Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Amway Global - Investing In Your Business?

One thing that is very interesting to me, is how IBOs seem to think that spending money on cds, tapes or functions is an investment in their business. If I owned a restaurant for example, I would have to purchase equipment such as ovens and grills. If my business does well, I may choose to re-invest some of my profits for perhaps more efficient cooking equipment, or nicer chairs and tables for my patrons, etc. The things I invest or re-invest in makes an immediate impact on my business for the better. Food is served faster, and perhaps the environment is nicer for my customers.

What exactly do IBOs get from cds or attending functions? They likely end up with less money. Attending a function for example, not only costs money, but takes you away from your business for a weekend each month. In what business is it beneficial to spend money and take a weekend away from your business? Only in Amway do upline leaders teach this kind of questionable business practice. It wouldn't seem so bad if upline leaders weren't the primary financial beneficiary of these functions.

Now if an IBO spent time and money creating advertising for their products, or a business gameplan, that would be a reasonable investment of their resources to benefit their business. It is too bad that upline leaders teach bad business practices that end up in IBO failure while they are enjoying financial gains for teaching this crap.

18 comments:

Gina said...

Sure a business owner should invest in their business but in order for it to be an investment their should be a return in one way or another. The "tools" prove to be nothing but repetitive motivation...not much return there after the first few "tools".

Amthrax said...

In the past IBOs hands were pretty much tied with regards to doing their own thing traditional marketing-wise. Amway has relaxed some of the rules, but its still fairly restrictive.

John said...

Gina what do they prove? Have you used them? I use them all the time and do find while most of them are a bunch of rah rah hooey there are those that teach.

What other profession takes weekend seminars? Gina, you want to answer that?

"-The things I invest or re-invest in makes an immediate impact on my business for the better-"

For one advertising does not.

Anonymous said...

"What exactly do IBOs get from cds or attending functions? They likely end up with less money. Attending a function for example, not only costs money, but takes you away from your business for a weekend each month. In what business is it beneficial to spend money and take a weekend away from your business? Only in Amway do upline leaders teach this kind of questionable business practice"


Actually Joe, they teach this in nearly every business in America. That's why cities build convention centers and hotels to house the people that attend. The mere idea that this is foriegn to you brings one to question just how "up on things" you actually are.

The fact that Gina has no clue on this either tends to shed light on her lack of worldly experience in the business arena as well and is a further indicator that this is a girlriend that was dumped by an IBO.

Joecool said...

There may be conventions and possibly seminars but they are often annual conventions, not monthly conventions. Since most IBOs also have a full time job, taking a weekend off to travel to a function is a big drain on their finances, family and jobs.

Gina said...

In my business, there are 2 conventions a year....that's it just 2...one is tiny and very few people go and the other everyone goes. There are plenty of magazines and so on related to the feild...some free some not free, but the cost does not compare in any way to the "tools" so many purchase with the Amway world.

Re-investing in your business does not mean investing over and over and over again into the same cd's, books and seminars.

What new and useful information is there every week? What unbelivable information that will help your business is there given at these weekly meetings? There needs to be a limit to everything. One seminar a year...no one would criticize....a book here or there...no issues, but weekly meetings, multiple seminars and conventions a year, and numerous books and cd's that all seem to say the same things over and over again seems to be insanity.

Oh and Anon, you are very childish. You don't really believe that I am just the silly ex-girlfriend of an IBO? I have done business in more countries than you could name without doing a Google search first. I have lived in more countries than you have visited, and I speak more than one language...so my worldly business knowledge is beyond what you could even imagine in your little 4 walls surrounded by Amway crap.

Unknown said...

Poor Gina, You stated " the tools prove to be nothing but repetitive motivation"
NOTHING BUT REPETITIVE MOTIVATION??
If motivating someone to peform their best is not an investment, than what is an investment to you?
You rather buy a popular cd that most people listen to that 80% of the lyrics is nothing but crap(drugs, afairs, shooting, killing, cursing)? That gets you up and enthusiastic, huh?

Unknown said...

My college professor went to a motivational seminar a few weekends ago. She is not an IBO. And her profession gave her the option to go. She chose it; she explains that the information gained at such places is worth 100 times more that what she paid for. Gina, I can tell you are not feeding your mind with knowledge that will help you in your future. You do have a future plan, right?

John said...

Who said weekly or monthly meetings? only Joe and Gina did.

I have the option to attend 4 seminars a year in Amway of which i probably go to 1 or 2 how is that different from other Professions?

Also who reinvests in the same book or cd? each book is different and so are the cd's if you choose to purchase one that you feel pertains to what you would like to learn or focus on.

Joecool said...

Levi, I have no problem with people attending a seminar, but upline will try to get total dedication to the system out of most IBOs. That is when the system becomes a problem. Many IBOs end up attending seminar after seminar without ever making a profit. They get into the business of attending seminars.

John said...

It's a hype move, you keep em pumped and they do whatever you say. not a bad idea just abused under the wrong pretenses.

Joecool said...

Yes, get them pumped up for what? To succeed in Amway or to buy standing order and attend more functions?

Gina said...

"My college professor went to a motivational seminar a few weekends ago. She is not an IBO. And her profession gave her the option to go. She chose it; she explains that the information gained at such places is worth 100 times more that what she paid for."

I didn't say it should be NONE. There is such a thing as too much of anything even a good thing. Is this professor going again this week, and the next and the next and the next? And is this professor reading multiple books and listening to multiple CDS's weekly containing the same motivation? Some motivation, anyone needs...but really how bad off are you IBO's that you need to be motivated on a constant basis? Are you all really that depressed, self conscious, ect that you need this motivation endlessly? That doesn't say much for IBO's.

" Gina, I can tell you are not feeding your mind with knowledge that will help you in your future. You do have a future plan, right?"

LOL....why would anyone be so pompous to assume such an asinine thing? Because I don't need constant motivation and actually have the gumption to perform on my own? Maybe you IBO's should focus a bit on actual knowledge instead of calling motivation and dream building knowledge...then you would avoid make silly statements like you just did.

Gina said...

"Who said weekly or monthly meetings? only Joe and Gina did.

I have the option to attend 4 seminars a year in Amway of which i probably go to 1 or 2 how is that different from other Professions?"

Nope, there are many groups that hold weekly meetings till all hours of the night that are always the same.

"Also who reinvests in the same book or cd?"

IBO's do. Just because the title may change doesn't mean the subject matter does...its all the same then.

" each book is different and so are the cd's if you choose to purchase one that you feel pertains to what you would like to learn or focus on."

Problem is that many IBO's are convinced that they need every book and cd...and the subject matter is always the same....
Name some titles of these books that actual teach something that isn't about motivation or persuasion. Where are the books about how to run a business? About how to track expenses? About how to properly file taxes using the 1099? About customer service? About forecasting? About how to properly account for COGS?

These are things one should be able to choose from in an effort to learn how to be a successful business owner.

John said...

Gina you can try your best to discredit what we are telling you is our personal facts all you want but being arrogant enough to state

"Nope, there are many groups that hold weekly meetings till all hours of the night that are always the same."

clearly shows you dont want the truth you only want to state your views. well talk all you want but all you are doing is lying to the readers by telling them we (the actual Ibo's) are wrong and only you can be right. grow up.

Gina said...

"Gina you can try your best to discredit what we are telling you is our personal facts all you want but being arrogant enough to state"

I am not trying to discredit anything...I write the truth and that is not what discredit means. You can tell me what you do all you want....I didn't challenge what you say you do. On the same token you can't tell everyone your personal experience and sweep it across to everyone else's. That is what many of you IBO's accuse us of doing, so why would it be acceptable for you to do?

"Nope, there are many groups that hold weekly meetings till all hours of the night that are always the same."

"clearly shows you dont want the truth you only want to state your views. well talk all you want but all you are doing is lying to the readers by telling them we (the actual Ibo's) are wrong and only you can be right. grow up."

Prove that I am wrong...so many IBO's post about how the weekly meetings are essential and that the multiple events a year are vital, you are the only one to say otherwise. If it was true that most groups do not hold these weekly meetings and don't "encourage" IBO's to attend all events then why is it only being addressed by you now? Check the blogs...IBO's rant all the time on how great these events and meetings are. Some dedicate whole blog posts about them. Aside from that I know as a fact that some groups still do the weekly meetings and have the IBO's go to every event...my warehouse guy is an IBO and every Tuesday he meets with his upline and the whole group for an open meeting and then they hold their night owl meeting. He doesn't get home, which is only 20 minutes from his home, until 3am. Then he is sure to be at every weekend hoopla that there is...he is sure to take those Fridays off, and if they are far enough away he even takes Thursday off as well. Aside from the fact that he has told me this, it is confirmed by his telling of my other employees of these meetings and events of how pumped he is blah blah blah....

so clearly there are in fact groups that do have weekly meetings and attend every function...you can continue to talk and pretend that I am lying but you are just making yourself look even more foolish. Why do you go out of your way to insist that you are the only one who knows anything on anything? People in the real world, tend to do some research before making statements and not just make things up because that's what they wish was the truth. Stop lying to yourself.

Anonymous said...

Information is important in any business venture.. if your traditional mind only think that business is all about capital.. then maybe you are not in the right track... How can you build a pizza business if you don't know how to run it.. Business is not all about selling products, its all about skills...

Anonymous said...

^ what's your point?