| Comment Number: | 522418-06719 |
| Received: | 7/7/2006 9:19:53 AM |
| Organization: | |
| Commenter: | Mary Maduzia |
| State: | PA |
| Subject: | Business Opportunity Rule |
| Title: | Notice of Proposed Rulemaking |
| CFR Citation: | 16 CFR Part 437 |
| No Attachments |
Comments:
Dear FTC, My husband and I have been Quixtar Independent Business Owners (IBOs) since September of 1999. Prior to that we had been associated with Alticor Corp since 1990 as Amway distributors. Truthfully we were mostly focused on establishing our careers during that time frame, but we still benefitted from the value of the products and the additional side income we generated. Unlike the investment of time and finances in a traditional business, there was no risk with our Amway business. In February of 1999 we heard about the Internet division being launched by Alticor in September of 1999. We decided that it was time for us to truly focus on building our business. After about two years we achieved the Q-12 Platinum level or approximately $40,000+ profit a year. I have been able to retire at that income level. Our next goal is to develop our business to the Emerald level (100,000+) this coming fiscal year to replace my husband's engineering income as well. Our Quixtar business has enabled me to help my sister with her children after her husband passed away and she had to return to the work place. I have also been able to care for my grandmother before she passed. Our business has freed me up to be a help to my friends and neighbors as well. I was never able to do any of those things while working 50+ hours in the pharmaceutical industry. Our Quixtar business has provided us a level playing field. As busy as we were we did not have the time or finances to risk in the traditional business marketplace, but we could invest a little time and minimal funds to establish a successful Quixtar business. Our intial investment in our Amway business was well under $150.00 and we were able to granfather into the Quixtar engine for just the yearly renewal fee of $60.00. Along with the financial benfits, there are so many intangible benefits to being associated with the Quixtar opportunity. Free mentorship and guidance from successful people who have a vested interest in helping you succeed is priceless. The ease and convenience of shopping online and having access to top-name manufacturers and retailers. I honestly do not have enough words to express what the association with this opportunity has done for us. A close friend from high school shared this business plan with us. He provided the FTC reviewed business materials that enabled us to make a quality decision to pursue the program. My husband attended four or five business presentations before we registered. We were given the freedom to check the program out thoroughly before moving forward. We follow the same procedure with the folks we invite to join our business team. We invest time and money into helping our team be successful so we want to make sure we are working with quality candidates. We help our prospects set realistic goals based on the time they have to invest in their business. We always share our personal experience. The opportunity is worthwhile as is, there is no need to exagerate the potential earnings. We can appreciate the FTC wanting to regulate how business is done to protect the public from scams and sceams. However, the proposed methods seem to penalize the established, ethical businesses and their particiapants. As I mentioned earlier, we already take adequate measures to help our prospects make quality, informed decisions. The fact that our opportunity and our products are 100% guaranteed, should dispell the need for such proposed regulations. We are especially opposed to having to provide references and personal earnings to prospects. We feel that is in violation of the right to privacy of the established IBO. To violate that right hardly seems warranted given there is no risk to the prospect with the Quixtar opportunity. The maximum cost of registering with Quixtar is about $175.00 and as mentioned that is 100% money back guaranteed. We typically promote the registration with the general product pack at a cost of $145.00.