Comment Number: 522418-11390
Received: 7/17/2006 11:13:35 AM
Organization: Quixtar Independent Business Owner
Commenter: Carolyn Schultz
State: MI
Subject: Business Opportunity Rule
Title: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
CFR Citation: 16 CFR Part 437
No Attachments

Comments:

I have been a small business owner since 1971, with no income from other jobs. My husband was laid off from his aeronautical engineering job and we were able to start our business to gradually replace his income. I support the FTC proposal to provide information to help candidates decide the reliability of the company. There should be honest disclosures by the company on incomes earned (ours has printed material) and have a fair cancellation policy. (ours is money back guarantee). I am concerned about any long waiting period before registration which would keep those eager to start earning needed money from moving quickly. If they have a money back guarantee, why would one need a 7, or even a one day waiting period? Financial records definitely should not be open to prospects. It is one's own private records, and my progress in business does not determine what the prospect could earn. I do reveal averages (corporate numbers) for various levels of our business. The idea of giving out "references" would be like trying to give your candidates' names to your competition! Ridiculous. We work hard to show people how our business works, and I am doing that work to help them become successful and to help me build my business, too. We introduce our guests to others business owners in our organization at get-togethers. They can decide if they want to get other references and search out some other company. Listing legal allegations? Allegations are just that...unproven. I don't hear of such things in my business, Quixtar, but there are always people who like to sue. Please don't put us out of business with such paperwork, or on requiring us to calculate and make disclosures on income claim. We show our prospects how the money is made at retail and how the bonus structure works for additional income. If they have questions, we have written materials already. If network marketing gets so bogged down with rules, regulations and paperwork, we can't help support America with our small businesses We do not have the incomes of large corporations to hire people to do all that petty stuff. If you are looking to keep some of the fly-by-nighters out of business, enforce the laws already on the books. Don't add more and drive us out of business. My husband died suddenly at the age of 55, and because of my networking business, I have been able to support myself alone for 18 years, and with the business for a total of 35 years. It frightens me to think the government might regulate me to the death of my bussiness. We help a lot of people earn a little extra income, and perhaps keep some of them off the welfare roles. Isn't that worthwhile to encourage, not destroy? We help a few people earn a lot of money. Is that worthwhile to help our economy? I know the FTC has good intentions to "clean up" those networking companies with less integrity than others. Go after them; don't penalize us all. Sincerely, Carolyn Schultz