment.

Once they have a committment then it's "pay as you go." With most networks and TV stations you pay for your air time either two weeks in advance or one month in advance. You might have a company wanting to run an infomercial twice a month for the next year, and all they'd have to pay for is the production of the program (up front) plus the airtime one month at a time.

So the bottom line for the guys in Vegas is this: either they can line up advertisers or they can't. Production costs are in fact low for this kind of program. But I'm afraid that even a low cost project still might not fly in Vegas given the current economy.