For the agency owners out there.

[Son of Clyde]

I am very curious to know what goes into owning or managing an agency.

Can you answer a few questions?

How much time do you spend commuting between the US and the FSU?

How do you select your office staff?

Do you have a "physical" location for your agency or is there a number of offices in various locations? Can you run the business from home or do you need a physical "main" office?

How are girls screened? Are there questionaires for them to fill out?

How do you deal with the scammers?

If you are married does your spouse have part ownership in the agency?

If any of these questions are too personal don't answer them.

I'm asking this as future reference for when I retire from my current job . It may be fun to help others in a venture I am interested in.

One final question.

What is the stress level in your agency job? I mean on a scale of 1 to 10.

Thank you.

[Bruce]

Clyde it seems most agency owners do it like this:

How much time do you spend commuting between the US and the FSU? - none

How do you select your office staff? There is no need for an office staff, but my contacts in Ukraine do a good job with their aliases collecting your Western Union dollars.

Do you have a "physical" location for your agency or is there a number of offices in various locations? Can you run the business from home or do you need a physical "main" office?  I run everything from my high speed computer at home.

How are girls screened? Are there questionaires for them to fill out? The screening takes place when I select the photos from magazines and porn sites.

How do you deal with the scammers? Duh...........

If you are married does your spouse have part ownership in the agency? My wife likes to see how our "business" account is growing.

If any of these questions are too personal don't answer them.  Oh, its not personal at all, the key is language ability when you make up the letters and photo selection to get all you guys thinking you have the girl next door type.

I'm asking this as future reference for when I retire from my current job . It may be fun to help others in a venture I am interested in.  Heck, I've been retired since I started this business.

What is the stress level in your agency job? I mean on a scale of 1 to 10.  Sometimes you guys get quite inquisitive so I have to cover my tracks carefully, if you know what I mean.




 


 

[Son of Clyde]

Veterinarian & agency owner.

When do you find the time for a RW?

[Bruno]

Gardener & agency owner... and enough time for RW... and for RWD too :P

* How much time do you spend commuting between the US and the FSU?

none... all transit via Europa... in anycase, if you build your site... some communication will be needed... between you and your staff, between you and your programmer, between you and your hostserver, between you and ...

Since that your pay customer will be from US, it is better pay for a US host server... but you can use russian programmer ( they are cheap and work good )...

* How do you select your office staff?

I have no staff, i make all myself... in function of your type of agency and service, you need staff : programmer, translator, dactylo, public relation ( publicity)... a agency on the Net, without publicity don't exist... i experience it now... before, i have pay for publicity on Google and Mail.ru ... my sponsor have not pay me and i have stop it... result, only two new ladies these month...

* Do you have a "physical" location for your agency or is there a number of offices in various locations? Can you run the business from home or do you need a physical "main" office?

I work home... but if i was located in FSU, i go use one of two room of my home like a office and work only with local woman... it is allow for me to work home because i don't make business but in case of real agency, a physical address is need... like every business... these physical address is used for commerce account at bank, for tax, for register of commerce, ...

* How are girls screened? Are there questionaires for them to fill out?

Because my site is a online site, my screen is minimum... the woman fill a form online and i check the IP... same check when they send photo via e-mail... this allow me to control the country and regio... around 40% of ads are not publish because of negatif check... several western young pubert game with internet and post false ads...

If women or man accept, i can certify ads with a copy of passport.

The best solution is a local agency who check physicaly the woman ( she is real ) and document ( identity card of passport )

* How do you deal with the scammers?

Until now, no one complain... it seem that my basic control is working...

* If you are married does your spouse have part ownership in the agency?

Why not... a woman is more able to make a dialogue with other woman... they can speak about think that female customer don't wish speak with man.

* One final question. What is the stress level in your agency job? I mean on a scale of 1 to 10.

None at the level of agency... high at the level of other agency... more you become successful, more problem you will know with the bad agency ( virus, mail server blocked, diffamatoire info, ... )

Clyde, you need first make a choice about how you wish work... and my example is a bad one, it is only for fun, hobby... you cannot life of it... but if you make a business, several solution are possible... i hope that other with real business can reply you...

[Son of Clyde]

Bruno,

I think it will be for fun and to supplement my retirement.

If my future wife will enjoy this it may become full-time if it is successful.

Just gathering data now. The number of jobs open to her in the US will be limited. It is something I will discuss with her when she arrives.

[Bruno]

[user=130]Son of Clyde[/user] wrote:

Bruno,

I think it will be for fun and to supplement my retirement.

If my future wife will enjoy this it may become full-time if it is successful.

Just gathering data now. The number of jobs open to her in the US will be limited. It is something I will discuss with her when she arrives.

When it is only about have a better retirement, maybe living in FSU is a good solution...

I have speak about these far term ( i am only 36 year old ) with Galina... for my retirement, i will be in the medium class in Belgium ( always work for state )... but if the child are adult, maybe we go life in Ukraine for the retirement... this can allow us a better and confortable life... Of course, it is a very long term plan and a lot of thing can change...

But imagine your own case... same with a little retirement plan around 2000 $ month, you can life very good in FSU... maybe Kevin can inform you more about living in FSU... like i have see, he is more in Ukraine that in US and have his own marriage agency... it seem that his wife is partially involved in the business... that he have know some stress due to problem with bad agency... and in his case, he have same help some child orphan... and he is open to new technology, it seem that his webcam method know a real success...

Of maybe Canada man can inform you, he is just starting open his own agency...

Several people on these forum have "marriage" service : Marc, retired ranger, Jack, ... but i am surprised that no one reply to your post... myself, i am the bad example but i have reply only because the reply of Bruce who see only the negative side... each new agency rule by a honest guys is always welcome for me...

In any case, good luck

[Elen]

but i am surprised that no one reply to your post...

 who do want to multiply competitors, Bruno;)

 

[Jack]

Bruno, I was going to reply but just didn't have the time, let me take a quick shot at it now,....

Q. 1.   I spent quite a lot of time in the FSU prior to starting my business. Over the past several years I am averaging about 2 to 3 months a year in the FSU. I see this maybe going to 3 to 4 months a year beginning next year with trips planned for the summer and with the increasing number of guys wanting to do something around the Christmas-New Years time frame we might do something at this time of the year.

Q. 2. You select your staff very carefully. It is the secret to success. You must have good and honest people or you have nothing. I met a lot of the people who currently work with us before they worked with us. Their are many good and wonderful people in the FSU, and their are some bad people. You have to know who your doing business with.

Q. 3.  I think you have to have a physical location somewhere. We have a office in the states. Some of our people in the FSU work out of there flats, others have offices in the very center of the city. One of the largest and most successful marriage agencies in Kiev is ran by a good lady from her flat. So just because some people work out of there flat is not a problem to me. As long as clients can go there, sit down, review the catalogs in a nice enviroment is what is important.

Q. 4. This will vary by agencies. All ladies can lie about this or that. Scam women can say all the right things. As long as you can get the ladies home address and a phone number you pretty much accept most ladies. But you also keep an eye on ladies and you tell ladies what you do not tolerate, asking for money, gifts, etc. And common sense, experience, will help to identify potential scammers

Q. 5. We shoot them.

Q. 6. Yes. But the degree of involvement will vary. Some spouse's have a major role, some a minor role.

Q. 7. The stress level is about a 1.5 most the year. Usually from about the time frame of 60 to 40 days before a group tour the level will be at about a 3.4   Once you get to wihin 30 days the stress level will shoot up to about an 8. The week before the tour begins it will usually run about an 8.8 to 9.1

 

[Son of Clyde]

I can see some are bitter and think agencies are a waste of time and money. A lot of things are a waste of time and money. Finding an honest agency will ensure you will be meeting women who are genuine and interested in meeting you.

Finding a RW by accident or even finding a RW online can be a hit or miss situation.

Most of the women found at agencies are looking to meet someone or we are being lied to. I don't think the agency will stay in business very long in that case.

My questions are directed at agencies owned by people who are living in the west and not those run exclusively in the FSU. 

 

 

[Bruno]

Bruno, I was going to reply but just didn't have the time, let me take a quick shot at it now,....

Sorry Jack ( and the other )... sometime, i forget these problem of time zone... when i finish my work, US people just start it... and the russian are ready to sleep ...

Elen, i go never see a good agency like competitor but more like some kind of collegue... we make the same "work" and if they make a good work, i am happy... not all is black in these world ( i hope )...

[Elen]

It's hobby for you and business for others:P

(any way it was joke)

[Kevin]

I hope this helps.

How much time do you spend commuting between the US and the FSU? I normally spend my summers in Ukraine and my Winters in Florida.

How do you select your office staff? It is very difficult to find honest workers. Most of the ladies that I hired are ones that I either meet while I was searching or responde to my local advertisments. Quite often you can hire ladies that are seeking marriage though you agency.  The only problem is many of your staff members will get married on you. Plus you will have to go though a lot of staff in order to weed out the bad apples. But after a year or two you will have a very good staff.

Do you have a "physical" location for your agency or is there a number of offices in various locations? Can you run the business from home or do you need a physical "main" office?  It is best to have a physical office in the city where your ladies live. If you use other agencies or agents only then you are what we call a network and not an agency. 

How are girls screened? Are there questionaires for them to fill out? Yes, you should have an application forms. I also get a copy of there passport and take a current photo while they are in the office.

How do you deal with the scammers? You have two options. 1. Have a very strong anti-scam policy and remove them very fast. 2. Have a scam agency.  Scammers are the best letter writers and many of them are very hot. So for a business they make money. But you won't last long in this business if you use them. Best to remove them as soon as you find them scamming.

If you are married does your spouse have part ownership in the agency? Most of the time your spouse family will get involved and help out. This is very helpful since you will have someone you can trust.  But like any marriage a divorce isn't going to be nice.

What is the stress level in your agency job? I mean on a scale of 1 to 10. In my case I work with the clients and agency everyday and I do it for Free. So days it is great, other days it is a lot of stress when you have other agencies attacking you. If you create a very strong anti-scam policy the scam agences are going to fight back.  Every agency owner i know spends a lot of time working. So I would give it a 8.


Kevin
(owner of Khersongirls.com)

[Fiorella]

I would add one more question -

How do you deal with local laws?

(As I see not so many agency owners take care about it.)

Now we make serie of interviews with agency and dating sites owners and their clients, if you don't want to participate, we will write our own impressions.

[Jack]

Fiorella, where is this interview/survey you are referring to?

Hope it's not like the PM that Kvinna sent Kevin and I that we never received.

[Kevin]

I would add one more question -

How do you deal with local laws?

(As I see not so many agency owners take care about it.)

Now we make serie of interviews with agency and dating sites owners and their clients, if you don't want to participate, we will write our own impressions.

For starters if you have a real office, you need to get an attorney and a good bookkeeper who is up to speed on all of the laws because there are some really outdated ones that they will try to get you with.

Here is some advice that I learned over the years.  We haven't had any problems in the last 3 years.

1. Video tape your office with a live camera. It stops the locals for coming to your front door for handouts. When the inspectors comes into the office have a sign in books and require them to show there ID. To often false inspectors or inspectors from other area will come by.  Remember it is a different country.

2. Do everything by the book and document everything. If they tell you the tax is between 7 or 8 percent have it documented and Pay 8 percent.  The trick is to overpay each month it seem to keep them happy.  Don't ever cheat the tax police, These guys have a lot of power and authority.

3. Request a inspection of your books and office before you open and 1 month after you open. Again document everything and have them sign for it. 

4. Expect to pay fines for things that do not make sense.  For example a member of your staff must be fired trained in case of an Emergency in the usage of the fire equipment, blankets and Fire ax. However they no longer offer the course to certify anyone. Go figure.

Finally if you did it right and legally stand your ground.  The first year was the worst since I was the first American owned company in Kherson and nobody had an ideal what to do.  After 5 years we have a good working relationship with the inspectors and my director keeps current on all changes of the laws. We get inspected once a month and we are a role model for the business district.

Overall the locals seem to enjoy having Foreign owned companies. We pay on time and don't try to cheat them.

Of course you can take the Ukraine agency option and hide in your apartment and pretend to be an agency unless someone knocks on the door.

[Marc Dayton]

I am very curious to know what goes into owning or managing an agency.

#1 Bloud sweet and tears, you must love what you do or your in the wrong Job.

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Can you answer a few questions?

How much time do you spend commuting between the US and the FSU?

#2- 2 to 3 trips a year up to 30 days per trip

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How do you select your office staff?

#3 my advice is with a Russian Lawer, and a contract.

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Do you have a "physical" location for your agency or is there a number of offices in various locations? Can you run the business from home or do you need a physical "main" office?

My advice is that RW may think your not an honest agency if your working out of a flat, and I think there are laws in Russian agents Bif out of a flat. You must have office in Russia!

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How are girls screened? Are there questionaires for them to fill out?

Screening start with interviue, and it dose not stop its an on going thing what men say about her is part of it.

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How do you deal with the scammers?

Do you need to ask this question if and agency is honest she is out, if an agency is bad she stays in the service! P.S. if and agency is bad then the interputers are bad and id the interputers are bad they wont stop the girl from scamming you

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If you are married does your spouse have part ownership in the agency?

If this is a question for you maybe you should think twice about marriage?

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If any of these questions are too personal don't answer them.

I'm asking this as future reference for when I retire from my current job . It may be fun to help others in a venture I am interested in.

you must love it or work for an agency you trust after time it can be a lot of pain.
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One final question.

What is the stress level in your agency job? I mean on a scale of 1 to 10.

When I worked for LTP it was all fun with a up and down stress level of 0 to maybe 5 as a co owner most of the fun is setting up a web-site for me this is true stress? 10

But all in alL a lot of good things happen and when I am part of a new child in this world I feel like when I leve this world I will left my mark in life. It keeps me going and makes all worth wile when this happens there is no stress at all!

Good luck