So about 10 years ago Paris and I started our Real Estate business.  Through a lot of blood, sweat and many, many, many tears, we formed our business as "Paris911".  I applied for the trademark via legal-zoom.com and approximately two years later it was granted to us. 

Paris, because she was the full timer, and the 911 because I was playing cop for LAPD and part-time Realtor.  I still play cop, but only twice a month for free.  That is something that I will never get out of my system.  I just resigned after 17 years and 13 years as a motor-cop, to start another chapter of my life.  No harm no foul, I know not where I was able to procure the "substance" that was necessary to quit without a net and three years from a vested retirement.  But that is another story.

So, at the beginning of Paris911 I found two different graphic designers, a printer, a HTML author(web site builder), and a copyright reviewer.  After several months of contacts, proof's and ideas being exchanged these folks finally understood a small part of my brain and how I wanted things to appear.  I am a bit retentive regarding certain things in print and their appearances.  Here is a small example that will give you just the tip of the ice-berg. 

When it comes to the formatting of our last name in print I want the first letter capitalized, the "M".  The next two letters that follow have to be lower case "ac", the first three letters of this Scottish name mean "son of".  The last four letters I want to be formatted in all capital letters, "IVOR".  Now here is the tricky part, the "I" that is used, has to be in a font that allows for the tops and bottom sections to cross the vertical line that makes up the body of the "I" to differentiate this from a lower case "L".

You can just imagine how long it takes me to leave the house, "did I leave the stove on?".  I go back, then I leave again, "did I shut off the dish washer?"...  Ok enough of that.

However, the break in the storm was when all of the vendors I used to help build Paris911 caught on.  Diane, Kevin, Jason, have all started to understand how my mind operated, this is without the assistance of "shock-therapy".

I leave Paris to continue at RE/MAX of Santa Clarita where Paris911 had its beginning, and I moved all of my stuff in boxes etc to RE/MAX On The Boulevard Estates.  I will make the full transition on the 5th of July.  This leads me to what I needed to do to prepare for my entrance and grand opening.  I contacted the above vendors and had them start the process of building "911OTB", I will become the 911 On The Boulevard.  Because I am representing another geographical area of Los Angeles, I need to build the new concept and get it into the eyes of the consumers.

I hope this helps give some of you new folks an idea of how I work my business affairs in the beginning phases.  All of this attention to detail does pay off in the relationships you cultivate in your newly formed business. 

Remember the most important thing...  Never forsake the face to face meeting, handshake and introduction to who you are and what you do.  All of the advertising and formulation of concepts is fantastic, but will never take you to the ultimate level of a referral based business, as when you keep remind strangers of who you are and what you do.

Some may wonder, as I have had expressed to me in the past, why am I telling competitors about how to build a business.  It takes much more than a book, it takes blocks, I can give you the books.  But for you to really figure it out, you need to have the "blocks".  Plus, I have always operated on the premise that there is enough business for everyone!!!

With Honor,

Connor MacIVOR

In a future Blog, I will give examples of the latest developments in the letterhead, envelope, thank-you card panels, business cards, etc....