This comment was provided to me by a site visitor who wanted to remain anonymous. He speaks of the expenses incurred by an Amway Independent Business Owner (IBO) as well as some of the struggles that a member of his family has gone through.
Hello, Joe. I enjoy your blog and read it every week. I have a family member who works in "the biz" and, for a variety of reasons, this bothers me. However, I support this individual regardless of the decisions they make. After attending a few meetings and social gatherings, I was encouraged to become a member of the "business" and attend events on a number of occasions. I have a respectable job, I get a respectable salary, and I have no interest in making money by selling junk to people in my spare time.
The products sold, by the way, are commodities that are purchased on a daily basis by consumers all across the city at a variety of stores, including this one. Nothing has to be shipped, and whether you need toothpaste or vitamins, there is a store for anything you could possibly need. To be completely honest, how can you possibly compete?
Anyway, I could go on and on, but I'd want to share with you some of the things I've witnessed from these ibo weirdos who work for the government as costs. I attended a couple of meetings, and wow, what a lot of bull. When they try and sell you motivational speakers (yes, I have listened to a few briefly), they want you to feel horrible about yourself and how you live (at least that's what I hear)....and the ibo weirdos are suckers for it and actually BUY what they are selling. Because the goods are not inexpensive, even if you made a profit, you will lose money on them. Each week, these individuals drive to meetings and pay an admission fee in order to view instructional videos on how to get wealthy, listen to motivational jerks (to whom they really take notes), and make purchases of new products in order to test them out for themselves.
All I see are expenses....add it all up, the entry fee, gas money, babysitters, stationary things, books, cds, and heck, even the clothing they wear to create their image of success...all it's just a waste of money. I was invited to a few of parties, and even on the cheapest of options, it would have cost anywhere from $300 to $500 simply to travel to where I needed to go and get in the door...and for what, you might ask? I was instructed to gather the information I would require to be successful. Ha! What kind of information? Nothing but some affluent (or famous) person displaying the shiny new junk they claim to have and telling you to your face more or less that you are a worthless piece of garbage unless you are someone like me. There will be more expenses for nothing. Wow. They also enjoy purchasing high-end electronic devices that will assist them in making more money through the use of the internet. However, they do it through the business channel. Ummm...this is a significant expenditure; how long will it take until it pays for itself? My friends and I have attended a few barbecues and get-togethers because we were invited (only because they had to invite me because of family links, lol), and I can assure you that not one of the homes we have visited is that of a wealthy individual. What I'm talking about is low-income housing, and guess what I always notice when I'm talking about low-income housing? Large dry erase boards, filing cabinets, a plethora of books and CDs, projection displays hooked up to computers (with some amway logo as the screensaver), amway products displayed in every room, and yes, even home phone "business" lines...all of these things were expensive.
Sadly, there is little else to be found in these homes. In other words, you have to get a little experience. Isn't it true that you can't let this nonsense consume your entire life? There's no doubt about it: these ibo weirdos despise me. I refuse to be a part of their "business," despite the fact that I have a large furnished home, multiple toys, automobiles, and cash in my pocket. I do all of this because I have a JOB, and you know what? It pays well. There are no fees, and I perform significantly better than any of the other members of their squad! Oh, and does Amway offer any dental, eye, or medical services as well? EXPENSE! The most significant price, in my opinion, is the amount of time they spend away from their family. In every free time, a phone call, an online session, a meeting, setting up to showcase products at various sites around the city, organising awful house parties in order to attract more suckers, and so on are taken up. What a concept of liberation, huh? As a result, I will continue to assist my family member because I am not her "owner" and want her to be able to do anything she wants and is satisfied with. The reality check that I receive from attending a lousy barbecue (there will be no more meetings, we got to an agreement lol) or other get-together gatherings is invaluable to me at this point in my life. I always walk away knowing I am doing something right, that i truly am successful, my family members are all taken care of, and my expenses are 3/4 of a tank of gas a week. So, Joe, what are your thoughts on the matter? What ibo expenses have I failed to cover?
0 comments: