HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: uloren@mcl.ucsb.edu (Loren D. Koss)
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
Subject: Starting a MLM...
Date: 27 Aug 92 18:02:11 GMT

Since there is so much flack about current MLM's, what would be the harm of
starting a new one?  That way, there are no bad stories about it, and if you
have a good marketing plan and solid service, then there will be no problem.
My belief is that many MLM's were started by money hungry people who wanted
to get rich quick and didn't realize the growth potential and ran into some
problems.

It shouldn't be that difficult to start one that is a pure profit potenital
organization, however, has a solid service.  I've noticed numerous Mailing
List and Advertisement MLM's that unfortunately have very weak marketing
plans (usually only go two levels deep) and I made only about $25 - $50..
However, if those companies DO IN FACT WORK (which they do, cuz I tried
them), then I should be able to start my own, with a better marketing plan
that pays out higher (90-95%), and be successful..

If anyone has any comments, please let me know.  I've been working on this
for awhile and I'd like some advice..  However, I don't need to hear from any
of you uninformed uneducated people about how unethical MLM's are.  Other
people on this network don't need there time wasted hearing from you.  And,
since I know this type of business IS INDEED LEGAL, I don't need to hear,
"Don't start it, you'll go to jail."  What I need is advice on how people
should pay for it and what type of prices are okay.  I
ve already designed the marketing plan and it pays very well for a monthly
fee of $10, and annual fee of $25 (prices increase as you move up the
marketing plan).

Advice and comments would be appreciated..

Loren
Uloren@MCL.UCSB.EDU

Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
From: shm@syl.syl.nj.nec.com (Shailendra Majmundar)
Subject: Info needed to sell food product
Reply-To: shm@syl.nj.nec.com
Organization: NEC Systems Laboratory, Inc.
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 92 18:35:29 GMT

Could someone tell me what are the licensing requirements to sell a home-made
food product? I'd also like to know of any lab that would do authentic chemical 
analysis to find out the contents of fat, sodium etc., RDA percentile and about
distribution agencies.

Thanks in advance,

Sam (shm@syl.nj.nec.com)

Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
From: jem21176@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Jon E. Meyer)
Subject: Inventor's Digest - How good/bad is it?
Summary: Inventor's Digest - How good/bad is it?
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 20:21:23 GMT

I recently found out about inventor's digest.

Anyone else read it?
Can you give me any feedback as to how useful it is?

Thanks in advance.

jon meyer
From: cdb@waikato.ac.nz (Craig D. Beere)
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
Subject: Re: Amway
Date: 26 Aug 92 15:50:57 +1200
Organization: University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

In article <1684E10A7A.ST32373@VM.CC.LATECH.EDU>,
 ST32373@VM.CC.LATECH.EDU writes:
> 
>     Anyone interested in finding out the truth about Amway should go to the mee
> tings. If anyone would like to correspond with an ACTIVE distributor and find o
> ut more about it (And yes I may try to make us both some money) send mail to st
> 32373@vm.cc.latech.edu. I was skeptical til I found out more too...
>  

Forgive me for possible stealing someone else's thunder... but I want to point
out something that not a lot of people know about Amway.

Amway provides products and pays rebates.  That's all.

It is left to 'support structures' to actually tell you how to build the
business.  I.e. whay to say to people, how to present the plan, what to say at
meetings, etc.  These support structures are usually non-profit organisations
made up of distributors.  They put on functions, publish newsletters, business
manuals, tapes, etc.

So, if you go to an Amway meeting but didn't like it, then maybe you should
consider finding another support structure and looking at their 'version' of
Amway.  Just because what you see at one glance is bad, that doesn't mean all
of Amway is bad.

BTW: Any other businesses have the supply and the support split up like this?
 
{*******************************************************************************
** Craig D. Beere  (a.k.a. ++Byron)
** University of Waikato, New Zealand
** CDB@waikato.ac.nz
*}
{$I standard_disclaimer}
{$I witty_quote}
From: dlhpfm!dlh@NCoast.org (daniel lance herrick)
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
Subject: Re: Food  and copyright ???
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 92 19:53:56 EDT
Organization: dlh Performance Marketing

danr@ais.org (Daniel Romanchik) writes:

> In article <2465@cronos.metaphor.com> covdy@cronos.metaphor.com (Ivan Covdy) 
> >
> >Suppose, I invented how to make burgers or something similar, 
> >that is, such a recipe, which might be used by any restaurant.
> >Is there a way I can make money on it and protect my authorship?
> 
> I've got the reverse question.  Is there any law that prevents me from
> making a profit off a food product whose recipe I found in a book?  In
> other words, can I make and sell the product without paying the author
> a royalty?  

Have you ever made something twice and followed the recipe both times? 
Don't you know that if you make it your way it will be better?  And
then it won't be their recipe any more, it will be your recipe.

>Or, could I teach a cooking class using those recipes?

Everybody buys a copy of the book to use as a text and the writer has
his due.

> I don't think I owe the author anything, but I'm an editor not a
> lawyer.  :)

You owe the author to not photocopy his work product and pass it out
for free.  Of course, if you transcribe your own recipe in your handy
dandy word processor and pass that out, you have the permission of the
author.


dan  of dlh Performance Marketing  POBox 1419  Mentor Ohio 44061
       NCoast.org!dlhpfm!dlh or ab.com!dlhpfm.uucp!dlh   (216)974-9637
"`Bad, bad,' says the buyer; but when he goes his way, then he boasts."
Proverbs 20:14
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
From: sunil@netcom.com (SUNIL DHINGRA)
Subject: DISK DRIVE MANUFACTURING INFORMATION WANTED :
Date: Wed, 02 Sep 92 02:05:19 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 

Hi,

I am interested in setting up a hard drive manufacturing facility
/assembly unit overseas. I should be able to get technical know-how 
as well as an equity investment from an American Company. Before I 
embark on this however, I am interested in knowing about the various
parts that go into  drive/ the machines required for assembly and testing 
of the same and what cost it could involve. - essentially all information 
required to put together a project report for such an activity .

Anybody out there can refer me to books/consultant/people who can give
me this idea for a reasonable fee ??


Will appreciate any response in this regard.

Thanks,
sunil
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
From: burgoyne@highlite.uucp (J. Robert Burgoyne)
Subject: Re: Followups..
Organization: Gotham Communications Research
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 14:05:43 GMT

rubin@cis.ohio-state.edu (Daniel Rubin) writes:
: 
[He'd like to see more answers to the questions posted]
: I am not saying that this group is only questions, but is seems as if answers
: are somewhat scarce...

An excellent suggestion. There is safety in numbers so to speak, with much
of direct marketing. For example, it is often better to test 10 different
products, with 10 different sales approaches, than it is to do one super
duper sales pitch for one product.

Time magazine once tested a dozen different sales letters, and asked the
top folks in advertising to order the letters in terms of the response each
one drew. Nobody got it right.

The point is, things that some of us would never guess to make money do,
while many sure things fall flat. The same with ads. You can write two
very good ads, and one may outpull the other by a huge factor. You can not
pre-guess the response of your market, so you need to figure out how to
increase the chances that you'll strike a responsive chord.

And so it is with commentary on entrepreneurial activities.

The more opinions, the more each of us has to think about. So don't be
afraid to chime in if you think you've got something good to say.

It would be nice to have a FAQ with the info about credit card merchant
accounts, how to get a UPC bar code, and references to some of the best
books on marketing and sales. But sorry, I don't have time to do it
myself.

Robert
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs,alt.business.multi-level
From: Marker Man
Subject: Re: Amway
Keywords: Free Enterprise 
Reply-To: Marker Man
Organization: That "Pyramid" Corp.
Date: Wed, 02 Sep 1992 18:06:17 GMT

      Hear, Hear!  My congrats to all those who stand by Amway.  I was one
of those who was too STUPID to get in when I first was introduced to it, but
jumped in with both feet after a second look (a year and a half later).

      I've been involved for a while now, and I'm convinced of three things:		

         a) The products are the best.
         b) The people are the best, and 
         c) The marketing plan is the best.	

      Yes, I personally know people who have quit their day jobs and who are
pulling down six-figure "salaries", within 2-3 years of starting with the
company.  Ya just have to have a little faith and not be afraid to work.
This		
business IS for real!
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
From: noring@netcom.com (Jon Noring)
Subject: Let's move this to alt.business.multi-level (was Re: AMWAY)
Date: Fri, 04 Sep 92 00:35:58 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Summary: PLEASE, Let's move this to alt.business.multi-level.  OK?
Followup-To: alt.business.multi-level

In article aryeh@cash.ucsc.edu (Aryeh Friedman) writes:

>	DO NOT Cross Post from alt.business.multi-level to misc.entrepenuers!!!!
>The folks in m.e are serious business people who have many more problems then
>the folks in a.b.m besides when are MLM folks going to figure that MLM is only
>the biggest legal scam in history.  Where the very few and very early comers get
>very rich and the folks lower down are stuck with stuff that people don't want
>for inflated prices!  On the other hand...
>
>	The folks in m.e are seriouslly tring to start companies that will
>benefit them, society, their customers, and their employees.  Note I feel that
>ethical business pratices are the only way to survive in the long run, not 
>scamming almost everyone like MLM does!!!
>
>Basically if you MLM folks want to ruin the repotation of honest business
>people I can't stop you but don't do it in m.e.


I just posted a reply of the above interesting post to a.b.m-l.

I *STRONGLY* urge that continued discussion of this thread be done there, so
the followup-to line above has been set to a.b.m-l.

Everybody have a good day.

Jon

-- 
=============================================================================
| Jon Noring          | noring@netcom.netcom.com | "The dogs bark, but the  |
| JKN International   | IP    : 192.100.81.100   |  caravan moves on."      |
| 1312 Carlton Place  | Phone : (510) 294-8153   | "Pack your lunch, sit in |
| Livermore, CA 94550 | V-Mail: (510) 862-1101   |  the bushes, and watch." |
=============================================================================
"If your annual income today is $50,000, you have the same buying power as
the average coal miner did in 1949, adjusted for taxes and inflation," John
Sestina, nationally recognized Certified Financial Planner;  quoted in 1987.
From: cliff@allen.com (Cliff Allen)
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
Subject: Re: Should I start doing monthely postings again?
Date: Fri, 04 Sep 92 07:26:59 EDT
Organization: Allen Marketing Group - Raleigh, NC

aryeh@cash.ucsc.edu (Aryeh Friedman) writes:

> When this group started about a year ago I did monthly postings such as
> a FAQ and resource listings.  Given the latest Amway/MLM chaos should
> I start this again.  Also I see a need in that entreprenuers have a need for
> large information resources.

There has been a periodic discussion both publically and privately about 
the need to develop an FAQ list.  If you have the makings of a list, I 
would like to see it posted.  

Cliff
Xref: sparky misc.entrepreneurs:2619 rec.food.cooking:15334
From: covdy@cronos.metaphor.com (Ivan Covdy)
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs,rec.food.cooking
Subject: Food  and copyright ???
Date: 26 Aug 92 19:53:25 GMT
Followup-To: misc.entrepreneurs
Organization: Metaphor Computer Systems, Mountain View, CA  USA


Suppose, I invented how to make burgers or something similar, 
that is, such a recipe, which might be used by any restaurant.

Is there a way I can make money on it and protect my authorship?

Just wondering...

-- 
  Ivan Covdy, covdy@shemesh.metaphor.com, METAPHOR Inc.,  CA,  USA
 *** People are looking for a Mind somewhere in the Universe,      ***
 *** because on the Earth they've been finding only the Stupidity. ***
From: johng@lucid.com (John Gregory)
Subject: Re: johng and Amway
Keywords: Flame Off 
Reply-To: johng@lucid.com (John Gregory)
Organization: Lucid, Inc.
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 92 23:23:15 GMT

whoops

I do apologize for not checking the cross-post to alt.business.multi-level
I still stand by the position that AMWAY discussion does not need to
be cross-posted to misc.entrepreneurs.  To misc.entrepreners, I apologize
I should have known that telling them to stop posting would result in 
even more.

BTW I *understand* the concept.  Its rather a simple one.

And for all you who've filled my mail with ranting, flame away. For those
who have been politely trying to educate me more about Amway, thankyou.
But I'm still not interested :-) !
From: aryeh@cash.ucsc.edu (Aryeh Friedman)
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
Subject: lease vs. buy
Date: 4 Sep 92 07:36:39 GMT
Organization: Marsnet
NNTP-Posting-Host: cash.ucsc.edu

Can someone send me the forumla for lease vs. buy decisions.
From: mulchand@pyrps5.eng.pyramid.com (Caryl Mulchand)
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
Subject: Information on Import/Export Business
Date: 2 Sep 92 15:10:42 GMT
Distribution: ba
Organization: Pyramid Technology Corporation, Mountain View

I'm looking for detail information on how to get involve in import/export
business.  This is gonna be a new venture for me.  Yes, I have enrolled 
already for a one-day class in S.F. due to start on late late September.

So any help directing me on where to, how to, and get to, is highly 
appreciated.

Thank you very much for sharing.

-caryl
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
From: djk@saki.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Douglas Knights)
Subject: Re: Amway
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 92 13:49:37 GMT

In article <1992Sep2.135310.15652@lmpsbbs.comm.mot.com>, ogden_jon@macmail1.rtsg.mot.com writes:
|> 
|> >
|> >In article <BtnpHB.E9I@fc.sde.hp.com>, you write:
|> >|> In misc.entrepreneurs, SAYED@auvm.american.edu () writes:
|> >|> : Primerica is better than Ammway
|> >|> : most people say Amway is fake, but like what they see with Primerica.
|> >|> 
|> >|> I hope you get flamed as crispy as you deserve for that kind of remark.
|> 
|> 
|> Do you call a 4 BILLION dollar company a FAKE?????
|> Give me a break!  If you do you are living in a fantasy land.  What kind of
|> annual sales does Primerica have, is it debt free, does it have 1 Billion in
|> assets, 400 million in cash/short term assets, are its owners two of the
|> richest men in America, does it own 60% of a Carribean island, does it have a
|> product line of over 12,000 products and 600-700 major manufacturers all
|> contributing to it?????
|> 
|> Folks, if Amway was a fake, the FTC would not approve it, companies like
|> Cocoa-Cola, MCI, Visa, Ford, GM, Chrysler, Bottany 500, Magnavox, etc. etc.
|> would not be involved.  I am not saying Primerica is bad, I am sure it is an
|> excellent company.  Just don't slice apart the #1 MLM to build up yours.  LOOK
|> AT THE FACTS!!!!
|> 
|> Fake, right!  And if you believe that - I have a bridge to sell you cause you'd
|> buy anything!
|> 
|> 
|> Jon
|> 
|> 

Jon,

Just what makes you believe Amway is the #1 MLM Company?  What facts do you
base this on?  Do you base it on sales alone?  

I suspect that Amway is a member of the DSA (the DSA has 3000 members - both
traditional direct sales companies as well as MLM companies).  Do you know 
which company has the most people making over $150,000 per year out of all 
of these 3000 companies?  It sure isn't Amway!

		Doug
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
Subject: Re: OFFSHORE SOFTWARE FACTORIES?
From: mzwick@vitro.com (Morris J. Zwick)
Date: 2 Sep 92 09:45:14 -0500
Distribution: world
Organization: Vitro Corporation

In article <ghoetker.715268926@nova> ghoetker@sti.nasa.gov (Glen Hoetker)
writes:
>perezc@woods.ulowell.edu writes:
>
>>	I have this idea about setting up an 'off shore' software 'factory'
>>in the Philippines (i.e. in the Asia/Pacific rim). 
>
>> Does this carve out a niche for software development?
>
>I occassionally interact with a company that does just this thing.  Several
>American companies are making use of such services, including, I understand,
>John Deere.  The Soviet Union is opening up as another source of talented
>low cost programming talent.
>
>The real key, I have been told, is determining what your overseas
>programers are capable of, creating a tight quality control environment and
>convincing clients that you've done so.  Working with existing software
>firms might solve some problems that recruiting individuals would raise.  
>Depending what country you're in, the existing infrastructure could already
>be quite good.  
>
>Good luck!!
>
>-Glenn Hoetker
>
>

Rather than use overseas labor, I have seen firms use college programmers to do
actual code while using their experienced staff to develop requirements,
design, and tests. The college students are provided the detailed design; the
amount of programming they do is isolated from the whole system. After the
college students do their unit testing, the experienced staff performs the
integration, integration testing, system testing and release. Critical
functions are still coded by experienced professionals.

The benefits: low cost labor (say $10/hour with no benefits), support for local
colleges and universities in providing practical experience, and a potential
pool of trained talent to hire when they graduate. In addition, these students
will learn how to develop software in-the-large instead of the in-the-small
projects done in school. This significantly reduces training requirements once
they get out of school. Also, working closely with the departments of the
respective schools may spur better research in software productivity.

Anyways, my 2 cents...

         ___________________________________________________________________
        /  Morris J. Zwick	                 Internet: mzwick@vitro.com
__     /   Vitro Corporation	             Voice:    (301) 231-2784
  \   /    14000 Georgia Ave.                ___________________________
   \ /     Silver Spring, MD 20906-2972      |"I don't want the world; |
    *                                        | I just want your half!" |
                                             |  - They Might Be Giants |
From: hho@usc.edu (*** N.T.K.C.D. ***)
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
Subject: Cliparts
Date: 4 Sep 1992 12:52:00 -0700
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: aludra.usc.edu

Is there money in the cliparts business? :-)

I am thinking about of publishing my "fine art" cliparts. What is
the most common format for PC and for the MAC for people to import
to desktop publishing and word processors? Is a big demand for
cliparts and digitized photo? :-)
Thanks
H.
hho@usc.edu



-- 
*******************************************************************************
Hung P. Ho, Jr. (John)     USC DENTISTRY    PH.SYSTEMS          CCCOGP  
                           hho@usc.edu      hung@phsys.com      hung@cccogp.com
From: dlhpfm!dlh@NCoast.org (daniel lance herrick)
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
Subject: Re: Laser Toner recharging; info wanted....
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 92 19:36:40 EDT
Organization: dlh Performance Marketing

asm@ecl.psu.edu (Aravind  Melligeri) writes:

> Hello,
> I would like to know if anyone out there in the netland has experience in the
> bussiness of Toner Recharging. 
> I was interested in getting into this bussiness. Where can I get the knowhow 
> for this bussiness. how much of initial investment I should expect?. 

Not only do you add toner, your competition is replacing half a dozen
parts in the cartridge as well as adding toner.  They brag about the
superior quality of their toner.

If you find a supplier for the toner they will be glad to tell you
where to buy (more likely, sell you) the replacement parts as well as
sell you the toner.  They will also show you what has to be done.

You should be able to bootstrap the remanufacturing part of the
business on the kitchen table for one or two thousand dollars.  The
other part is finding clients and getting them to do repeat business
with you.

dan  of dlh Performance Marketing  POBox 1419  Mentor Ohio 44061
       NCoast.org!dlhpfm!dlh or ab.com!dlhpfm.uucp!dlh   (216)974-9637
"`Bad, bad,' says the buyer; but when he goes his way, then he boasts."
Proverbs 20:14
From: merlin@neuro.usc.edu (merlin)
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
Subject: Re: OFFSHORE SOFTWARE FACTORIES?
Date: 31 Aug 1992 23:58:00 -0700
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: neuro.usc.edu

If anyone is seriously interested in highly qualified relatively
low cost computer programming talent -- I could put you in touch
some well trained people who would be very interested in getting
into such a venture -- centered in Tel Aviv, Israel.  Most of my
colleagues are currently developing interactive elementary level
educational programs on CD ROM for IBM PC/AT/386/SVGA systems.  

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alexander-James Annala
Principal Investigator
Neuroscience Image Analysis Network
HEDCO Neuroscience Building, Fifth Floor
University of Southern California
University Park
Los Angeles, CA 90089-2520
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Marker Man
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs,alt.business.multi-level
Subject: Re: johng and Amway
Keywords: Flame Off
Date: 3 Sep 92 20:31:24 GMT
Reply-To: Marker Man
Organization: Just Another MLM


 John:  

     I don't know where this newsgroup appears on YOUR system, but on mine
the title is alt.business.multi-level.  I create SW products on my day job - 
that's definitely NOT what I want in a sideline business.

     BTW - you have only proved your ignorance by relating the incident  
wherein you were approached about Amway.  If you understood the concept, you
would have seen that it's a win-win situation.

     'Nuff said.
From: csc@coast.ucsd.edu (Charles Coughran)
Newsgroups: misc.entrepreneurs
Subject: Re: Need info on correspondence degree programs
Date: 2 Sep 1992 20:53:19 GMT
Organization: Center for Coastal Studies, SIO
Reply-To: csc@coast.ucsd.edu.UCSD.EDU (Charles Coughran)
NNTP-Posting-Host: coast.ucsd.edu


In article <1992Sep2.160056.29779@news.vanderbilt.edu> Frank Sayre <sayre@ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu> writes:
>
>There are number of "universities" offering BA/BS, MA/MS, PhD's
>to working professionals by correspondence, i.e. you don't attend
>classes but work from your home submitting classwork and papers
>via US mail or electronically.  They usually claim to be accredited.
>
>Thanks for any replies of any nature. Please post in follow-ups so 
>that other readers may benefit.

Try _How to get the Degree You Want_, John Bear,Ten Speed Press, 1982,
ISBN 0-89815-080-9.

He discusses both legit schools and degree mills, real accreditation
and fake.

-- 
         Practice Random Kindness And Senseless Acts of Beauty.
ccoughran@ucsd.edu (Internet) ...!ucsd!ccoughran (UUCP) CCOUGHRA@UCSD (BITNET)