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Nov. 17, 2006
Getting even better with age
Specialized match search offers "introductions with integrity"
to baby boomers.
BAILA LAZARUS
On a chilly November night, about two dozen 40-, 50- and 60-somethings
gathered in a little art gallery downtown. But they weren't there
to decorate their living room walls; they were looking to add to
their personal life in a different way.
The group was there to hear Evelyn Lazare, an entrepreneur who is
the latest to launch a business that's devoted to helping people
find long-term relationships. This one goes by the moniker Like
Fine Wine.
But this is not "just another introduction service," said
Lazare, herself a divorcée "in the middle" of the
40-to-60 age group on which her company is focused. As her branding
states, these are ""introductions with integrity."
By this, Lazare means that her company approaches relationship building
seriously. Limited age group, limited geographical area, extensive
in-person interviews and introductions only to people who are registered
clients with the company.
"This is not a dating service," Lazare emphasized. And
she will ask a lot of questions to make sure you're choosing Like
Fine Wine for the right reasons.
"The nature of the service is very personal," said Lazare.
"After the initial consultation, it would [sometimes] become
clear to the client or to me that it wouldn't be right for them.
I spend two hours talking to you about where you are in your life,
what you're looking for, what aren't you looking for."
If a person should choose to join, they will spend $250 for the
initial consultation, then $2,500 per year for registration. (Now
being offered for $1,200 for a limited time.) With that, they get
a photo session with a professional photographer, and their picture
will be set up with a profile that will be shown to a prospective
match. Plus, they get the promise of one introduction. The year-long
registration starts with the first introduction.
Since the initial consultations are quite extensive and there is
a charge for them, Lazare said she would not introduce someone who
has paid for the service to someone who hasn't. That means she has
a smaller pool to work from. However, she guaranteed the crowd at
the launch that she would "do her best" to make sure there
is an equal number of men and women. Judging from the group at the
launch, that might prove to be difficult. The ratio of women to
men was about five to one.
But Lazare says that if, after six or eight months, she has not
found for a client at least one person to introduce them to, she
would consider a refund.
"My goal is to do introductions," she said. "But,
unless I feel strongly that this is a really, really fantastic match,
I won't make the introduction."
Originally from Montreal, Lazare did an MBA at the University of
Chicago and has been working in the health and not-for-profit sector,
mostly managing programs at a national level. Her last position
was that of executive director of Ovarian Cancer Canada.
The idea for Like Fine Wine stemmed from conversations with friends
who were disappointed with introduction services or online dating.
"I wanted to do something on a personal level," she said.
"I have always been a great networker and have always introduced
people to each other."
She put together some separate focus groups of men and women and
learned a few things that helped her develop her strategies, such
as limiting her target age group and geographic area, and not introducing
registered clients to people who aren't members.
"My experience has been, and both men and women shouted this
at the focus groups, is that if the women are going to pay for the
service, so should men," she said.
This is different from other introductory services, such as Divine
Intervention, who, once a client registers with them, will start
a targeted search within and outside of their registered clientele
in order to find a match specifically for that client. Divine Intervention
charges a one-time fee of $5,000 and focuses on the over-40 crowd
as well, but they promise up to six introductions.
Lazare, however, said that she felt women would want the extra security
of knowing that a person to whom they will be introduced has gone
through and paid for the same screening process, and have paid for
the full service, as well.
"At a certain age in life, women in particular are nervous
about security – the things they've acquired, financial security,
personal security," said Lazare. "They want an intermediary
to screen people."
In order to find that target pool and start serving clients, Lazare
has been advertising in print media around the city and was recently
interviewed on Global Television's Sunday noon news show. After
that interview, she said, her phone didn't stop ringing.
"People called saying they think it's a fabulous idea,"
she said. "Everyone has been so grateful that this service
exists."
For more information about Like Fine Wine, visit www.likefinewineintroductions.ca
or call 604-669-4560.
Baila Lazarus is a freelance writer, photographer and
illustrator living in Vancouver. Her work can be seen at www.orchiddesigns.net.
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