Understated Elegance

The late Lilly Pullitzer. Picture credit: PA Photo

Coco Chanel. Audrey Hepburn. Lilly Pulitzer. These late great women all had their own individual appeal, but there is one thing they all had in common: understated elegance. In other words, graceful yet refined; tasteful yet timeless.

You might wonder why your local portable restroom maven is blogging about icons of fashion and film. Well, it just so happens that understated elegance is my business, too. 

Toilets don't have a lot of built in style or beauty. Unfortunately, their "Je ne sais quoi" is often "Je ne sais quoi... that smell is." So we potty peddlers have some pretty big sterotypes to overcome. My background is in event planning, so we always knew we would be a step above the garden variety "construction site" portapotties. When I talk about my inspiration for ElizaJ, all I have to do is ask a woman if she's ever used a porta potty in a dress... the rest is self-explanatory. My signature on a unit guarantees it's wince-free.

But wince-free isn't all. It may seem like a lofty goal, but when you enter one of my portable restrooms, I hope to evoke the same type of emotions you would have watching a classic Hepburn movie – or seeing Jackie Kennedy rocking a colorful yet simple Pullitzer shift dress. I want you to feel comfortable and confident, never distracted or put off.

ElizaJ® portable restrooms are high quality, clean and attractive.  They have everything you need – without the overpriced add-ons you don't need. All of our units are clean, pristine and completely self contained, with fresh water flush and sinks, and solar, motion activated or electric lighting. Our Powder Room Comfort® Series Trailers also feature separate restrooms for men and women, no-hand touch sinks and flush, air conditioning – even a plug and play set up for music.

But perhaps pictures say it best.  Some just wont do. Some are over the top. Some are just right.

Not for MY wedding!

Is the event itself in the bathroom?

Understated elegance...

...inside and out.

Ms. Chanel once said: "Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance."  We think so, too.

Your Portapotty Pro: Make Sure Their Reputation Isn't in the Toilet

And... we're back. Earlier this month, we began talking about some of the questions you should ask when renting portable restrooms. You might think portapotties are a dime a dozen, but there is actually a very large discrepancy between elegantly understated, run of the mill, and just plain awful.

Last time, we explored the question: "Do I Need a Portable Restroom Attendant at My Event?" (The short answer is no, as long as you're dealing with a respected, professional company). This week, we're talking about the second important question to ask a portable restroom company: What is your reputation in the industry?

Reputation is a big deal. This is not your own carefully-crafted marketing speak, it's what others have to say about you. Sure, every once in a while someone with an axe to grind might blurt out a negative remark regarding one of their collegues – especially if they feel threatened by the competition. But by and large, a professionals' rep among their peers is a pretty good indicator of what you'll get if you hire them.

Our industry is much broader than a circle of potty pros. We fit within the event industry as a whole – on par with caterers, event planners, tent rental companies, DJs, florists, photographers and more. So we really take stock in what these other professionals have to say about us. We all work together to put on great events, so it only makes sense that each one of us would only refer and speak highly of the companies we know we can count on. It doesn't matter what kind of event it is, pros want to work with other pros. They want everything to run smoothly. 

ElizaJ comes to the table with 40+ years combined experience in the event community, and our background covers way more than portapotty pickup and delivery. We've planned fundraisers, corporate outings, private functions and weddings. We were also the leading local entertainment agency for many years booking bands, DJs and magic shows. In fact, for one of our high profile gigs back in the late 90s, we booked the DJ for Rory Kennedy and Mark Bailey's rehearsal dinner at the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port, and a magician for the children the day after the wedding. The DJ was actually still there when John Jr. and the Bessettes were reported missing, and we recieved a call then next morning from the Kennedy compound informing us of the tragedy and the cancellation of the magician. It is still a very sad memory, forever locked in my mind.

But the point here is that a good reputation is made and earned. You should not assume it's a given – it takes time, experience and proven professionalism.  We look at portable restroom rentals as one piece of a much bigger puzzle, so it's imperative that we work with every other vendor to do a great job and above all, keep the customer happy. It's a winning combination.

Until next time, 

Liza

Have a question? Ask away!

p.s. Stay tuned in the coming weeks to get the skinny on event industry experience, and why it matters when it comes to hiring a portable restroom professional.

Wedding and Event News You Can Use: THE 5 THINGS TO DO FIRST WHEN YOU GET ENGAGED

We are always on the lookout for information to help you with your wedding or event.  We found this great article on the "Oh Lovely Day" blog.  Click  here to check out the article "The 5 Things to do First When You Get Engaged".

Keep checking back here to find helpful articles, tips, and information for your event planning needs!

Do I Need a Portable Restroom Attendant at My Event?

Brrr! Temps here on Cape Cod were hovering around zero this morning, with the wind chill way below that. So, what better time to dicuss the finer points of portable restrooms?

Actually, it's a great time for these discussions. Although we're in the off season here at ElizaJ, this is the time of year when people start booking services for their spring and summer events. Brides, event managers, caterers, and all the other folks in need of portable restrooms are starting their research – and we would like to share our 40+ years of experience to help you ask the right questions.

First in a series exploring these very questions is:
#1 Do I Need a Portable Restroom Attendant at My Event?

I am asked this question a lot. Although it seems like hiring an attendant could only be a good thing, my answer (no) surprises many of my customers. But before I say no and move on, I begin by asking my client a question in return: "Do you need to spend extra money just for a person to check on supply and demand?"

When I see the lightbulb go on, we talk about what an attendant's job really is – which is to restock and monitor. I have provided very few attendants for my clients (which is more than 1,000), because they really are unnecessary if you're working with a reputable company that's done their leg work. 

One of our (fully stocked) Comfort Series® portable restroom trailers

An attendant is a novelty. All units should be fully stocked with everything needed, and then some. In addition to toilet paper, paper towels and soap, a portable restroom is worthless if it's delivered in anything less than perfect working order. We always deliver our portable restroom trailers and free standing units to the event site personally, making sure we have shown an onsite contact person how they work in the off chance that a problem should arise. If it ever does, we're available 24/7 to come fix the issue, at no additional cost.

So when does having a restroom attendant make sense? There are some large scale events where the usage is much heavier, such as a pro tennis or golf event. For example, during the Best Buddies events (Go, Team Tom Brady!), when most of our portable restroom trailer units are on site, we stay on hand just to make sure everything runs smoothly. But we don't charge a fee for that service. We view it as a courtesy and good professional practice.

In a nutshell, having a portable restroom attendant sounds nice, but you probably don't need one. And if you're anything like the rest of our clients, we're pretty sure you can find a better use of your event budget. More champagne, anyone?

Until next time, 

Liza

Have a question? Ask away!

p.s. In our next posts, we'll explore more questions you should ask a portable restroom pro, including how to get the real answers about their industry experience and reputation. 

There is an excellent article about ElizaJ in Small Business Opportunities Magazine!

Flush With Riches

Six-figure fortune renting portable restrooms for weddings & events.

Eliza Kendall has turned a necessity into a winning business that shows no signs of slowing down. She often has to hire sub contractors to meet the demands of busy weekend bookings. She generates biz with LinkedIn, a newsletter and sales calls.

Read the whole article at http://www.sbomag.com/2014/09/flush-riches/

Bestow the Bride: Unique Wedding Gift Registries

 September may prompt “back to school” mode, but wedding season has no end in sight.  So as many of us are either on our way to one - or anticipating being the star of one - wedding gifts are top of mind.

The trend in wedding gifts has shifted. The blenders and waffle irons are being traded in for more hip - and in many cases, more practical - gift ideas. Through specialized gift registries, happy couples today can ask their wedding guests to help them fund their honeymoon, indulge them with food and wine, or even give to a charity on their behalf.

Here is our list of the most interesting wedding registries available:
 

Savings Registries 

Honeymoon Savings:
HoneyFund
The HoneymoonHoneyluna
Honeymoon Wishes

HoneyFund is the most popular, but most all of these registries are designed to gather cash gifts from wedding guests for the purpose of having it to spend on the honeymoon. Usually each couple will get their own web address from the registry, where they can send announcements, get gifts paid directly to them, and track gifts and thank yous. Gifts are organized by the parts of the trip, for example “scuba diving lessons in Kauai” or “bike rental for two in Tuscany.” A nice way for guests to help give a truly lasting memory to the wedding couple!

Home Savings:
HatchMyHouse

Along the lines of a honeymoon registry (but with loftier goals in mind), HatchMyHouse.com allows couples to request money towards a future home or even just furniture and home improvements.


Charitable Giving
I Do Foundation

Charitable weddings are another way to celebrate. Couples can create a charity registry, encouraging guests to commemorate your wedding with a gift to their specially chosen charities. If Mr. & Mrs. to be are looking for traditional gifts but still want to give back, the site also has partner stores that will donate u to 5% of gift purchases will be donated to their favorite charity. The icing on the wedding cake? Brides and grooms can even choose to make a charitable donation in lieu of wedding favors or bridal party gifts—it's a wonderful way to thank guests for sharing a special day.


For Foodies & Wine Lovers
Wine Enthusiast
Foodie Registry

Not all of these new types of gift registries are so serious - but why should they be? Couples can register at WineEnthusiast.com for everything from glasses to accessories to the wine itself. At at FoodieRegistry.com, the Internet is your oyster...if you like oysters, that is. Seriously, if you are the couple who loves to eat out, this is a great way to stockpile restaurant gift certificates for lots of good times down the road.

Catch-all Registries

Card Avenue
Knack
MyRegistry

Maybe it’s a second wedding, maybe they just already have a house full of the staples. Either way, you can’t go wrong with a gift card. It skirts around the sometimes delicate situation of directly asking for money, yet couples can still be sure to select a gift they will love. At CardAvenue.com, couples register for gift cards from various stores, and can let their friends and family know about their choices via email.

Many couples still desire a traditional gift registry, but can’t seem to limit the retailers to one or two.  Both Knack and MyRegistry let you register for gifts from many favorite websites, but have the nifty feature of keeping track of purchases in one place. MyRegistry.com also provides smartphone apps that allow couples to scan products for the best prices.

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So now that you have the 411 on the latest and greatest in wedding registries, why not set one up or suggest one to a friend?  And as always, if you have a suggestion of something not covered in this post, we’d love to hear about that, too!

Best, Liza

Originally Posted by Liza Kendall on Thu, Aug 30, 2012 @ 08:11 AM

Understated Elegance: Porta Potties for All!

Originally Posted by Liza Kendall on Sat, Jun 09, 2012 @ 02:25 PM

Does anyone watch “Don’t Be Tardy for the Wedding” on Bravo? Well, me neither - usually - but I do admit that it’s kind of fun. Like the Star magazine you only read on summer vacation, just to see which high heeled shoes Suri Cruise likes best, or what crazy antics that Snookie is up to now.

So I was really drawn in when I caught part of an episode where the shows’ stars - Kim Zolciak (The Real Housewives of Atlanta) and Kroy Biermann (Defensive End for the Atlanta Falcons) take their wedding planning reality show to a place that truly interests me. The bathroom, of course!

As a veteran on the event planning scene with almost a decade in the quality portable restroom business, I just had to see what Kim and Kroy were thinking in this bit Bravo calls “Atlanta Water Closets and Royal Restrooms.”  Since Kim emphatically opposed the thought of 200 guests using her home bathroom during the wedding, she had no choice but to go out shopping for porta potties.

Apparently, Atlanta boasts a central browsing location, a porta-potty “lot”, if you will. Money is really no object for these two, so the first option - a basic portable toilet - was immediately taken out of the mix, especially since the toilet paper covering the floor made it look like it may have been a while since it had been cleaned... yuck. 

The next level didn’t look much different from the outside, except that it was much cleaner within. The first thing you saw was a big chalkboard atop the john congratulating the bride and groom...which was just plain tacky, in my opinion. And where were the amenities? A little lotion and soap would have gone a long way.

The piece de la resistance of the day's potty tour was a trailer. It wasn’t very attractive on the outside, but it did look more like a regular in-home bathroom on the inside. Not sure what the point of a “welcome mat” is, though...except something to trip over on your way in.

I gotta tell you, though - shameless self promotion aside- my line of porta potties are much nicer. Too bad we don’t service the Atlanta area! (Although we do have franchise opportunities, hint, hint). ElizaJ portable restrooms are understated, attractive, clean and efficient, and they actually add an element of elegance to a special event without being over the top. Our Powder Room Comfort®Trailers offer separate bathrooms for men and women, amenity baskets with ElizaJ® and name brand soaps, lotions and scents (included in all of our rentals), plus air conditioning, music, and a solar power option! And the price is less than you might think. Really, the reason I personally designed the Powder Room Comfort Series® in the first place was to deliver ElizaJ understated elegance for ALL budgets (no construction units, and no toilet paper on the floor...ever).

So it is actually possible to use a porta potty that won't make you cringe. And who knew they could be so nice? Good to know, even if you’re not in the portable toilet market right now. But in any case, you should watch the Bravo TV clip if you have a few minutes...if anything, it’s good for a laugh!

http://www.bravotv.com/dont-be-tardy-for-the-wedding/season-1/blogs/dont-be-tardy-for-the-recap/dont-be-tardy-for-the-potty

Best, Liza