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Do you want to know what makes me really mad? Well, I’ll tell you.
There are a lot of bottom dwellers out there who prey on moms who just want to find a way to make some extra money at home. They dream up one ‘easy job’ scheme after another and decorate it with promises of riches and happy family vacations. They make me mad!
What is my definition of an ‘easy job’ scheme?
- auto surfs (don’t even get me started)
- read email for pay (woohoo – earn a nickle tomorrow and be happy to have it!)
- take surveys for pay (yeah, gimme $30 bucks so I can show you how to make $1 an hour)
- ponzi scheme business opportunities
- pay for this info even though I won’t tell you what it is yet opportunities
- recruit-centric business opportunities where nobody ever really tries to sell a product
You can argue with me all day that these are ‘legitimate businesses’ and I will just tell you to talk to the hand.
They waste mom’s time and money and create additional stress in the home and on marriages when what mom tries doesn’t work.
There are so many wonderful business opportunities out there that give mom a true chance to develop an income on her own time with some honest work and effort. But they fight for attention among all of the ‘join free and make money when someone else joins under you’ crap.
I know that many consider ‘falling for’ these programs a rite of passage for new moms who enter our community – but I just cannot stand that ANY mom has to stumble through this sort of sludge.
Hundreds of thousands of mom dollars flow into these slimy programs every day.
Oh SOMEBODY is making money. The sludge sucking originators are making plenty of cash – and so are the sludge spewing people who sign up early and spread their hyped up message as far and wide as possible.
And what makes everything so disheartening (and what makes me sooo mad) is that the sludge spewer is often a MOM!
A MOM who should know better and care about the other moms they’re leading to slaughter – doesn’t care at all because all she cares about is getting her slice of the pie while the gettings good.
Today I spotted a mom who after years of claiming to be successful at one business opportunity after another (if you did back into the archives of many forums you’ll read her claims) who now says that she’s ‘stumped’ and doesn’t know how to market her business opportunity.
She’s stumped? But wait a minute… she’s been promoting easy money programs for years, telling everyone how easy it is and how anybody can do it. Does that make sense?
Well, truthfully – it does. She never did know anything about marketing a business. She only ever knew how to spew sludge and attract other moms into easy money schemes.
If you’re a mom who promotes easy money programs, you’re probably steaming right about now. You’re mad as a hornet at me – and don’t worry – I’m mad as a hornet right back at you!
- Quit propagating crappy business opportunities!
- Quit promising other moms riches that you haven’t experienced yourself.
- Quit tromping around in the sludge and find a real business that you can be proud of. There is something out there that you’d be good at – IF you’re willing to work hard, learn a lot and give it your all.
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September 15th, 2007 at 10:34 am
Well I am happy to say that You don’t hate be because I don’t lead anyone into empty promises :) Honey FATE will get you and I don’t want to be done wrong. Your post is AWESOME and thanks to your great Radio Show you are teaching MANY New WAHMs to stay clear of things like this!!
Just doesn’t make sense to follow someone or join up with someone who doesn’t know that the heck THEY are doing? Also I love the fact that I can hold my head up HIGH and clearly annound what I do for a living online!
Awesome Topic Kelly
Aurelia
September 15th, 2007 at 10:37 am
Amen to that Kelly! Just last month I got spew from some mom claiming she had the answers to make money, but she wanted my help in promoting it to WAHMs. Read about it here
September 15th, 2007 at 10:41 am
You are sooo right Kelly. I’m sorry anyone ever falls for these. I guess its my suspiciousness but I just pass them by.
September 15th, 2007 at 11:00 am
Kelly,
I am with you. I hate when moms lure other moms into opportunities that are no good or get them in and leave them hanging.
What I really hate is those sites for moms that are just billboards for slimy money making schemes. Those make my skin crawl. Guess that’s why I have been more an advocate of starting your of business. As long as you are working for someone, you are subject to their rules, their limits, etc. I’d much rather know that my success depends on me. I think most people would work much harder for themselves then anyone else.
But as far as those “opportunities” if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. It’s sad that honest moms looking to support their family are targeted victims for these kind of schemes.
Guess that’s why I feel so happy to support the one opportunity I’ve been working with. They are the real deal and helping to make a difference. That’s something I can really get behind.
September 15th, 2007 at 11:27 am
I, too, have always advocated starting your own businuess—even it it’s just to sale other people’s products that you’ve purchased at wholesale. Knowing the industry you’re in as a customer and developing your own business model are the best ways to avoid these worthless schemes IMO.
Excellent message Kelly—I hope tons of WAHMs read it, BEFORE they get hooked into a bad business scheme.
September 15th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
Good post Kelly. These scammers waste the time and precious resources of many unsuspecting Moms who can least afford it. I always went by the rule that if it sounds too easy to make this truck load of money or if they can’t properly describe what they’re selling they’re not worth the time.
September 15th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
Well said Kelly….
Sandy
September 15th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
Or how about the companies that sell you thier websites, hosting and coaching, with claims of you can make this amount of money. The last one tried to sell me websites that get referrals for mortgages; he was quite unhappy when I said I had to investigate more. My investigating turned up a scam company. Since then, I keep having someone call and hang up, so I checked for the number. The number just happens to come from the same State that company is from and I don’t know anyone else from that State.
The sad part is there are many more companies like this, as I have encountered quite a few. Just go to Ripoff.com and check them out.
September 16th, 2007 at 1:12 am
Oh, my word have you hit the nail on the head
The schemes do give legitimate network / direct selling opportunities a bad name. I came so close to getting knee deep into one. There absolutely are opportunities out there.
The very first things to ask:
1. What is the product?
2. What is my profit?
3. Is there a market for my product?
4. Can I make money selling my product?
5. Is anyone besides me going to buy it ?
Building a team is not a bad thing. It just shouldn’t be a requirement.
September 16th, 2007 at 11:16 am
So true, Kelly! I’m with ya girl. I can also say I’ve almost fallen for a lot of those scams. It’s a shame that there are moms out there who DO fall for them. All I can say is do your homework and ask a million questions before venturing into anything.
Jenn
September 16th, 2007 at 2:20 pm
everything you listed would be considered crud in my opinion, too.
September 16th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Kelly
you know that I’m 1000% with you on this one! I can’t tell you the number of times we’ve heard these “claims” from potential exhibitors for the WAH expo. THanks for brining it out into the open Kelly!
September 16th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
Yea for Kelly! I couldn’t have said that so eloquently.
I never understood how one can sell an opportunity that never sells anything but the opportunity to sell the opportunity. It’s like those chain letters that asks so many people to send a dollar to one person and so on…..
That is NOT even close to resembling a business.
September 24th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
You are so right! I did a brief and desperate stint mystery shopping before I started my business. In fact, I feel a blog entry coming on.
July 7th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
You know I am not a mom but I stumbled into your post tonight and I have to agree. The thing is this sort of sludge as you call it (I have stronger words but we will keep it mommy safe for now) is everywhere. Where ever there is a person that desperately wants to believe there is an answer there is someone ready to sell them some sludge. Thank you for holding the torch high for many to see.
Matts last blog post..Cheap Holister Clothes
October 11th, 2008 at 12:15 am
I think that many moms have abandoned the sensitivities that in times past characterized women and instead have embraced a more hardened approach to making money and doing business that ignores the ethical element. Unfortunately this is a trend that seems to be on the rise. Hopefully those of us that recognize this will counteract this plague to the point we can over come the sludge spreaders
Deb @ How To Scrapbooking Tipss last blog post..How To Scrapbooking Tips
February 15th, 2009 at 4:27 am
Hello.
I’m new there
Nice forum!
June 12th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Хорошая статья, как и все предыдущие были. Буду теперь и в дальнейшем следить .