So I hope you'll allow me to basically say, stop adding me to your online parties, but also WHY.
Let me first address that post that is always going around that basically says, "When you buy from a big company, you are paying CEOs to go on vacation or blah blah whatever, when you buy from your friends online you are supporting a stay at home mom!"
And therein lies the problem: there are a thousand companies out there right now promising stay at home moms that they can make whatever they are willing to work for! All they have to do is pay a small upfront fee, and promise to post something every day, and annoy their friends to no end! Sounds like a stay at home moms dream come true.
Ok I'm sorry, I don't mean to come across as insensitive. It's just that it's so frustrating that no matter how many of these companies crawl out of the woodworks, there seems to be no end to the people willing to fall for it.
About two years ago, there was a new company I hadn't heard much about yet. I personally wasn't interested in buying their products, but there was one girl on my Facebook always posting things about how much money she was making working for this company. She went on trips seemingly every month and it was all paid for by this simple job!
Well, I was intrigued to say the least. But a quick Google search, a fair assessment of several articles about the company, confirmed exactly what I thought: it was a crock.
The sad truth is that by buying from these companies, you are helping your stay at home mom friends a little, and helping the people at the top of these pyramid schemes a lot.
I won't call out the companies individually, because I'm really not trying to hurt anyone here, but let's just say:
If someone wants you to "join their team"... It's a scam
If a Google search mentions anything about the company being an MLM scheme... It's a scam
If you are going to be throwing a lot of online parties, or doing all your work in five minutes a day from the comfort of home... It's a scam
If you have to pay money to work for them... Oh my goodness it is a scam
If they seem to be targeting stay at home moms... Yeah, it's probably a scam
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is! And if the only good things you hear come from testimonies of those already working for the company, please, do your research. It's probably a scam.
Personally, my concern isn't for the people buying these products. My concern is for the sellers! The sellers, who make up probably close to 1/3 of my female friend list right now. The sellers who probably joined because they were struggling financially (because the ads promise you can get out of debt, go on European vacations whenever you want, and be making 450k+ by December if only you work for it!) and they joined hoping they could help out their family financially without having to leave their babies at daycare.
It is a noble cause. Trust me, I get it. That's why it makes me sick that these pyramid scheme companies prey on women so desperate to find financial freedom while still being full time mothers.
Let me give you a more realistic number: 8. That is how many people have contacted me personally, in the last week to get me to join their team, throw a party, or buy products from them. 8 people who I haven't talked to in ages. 8 people who I would love to catch up with, but who I can't help but feel frustrated that this is the only reason they reached out. 8 people whose time could be so much better spent earning money a legitimate way!
I don't care what anyone tells you. There are only a couple people in any of those companies who are ever going to make 450k a year. And they won't make it because they sell a lot, they make it because you will.
There are a thousand legitimate things you can do to make money, and still be a mom. But please oh please, my cute friends, stop joining these horrible scams.
And please, for the love of Pete, when I leave your Facebook online party group, don't keep re-adding me.
Yes!!! Thank you! These companies are utterly ridiculous and it really causes tension between friends because they won't shut up about it! The only one I sort of don't mind is lularoe but even that one is iffy with all the Facebook notifications.
ReplyDeleteOne can always turn off notifications from a group. It has saved my sanity several times.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you feel that way and please believe me, I'm not here to argue, change your mind or start anything. I just want you to see a different perspective. I personally have had success with my SeneGence business. I actually was able to quit my full time job and focus totally on SeneGence-- while being home with my kids. And, it's actually not a pyramid scheme because pyramid scheme companies don't offer a product for the money that is paid. MLMs like SeneGence, Mary Kay, Avon, LuLaRoe, etc, are legitimate businesses. Pretty much like every business out there-- someone makes money off of someone else. Jeffery Starr, Kat Von D, etc, make money off of the sales of their makeup, sold by sales associates who make money off of selling the product. They just do it in a store instead of through online parties. Every entrepreneur invests in their business. They invest in stock, they invest in marketing and training. That's exactly what I've done with SeneGence. I have never paid the company and not received something in return. Therefore, it's actually not a scam. Again, it's not for everyone, but there are a lot of people that it is for. That it does work for. I think, if you feel this strongly, you could message the hostesses individually and let them know that you aren't interested. That's all. We won't be offended. Also, when you leave a group, there's no notification, so we may forget that you were in the group to begin with and if we re-add you, that's totally our bad. But you can also click on the option to not allow the re-add and turn off your notifications. :) Easy peasy.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this response. ❤️
DeleteMeg,
DeleteI'm sorry I didn't see your comment until now!
I'm curious how you found my little blog? I don't think we know each other!
Regardless, I'm glad you found success in your business! My problem with that is the countless other women who joined SeneGence just a little too late and now I can name at least 15 of my friends who currently sell it- how do I choose who to buy from? In that sense, MLM schemes are pyramid schemes- there just aren't enough consumers to go around to make everyone rich!
This is also why I didn't call any companies out directly- some are definitely more legitimate than others. And I guess I should have been clear that I am not calling the product a scam- products are certainly provided to the consumer- but rather I am calling the idea that anyone can get fabulously wealthy selling any of these products a total scam.
Case in point: again, I won't call out the company, but I frequently see one advertising that you can make $450,000+ annually by joining their team. It just isn't going to happen for 99.9% of the people out there.
But again, I'm glad you have found success in your business and I wish you the best with it!
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