Business Opportunity Fraud? Really?!
Years ago the FTC came down on a guy who was raking in hundreds of thousands a year posting small classified ads in various opportunity magazines and newspapers.
The ad essentially read:
Flood Your Mailbox With $5 Bills
Discover a step-by-step, proven system to earn
$100, $200, even $300 every day. No experience
necessary. Send $5 to…
So you send in your $5 and receive a tiny report that instructed you to go do exactly what this advertiser had done. Run the same ads he was running, in the same magazines, and send out the same report to fulfill the order.
The FTC, at the time, considered this to be fraud. But is it? Really?
My take on it is a little different. The guy was selling an information product for $5. The purpose and promise of the product was to outline how you could produce the same result. And the report fulfilled on that promise.
But for whatever reason, the FTC came down on the guy.
Today you could probably run the same exact ads and not run into an issue as long as you put an income disclaimer in the ad somewhere. Or on your web site.
There is fraud out there. No doubt about it. But let me ask you a pressing question…
- How many “make money” products have you purchase in the last few years?
- How many “opportunity sites” or “network marketing” opportunity program has you signed into?
- How many pieces of “magic software” designed to produce massive results fast have you picked up?
Me? I’ve spent tens of thousands over the years. Frightening.
But the real nightmare is I DID NOT USE or follow through with most of them. So, in a sense, you can say I defrauded myself out of my own money! And chances are you have done (or are still doing) the same thing yourself.
Now here’s the kicker. As soon as I realized that I was more comfortable learning HOW to do something versus actually sitting down and DOING it – I made a personal commitment. I would DECIDE one, maybe two, opportunities. I would purchase the information and tools need to produce a result. I would FOLLOW THROUGH, in earnest, until the project was working or it had become obviously clear it would not work or it was not taking me in the direction I wanted to go. And I COULD NOT buy any other “how to” product or join any other “opportunity” until that had happened.
The result? I finally started to make money because a couple of bizzare things started to happen:
I actually put the “work” back into the “work from home” equation.
I spent money to market my product/system/opportunity versus buying more how to info.
The results started becoming more and more profitable as I refined the techniques.
Take it for what it is worth because every MAGIC PILL you find out there can produce the promise you are looking for – but YOU have to make that happen. I have yet to find a product or opportunity left sitting untouched produce a result. And there is a LOT to be said for focus and a 100% commitment.
I have a friend who, over the past four years, has asked me to join him in at least a dozen different opportunities. Each time I hear, “This is it, Rob. I’m telling you, you know me and I’ve never been more excited about the income potential. Let’s get rich together, shall we?” And in a few short months, I get another call about another opportunity.
Me? I joined my primary network marketing opportunity four years ago and COMMITTED to building a multiple six figure income regardless of the time it took to make it happen. I also selected to pursue affiliate marketing for cash flow and COMMITTED to doing whatever was necessary to figure that model out and produce a result.
And the results speak for themselves. I’ve focused on two things and have secured true time and financial freedom along the way. My friend? I expect he’ll send me another email or give me a call here in a few weeks. And I’ll jump on my soapbox AGAIN and ask him to join me in my opportunity with a promise of untold riches and reward.
But I guess I should be careful. It could be fraud…
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow! Really appreciate you admitting that you were more comfortable learning HOW, rather than committing to DO IT. Hmm. I can relate. Also appreciate that if you’re not spending money on the next great magic pill, you have money to market what you’re doing. Good advice.
Thanks.
Great information in here. Definitely helps create more awareness towards the fraudulent companies and how they do what they do. It’s pretty astonishing.
I’ve learned from previous lessons I got from some pretty great teachers is that success doesn’t come in a magic bottle, some “get rich quick”, or those funny little “post ads on Google and get money!” kind of things. This totally helps back that statement up. Thanks a lot for this! Hopefully these articles will reach out to the millions that need them.
Good stuff.