40
TOBACCO BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL
MAY/JUNE 2014
some golf events, “but we found we
can’t be on golf grounds—it’s against
regulation—so sometimes we get a
few road blocks.”
In addition to broadening its
event horizons, the business is also
targeting a wider age group. “We
have a really young following; we
used to think it was 30 on up, but
really, it is more like 21 on up,” she
says. “When we did a college bowl
series, we were full every night. The
younger adult crowd is very attracted
to this.”
Realizing that she and the business
are “still on a learning curve,” Carlon
sees that “there’s a bigger market
than we initially thought for this.
We’re finding out that there are,
literally, different avenues we can go
down with a cigar trailer.”
One of those is currently in the
works; a major cigar distributor is
interested in contracting 4 Smokin’
Blondes to be its mobile distributor
at various events held around the
country. Recognizing that this and
other opportunities will present
events that overlap has been the
impetus for Carlon to purchase a
second trailer.
Right As Rain
Naturally, there have been, and
will continue to be, some challenges
for the business. One expected
challenge that pleasantly did not
materialize was inclement weather.
Carlon figured that a bad bout of
rain would ruin the day for this type
of event-based business, but last year
at a car-racing event where it rained
the entire weekend, “we blew our
inventory out—we actually ran out
of cigars,” she says. “We could leave
the tailgate down and the front door
open, so customers could smoke
inside and there was a breeze coming
through,” she explains. “Basically, it
was a place for [event attendees] to
come and get away from the rain; it
didn’t affect us at all.”
Beyond that, the fact that
Carlon and her crew are taking
the business f rom one state to the
next is taxing—both literally and
figuratively—f rom a state taxation
point of view and f rom the physical
aspect of traveling by trailer to
make a living.
Regarding taxes, Carlon does
her homework long before pulling
up into any state with her cigar
trailer. “I go online to find the tax
and withholding office in the state,
I see how their tobacco licensing
breaks down, then I call and talk to
someone directly to let them know
exactly what I’m bringing with
me invoice-wise,” she explains. “I
document everything and I explain
what I’m planning to do.” This
has, so far, resulted in the states’
cooperation and Carlon avoiding
any potential logistical nightmares.
The other taxing part of Carlon’s
business is the physical wear and
tear. “We drive for days sometimes
to get to an event. Then we put in
shifts f rom 8 a.m. ‘til midnight.
Putting in 14-hour days and more
on the road is tough,” she says,
laughing, “but then we get to come
home and sleep for a while.”
TBI
“There’s a bigger market than we initially
thought for this.We’re finding out that there are,
literally, different avenues we can go down
with a cigar trailer.”
