Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Amway - The Business Works If You Work It?

The business works if you work it! That's what many Amway enthusiats will claim. I do not believe that is true and I will further explain in this post. Many IBOs who claim that the business works are usually new and are unable to show any evidence that the business works, except perhaps to show a photocopied check from an upline diamond or the like.

Let me make a disclaimer that some people do make significant money from Amway, but most of those folks are tenured diamonds who are almost in an exclusive club. There is only a short list of new diamonds that I know of in the US, and I have heard that even these new diamonds may have had legs in other countries. It would seem that Amway is not growing in the US and Canada. Also of note, Amway did not release figures that are seperate between Amway North America and the rest of their overseas operations.

Ok, so Amway enthusiasts claim that the business works if you work it. Business in its simplest form is selling a product or service for a profit. Yet many many IBOs spend so much of their time doing other things, as advised by their upline "mentors" who sell them training materials that take up much of their valuable time. Listening to tapes/cds, attending functions, reading books, and other training activities not only costs the IBO money, but takes up valuable time in non -income producing activities. Nobody makes sales reading books or attending seminars.
Inviting people to see "the plan" may be a way to help generate volume but with Amway's reputation, even this is a hit and (mostly) miss activity.

Yet IBOs spend almost all of their time doing ese activities (the work) when they could be better off not getting the training and focusing on selling the Amway products and services. Even that comes with a handicap as Amway products as a whole, costs a lot more than purchasing similar or the same products as a big retailer such as Costco or WalMart. It is why most IBOs eventually get discouraged and quit far before the promoted 2-5 year plan.

Few people will even bother to see the plan once you mention "Amway" and for those who are open minded and motivated to register end up having to deadl with a hard to sell opportunity along with high priced common commodities such as soap, vitamins and energy drinks. It's pretty easy to see that the business does not work, even for most of those who actually work it. There are simply too many issues with the business that hanidcaps those brave enough to try. It seems even the fiercest defenders of Amway are unable to provide a shred of evidence that they have actually made a profit from this opportunity.

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

The business works if you work it? YES!

Joecool said...

Anonymous - wrong. The businss doens't work whether you work it or not.

Anonymous said...

If you say ..YES! It does work you must be a Newbie.When they are in over their ears in debt...well then you'll see a different answer. Happy Spending Anonymous!

Anonymous said...

That's what you said, not me. That's what you believed, not me. And that's what makes the difference in the outcome. Ciao!

Mike said...

Does the business work if you work it?...depends on what is considered work..or working the business.

A business that is working is making a profit. If the business is not making a profit, then it is not sucessful or not working.

If a store opens everyday, the store is clean and well stocked, the prices are fair, the customer service is excellent..and the store does not make a profit...it will cease to be.

Many business "work" their business and they fail, for many different reasons.

But to say that if one "works their amway busienss and they will be sucessful." Is a very devious lie.

It would be better stated "If you work your business, you may or may not be sucessful."

Anonymous said...

Mike, it would be better stated to keep your nose in your own business, not someone else's. That's the morale.

Joecool said...

Anonymous from Canada, why don't you contribute something of substance for a change?

Anonymous said...

I have already contributed something of substance, something that you need to hear instead of something that you like to hear. Take it or leave it.

Gina said...

Saying that it works if you say YES is not substantial...do you need to look up the definition of substantial?

I can not understand how it is that IBO's, with all their time spent training, buying books and in books stores can not manage to open a dictionary.

Anonymous said...

Gina, doing the YES is substantial. That has been the point. Apparently, Joecool isn't the only one who just doesn't get it. You imply that by only saying YES it's a done deal. No! The business does work if you work it. But the results won't show up overnight. So get that clear in your mind ok? This stays here for all to see so that you have no further excuse to misinterpret success.

Gina said...

I don't misinterpret success...on the contrary...compared to you IBO's I am the pinnacle of success. What were your sales last year....????

By the way, apparently you have comprehension issues so let me put this into elementary terms for someone of your feeble capacity to understand....

you said say yes was substantial....I said it wasn't...according to the definition of substantial. Many people have become succssful, more so than any IBO, and they don't need to sit in motivational meetings to shout yes over and over again to get there. So get that clear in your mind ok/. This stays here for all to see so that you have no further excuse to avoid the truth.

Anonymous said...

funny, how somepeople are sooo passionate about something they are not going to get involved in, that they search for forums so they can spend there time bashing it... Havn't you anything better to do? does Amway work? well lets see, do they have a system of paying people for performance? YES... Does it get better along with your performance? YES... Are there people who only do Amway for there main source of income? YES.... Are they all diamond status... NO.... Can the average person use this as a tool to accumulate wealth? YES....

Now i have three successful businesses, and i still find it worth it to work Amway. and what is so funny is, Amway gave me the capital to start my other companies.

Now... ignorant individuals may think to themselves, if Amway was so good, why start another... ANSWER... I like building businesses... Wondering this would be the same as asking Donald Trumpp why he decided to do realestate, investments, and write books... so be carefull with your intelligent responses...

I will speak truth, are you ready? at first, my income did not exceed expenses, just like other businesses, but i buckled it down to the point that they were equal. 8 months later i was making a small profit. Was it substantial Gina? YES, considering the amouint of work i had to do to get it witch amounted to be much much easier than my day to day job. a year and a half goes by, and i am still recieving money from Amway, as well as getting money from me me and my wives day jobs. then guess what happened, my eife and i started businesses and stopped working Amway, and we are still getting paid like clockwork. works for me...... doesn't have to work for you, i could care less.

now Amway is a more reliable income, being that the money is virtualy assured, because my downline, like myself, will continue to buy from our businesses.

It works well for us, doesn't matter if it doesn't work for you...

work hard, do what makes you happy, and butt out of other peoples ventures. you all are the same people that would have told Bill Gates, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison etc... that what they were proposing was a waste of time... You are the type of people that can not see past your own front yard, therefore you will nrver go farther. Try this for a moment, look at everything as a possible tool to accomplish an objective, use your rusty brain to figure out how to use that tool, AND EXECUTE!!!!!!!!

enjoy your life,

Pat

Anonymous said...

Thank you Pat,

I am a new IBO ( 6 months old). I have already built a small team and we (me and my wife) spend around 25 hours per week (put together). We started making a small profit a couple of months ago. Our revenue from this business is inching towards $250 every month and expense at $100. This is small return over the money that we invest in this business, but it is still better than the return I make over my investments in mutual funds. I know that this is small compared to my Job income but this has grown only in last three months. The projections in the future will be great ofourse. If I leave this business, I return back to my Job income, if I do it is going to be much better. So guys who are reading this stuff, dont quit this business if your friends are laughing at you since majority of the people in this world are broke anyway...

Bye and God bless you all

Anonymous said...

Agreed, It can get frustrateing working this business, but it might have nothing to do with Amway, more so uplines and their objectives...But you must always remember...this is your business...Not theirs...My wife and I are doing very well for ourselves in this business...And it's not hard, or a waste of time, in fact, it doesn't even feel like work- The premisis of the business is simple, buy product from your own company, bring people interested in at least saving money and at best generating anything from a small to substancial income in 15-20 hours per week and doing all of this with No Risk, up front investment of $140- Okay, so their products are not cheaper...if you use them incorrectly...Most of it is concentrated, and all of it is also high end compaired to others in the general consumer market-

I suffered from eczema from working with Resins and Chemicals in the Aerospace Business...And I still work here but don't have the same issues...All thanks to be introduced to the right skin care products...Trust me when I say this- My interest in Amway did not have anything to do with The Health, Skin Care, or vitamins...But since i joined...I figured I would take a shot on a few things...Worse comes to worse, I have something to share as samples...I take a vitamin chewable- My double X Mens packet, 1 Meal Bar, and an XS Energy Every Day- And I have not felt better...I am not an older person,(no offense to anyone) I am 26 years old...I had no prior affiliation with Amway (meaning friends or family, or anything) I actually got into the business by a weird shot of chance- Friend's Daughter (now our up line!) visiting from South Africa for a few weeks has been doing it- And for $142, I said who would'nt want to save-

To newer business owners such as myself,(just under a year) Keep ur chin up- and Grind away, the further you get into it, the less bleak it looks... I am at 25% already, and make a pretty decent check each month- I worked harder than most, I spend about 25-30 HRs per week the first 3 months, now down to 20, and still cranking away...I am trying to hit the goal of Platinum before December- And I will do it- YES! YES, I WILL! To all new IBO's A great key strategy that no-one will teach you, but I figured out and has worked wonders for me, Is when you meet with potential customers, especially your first year, GIVE THEM PRODUCT AT COST FOR ALL OF THEIR FIRST ORDERS ON ANY PRODUCT THEY HAVE NEVER TRIED- It's easy to track, and people generally buy if they see value, that's why we all got into this in the first place- Once you sell a bottle of Double X At cost, they are happy to come back and pay $76 from your website, and it's the same for all products...Personally, I don't think there is a better statement explaining the quality of the products- I have build a huge customer base, now, I give away a free 10 day supply of Double X mens or Womens Vitamins to potentials, and they always come back for the 30 day supply- It pays for it'self...Because for 1 it's a write off as demo- 2- They come back and pay retail, 3 You earn PV/BV...So it more than pays for it's self...

GTG- Keep up the good work- It's not impossible to get there, you just have to believe in the product, buy the product, and make sure other people in the business do the same- The rest takes care of itself! Don't forget to Start Promoting your Ribbons Web sites NOW Because of the 2-4 week Delivery time! Hope to see all of the success that is brought to this Business by Everyday Hump bustin folk who are just looking for a better way of life, (And not a get rich quick scheme like these clowns above our posts) And THE WORD YES!

Smith-

Anonymous said...

DITTO to the above, and pun intended!!!!

Anonymous said...

YES! I WANA BE AN AMWAY IBO!!YES!YES!! I WANT TO MAKE MILLIONS!EVERYBODY WILL LOVE THE PRODUCT IF I KEEP SAYING ENOUGH NOUMBER OF TIMES THAT IT IS THE BEST!!!NUTRIWAY MULTIVITAMINS ARE BETTER THAN EATING FRESH VEGETABLES! YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT THEY PUT IN THOSE VEGETABLES BUT I KNOW FOR A FACT WITHOUT A SHADOW OF DOUBT WHAT THE AMWAY RESEARCHERS PUT IN THE MULTIVITAMINS!!!!CLOWNS!

Anonymous said...

Someone talked my wife into getting in and it didn't last. Wondered why we were getting moldy pop-tarts. Went to the distributors house and saw that he had boxes of food in his garage in Florida (high heat and humidity). I'll trust Wal-mart's distribution system, not Amway and Joe Schmoe's garage storage. I did not like their products which were too expensive and the quality didn't justify the price.

Anonymous said...

Silly Ambots.

Anonymous said...

To the Joe Schmoes' garage comment... LMAO It hasn't worked that way for more than 10 years. Also though you can get poptarts, they are not an Amway brand. Everything is shipped direct. Zero Garage Storage.
Too expensive?? the multipurpose cleaner that costs around 13 (including shipping if you buy nothing else) and makes 33 gallons of cleaner. How much would it cost for that much 409? To top that off 409 is toxic, MSDS sheet for LOC...drink water, no call to the poison control center needed.

Anonymous said...

Before I go on my rant, I just have to respectfully disagree with the point that the CDs and books are useless. If you want to keep up in ANY competitive business, you need to stay up to date on the newest developments and thought processes. Businessmen read new business books. Mechanics learn new schematics. Doctors learn about new diagnoses etc. It's the same with anything you do. And guess what, you have to pay for those things too.

Onto my slightly unrelated rant...

I don't understand how people WORK THEMSELVES INTO DEBT by doing Amway. Last time I checked, they charge you 170$ for entrance. As for CDs and educational material, my upline GAVE ME everything. He didn't sell it. Will I buy more stuff? Yes, only because many of the things that CDs teach are about the entrepreneurial mindset, not to mention finding what I want in life, NOT about how to make it in Amway.

Back to the point though. Will someone PLEASE explain how they "worked themselves into debt" through Amway? They don't require you to have an inventory, and they only charge a 45$ renewal fee at the end of every year. Honestly, if doing Amway screws you over financially, you have other issues, especially since most of the work you need to do your business, YOU CAN DO WHILE YOU HAVE A JOB.

Don't blame your personal issues on Amway. They provide a decent opportunity with plenty of ways out (did I mention the 6-month money-back guarantee?). You don't have to buy their products if you're an IBO. It's ALL UP TO YOU.

In short, nothing's worthwhile is easy in life, whether it's building an Amway business or following your dreams. If that's what you were expecting, you need a reality check.

New and sober IBO.

Joecool said...

Great, except that Amway leaders are not teaching new and innovative materials. They are teaching the same old and getting the same old results, which is miserable.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a pyramid scheme to me. You are recruited under an existing Amway "employee", the recruited individual (IBO) must pay a percentage of income from revenue to their sponsor or the sponsor receives some type of compensation for recruiting more suckers (i.e., the more morons that are brought into the loop, the more the initial moron makes), and compensation most likely is resolved from fees charged to new "employees" for joining the company. You will begin to see the pyramid forming here. I can't believe the "company" feeds off of even more of their clueless IBO's by charging fee's to "work" for them, one of which was mentioned in a previous thread of $45 for a renewal of who know's what. That's just one example, who knows what other fee's they're (Amway) is asking for. Explain to me one company that charges a "fee" to work for them, especially one that is a large as Amway claims to be. It's sickening to see human beings taking advantage of other human beings like this. Individuals who "work" on behalf of this company are no better than a drug dealer working in the streets recruiting other people to do their dirty work.








http://pyramidschemealert.org/analysis-amway-accused-of-fraud-pays-150-million-wheres-the-ftc-and-doj/

Anonymous said...

+1

Anonymous said...

if it didnt work for you that just means you are dumb i make 500,000 a year from it.

Anonymous said...

you dont even have to spend any of your own money so how can you go in debt?

Anonymous said...

If you made 500k a year, you wouldn't be idling your time posting here. Unless you are making 500k pesos or yen a year.

Anonymous said...

Very True if you made that much money why would you want to be in forums like this.

anonymous46 said...

troll @Anonymous November 6

Anonymous said...

Well Said

Anonymous said...

wrong

sss said...

Amway does not work. Two old man and lady lured my son to join in it. Thay charged hin $147 just for registion fee and kits. We are trying to get out of it. Pray for us. thank you