Advice: Business Travel Companion

[ClaretKnight]

Hi All

I run a companion service business.

I'm expanding my business to cater for business women's travel. I'd appreciate any advice on what business women may want from a travel companion, especially from business women.

My website is ( claretknight.co.uk )

Thanks

John

[Mike by the Sea]

Hi John

Welcome........

[Pebble Communications]

Hmmm...you know what we all think of when you mention 'escort' services.I don't care if you are offering 'extras' or not, but if not I think you need to make that crystal clear. I'm sure there is a need for the more innocent type of service and I'd work harder to differentiate yourself from the dodgier types if that's the case with you.

Posing sitting on a bed doesn't help...

[Michael]

Hi There

Welcome to the forum.
Perhaps your companions would benifit by using one of our free numbers to keep there personal phone numbers private?

[The Bookkeeper]

Welcome to the forum.

Personal safety would be of the utmost importance.

[ClaretKnight]

Thanks for your feeback.

BTW in the photo I'm not sitting on a bed, it's a sofa/futon. I stress the safety aspect on my website ( claretknight.co.uk ) i.e. CRB checked and cleared.

[Rob Holmes]

Hi John,

Welcome to UKBF.

BTW in the photo I'm not sitting on a bed, it's a sofa/futon.

Perception is reality ;-)

Sometimes if people are nervous (which I think your clients maybe) then it could be (mis)read as an insinuation.

Are you busy with this job or is it fairly new to you (or both) ?

Rob

[Pebble Communications]

Looking again, I can see that it is a futon, but it did look like a bed at first glance and the wardrobe in the background helps give that impression.

[ClaretKnight]

Are you busy with this job or is it fairly new to you (or both) ?


I've been doing the job for about eight months. I'm not terribly busy and advertising costs are high.

[silkveil]

I work in the Probation service for my day job so if I was going away with a male companion I didn't know I'd want to know he'd been CRB checked.

[ClaretKnight]

I already mentioned in an earlier reply that I'm CRB cleared. Even so, it's not easy to prove that you are safe and I believe that deters many potential clients.

[silkveil]

I didn't see the CRB check bit in your earlier post and I thought you were employing men as female escorts. I should have checked your site

[Pebble Communications]

I'm not sure how much demand there is for this while women are travelling on business? Did you do any market research before you set up? I could see that some might use it for social occasions (that family wedding where you don't want to be the only one without a guest perhaps, and to shut up all the aunties asking why you don't have a boyfriend!), possibly, but I don't see the point when you are travelling on business?

[manchesterhypnosis]

Hello ClaretKnight,

I have just taken a peep at your site. Its far from my area of expertise, but I would think that the "security escort" and the "pampering and aromatherapy" escort are two seporate markets. If your going down the security line there are quite a few good bodyguard courses out there. hope this helps.

[ClaretKnight]

I did some market research, mainly asking businesswomen friends and they gave the impression they were often bored when away on long conferences, especially in the evenings. I have one repeat businesswoman client who confirms this.

[ClaretKnight]

Hi Manchesterhypnosis

Thanks for your suggestion. Yes, I'm considering going into the bodyguard line and would certainly have to take some courses. Of course when I'm with a client I implicitly act as a minder, to some extent.

I went to the Earls Court 'Bikini and Beach Wear' exhibition yesterday and chatted to some models. One or two said they knew of model friends that had bodyguards.

[Claire B]

Hi again John, just had another look at the site.

Im sure that there will be a market for you, but tapping into it is a tough one.
Escort services do tend to only mean one thing (in many people's eyes) so you are going to have to make it crystal clear that this is a strictly professional service (assuming that is the case!)

One thing that confused me a little was the mention of aromotherapy on the site, it seems to suggest that although this a professional service you would be prepared to 'cross the line' at some point. Now if that is the case - fine, but if not, you should probably remove it.

Im sure that you will have demand out there and that due to the specialised nature of the service you are offering - will probably have quite a lot of repeat business.

Claire

[ClaretKnight]

Hi Claire

One can have a strictly professional service that encompasses all aspects of escorting. I would never explicitly advertise to 'cross the line' as this would appear somewhat seedy. All I'm willing to say is that my clients pay for my time. What happens between us during that time is negotiable, always remembering that the customer is king (queen).

John

[andysv1k]

Hi Manchesterhypnosis

Thanks for your suggestion. Yes, I'm considering going into the bodyguard line and would certainly have to take some courses. Of course when I'm with a client I implicitly act as a minder, to some extent.

I went to the Earls Court 'Bikini and Beach Wear' exhibition yesterday and chatted to some models. One or two said they knew of model friends that had bodyguards.

I wouldnt take this lightly though, doing a couple of courses wont give you the skills to offer a proffessional minding service. The few personal body guards i have met have all spent many years training before even considering offering this as a service, some have armed forces backgrounds while others ive met have come from the martial arts. Either way i would suggest atleast a ten year training period in your past if you were to be offering this as a commercial service.

Having said this, any of these courses can do nothing but good for your profile and could win the confidence of clients. But perhaps as a bonus to your existing services and not as the core.

Hope that makes sense!

Andy.

[ClaretKnight]

Thanks Andy, I'll keep that in mind.