Not sure if I WANT a career.

[DrewKaree]

Maybe you could join Amway.

One doesn't "join" Amway.  You are assimilated.

[Bones]

Did you just call me an ass?

[markrvp]

Maybe you could join Amway.

One doesn't "join" Amway.

[DrewKaree]

Maybe you could join Amway.

One doesn't "join" Amway.  You are assimilated.

   ROTFL 

I went to enough Amway rallies with my parents to fully appreciate that statement.

I was badgered by enough of them to know the depth of truth present in that truth

On the minus side, though, I never ended up with a part time job that made me more money than my full time job.

Seems MLM isn't for slackers.  Who knew?

[Daniel270]

is Amway even still in business?

[Bones]

That's a good point. I haven't had any attempted canvassing for many years....

[Daniel270]

the reason I ask...  I've used their products (particularly the laundry soap), but haven't seen anyone still in the business to ask....

[paigeoliver]

is Amway even still in business?

Yes, but they are more focused on the "Quixtar" name now, which is their internet branch.

Now this is a HOOT. Let me explain how Quixtar works. You pay THEM money and in return you get a code you can give to people so that they can get into Quixtar's "Internet Mall". You get a percentage of the sales, and you can recruit people of course.

Yes, their solution to e-commerce is a website that you can only get into by meeting a member in person and getting a code. There are no sales, as the prices are amongst the highest on my web.

They have a "business meeting" at my hotel every few months, credit card is declined every time. Seems to be about 70 percent turnover in the group from one meeting to the next.

[paigeoliver]

the reason I ask...  I've used their products (particularly the laundry soap), but haven't seen anyone still in the business to ask....

They are, if you want to order the soap just find a Quixtar person (might be one here), and you can get the little code to order it from their website.

My boss at work is one, but I am not going to get the code from her, because I want her out of that nonsense, 2 years with no sales, you think she would get the idea, but she hasn't.

[Bones]

Although far from a fan of this particular type of business, I think for certain people it can be successful.

[duffjr]

this isn't for everyone, but many people do live like this:  you can be a hustler or professional gambler.  most weeks, you'll be living in a cheap hotel, but other times, you'll be partying with the world's elite.

[paigeoliver]

Although far from a fan of this particular type of business, I think for certain people it can be successful.

Yes, but the statistics in the company reports show otherwise.

Main problem is that no one wants the products, no one buys the products other than people who sell them. The public just doesn't want to buy their household goods from a "friend" at twice the cost, and have the friend trying to recruit them all the time.

Now Avon and Mary Kay are MLM too, but people actually buy those products. Very, very, very few of their salespeople make more than fast food wages.

[Bones]

Yes, but it is a numbers game.

You recruit enough people believing in their dream and all using the products themselves and this can represent a substantial turnover of product. Product in which some of the original inflated purchase cost is filtered back to you, the sponsor.

The people that succeed in this business are the ones that build the enthusiasm in their group. They are a particular type of person and the best word I can find is FAKE.

This type of scam is not reliable on external sales which in fact represent a insignificant part of the total turnover.

Remember,  70% turnover still means 30% stay!




Disclaimer:Bones is in no way affiliated with Amway or any Australian Adult Sex Shops.

[Kremmit]

My buddie's wife & mother-in-law are heavy into Quixtar.  There's more to it than just the internet code.  They also get rebates on the stuff they buy themselves.  But wait, you only get the rebates if you buy enough stuff that month.  So they go and buy a year's worth of toilet paper, or "try out" some new granola bars, or whatever, just to make their monthly quota.  They go to like 3 meetings a week, so the local motivational Quixtar priest can keep the fires stoked, and make sure that nobody has been telling them they've been getting ripped off.  Oh, and the prices on the stuff?  They can order from a lot of online stores, like Target.com, at the same price you would pay if you walked into the store- plus they get their rebates, so that's a good deal, right?  Oh, wait, I forgot, they pay shipping on all this crap they could just get at Target, or the grocery store.

I briefly left my hotel job to be involved in a small construction company owned by friends.
The boom is slowing, and they are now losing money on contracts they made 3 and 4 years ago when gas was $1.25 a gallon.

I'm anticipating a construction boom along the gulf coast.  Call me crazy.

Disclaimer:Bones is in no way affiliated with Amway or any Australian Adult Sex Shops.

I believe the Amway part.

[jbox]

They also get rebates on the stuff they buy themselves.

This is one of my favourite parts of the cult. This is like people who buy a super-mega-meal which they never finish simply because it is "better value for money". Yeah, lets pay 10% more for something so that we can get 3% of that back!   

[shmokes]

My buddie's wife & mother-in-law are heavy into Quixtar.

I would divorce my wife.  There's not much that would elicit an ultimatum from me.  My wife could go back to Christianity (within reason).  She could get heavy into scrapbooking.  She could start taping daytime soaps or talkshows.  But I wouldn't stand for her getting mixed up in MLM much more than I would a drug or alcohol addiction.

[Bones]

I would divorce my wife.  There's not much that would elicit an ultimatum from me.  My wife could go back to Christianity (within reason).  She could get heavy into scrapbooking.  She could start taping daytime soaps or talkshows.  But I wouldn't stand for her getting mixed up in MLM much more than I would a drug or alcohol addiction.

Big words from a man with a disturbing <gay> pez collection.

Damn.... I just wasted my 2000th post on shmokes, I always thought I was destined for something much better.

Ohh well, at least I got the opportunity to accuse shmokes of gayness so it was not a complete waste.

[shmokes]

Still says you've got 1999.  And you know....I'd never thought of it before, but Pez Dispensers do have a bit of a phallic shape.  What would Freud say?

[Bones]

Well crap.

Being told I was wrong about my 2000th post and then having to use my 2000th post to reply and thereby acknowledge my mistake just plain outright sucks.

I'd never thought of it before, but Pez Dispensers do have a bit of a phallic shape. What would Freud say?

ya ya, pez in der archstole. deefer, deefer

[ChadTower]

I bet Quixtar sells Pez.

[Stingray]

propane gas rep (taste the meat, not the heat!) telling a hotel night auditor how to get it together. 
I expected better from you, Stingray.  You're the official slacker yet only managed 3 posts.  This will reflect badly in your review.   

For the record, I gave up the propane job recently. I'm now working at (or maybe in) a gay bar. We still use the same slogan though.

-S

[ChadTower]

From propane to pro pain.

[duffjr]

i recently left my job that sucked--12 bones an hour and i had to work at least another year to make 25 as a waiter which isn't bad but it's only 25 or so hours a week and too far from school.

i took up internet poker and sports betting.  it has been profitable at times i've concentrated, but i have this problem of letting it ride on longshots so my profits are minimal.  if you have balls of steel and don't mind playing with 30% of your savings on any day, it won't take more than a few weeks to start to profit from a game.  there is this one guy that always gives me money when everyone else is beating the crack out of me....as long as i don't lose my head, i will leave up 100 in 30 minutes when this guy shows up.  but there are so many deals that if you are a break-even player, you can still profit for a few months off site bonuses. 

and if you refer a big money player, you can make a few grand a month just off that one guy until he quits his addiction.  if you know many rich businessmen, this can be a highly profitable business without the horrible losses that a gambler can take at any time.

[Truecade]

Become a plumber.  Seriously.  The pay is very good, and it's something that society will always need.  There is much more to the job than unclogging people's toilets.

Case in point:  I spent 5 years getting an engineering degree while one of my neighbors started training as a plumber about 10 years ago.  I've been an engineer for almost seven years and he makes more $$$ than me and works fewer hours. 

I've read about people with technical degrees becoming plumbers because the pay is better and there's less stress.  And to be honest, I've personally never met a poor plumber.....

Food for thought.

[duffjr]

or a poor locksmith...the bastard came to open up my arcade machine...he used my screwdriver and wedged it open and i said that doesn't count as unlocking it, so then he said he attempted to unlock it before realizing it was the wood.  he gets to charge 15 bucks for 2 minutes of work.  then the guy comes to clean my carpet at 10, and he says, "you know how much money i've made today?  600 dollars.  doing what?  sucking water.  i mean i do a good job but the pay is great.  you don't need school."

[ChadTower]

It wasn't 2 minutes of work.  It took him how long to drive to and from your house?  That is part of his workload.

[duffjr]

no he had a visit across the street and i asked him over.  plus, he charged 65 bucks to dig a key out of my car in 5 minutes.  if i only, i had had his miniature tools.

[ChadTower]

Hey, I have some advice for you.

Stop losing your keys.

[duffjr]

i don't have a keyrack or a keychain.  i figured keys should be safely hidden two years before i would ever need them again.