From: noring@netcom.com (Jon Noring)
Subject: Re: AMWAY
Date: Fri, 04 Sep 92 00:12:46 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 

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 reputation of honest business
>people I can't stop you but don't do it in m.e.


Congratulations!

This is the most arrogant, most spiteful, most hate filled anti-MLM post I
have ever encountered, using half-truths, misinterpretations, incorrect
assumptions, possibly lies, ...   Anyway, Mr. Friedman wins first prize
which is a three minute visit to Peter Island.

Normally, I sit on my hands on such posts, but as you can see I'm having
trouble sitting this one out.  It hit a raw nerve and entrepreneurs such
as myself cannot have our reputations sullied by non-entrepreneurs such
as Mr. Friedman.  half :^)

Anyway, Mr. Friedman, you basically called me (indirectly) a scum-sucking
scamster, since I have already built a fairly profitable organization in MLM
(Amway, just so you know), with 150 people in my organization (you'd call
them suckers) and have been in the business for over four years.  In your
words, I am the one who is taking advantage of all of these poor, innocent
people.  Of course, I sit home and rake in all of this money while all of my
downline (a.k.a suckers) get stuck with nothing, or even less than that.  And
worse yet, I have them so programmed that they willingly renew their membership
year after year without me even talking to them!  And of course for this I
deserve to die a slow, painful and dishonorable death for this inhumane,
unethical, immoral endeavour that is destroying society, enslaving many good
people, as well as adversely affecting TraditionalFamilyValues.

Just so you know, Mr. Friedman, I spent three months carefully analyzing
this business from all aspects, with special emphasis on the ethics of
the business.  When I first heard the plan from my sponsor, I told her
that I could not get involved in anything that is immoral, unethical, or
takes advantage unfairly of other people.  This was THE most important thing
to me just as it is to you.  I analyzed this business the way any business
should be analyzed.  J. Paul Getty, the famous billionaire businessman, stated
it bluntly when he said that it is essentially immoral for a person to make a
decision on anything concerning business and/or money until you get at least
70% of all the facts that are available about that endeavour.  I got the 70%
and more of the facts about MLM in my three month analysis, with particular
emphasis on the ethics and morality of it.  Thus, I feel good about my
decision to pursue Network Marketing and still do after four years.  When
pursued properly, it is a very ethical and moral business.  Since you have
come to a radically different conclusion, I can only conclude that you did
not get the 70%+ of the facts - thus you fall under J. Paul Getty's judgement,
and remember he proved himself as one of the most successful businessman of
the 20th century.  By following his example and teaching you will avoid
making such mistakes in judgement in the future, and I do see a bright future
for your new businesses because of your interest in maintaining ethics and
integrity.

Just so you know, Mr. Friedman, I plan to start other businesses besides
my MLM once I develop an adequate cash flow.  Most of these ideas for
business endeavours are what you would call start-up companies, where
I'll have to write up a business plan, capitalize it, and put in the long
hours of getting it going.  So I understand entrepreneurship, it runs in
my family (e.g., my brother is a millionaire, having started three businesses,
so I know what business is all about.)  And I would rate network marketing
with a legitimate company and product line (such as Amway) as THE FINEST
BUSINESS CONCEPT AVAILABLE TODAY, BAR NONE (the words of John Sestina, the
nation's top Certified Financial Planner who specialized in analyzing new
business start-ups).  If you disagree with this statement, let's talk about
it rationally, and use hardcore business criteria, taught in any business
school, for its evaluation.  I'll proudly compare network marketing
line-by-line with any other entrepreneurial business, and it WILL win out
in almost all criteria and categories that I can think of.

Thus, if one's primary goal of getting into business is to develop, in a short
timeframe (2-5 years), a permanent (willable) residual income with the
obvious benefits, then that person would be utterly stupid for not picking
(or at least seriously considering) network marketing as the vehicle to
accomplish that.  Of course, there can be other primary motivations other
than residual income, so the person may end up pursuing something other than
network marketing.  In summary, network marketing is an excellent vehicle for
those whose primary motivation is financial security for them and their family.

Anyway, Mr. Friedman, I respect your emphasis on business ethics and know
that you will succeed in whatever you do because of that.  But, please, get
70%+ of the facts first before jumping into any business - your evaluation
of network marketing is totally incorrect - a legitimate MLM run according
to accepted ethical guidelines is ethical, moral, honest, legal, and is
beneficial to society and to those who work hard at it.  I do not expect you
to come around to my viewpoint, so the purpose of this "flame" is to make
sure that other open-minded entrepreneurs who are "listening in", and who are
presently contemplating pursuing a network marketing business, will not be
dissuaded by the disinformation that you posted.

Jon Noring


(Out of deference to a sizable minority of misc.entrepreneurs who, for whatever
reason, would rather not discuss network marketing, I'm only posting this
to alt.business.multi-level.)
-- 
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the average coal miner did in 1949, adjusted for taxes and inflation," John
Sestina, nationally recognized Certified Financial Planner;  quoted in 1987.
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