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Horny Little Devils PartyPlan

By on October 28, 2014
Horny Little Devils Party Plan

Vital Stats

Horny Little Devils Pty Ltd

Established   2001

Owner/Partner/Founder   Founded by sisters Cheryl and Carolyn Underwood.

Region   Head Office in Melbourne, Victoria. Parties in all states and territories Australia-wide.

Staff/Stores/Websites. 4 full time staff at the Head Office/Warehouse. No store fronts, strictly Party Plan. 200 Consultants Australia wide.

Homepage www.hornylittledevils.com.au

 

How did you first get into this business and what were you doing before?

For 15 years I worked for an Automotive Company who were one of the top 200 companies worldwide. They had only recently come to Australia, and I was very fortunate to be taught all aspects of the business from the ground up including Warehousing, Sales, Accounts, Marketing and Management.

In 1998 I left that business to care for mysSon who was diagnosed with a genetic heart disorder at the age of 8. This required weekly visits to the Royal Children’s Hospital so I needed to put my career on hold and look after my family. After 18 months of being a stay at home mum, with my son’s condition stabilized, I became restless and craved the corporate world. I went and worked part time for my partner in his business for about 1 year and then was coaxed into joining a Party Plan business, Nutrimetics, selling makeup and skin care. I continued to work in my partner’s business by day, and sold Nutrimetics at night. I became bored because it wasn’t enough for me, I needed more. I needed to go out on my own. I had to come up with an idea. I loved the Party Plan concept, so the next step after having found the vehicle was to find a product group. Linen, Candles, Plastics, Clothing, Bras and Underwear had all been done before, but then I remembered when I was 19 I attended a Sex Toy Party where the Consultant had suggested I would be perfect, except I foolishly brushed it off. With that in mind we started researching, and there was only really one major company out there doing Adult Party Plan. So after researching suppliers, products, costings etc, we decided that it was the industry for us, and so, Horny Little Devils was born.

How has the adult Party Plan business changed since you first started?

Adult Party Plan has become increasingly popular because of its convenience, discretion, and it’s a great Girl’s Night In. In 2001 sex toys were really only available through sex shops and lots of women didn’t want to be seen venturing into adult shops which were quite often hidden down laneways rather than on major roads.

The internet was new, and there were only a handful of adult on-line shops compared to now. These days there’s hundreds of on-line adult web shops and Facebook shops are becoming increasingly popular.   Sex shops are no longer hidden, they are out in the open with beautiful shop front displays and are even in large shopping centres.

The market is huge now, back then there were only the rubber stock standard vibrators versus today with medical grade silicon, 20 functions, remote control, rechargeable, beautiful sex toys.

Attitudes of customers have changed, they are no longer embarrassed to sit and talk about what sex toys they like and use. It’s a lot more open now than it was then.

What do you do today at Horny Little Devils and what do you spend most time on?

I oversee the day to day operations of Horny Little Devils. Most of my time is spent on coming up with new innovative and creative ways to encourage more party bookings and new Consultants. My favourite field of expertise is consulting with my suppliers, especially learning about new products and also interacting with my Consultant’s.

How have you changed since you first started and what has remained constant?

I’m definitely smarter and a bit wiser, and most importantly I have learned how to improve my time management skills. Hard work and dedication are the attributes that haven’t changed.

What lessons have you learnt?

Never give up, when the chips are down, stand back up, brush yourself off, and get on with the job! The key to success is to treat people with respect and not take them for granted.

What are some of the best things you ever did for the business?

Employing experienced staff is the best thing I have ever done. Horny Little Devils wouldn’t be where we are today without them.

Working with our suppliers, we have built a fantastic relationship which has helped to grow the business.

Winning many Industry Awards over the years has confirmed to not only our Consultant’s but also to our customer’s that we are with a trusted, honest and reliable company.

What are some of the worst things and what wouldn’t you do again?

A couple of years ago we did a couple of radio adverts for different radio stations. Unfortunately that didn’t bring us the outcome that we were expecting.

How does an adult party work from a business perspective?

We have independent Consultants who are not employed by Horny Little Devils; they work on a commission basis. It is up to them to generate their parties, converse with their Hostess’ and customers, run the Parties, give great customer service and then place their orders with Horny Little Devils. Head office will then invoice and dispatch all orders from our warehouse. Horny Little Devils carries large quantities of stock so we can ensure prompt delivery to customers.

What makes a great Consultant?

Horny Little Devils Consultants are all given training prior to holding their first party and then follow up training is given afterwards. We also offer Consultant training twice per month. Our Consultants can contact us 24 hours a day so they can always have any questions answered etc. We like our Consultants to be focused on customer service, to be outgoing, fun and friendly. Product knowledge is also very important for a Consultant to survive in this industry; it makes all the difference between a mediocre Consultant and an amazing Consultant. Because we have so much respect for our Consultants, it reflects in their attitudes towards their sales and their parties. It also ensures that they are aware that we are here to help them flourish in their business. Consequently it is a win win situation, a happy Consultant makes for a happy company and vice versa.

How many serious party plan operators are there in Australia?

There are about half a dozen Adult Party Plans that are serious, and operate as companies. There are numerous backyarders that don’t really have the business operating skills that it takes to run a successful business and so consequently don’t last too long in the industry.

Many people have tried to run an adult party plan business and failed. Why do you think you have succeeded?

Previous business experience has taught me all aspects of running a business, which has ensured that Horny Little Devils has succeeded in being not only financially successful, but also a role model / leader in the Adult Party Plan Industry.

Are there any differences to adult parties run in Australia versus say UK or USA?

No I assume they are all run the same way considering Party Plan originated in America.

How do you go about finding Consultants and finding parties to host?

Horny Little Devils recruits our Consultants from a number of avenues. Most of our Consultants have heard of us and will make a direct contact. We advertise on our website, Facebook page and numerous magazines. Many of our Consultants are found at our Parties. Quite often the Hostess of the party requests to join us because they can see how much fun it is to be a Horny Little Devils Consultant, whilst earning a great commission. Horny Little Devils Consultants get paid to party! Many of our parties are sourced at our parties; the guests at the party book their own party. We also receive numerous party requests from our website.

As the largest Adult Party Planner in Australia, how many parties would you typically hold per week?

It’s quite seasonal, each month is different and can range from 20 – 30 parties per week in quieter times to 50 – 70 parties per week in our busier periods.

What can you tell us about your adult parties, how many people and who attends?

That can range from 3 to 30 plus. Our parties are fun, informative, and a great girls’ night in. We offer great products at competitive prices and because we are generous we have the best hostess rewards in the industry. We try to ensure that the customers experience is one that they will remember for a long time. We hope they share their experience with all of their friends and family and that they will return to us next time they would like to book an adult toy party. Attendees are anyone and everyone aged from 18 years onwards, females, males. Unlike some other Party Plans who discriminate against males, we encourage couples parties. Weekends are our most popular time and parties can last for 2 – 3 hours depending on attendance and interaction.

Describe for us what happens at a typical party?

Our Consultant brings along a large selection of products which she puts on display. After everyone has been settled down and introduced she will play some fun games to help to relax everyone and get them in the mood for some more excitement. She will then demonstrate a number of products that are on her display, and even offer for the guests to sample some of our yummy sexy lotions and potions. It is all very interactive, and maybe another game or two might be played. At the end of the informative presentation our consultant will discreetly take orders from those who wish to place them. She will tally up the sales and work out the rewards the Hostess has earned herself from her Party. Then she will pack up her display, say goodbye to everyone, thanking them again for participating in such a fun night. The Consultant will then process the orders and once they are fully paid for, head office dispatch them to the party guests.

How many items are shown at a party? What sort of items?

Many products are shown at Horny Little Devils Parties, they include, but are not limited to, Lingerie, Romantic Remedies, Bondage, Games, Adult pleasure toys and sexually unrelated products that make women feel good about themselves.

Are the items sold at parties different from those sold online or in stores? Are there price differences?

No, not really. Most of the products that we carry are available online or in stores. Our prices are extremely competitive and our Hostess’ often receive their products for free or at 50% discount depending on the sales reached at their party.

How does your business choose items to sell at parties, how do you keep yourself informed of industry product?

We attend adult trade shows regularly; we speak with our well informed suppliers and manufacturers and acknowledge their recommendations. Horny Little Devils will also test run products to see how they are received by our Consultants and customers.

As a sales channel, where do you see the adult party plan being in 10 years?

If we are smart and the economy regains its strength then the Adult Party Plan industry will survive as it has done for many years. Online business’ who have no overheads are price dumping and deceiving the general public by pretending they are huge companies, when in fact they are not. Suppliers need to remain loyal to their bread and butter, bricks and mortar customers.

Are there any weird or hilarious moments that stand out at adult parties that you can share with us?

One of our Consultants was being followed by police on her way to a party. She had a blow up doll sitting in her passenger seat to keep her company, (and to keep everyone amused whilst driving past). Eventually they pulled her over, and a very handsome police officer approached her window and asked if she knew why she was pulled over. She replied “No” and his reply was “Miss, your passenger has no seat belt on”. She chuckled & giggled and leaned back to reveal that the passenger was in fact a blow up doll. He froze for a second and said “Excuse me for a moment”. He proceeded to walk to his car where his partner was waiting. The Consultant looking in her rear vision mirror could see them laughing their heads off and talking on the radio. The officer then came back to her car and apologized and asked to have a picture taken with her and the doll on the side of the road!

One time a Consultant was playing the ‘Have You Ever’ Game at a Hen’s Night. (Have you ever had sex on the beach, Have you ever gone to work with no undies on etc). Funnily enough, the person who won the game was the Nanna, and all the other guests kept berating her. She replied to them “Well I have lived, and I wasn’t born an old lady”.

Another time they were playing a game called ‘Orgasm Bingo’. One of the ladies yelled out something that she always says during sex. Her Mum was there and said “OMG, I heard you saying that last night!”   Needless to say, the daughter had completely forgotten that her mum was there at the party too!

What do you think the greatest challenge is in starting and running a business in Australia?

In my opinion the greatest challenge is having such a small population in a large country versus somewhere like America who have more than 10 times our population. Because of the nature of our products, unfortunately only a limited number of them are made locally, so our cost to import goods is high resulting in lower profit margins.

Being a retailer today is a juggling act, where change is the only constant. Running a business is a huge task in itself, but now you have to keep track of e-commerce technology, speak to a new customer via social media, and remain competitive in a saturated market. Being one step ahead takes money, time and experience. I personally wouldn’t like to be starting a new business in this economic climate. We are very fortunate we are established and have built an excellent reputation and our name is respected with our clients.

As a successful business woman, what advice could you give to anyone considering starting any business and in particular considering starting in adult retail?

Be prepared to spend a lot of money establishing yourself and your brand. Have a unique product range that sets you apart and makes you different. I would advise people to research very carefully and have a business plan in place. The market is saturated at present and now with overseas companies entering into our relatively small market it is only making it harder to have a successful, profitable business.

Cheryl Underwood, co Founder Horny Little Devils, www.hornylittledevils.com.au

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