| Comment Number: | 522418-06681 |
| Received: | 7/7/2006 12:47:57 AM |
| Organization: | Internet Associates/Quixtar |
| Commenter: | Theresa Johnston |
| State: | OR |
| Subject: | Business Opportunity Rule |
| Title: | Notice of Proposed Rulemaking |
| CFR Citation: | 16 CFR Part 437 |
| No Attachments |
Comments:
We have had a business with Internet Associates and Quixtar for 6 years. My husband and I are both dedicated public workers recognized with awards for the quality of our work. He is an engineer, I retired from teaching due to cancer. We had good but flat incomes that suffered a strain with a child in college and parents in their 70’s who lost their home due to a business loss. We found ourselves in need of an additional source of income. He traveled and my workweek of over 80 hours limited our time. A second job or traditional business was not going to work. By God’s grace, parents of one of my students asked us to see their business. We took a look, showed mom, and all signed up. The business plan was clear, the risk small. For $200 we could own a business to distribute products via the internet without the overhead and employees that had devastated my folks. A full refund in the first 30 days if we started and decided this would not work literally eliminated all risk. We were shown the work involved to achieve different levels of success and shown that an average IBO earned $115 each month. $115 was not much but with hard work, showing hundreds of people our business plan, more was possible. No outrageous promises made. We use the same plan and explain the same thing to everyone we register. This is not get rich quick, just create additional income if you put in the time. We have not only grown a business, but ourselves though the positive association and training we have received. Our marriage and relationships are better and my husband recently opened a consulting firm because of the business training. Our business generates income of about $1500 each month. It has been stable through father’s kidney and prostrate cancer, mom’s 3 bouts of pneumonia, and my two rounds of breast cancer all of which limited our work time. The income contributes to charity and has paid off my parents business debts and makes payments on a 10 acre farm. A wonderful place for my folks to end their days. Our current goals are to eliminate our debt and that of 100 families allowing at least one spouse to come home from work in order to create more stable communities in which to raise children. I think I will live to see that goal achieved. I am in agreement that all businesses should have the integrity that Quixtar/INA possess and look forward to legislation to that effect. However, some points of your plan trouble me. I think the Quixtar 30 day guarantee and the way we in INA encourages folks to meet other business owners is better than forcing someone to wait 7 days or giving them a list of names. In our business people are encouraged to come to a meeting to meet other people in the business and to see the business plan. Everyone seeing the plan is asked if they would like to register or would like additional information. Those who want more information are given a follow up pack (which includes the work plan and information about average IBO earnings of $115 each month) . If they see the plan at home and want to register, they agree to attend a meeting in the next two weeks to meet other people. Actually getting started in a business to see if it will work for you and meeting people seem to me superior to a 7 day wait and a list of names. Forced waiting is not a requirement in traditional business with a lot more money at risk. For me it just means that much more work and with my health issues I have limited cracks of time to work now. I also believe that Quixtar’s approach revealing the income of the average IBO is more honest than personally substantiating my income. I work harder than an average person. My $1500 per month income is a lot more than 3 other people who signed up at the same time I did and less than a fourth. It is certainly more than the $115 monthly average. Signing up with someone who makes a lot of money does not mean you will. Only your work ethic determines your income. That needs to be clear. Thanks