I have tried different variations of things.  I tried using my name (which just may be my best option) but it is not original enough, nor is it that catchy.  I tried to think of some sort of catchy name that has to do with events and entertainment but everything that I can think of, is already being used.  ; Anything that is worth using, anyway.  And if it is not already being used, it has too many words and syllables in it.  No one wants to say a mouthful just to say a business’s name.  I tried to get some advice from friends and family members but they don’t take my business seriously enough to give me a name worth a second thought.  What is a girl to do? 

I really can’t make any steps forward with out finalizing my name first.  I cannot get incorporated.  I can’t do a logo or a slogan.  I can’t make flyers or build a website.  I can’t build advertising banners or anything that needs to be done to make my business successful.  I will not even be able to do something as simple as get business cards. 

Now I started using the name Black Dress Entertainment.  The first time I said the name, immediately I thought of a funeral engagement.  Other than that initial thought, I really do like the name.  It has a classy feel to it but I am not sure if it is what I really want.  When I Google the name I get a million responses.  It’s only when I put quotation marks around it like “black dress entertainment” I get about 30 responses back.  Which is good, right?  Honestly this is the name that I am leaning towards but I want to be sure.  I need to make sure of it before I have all my business cards and logo designed and decide not to use it again.  That would be killer. 

I also looked at calling the company Word of Mouth Events, but that name or saying is in everyone’s mouth and they wouldn’t only be talking about my company.  They would be talking about any and everything worth talking about.  And that Google search brings up even more responses. HOLY COW! I want my name to stand out and only get about maybe 150 responses (still a lot but a whole lot better than a million). 

I just don’t know what to do.  I want a name that when you hear it, you know exactly what we are about.  But I also don’t want it to be to long or complicated where people get frustrated just saying it or try to make up their own acronyms for it.  I want something that is happy and brings thoughts of joy and excitement to every ones minds.  Not something that is dark and gloomy and may have you thinking about anything else but happy times.  I look at all the businesses on my favorite sites, BBWO (black business women online) and SUN (start up nation), and just about everyone has a catchy business name that suites their company.  The only ones that don’t are the ones named after the business owners. 

Everyone keeps saying just relax and let the name come to you.  It has been months now and it hasn’t come to me yet.  How long am I to wait for a name to come to me? Seven months, 12 months, 2 years, who knows?  And what if it comes to me in a dream?  Being that I am not the kind of person who remembers any of my dreams, that wouldn’t help me at all either.

I am being patient though and considering all my options so that I can have the best possible name.  Hopefully it will not be before long that I would have a company name…HOPEFULLY.  Keep your fingers crossed!!!!

Any suggestions?

I for one never really realized how much work actually goes into getting a business started.  Looking in from the outside, people made it seem so easy.  Not even up and running, just starting the wheels in motion has been a good deal of work.  I am currently working on my business plan.  For some reason I believed the stupid notion that as long as I knew what it is I wanted to do, in my head, there was no need for me to put it down on paper; create a business plan.   Some one actually told me that though.  That’s the crazy part.  I didn’t just make that up in my own little head.  Good thing I am surrounded with people who actually want to see me succeed and they told me the truth.  No matter what kind of business you want to start or get involved with, from what I have learned, your best plan is to start with a business plan.  For me, being able to put my ideas down on paper, will give me the space needed to tweak the numbers and ideas as need be.  This business plan thing is a difficult thing though.  Don’t let anyone tell you that it is a “piece of cake” cause it is not.   It is really time consuming and a lot of research.  I have been researching for a good while now and I am no where closed to being done.  You would never guess the information you need to know in order to have a good business plan.  You need to know you competition (of course), market share information, target groups, area statistics such as population and demographics.  Then you have to break those up by race, income, religion, and gender.  WHY!!!

Now you would think being that I technically only want to throw upscale parties for a living, I wouldn’t really need to do any of this business planning stuff.  But I do.   I really do.  And once I found out the whys behind doing it, it all made sense and became clear.  In order to determine if your business will be successful, you have to do the math.  In order to do the math and do it correctly, you have to do the research, no matter how many hours it may take, it has to get done.  And when it comes down to it, the research is the easier part of it all.  Putting it together is a whole other story…which I haven’t gotten to yet, but so I have been told.  I honestly just wished that my business plan would just magically appear….who am I kidding?

When I posted my first entry to this blog, someone asked me, “Why do you want to start this type of business with the way the economy is?”  That question really made me stop and think.  Why would I want to do this with things not looking so bright for the average American?  So I thought about it. 

Who doesn’t want to be entertained?  Who doesn’t want a night out where they could escape from all their worries of the everyday life?  Who doesn’t want to have a good night out, even if once a month, with their girls or their boys?  Who wouldn’t want to see the favorite artist perform in a not so crowded environment?  Who couldn’t enjoy a good a laugh and an opportunity to make new friends?  If you can tell me someone that these don’t apply to, I will rethink it.  But I honestly don’t think that there is anyone out there who wouldn’t want this.

And yes I know money may be tight for a lot of us, but if you think about it, you end up spending money to be entertained every week anyway.  You go to the movies, eat out, have drinks w/ the girls, go to the club, or maybe just go for a drive.  Either which way you look at it, you are spending money. 

So why not spend a little more and get what you pay for and exactly what you want; great entertainment, dinner, dancing, and good company all in one.  You really can’t beat that, now can you?

So I will continue on my journey to improve the nightlife in Orlando, no matter how much work I have to put into it.  From the comments that I have gotten so far, this is really needed.  And I am not going to get everyone all excited about what’s to come, and not go thru with it.  That would suck for all of us.  So it may be some time before I have my first event but make sure to stay tuned because it’s coming.  Just make sure that you are there because you would want to miss it.

I had my AH HA! A moment that Donny (from the Big Idea) always talked about. I AM GOING TO START AN EVENT PLANNING / CONCERT PROMOTIONS COMPANY. I want to cater to young adults who are interested in a night out with more to do than to just go to the club or the movies. People who would love to surround them selves with energetic people but not have to worry about someone stepping on their feet. So I started on my journey to make it happen.

My name is Roberta and I live in sunny Orlando Florida. I am 26 years old and the proud parent of two beautiful girls. My oldest is 17 months and my youngest is 5months. They are my world. I know that you may hear that all the time, but they really are. If it wasn’t for either of them, I don’t think I would be where I am today. I am a very out going and out spoken person who loves to meet new people and do new things.

HERE IS THE DELIMA….. Everyone outside of Orlando thinks that there is so much to do in the land of Disney. But for those of us who live here 365 days a year we know BETTER. There is only so many times that you can go to Disney, Sea World, Universal Studios, Island of Adventures and so on without getting tired of it all. And if you have lived here over 10 years, like I have, you don’t even want to think about those places, unless you have kids. Other than the theme parks and an occasional concert every five months, there is nothing to do in the “Land of Dreams”. For those of us around my age, 26, your only options for a night out on the town with your significant other or just friends are the dreaded NIGHT CLUBS, Bars/ Lounges, and of course the Movies. Now if I lived in New York City, Los Angeles, or even Miami, I would always have something to do. Some musician or socialite would be throwing a party somewhere in the city. There would be fashion shows, comedy shows; album release parties so on and so forth. But not here in Orlando.

One night after I had my second daughter I really wanted to go out. I got all dolled up, put on my best new outfit and my pretty face. My girlfriends and I spent almost 3 hours shopping and planning for a great girl’s night out. I was all ready to go! After consider all our limited choices, we realized that we were all dressed up with nothing to do and nowhere to go. I was sooooo disappointed. Keep in mind this was after the birth of my second daughter and my first, I had had only a year before. So in reality, it was going to be my first night out on the town after being pregnant for two long years. Boy was I devastated. Imagine being stuck at home with nothing to do for two years. Not because you don’t want to be surrounded with wonderful people, but because you have been pregnant for what seems like for ever and was unable to enjoy the adult life. Yes I could have went out, but why would I want to put myself in that situation. Having people bump into my protruding beautiful belly and walking around with swollen feet. Not the outing that I was looking for. So I went to work during the day, and stayed home at night during my pregnancy. Boy was I living the life!!!! I was really looking forward to going out with my girls and celebrating having MY body back. Like I said, I put on my best outfit. and pretty face only to end up with nothing to do and nowhere to go. From that night on, every time I thought about going out, I was quickly reminded of the night I couldn’t. So I thought long an hard, how was I going to solve this problem. That’s when the light bulbs started going off in my head.

What if I could put together a number of events each month catering to people around my age? What if I could provide live music and entertainment, food, and great opportunity to socialize with new people? Then I started to think, I COULD DEFINETLY DO THIS. It is done all the time in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and even in Atlanta. Its only here in Orlando that we are behind the times.

I ran the idea by a couple of my friends and colleagues and they were like no way, that will never work, but I asked to myself WHY NOT. Why must my only choices of entertainment here in Orlando be the same choices that I had when I was just turning 18 and 21? I am looking for something NEW! I know if I feel this way, there has got to be many people out there that feel the same way I do. So I decided to do it. My only problem was that I had never started a business before, I didn’t have any experience in event planning or concert promotions, and honestly I didn’t even know where to start. What was I to do.

One night I was watching the Big Idea, as I have done ritualistically for the past 6 months, and Donny mentioned Startup Nation, a community of entrepreneurs that were there to help you get started and succeed. So I joined Startup Nation, and posted a forum for advice on how to get started. That when I met my GUIDING ANGEL Michael.

Michael has taken the time to help me perfect my idea. Who would have thought that my help would have come from some one all the way in New Mexico who owns a dollar store? Yes, he owns a Dollar store. Although he is very busy. He makes it a ritual to email me with new ideas and options every day. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be writing this blog. This was all his idea, and a GREAT idea it was. With his blessing, I am moving forward in my journey to bring Orlando up to speed with the rest of the world. To provide young adults with alternative night entertainment…boy does that sound weird.

Now I have done my research and the need is there it’s just up to me to fulfill the wants of others.just like myself.Here is where you come in! Please tell me what you want and what you like. Who would you like to see perform (keep in mind this would be a small intimate performance for at most 1500 people) what kid of food would you like to be served? How much would you pay to be entertained? Please take the time to fill out my short survey so that I can give you exactly what you are looking for. If I were filling out this survey, it would go something like this. I would love to see Carrin Bailey, Ayo, Tori Amos, John Legend, Eric Bennet, Heather Headley, Avante, Athony Hamilton, Leona Lewis, Mary J. Blidge, Syleena Johnson, Keke Wyatt, One Republic, Lyfe Jennings, and so much more. Just to name a few. What you would be willing to spend for any where up to $65 per person for such an event. Now being that I am a lover of food, anything would be to my satisfaction, as long as you are not giving me something to extravagant and I cant pronounce, I will eat just about anything. I just love food.

So you know what I want, now tell me what you want. Help me to bring better entertainment to our sunny city of Orlando. Help me to help you have something to do when you have a little extra cash or a babysitter for the night. Help me to help you have an opportunity to meet new people and create new fabulous memories.