Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"You'd better register a company entity, Ronald." Darcy Maguire suggested to Ronald while drinking in the bar next to the company.

"Originally, we bbdo hired you to provide directing services this time, but now you provide directing, shooting, casting, post-production, and a series of other services. It's more convenient to have a company, and it will also be convenient for you to take on more advertising business like Ridley Scott in the future."

Darcy took the two glasses of Pina Colada brought by the bartender and handed one to Ronald.

"Cheers!" Ronald took a sip of the Pina Colada. Recently, this cocktail has suddenly become popular in New York. "I'll let my lawyer do it."

"Finally, we've passed the first hurdle and reached the stage of field market testing." Darcy Maguire sighed, "Being a professional woman requires overcoming many extra difficulties. Do you think we will win?"

"Of course, why do you ask?" Ronald smiled, "Didn't you see that the secretaries all remembered our ads in the end? When they go to the supermarket to buy gum, they will buy the brand they can remember."

"I'll keep a close eye on Dan. They can play a lot of tricks in the distribution of goods in supermarkets and grocery stores. With your ad this time, I must beat him hard."

...

"Where you plan to register your company, you have to pay taxes there. So I suggest that you register this advertising and film and television production studio in Manhattan. The profits of this kind of production company will not be too high, and paying taxes is the basis for obtaining social services.

If most of your advertising business is taken in Manhattan, those taxes are equivalent to a guarantee that you will be treated fairly by the law and local institutions in the future."

This kind of production company, as Lindsay Doll, the private lawyer opposite, said, will not have high profits. What's more important is a platform that can get business on the one hand and expand personal connections on the other. Ronald followed suit and decided to register in New York.

"What do you want to name your company?" asked lawyer Lindsay Doll.

"Ronald Lee Film and Television Advertising Production Company." Ronald decided to follow the American tradition and register the company name with his own name, so that others can tell whose company it is at a glance.

"With your annual income, the highest part of the current federal income tax and state tax will probably be paid at 30%-50%. You have to find an accountant to handle these matters."

Lindsay Doll put away the company's information and reminded Ronald, "Do you need me to introduce one to you?"

"With such expensive income tax, am I not working for the federal and state governments for nothing?" Ronald complained about the IRS in his heart. His annual income is relatively high now, and it is no longer suitable for flying in places that are not scanned by radar like in Los Angeles at that time. If the tax is not handled well, he may be bankrupted by the IRS next year.

The 54 Club, which he wanted to go to but didn't go in before, was under investigation by the IRS because one of the owners talked nonsense during an interview. He had an income of millions a week. The New York City government also cancelled their alcoholic beverage license, and they had to apply for temporary licenses for weddings every day.

In America, it is okay to advertise yourself in a high-profile manner, but showing off your wealth everywhere will also be targeted by the IRS.

"Okay, give me the phone number of your candidate, I will meet them first." Ronald began to plan his advertising business.

"How is your leg warmer business?" Lindsay sorted out the information while drinking a Pina Colada. Ronald thought the bar he went to with Darcy last night was good, and he also met the lawyer here to discuss things today.

"Not bad, my aunt and Theresa Kate are doing very well in sales on Staten Island." Ronald also took a sip of the cocktail and said, "How is my patent application going?"

"According to the usual process, it will take another 10 months. If you want to speed up, I can convert it to a fast-track application, so that next year... around the end of February, I can get the patent."

Ronald calculated the time, "Then help me convert it to a fast-track application. Aunt Karen said Theresa plans to come to the dance school in Manhattan Island to try to sell. If so, it will be a big disadvantage without a patent, and imitation and piracy will come out immediately."

"I still have to go to a hearing for a criminal case." The lawyer stuffed the information into her bag, picked up a sandwich, said goodbye to Ronald, and hurried to the nearby court.

...

"I plan to go to the performing arts college to sell first, and then after forming a certain stable customer base, I will recruit workers to specialize in production and get rid of the current piecework status. After making a profit, we can open a specialty store in Midtown Manhattan."

Theresa Kate brought her husband David to tell Ronald about her business plan together.

"What do you think? Ronald, can you license your patent to us?"

"What do you think, David?" Ronald turned to David and asked his opinion.

"Teresa can represent both of us," David said, looking at Teresa lovingly.

David worked in the cable factory of old Douglas. Teresa was his high school girlfriend. The two parted ways after high school. David went to work in the factory, and Teresa went to Manhattan.

David is a minority, a descendant of Armenian immigrants. It is not easy for him to find a wife at the southern end of Staten Island. However, he saved a little money by being honest and hardworking, and just paid the down payment to buy a small house.

The house was also developed by the Douglas family.

Just then, his high school girlfriend came back from Manhattan, and the two rekindled their old love, and soon got married.

Ronald saw that David, a worker, was able to save up a family business and get a wife back from Manhattan. He was not as honest as he looked. Armenians are also famous for their business skills, so he should have thought about the whole business.

On the contrary, Teresa Kate, whom he met on the ferry, had worked hard in Manhattan for ten years, but she only looked at other people's business on the report and had no practical experience. Although her vision was very broad, the idea of ​​selling leg warmers to the performing arts department might have come from her.

"I can agree to your conditions and authorize the leg warmer business to you, but I have a few conditions."

"Okay, you say, Ronald." Teresa Kate put on her glasses, took out a notebook and started recording.

"First, my aunt Kate must have a certain share."

"That's no problem. We originally planned to bring your aunt Kate to work together. She is very talented in knitting, and some of the styles we are selling now are invented by her."

Ronald nodded. He also wanted to use this business to help his aunt improve her current life.

"Second, I didn't charge you for licensing fees on Staten Island, but in Manhattan, the market is huge, so I have to charge for patent licensing. If you do business in Manhattan, the distribution in Staten Island must be given to Aunt Kate."

"Very reasonable, no problem. We will give you patent licensing fees based on market prices."

"Third," Ronald looked at David, "I believe in David's vision. This business must have David's share, and he must participate in the operation."

"Why, don't you believe in my ability?" Theresa Kate had another sentence left to say, is Ronald going to talk business with her husband because she is a woman.

"Of course not, I believe in your marketing ability Theresa, but I also believe in David's vision. He can marry you, which proves his vision and ability."

"Yes, he loves me very much." Theresa looked at David lovingly. The two had been married for a short time and were in the stage of love.

"But I still have to work in the cable factory. Both of us can't be without a fixed income guarantee, dear." David was still very sober. Maybe his family education made him understand the importance of planning money early, and he didn't want to risk all his assets on a business as soon as he got married.

"Actually, David can organize production part-time on Staten Island," Ronald admired David more and more as he looked at him. He was a man who had clear thoughts about his future. "Leg warmers can only be sold to dance students, and after buying one or two, it's hard to buy more, so our Staten Island production capacity should be enough for the short term."

"We can also find Bud's mother," Aunt Karen listened for a long time and finally found a chance to interject, "Black women in the Bronx are very good at knitting, and we can also include them in the scope of piecework, as long as Bud's mother is responsible for checking the quality. The families of our veterans are very responsible."

"Then how do we calculate our respective shares?" Theresa Kate, who was worthy of being from Wall Street, quickly thought of the issue of property rights.

Ronald thought for a while and discussed with Aunt Karen, "We are not big now, so why not calculate it this way? My Aunt Karen is responsible for production coordination, and David helps her with quality inspection.

We supply to Theresa at wholesale price, and Theresa hires one of Bud's sisters to promote it among students. In addition to the fixed patent fee for each piece, the profit of the retail part belongs to Theresa and David."

In this way, Ronald's family and David's family have their own focus, and they also have their own people in the business that the other party is responsible for. In the early stage when the sales volume is not large, the two sides will cooperate well.

"If you think it's okay, we will arrange it this way." Ronald stretched out his hand.

Theresa looked at David, David nodded slightly, and the two shook hands to finalize the cooperation.

Aunt Karen cooked dinner at home to entertain Theresa and David and his wife. Ronald drove to Totville Middle School to pick up Donna from school.

...

"Donna," Ronald waved to Donna.

"Ronnie, you're here." Donna was very happy and got on Aunt Karen's Volkswagen SUV. Ronald drove to pick up Donna from school. "Bye," Donna rolled down the window and said goodbye to her classmates.

"Who is he?" asked two female classmates.

"It's my cousin Ronald. He also starred in "Rock High School". Have you seen it? He was the one who proposed in the phone booth."