| Comment Number: | 522418-09068 |
| Received: | 7/13/2006 9:36:59 PM |
| Organization: | |
| Commenter: | Deborah Ferguson |
| State: | WA |
| Subject: | Business Opportunity Rule |
| Title: | Notice of Proposed Rulemaking |
| CFR Citation: | 16 CFR Part 437 |
| No Attachments |
Comments:
I have been an Independent Business Owner (IBO) with Quixtar since 1999. I have learned a lot about business ownership through this experience and have the goal of moving to Platinum in the next two years. The Quixtar business allows me to work part time building side income while I recover from a series of automobile wrecks from the past five years. The flexibility of this business is a major part of why this business is so important to me. Quixtar has also taught me how to be successful with people as well as how to succeed in business. I have an undergraduate degree and have worked in corporate America since 1979 but I had never learned the principles Quixtar teaches prior to becoming an IBO. When I was shown the opportunity, I was impressed with the level of support given me as a brand new business owner by my sponsor as well as Quixtar. Not having to carry a huge inventory also impressed me. I was taught to carry a few items for my customers who regularly purchase from me. Having access to the Internet to buy on-line or being able to purchase items from my Platinum reduced my need to carry a personal inventory “warehouse” that I could not afford. Another huge bonus to me with this business is the money-back guarantee that everyone is given. I have never felt pressured to buy stock just to make a quota. There are no quotas. I can set a goal, follow the rules to be legal and have a legitimate business that offers many tangible as well as intangible rewards. When I share this opportunity with people, I emphasize the very things that I was shown that makes this business viable: the support we have, the way to make money without carrying a huge inventory, the legal way to do business, and the freedom of a money-back guarantee. What I do not share with people is what I personally earn. This business is based on personal effort so what I might earn may or may not be what the next person earns. I can not guarantee that they will earn as much or as little as I do but I can and DO show them what an average IBO earns. This average is given in the document called the Business Ownership Plan SA-4400. It doesn’t show a fancy number, it is a legitimate figure that has been approved by the FTC. This document also gives a glossary so that I am not using new terms the prospect has no way to interpret. I WANT them to know up front what they are being exposed to. This is NOT a get-rich-quick scheme. It is a long-term commitment to personal and financial growth. I want them to be successful because I am going to be investing my time and energy into helping them build their business. Having to provide references is unnecessary with Quixtar. We have regularly scheduled meetings we encourage new people to attend so that they have the chance to meet people in this business. We also have smaller meetings with our personal groups where they can meet people with whom I work as I build my business. I would not appreciate my name and phone number given out to other prospective people. I would not want to say something that might be misconstrued by the new person. People hear what they want and I have had personal experience were a woman with whom I attended high school asked me some questions she didn’t want to ask the person showing her the business. I made the mistake of thinking I was helping but I actually confused Susan. Did she ask me the same question she asked him? Did I misunderstand her question? Did she misunderstand what he said or what I said? I don’t know the answer to those questions. I do know giving a list of references is not necessary because we all use the same documents when showing the opportunity. We encourage the new person to come to meetings to see others in the area who are building the business. And we also encourage the new person to check this business out with their accountants, the BBB, and whomever else they deem necessary.