Comment Number: 522418-09880
Received: 7/15/2006 12:21:20 PM
Organization: Xango
Commenter: Trudy McDaniel
State: TN
Subject: Business Opportunity Rule
Title: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
CFR Citation: 16 CFR Part 437
No Attachments

Comments:

I sincerely appreciate the FTC's concern to protect the public from scams and fraudulent business practices under the proposed Business Opportunity Rule #R51193. However, I am equally concerned that many of the items proposed within the ruling would negatively affect my home based business as I sell direct to the public. I was very unhappy working in government work prior to 1986 and it is by choice that I have only worked in direct sales for the last 20 years. Direct selling has given me the freedom to work as I wish, when I can, and earn what I am worth with no one else taking credit for my efforts but myself. It allowed me when I was a single mother to provide for my family and still be at home when I needed to be with my child. With the positive influence I have been exposed to in the direct selling business, through the encouragement and recognition I've received in public speaking and giving group presentations, I feel this business has helped me in building self confidence and character. I want to be around successful, self motivated people who teach character building instead of what I found in any other "job" I've ever had. The 7 Day Waiting Period really puts my income in slow motion with unnecessary delays, as does supplying a List of Nearest References, which would also invade the privacy of others and is totally impractical. With reference to the Earnings Claim Statement, an unethical company will not be discouraged from providing whatever information they choose to give anyway. I always state that the individual's income will be determined by what time and effort he chooses to give to the business and it won't depend on what someone else has done in their business. In regard to Legal Actions, most companies throughout the world have legal actions against them in some form, frivolous or not, so why do we need to burden the new prospect with stacks of paper? Further, I do not believe your Cancellations and Refunds rule is necessary simply because some people get involved with a business opportunity for a short term to fix a short term need and then leave the company. Why should this personal decision be made to look as though it is a bad reflection on the company that offered them the opportunity? I always check out the company by myself before I decide to represent it. The real problem is that when most people find out they have to actually work, they leave the business. The company that offers the opportunity should be appreciated, not looked at in a negative light just because the individual decided he didn't won't the opportunity after all. Not one of the direct selling businesses I've ever been involved with have ever had people to leave because they thought they'd gotten involved with a scam. It is difficult enough to find good people who actually want to do something more with their life than just staying in the same old job with the fear of someday losing their retirment plan. Why make it more difficult for them to try to reach the American Dream of owning their own business?