Amway (just like every other major company) has a few things in its past that I am sure they would rather have everyone forget. The best thing would be to research the positives and the negatives yourself as I did. I hit the web, talked with current and former members hit the BBB, etc. In my case the positives outweighed the negatives (which can be found all over the net).
As an investor & project manager, I always look for the ROI when a making a business decision. Recycling money equates a positive ROI in most all cases. There are communities noted in history that were highly profitable because they believed in the process of inter-exchange. “Black Wall Street” is one example. This was a township where the citizens would buy and sell through their own businesses locally before looking outside of their own community/chamber of businesses. Because of this, a single dollar would exchange hands within the community an average of 13 times before exiting to some entity where it would no longer benefit the community. Considering the time in history, that community burned to the ground as minorities where not to enjoy that level of prosperity in that point of time in our country.
It’s a way to make money doing something we as consumers do anyway. Unless you professionally employed in advertising or hold some social status (jock, thespian, politician, etc.), no company pays you to tell a friend where you purchased the new shoes you are wearing when asked. Besides distributing their own line of products, Amway now indirectly distributes brands we buy any way through vendors we already know. I doubt Sony, Circuit City, Office Depot, Nike, Adidas, and Dell (in spite of the layoffs); etc would sign on with the company if they still had the problems they had back in the day.
I run an office of my own. I shop at Office depot heavily. I get a better price and a percentage of the money I spend there is returned to me. I am a techie kind of person and buy PCs, parts, etc constantly. I shop through Amway to get to retailers I know and already spend my dollars with to get a return on my spending and better prices in most cases. That also includes family members, friends, colleagues, and friends of colleges that shop at places you can get through Amway. The only change they make is carrying and swiping a card at the point of purchase and/or shopping online with those same retailers.
Statically… the economic state of the US is better when there is an increase in entrepreneurship. People take most interest and act upon that when they feel they have more to lose or gain. Everyone complains about BIG business and how it’s ruining and or globalizing America’s economy. If there were a collection of small businesses that adhered to the ideal of recycling their profits then big business would be less of an issue.
For the enviro-aware, not all but most of Amway’s own product lines are green. They were being environmentally friendly before “green” was in.
There is new system in place. Not everyone in Amway was part of the problem. Some leaders failed to stick to the positives after gaining some amount of success and that caused a HUGE backlash that is still a problem today. Thankfully, those leaders that felt differently started a better system that promotes honestly, self-discovery, and personal growth along with making money and living a debt free life.
Listing the negatives would take me a few hours. Most of those are based on the past and what the company allowed some of it’s more successful leaders to due before taking action to correct them or expel them from Amway altogether. Because of that the company does have a few hurdles that it will have to continue to leap over. All you have to do is Google for Amway + scam to get the gist of what I’m talking about.
Check with your local BBB, contact former Amway members, other current members, etc and decide based on what you feel is best. If all else fails I can provide a list of links to check.
And yes; I am a member of Amway/Quixtar if you missed that. I’m not a salesman and actually dislike some of the emphasis placed on that. I am just a leveled headed and open guy that looks for things that make sense, make money, and don’t compromise my values.
Even if it’s not with Amway do start a business and work at it. Depending on big business just isn’t working anymore. If you find something that people will need and be fair even in tough economic times you’re set for success without the moral compromise.
Best of luck in whatever you do.
MasTech
Well most companies have been around for a long time and have become a saturated market so it would be difficult to follow in anyones footsteps. But just like all the others, you will have to purchase a lot of product every month just to stay in the game. Go with your gut feeling when seeing these presentations, that will work best for you and above all, enjoy what you do!
Simply ask the guy who pitched the business plan to you what was his profit margin for past year. Ask him to give you a ROI calculation for few years and how much capitol you need to invest. Ask him how many tried this biz on his team and out of which how many succeeded. I think these numbers with your gut feelings/common sense should guide you to a logocal decision.
I would stay away from a pyramid scheme just for one reason. You will loose your friends:-)
Amway is a 50 yr old $7 billion global direct sales company. They manufacture many of their own brands, starting with one of the world’s first ecological cleaning products back in 1959. Today their two major lines are Nutrilite, the world’s #1 best selling nutritional brand, and Artistry skincare and cosmetics, ranked #3 in the world in “prestige cosmetics”. 9 years ago in North America Amway spun off an internet-based company called Quixtar. After a few years most folk involved with the Amway business had elected to transfer to the new internet-based business and Amway north america was closed. In the rest of the world Amway continued to operate and has become much like Quixtar. Last year Quixtar decided to rebrand back to the Amway name in North America for the one name globally.
You make money in Amway through marketing their products and earning retail and wholesale markup commissions. Problems with Amway tend to arise not with the company or business model itself, but in the way some folk market it. When you join Amway most folk tend to do so with one of a number of established groups and affiliated organisations. These each have their own cultures and ways of doing things. Some groups for example are well known for mixing religious and political evangelism with their Amway businesses. If that’s not something you appreciate (I don’t) then you’ll struggle in that environment.
So one of the keys to a successful Amway business is joining with a group of people you feel comfortable with and can relate to. Treat it like a business, track your incomes and expenses and make your own decisions and it can be an extremely profitable one. Like any businesses though, it takes a deal of time and effort, and some money invested, to get it off the ground and profitable.
If I were you, I would run far away from Amway! I **** to say it, but Amway is just like a cult. Watch what happens if you don’t join amway, that friend of yours will no longer be a friend. Amway teaches it’s people that if they can’t support your business, they are not a friend to have and to stop communicating with them. I know quite a few people who joined Amway and they changed, and not for the good. Don’t say that you were’nt warned!
wow….I am an IBO and im reading some of these posts while im down loading a new video game. My close friends decided against joining. However i just came from hanging out with them. When i first saw this presentation it seemed really to good to be true. And all the negative on the internet was just portraying this ugly monster. Two extremes that really got me confused. I decided to read as much literature as i could get my hands on that the person showing me the plan could spare. I also read as many blogs and negative posts about the company as i could. It took about 3 months and my upline was very patient. I found many inconsistencies, ignorance and arrogance on the internet. Many people saying they “knew someone” or “tried that thing” and failed. How do yo fail from something that cant fire you? There virtually no overhead…so bankruptcy cant make them fail. Read up on things. Go to the meetings. Ask to borrow some literature. Most groups like to run A TIGHT SHIP, just like most sales teams in most industries. To regular people who dont have sales history this might seem weird and confusing. Its also not a get rich quick scheme. It takes worth, personal growth and time and patience. But its well worth it. Make an educated decision….Even if these people mean well. None of them are reaching out to you to help your financial future. But your friend saw something in the business he/she wants to share with you.
Comments on Anyone know anything about Amway or Quixtar? »
i would avoid amway like the plague. here is a link to story written by someone sho got involved with amway that may help you make up your mind.
Amway (just like every other major company) has a few things in its past that I am sure they would rather have everyone forget. The best thing would be to research the positives and the negatives yourself as I did. I hit the web, talked with current and former members hit the BBB, etc. In my case the positives outweighed the negatives (which can be found all over the net).
As an investor & project manager, I always look for the ROI when a making a business decision. Recycling money equates a positive ROI in most all cases. There are communities noted in history that were highly profitable because they believed in the process of inter-exchange. “Black Wall Street” is one example. This was a township where the citizens would buy and sell through their own businesses locally before looking outside of their own community/chamber of businesses. Because of this, a single dollar would exchange hands within the community an average of 13 times before exiting to some entity where it would no longer benefit the community. Considering the time in history, that community burned to the ground as minorities where not to enjoy that level of prosperity in that point of time in our country.
It’s a way to make money doing something we as consumers do anyway. Unless you professionally employed in advertising or hold some social status (jock, thespian, politician, etc.), no company pays you to tell a friend where you purchased the new shoes you are wearing when asked. Besides distributing their own line of products, Amway now indirectly distributes brands we buy any way through vendors we already know. I doubt Sony, Circuit City, Office Depot, Nike, Adidas, and Dell (in spite of the layoffs); etc would sign on with the company if they still had the problems they had back in the day.
I run an office of my own. I shop at Office depot heavily. I get a better price and a percentage of the money I spend there is returned to me. I am a techie kind of person and buy PCs, parts, etc constantly. I shop through Amway to get to retailers I know and already spend my dollars with to get a return on my spending and better prices in most cases. That also includes family members, friends, colleagues, and friends of colleges that shop at places you can get through Amway. The only change they make is carrying and swiping a card at the point of purchase and/or shopping online with those same retailers.
Statically… the economic state of the US is better when there is an increase in entrepreneurship. People take most interest and act upon that when they feel they have more to lose or gain. Everyone complains about BIG business and how it’s ruining and or globalizing America’s economy. If there were a collection of small businesses that adhered to the ideal of recycling their profits then big business would be less of an issue.
For the enviro-aware, not all but most of Amway’s own product lines are green. They were being environmentally friendly before “green” was in.
There is new system in place. Not everyone in Amway was part of the problem. Some leaders failed to stick to the positives after gaining some amount of success and that caused a HUGE backlash that is still a problem today. Thankfully, those leaders that felt differently started a better system that promotes honestly, self-discovery, and personal growth along with making money and living a debt free life.
Listing the negatives would take me a few hours. Most of those are based on the past and what the company allowed some of it’s more successful leaders to due before taking action to correct them or expel them from Amway altogether. Because of that the company does have a few hurdles that it will have to continue to leap over. All you have to do is Google for Amway + scam to get the gist of what I’m talking about.
Check with your local BBB, contact former Amway members, other current members, etc and decide based on what you feel is best. If all else fails I can provide a list of links to check.
And yes; I am a member of Amway/Quixtar if you missed that. I’m not a salesman and actually dislike some of the emphasis placed on that. I am just a leveled headed and open guy that looks for things that make sense, make money, and don’t compromise my values.
Even if it’s not with Amway do start a business and work at it. Depending on big business just isn’t working anymore. If you find something that people will need and be fair even in tough economic times you’re set for success without the moral compromise.
Best of luck in whatever you do.
MasTech
Well most companies have been around for a long time and have become a saturated market so it would be difficult to follow in anyones footsteps. But just like all the others, you will have to purchase a lot of product every month just to stay in the game. Go with your gut feeling when seeing these presentations, that will work best for you and above all, enjoy what you do!
Simply ask the guy who pitched the business plan to you what was his profit margin for past year. Ask him to give you a ROI calculation for few years and how much capitol you need to invest. Ask him how many tried this biz on his team and out of which how many succeeded. I think these numbers with your gut feelings/common sense should guide you to a logocal decision.
I would stay away from a pyramid scheme just for one reason. You will loose your friends:-)
Amway is a 50 yr old $7 billion global direct sales company. They manufacture many of their own brands, starting with one of the world’s first ecological cleaning products back in 1959. Today their two major lines are Nutrilite, the world’s #1 best selling nutritional brand, and Artistry skincare and cosmetics, ranked #3 in the world in “prestige cosmetics”. 9 years ago in North America Amway spun off an internet-based company called Quixtar. After a few years most folk involved with the Amway business had elected to transfer to the new internet-based business and Amway north america was closed. In the rest of the world Amway continued to operate and has become much like Quixtar. Last year Quixtar decided to rebrand back to the Amway name in North America for the one name globally.
You make money in Amway through marketing their products and earning retail and wholesale markup commissions. Problems with Amway tend to arise not with the company or business model itself, but in the way some folk market it. When you join Amway most folk tend to do so with one of a number of established groups and affiliated organisations. These each have their own cultures and ways of doing things. Some groups for example are well known for mixing religious and political evangelism with their Amway businesses. If that’s not something you appreciate (I don’t) then you’ll struggle in that environment.
So one of the keys to a successful Amway business is joining with a group of people you feel comfortable with and can relate to. Treat it like a business, track your incomes and expenses and make your own decisions and it can be an extremely profitable one. Like any businesses though, it takes a deal of time and effort, and some money invested, to get it off the ground and profitable.
If I were you, I would run far away from Amway! I **** to say it, but Amway is just like a cult. Watch what happens if you don’t join amway, that friend of yours will no longer be a friend. Amway teaches it’s people that if they can’t support your business, they are not a friend to have and to stop communicating with them. I know quite a few people who joined Amway and they changed, and not for the good. Don’t say that you were’nt warned!
wow….I am an IBO and im reading some of these posts while im down loading a new video game. My close friends decided against joining. However i just came from hanging out with them. When i first saw this presentation it seemed really to good to be true. And all the negative on the internet was just portraying this ugly monster. Two extremes that really got me confused. I decided to read as much literature as i could get my hands on that the person showing me the plan could spare. I also read as many blogs and negative posts about the company as i could. It took about 3 months and my upline was very patient. I found many inconsistencies, ignorance and arrogance on the internet. Many people saying they “knew someone” or “tried that thing” and failed. How do yo fail from something that cant fire you? There virtually no overhead…so bankruptcy cant make them fail. Read up on things. Go to the meetings. Ask to borrow some literature. Most groups like to run A TIGHT SHIP, just like most sales teams in most industries. To regular people who dont have sales history this might seem weird and confusing. Its also not a get rich quick scheme. It takes worth, personal growth and time and patience. But its well worth it. Make an educated decision….Even if these people mean well. None of them are reaching out to you to help your financial future. But your friend saw something in the business he/she wants to share with you.