Hi,

I have joined up to a company called quixtar. They are located at www.quixtar.com I am looking for downlines but the main question is have you heard of them before. Some of my friends, (who signed me up) are making up to 10,000 per month now and really not working hard at all. I was thinking of doing my own store online.
Comments please
dmcgill

__________________
D McGill
Web World directory

Quixtar is Amway Online. I know some people that have been stuggling since the begining to make it pay off. Keep in mind, I live in a small town and alot of people here are very skeptical of the MLM.

I personally have been involved, but I have very little ambition to do face to face hard sell. So, I failed at it.

Also, downline (as with any MLM) is key and so is your willingness to pay high prices for day to day items to keep your volume up.

How much did your friends spend to achieve that level? What is the net profit?

Now, I am not against the MLM by any means. I have been involved in probably 10 legit ones (Quixtar being the last). I know that a lot of people have become very weathly with downline help. It just isn't for me.

Just some things to think about, I wish you success in your new venture.

What my friends have been successful in doing is:
Use it with non-profit, charitable organizations as a fund raiser. They have gone to the boards, and made one an IBO then that IBO makes other members of the board their downlines etc.

They are selling what people buy everyday, tp, food, snacks and coffee, laundry detergent etc. They all buy the products and make the non-profit organization make some fund raisers. In the process, they get their kick back. It seems to be working and I live in a small area too but there sure seems to be a lot of amway soap and cleaning supplies (empty's) at the curb on garbage day!. Must be working.
Dmcgill

Personally, I'd steer clear of it.

I'll admit I like some of Amway's products, like their soap and drain cleaner, but Quxitar smelled bad when it was pitched to me. And that was before I knew it was Amway online.

My sister was in Amway for several years. She worked her heart out and got next to nowhere. Most of the folks that earn really big money have been at this for quite a few years now. I honestly don't believe there's any real money left in the program for the little guy now, or folks just getting started in the company.

Yes, I've seen the fancy cars, and houses - my sister's got pictures of herself standing next to several of them. But from what she's told me, those wonderful things all belong to folks who've been in the program for 15-20+ years.

I've yet to hear a recent success story. Someone who's been in the program for less than 5+ years who's been able to make it a full-time job needing nothing else to supplement their income. I won't even mention not hearing of anyone who's been able to buy a Rolls Silver Cloud who hasn't been selling the company and its products for less than 15+ years.

It just doesn't make good business sense to me. If you can't find folks come in under you and work at least as hard as you do at selling products and recruitment, then you don't stand a chance of getting ahead.

I repeat original statement - I'd steer clear of it.

HTH!
Syren

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Syren Song Designs ~ http://www.syrensongdesigns.com/
Real Websites for Real People
.

Thanks for the advice... I am wilted now and in need of water but honesty is what I am looking for.
I have created several mlm websites for customers and have never heard of a site making it. I am going to try and push their coffee for a while and see what happens but I won't get my hopes up about getting rich too soon. Again, thanks for your honesty. I needed that!!
dcmgill

__________________
D McGill
Web World directory

As always, you get what you pay for. You are better off doing your own site than paying someone to do it for you, especially since you are going to do the work anyway. Just my 10 cents. Good luck to you.

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"Don't take life too seriously, no one gets out alive anyway"

Olivier Onorato
Webmaster
Defender Industries, Inc.
www.defender.com
800-628-8225 x 148

FROM A FORMER QUIXTAR MEMBER - EVALUATED BECOMING AN IBO FOR ABOUT A YEAR UNDER MY POTENTIAL UPLINE


Let's start with my short story: I met a great person who tried to sell me on Quixtar/Amway. In the end we are still friends, I never became an IBO, and he quit after several years although he started with them before the launch of Quixtar.com when they were only Amway. Below are 2 Internet References, and the "DETAILS" section is what I learned first hand and from research.


INTERNET REFERENCES:
Good Links From DMOZ:
http://dmoz.org/Business/Opportuniti...y_and_Quixtar/

Good Links From Google (many shared with above):
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&i...xtar+nightmare



DETAILS
Some major problems with Quixtar:

1) TIME AND MONEY: Although the presentation they gave me was basically make good money, have loads of family time, and retire with good income, I found out that you actually need to sacrifice lots of time to make it to the point where you have enough downlines to be successful. Also your downlines have to have downlines that have downlines that have downlines - which insures that you don't lose your immediate downlines since they would quit if they are not successful ;)

2) TRAIN TRAIN TRAIN: It gets worse. Once you have a good pyramid building downline, you still need to host and train your downlines (if you want them to be successful, which you do!) until they get to the point where you (at this point) would be aiming for - and that is giving speeches at Quixtar Training seminars to make the really big bucks! If you ever think you are going to have MAJOR free time like a millionaire should, think again! For your downlines to be successful and to increase your income you have regular meetings at your house - or a downline's house - where you might do training or try to follow up on contacts. The wives meet, etc, its all nice, but you must continue to do this. Where is the free time?

3) TRAINING TOOLS - BUY BUY BUY: If you have not already been told, many or all of the tapes you have been given for FREE cost money to your upline, and these tapes are these IBO's who have "made it" and are being paid big bucks to speak at Quixtar Training Seminars (as mentioned in #2 above). You will find that your upline expects you to start buying these tapes, and other training tools down the road. To take this into the future, you must also push all of your downlines to buy these training materials from you on a regular basis also (more on this below if you're not bored already;) )

4) STAY AWAY! That's what you are told. If people do not fit your profile (that is, want to do 'the business') you are told to stay away since they are "normal people" that don't "have dreams" and they will hold you back! You do not have to listen, but you will be pushed over and over to sever non-income producing ties, or even family ties that are negative (like your Mom wants you to "get away from those Amway people").

5) SPEAK SPEAK SPEAK: When you "make it" you will have downlines who are holding their own training meetings at their house, so you are freed up. Even better is when your downlines get to the point where their downlines have reached this point. Even now, you have unhappy tasks such as making sure you are still selling those tools to your downlines and making sure they attend those Quixtar Training Seminars - that they have to pay to get into. Oh, I have not mentioned that yet. For the speakers to get paid well, someone has to pay. The IBO's attending the seminars pay. You had better have your downlines attending these seminars by now, and you had better attend them as well! At this point you'd be saying - where is all of my "free time" - that is what I was promised.

I decided to "try it out" with my IBO for a long time, he let me 'hang in' for a year because I was going to join, I just had to get more info and be totally sure. I signed up as a member on the Quixtar.com website and bought some (slightly more expensive) products that I could afford. In the end when he met with me, his wife and my wife, it was my wife who saved me, she said flat out said "No". Since the deal was "spend more time with your family" and "you'd get to work with your wife" and "oh, your wife is really expected to host the other wives, not really sell as much as you do", this sunk the deal. I backed off and looked at Quixtar, finally finding some nightmare stories posted on the net. A former downline of my upline (would have been a brother IBO to me if I joined) sent me these URL's, and it was worse than I ever thought it could be.

MY OPINION: If you don't mind an organization making promises that can't be kept, a company that forces you to turn your personal life into a business life, a business where you sell a mixture of things that are needed and things that are bought solely to make good income for your upline, a business that I feel really pushes you to push other people to do things that are not so great - then you are set. If you have a conscience, (again my opinion, it will either wither away, or it will force you to leave Quixtar.

__________________
George Conklin
design@divergentweb.com
www.divergentweb.com

D McGill,

First off congrats to you for taking the step into the wide
world of network marketing.

Now take a good look at that word "network marketing"
Network in this case will mean a group of like minded
individuals,(at the minimum) And marketing will be YOUR way
of generating leads for your products and business.

The "marketing" part is where most folks get lost. You are
running a business which can provide with the things you
want in your life as long as you learn the proper ways of
marketing. These ways are not through the tape of the month
that is being pushed by your upline nor are they the junk
that is spread over the net like FFA's, classified ads,
click for view programs, etc.

Marketing is the way you are going to generate leads for
your business online and off.

I am a little confused on your statement:

"...I am looking for downlines..." ????

These you will hand build yourself with the people you
choose to work with, train and support.

Don't be too surprised if you yourself do not receive these
things from your upline...they are rare.

Hindsight is always 20/20 however to market any MLM or
network marketing company without getting into a long
laundry list of what to look for (Matt Gagnon does a great
job of this at http://direct-networking.net ) there are 2
things you need:

1. A unique and consumable product that people WANT :)

Want is the key. We all buy with emotion and justify later
with logic.

It must be unique and preferably patented or protected in
some way so that people must come to you to get it.

Consumable so that people buy constantly. This is not
limited to just products that are taken in the body.
Anything that is used up on a regular basis is consumed.

2. A marketing system that consistently generates you fresh
prospects and is something that a new business builder can
learn easily, effectively and quickly.

This system will consist of lead generation tools and
products that you create for you and your team. (Maybe you
were fortunate to get on a team that has a step by step plug
in system already...however as I said before the higher ups
usually talk a bunch of hype to get people excited and then
leave em hanging...

You never, ever, ever want to lead with your full blown
pitch on your opportunity. Qualify people. Have them
request information. Preferably purchase a small lead in
product.

The best thing is to create some type of information product
based on how YOU will teach, train and support those that
become involved with you and what exactly you expect in
return.

Remember you are not running a charity, you are running a
business.

Don't be intimidated about creating a free report or e-
course.

One of the easiest to create even if you hate to write is a
resource report. Find a problem that your products or
business solve and then put together a list of online
resources that prospects can view that are related to this
problem. Just put in the link and maybe a sentence or two
of a mini review of why you included it.

Another way is to have someone else create it for you. You
can post a project at http://www.elance.com and pay someone
to design something for you.

Online your success is not based on buying the tape of the
month or jumping on the monthly program that supports your
upline however doesn't convert customers.

Success is based on a constant supply of qualified traffic
that converts into sales for you.

Feel free to PM me if I can be of any help to you.

Again best of success....

Rodney Boettger

Just a quick note... I too joined Quixtar a couple of months back. I was approached by a good friend's husband who has quit work and gone on his own. These are "every day normal people" whom I have known 20+ years and I thoroughly thought they had something. I currently own my own web store, and had planned on including some of the Quixtar products and fundraising ideas in with my other business.
As it turns out, the "profit" isn't what it seemed, and it will cost me more to sell the products than I can realistically expect to get on my return.
The only thing this is good for is making money from yourself. Purchase products at inflated prices for your own home, and receive a kick back for doing so.
I think it's easier to go to Walmart and get the sale price!

With advance apologies as needed, when I read your original post, I immediately thought "This is someone using the forum to get people in his downline by acting like a newbie and posting his ad as a question. " That was in particular because you wrote "Some of my friends, (who signed me up) are making up to 10,000 per month now and really not working hard at all."

You provided timely responses, which got me thinking that maybe your posting was a non-ad after all and you seriously believed this stuff...even though the statement that not 'one' of your friends, but 'some' of your friends were making huge amounts of money for little effort kept my 'skeptical genes' on full alert.

Then I read your response about how these friends are doing it:

"What my friends have been successful in doing is: Use it with non-profit, charitable organizations as a fund raiser. They have gone to the boards, and made one an IBO then that IBO makes other members of the board their downlines etc.

They are selling what people buy everyday, tp, food, snacks and coffee, laundry detergent etc. They all buy the products and make the non-profit organization make some fund raisers. In the process, they get their kick back."

Well, I took early retirement a couple of years ago to take a pay cut and work for a non-profit. I'm also on the boards of several other non-profits and actively involved in fundraising. And I haven't met a board yet that would participate actively enough in this kind of effort to generate $10,000 a month in commissions for even one your friends, much less several.

As I've done before in prior postings, I did the math, this time using data from Quixtar Amway Business Analysis < http://amquix.50megs.com/amway.html >

Direct quotes:

1) "An IBO selling 7,500PV or about $17,000 a month of core products to loyal customers at retail prices could gross almost $100,000/year"

2) "Member purchases generate only half the bonus points and no retail markup. A customer paying retail prices can be over three times as profitable as a Member."

3) "In order to attract the most participants, many groups teach their prospects to just change their shopping habits and purchase $200-$250/month of products from their "own business". Since "selling" turns many people off, many groups teach their prospects to simply "redirect their buying power" and "buy from themselves". They should then teach others to do the same.

4) "Quixtar paid IBOs an average of 28% of sales in 2000 and 2001. Each IBO buying $200 per month would generate gross commissions of just $675 per year despite possible annual expenses of $2,000 or more."
5) "Average IBO income can only be increased by increasing personal sales, not by recruiting more IBOs."

**

Here's what these mean.

A) Your friends (and I'm going to assume a collective where they get the $10,00 a month combined) would need to be selling $17,000 a month retail to gross almost $100,000. (See 1) - or an average of $8,333 a month.

B) If all these board members are in the downline, then they are not buying retail...which is 3 times more profitable (See 2) - if this is the case, your friends would need to be selling $51,000 a month

C) Your description of what your friends are doing implies that the board members in the downline are buying the products. Assuming the $200-250 figure in 3), to get $17,000 a month in sales, they would need 68-85 people a month buying the product. To get to $51,000 a month, it would be 204 - 255 people.

The average non-profit board is between 9-15 people. At the very least, using these figures, your friends would need 5 boards where every single member purchases Amway. At most, they'd need 29. And this is assuming that every single board member purchases in these amounts...not a likely assumption. An alternative is that some board members are extremely successful in selling Amway month after month after month...and give the profits away?? (The agency has to make their money somehow.)

So I remain highly skeptical that your friends are making this kind of money using these kinds of tactics...*while doing very little work*. And that's the sticking point for me...just like it was when I read your first posting.

By the way, you wrote "I live in a small area too but there sure seems to be a lot of amway soap and cleaning supplies (empty's) at the curb on garbage day!." If that's the case, then you have to consider that your market area may be already saturated. So how are *you* going to make money when someone is already successfully selling in your area and has scooped up all those customers?

Take care,
Kendall

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I signed up with them and it was a big mistake. It all sounds good when they talk to you and show you the potential but it's up to you to build your downline and without people ready to sign up, you won't make it.

This happens with most of these pyramid plans. I had people interested but when it came down to getting the money to get an account of their own and them going out to find people to sign up under them....well.

Needless to say, the whole ordeal was a waste for me so my suggestion to you is to take it slow with them because if your planning to do email campaigning you have to do it their way or they won't let you do it. Their corporate attorneys don't want spam suits.

I have 2 online stores and this was going to be the one to put me over the top so that I would have to do nothing but sit all day.

My wife and I were coaxed into Quixtar about a year for a week. Foolishly we signed up and then did all the math. This is what we learned.

Before signing up we went to several functions and house meetings (free since we weren't IBO's) spent 2 nights a week for a month on these meetings. So in addition to these 2 nights a week we were supposed to show the plan 3-5 times a week, and we try to have a date night each weeek and a relax sit in our pj's and do nothing day. That makes 7 to 9 days a week which obviously does not offer much free time when you tack that on to an 8 to 12 hour work day. So the free time is there once you get the large group of IBO's and customers.

Another thing is when you actually look how you get paid according to the plan it is quite facinating. You buy the things you need at retail prices, pretend you bought them at wholesale and save the difference as profit. That is how they make the numbers look so lucrative. If I can recall, in the first two pay structure diagrams, I think between 70 and 90 percent of your 'profit' was done by doing this.

After we got out, my wife and i did an experiment. (understand we only do one major grocery shop a month and then staples like milk and eggs and fruit etc we go when needed) We also buy everything in generic labels. Except things like Coke and Heinz ketchup everything else is generic. In quixtar, everything is name brand and thus you obviously pay for that. anyhow, we went for our normal grocery shop and wrote down the price we paid for the generic and the price of the comparable name brand product. For $250 grocery shop buying generic products, we could have spent nearly $350 had we bought name brands. So we put that $92 dollar differnce in the bank as 'profit'. Therefore functioning similar to the early stages of quixtar and saving is 5 to 7 days a week of 'building the business'

One last thing to add, is that the real money is in the tapes and seminars (or pep rallies). Once you bust your ass and spend several thousands of dollars several times over, then you get to that point were you start making money off tapes and seminars. In the tapes and seminars we listened to, not one of them had been in the business less that 18 years. Never heard stories of people less than 5 years in the business making more than 2 to 3 thousand a month (Which I confess is not bad, but at the expense of what?).

Oh yeah, final point. does anyone tell you its Amway? Trying to say amway to people and they probably won't let you in the door. "But quixtar is not amway" is what they all say. "A rose by any other name is still a rose." Same company, same pressure tactics, same false promises, different name.

Hope this helps in your choice.

Rob

__________________
Rob

I was first introduced to MLM thru Amway before the change to Quixtar. The concept is sound, but like many who have already stated, the #'s just make it difficult to make any serious money. I opted out of Amway after about 3 years.
As for the "pressure tactics" we could start an entire topic on this alone. NO matter what MLM business you are developing, it is critical to weigh the opportunity like an business owner. This includes who you partner with. If pressure tactics is not the way you want to work your business, then stay away from those associates. If the business is sound but the associates are not the type you want for a long term working relationship, then search for or develop a new "style". As with any business involving people, there is potential for both good and bad apples.

If you study the sociology of cults, you will find the avenue to success (and failure)in MLM.
Here are 11 observations from my own 2 experiences with MLM and research into cults in Graduate School:
1)There is only one party line and all must follow. 2)Git rid fo skeptical friends.
3)Associate as often as possible with the true believers.
4)Give your dollar support to the group till it hurts.
5)Become a missionary for your new creed.
6)In first contacts, don't tell targets of your real purpose.
7)Rely on the target's need for group association or human frailty (greed?)
8)Involve the entire family or separate from the family to join the larger loving group of like minded souls.
9)Seek out, befriend and bring into the fold, those who are likely to want to become missionaries of the cause.
10)Never share a loss of confidence or belief with those in authority (up line)
11)Never view those who fail in any other terms than "they just didn't work at it hard enough."

I am sure others of you may have similar observations.
Jim Casey

If you study the sociology of cults, you will find the avenue to success (and failure)in MLM.
Here are 11 observations from my own 2 experiences with MLM and research into cults in Graduate School:
1)There is only one party line and all must follow. 2)Git rid fo skeptical friends.
3)Associate as often as possible with the true believers.
4)Give your dollar support to the group till it hurts.
5)Become a missionary for your new creed.
6)In first contacts, don't tell targets of your real purpose.
7)Rely on the target's need for group association or human frailty (greed?)
8)Involve the entire family or separate from the family to join the larger loving group of like minded souls.
9)Seek out, befriend and bring into the fold, those who are likely to want to become missionaries of the cause.
10)Never share a loss of confidence or belief with those in authority (up line)
11)Never view those who fail in any other terms than "they just didn't work at it hard enough."

I am sure others of you may have similar observations.
Jim Casey

Jim,

I disagree with your equation "Post subject: Qxstar=MLM=Cult" that all MLM are cults. Insurance companies, realtors, mortgage brokers, and even many web hosting companies use the format. MLM is simply a marketing method rewarding those who promote the company and turn that promotion into sales. If we were talking about an insurance company marketing plan, we would need to differentiate between the way some individuals within a company market vs how others within the same company market.
The bottom line questions shoud be:

• "Is the marketing plan sound?"
  "Are the people I'm working with credible?"
  "Is the product or service of good value?"

Your analogy of the sociology of cults is great. That sums up much of the "bad apples" approach to MLM.

Just my opinions - for what its worth :)

I have a friend in Quixtar that makes some money here and there but he really doesn't work hard at it. I met another person at a powerlifting competition that made roughly 100k one year with Quixtar. He is no longer with Quixtar (didn't ask why). I also have been with a couple of MLM programs and have found that products such as cleaners, vitamins, skin products, etc. do not do nearly as well as services. For example, in service based products you may only have to make a sale once as opposed to having to make a sale everytime someone runs out of a product. Usually health products and cleaning products are overpriced and noone no one really needs them. I am a competitive powerlifter and I am usually surrounded by a LOT of shake drinkers and pill poppers and I found that they wanted nothing to do with most MLM products. I thought they would buy like crazy or become distributors. I was wrong. Cleaners are cheaper at local stores. If you need something powerful you can just go to Home Depot, ACE, etc. From what I have noticed is that many MLM companies count on your friends buying overpriced products from you just because they are your friends and they will do it for you. If you are going to go MLM, find a service (not a "product") that is something you would buy and at a price you would like. Make sure you get to talk to an actual person before signing up for anything, make sure you get trained, make sure the comp plan pays commissions on movement of product and not just for your recruiting (or it could be illegal), and DO NOT go for the "ground floor opportunity" (go with a company that has been around for a while).
_________________
Rob Wright
rob@ymulticom.com
http://www.ymulticom.com

JVN,
As is the way with any research the techniques of the researcher and the sample size dictate how much stock to take in the findings. I agree there are many companies using some of the techniques of MLM properly. I think my point was to take the extremes of MLM and relate them to cults. Just as there are many good religious organizations which use some cult tactics but are not religious cults. Amway has many good and resonsible marketers. Some of my best friends have been Amway sales people:-). However, from what I have experienced, the most successful MLMers, in terms of income, practice those 11 cult factor items "religiously". Those who did not, either dropped out minus some quantity of cash or became regular "sellers-purchasors" who did not quit their day job. So if you listen to the hype and want to get rich with no commute and get your life back then can you follow the 11 rules. That is can you become totally involved 24 hours a day; do you have the charismatic persuading, speaking and teaching skills; can you accept that some old and new friends will avoid you like the plague; can you associate, plan and talk your MLM program exclusively with like mided MLMers all the time; be vigilant to propose your MLM program to anyone who will listen; and accept that you will have to spend a lot of money till you find that "downline" to support you.

There is no monetary success in any MLM without total commitment which I found to be very difficult. I still don't get return calls from old friends even though I have been out of it for more than 4 years. I still regret that only 2 or 3 out of 25 folks I downlined did not loose money in the process. That might be #12 "Really believe that everyone is free to make the choice on how to spend their time and their money."

Jim

This is an excellent analogy! The same tactics are used in many MLM's. I've never been involved in Quickstar (I've been approched several times) but I did do Herbalife for a while and these same 11 principles applied to it too!

dmcgill, get out now before you've lost your shirt!

Hey man... all the bad stuff you read is the truth.

MLM is crap... I think it is the one worst way to make a living... you are simply a cult member who has been led to the light by your "upline"

all you do is make them money, and turn yourself into a gritty sales person that noone likes... and those friends that are telling you to not do it... those are the real friends.

This entire section should be removed from the board... it is not professional and it is not making anyone any money.

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Yea...I kinda like feel the same way,Some of the guys whom I spoke to was www.biznas.com. They claim to be makin a lot of money, they got offices and multinational locations and everythin, but somethin about their sales approach is just not right.

Sounds to me like some people have been "burned" (including myself in the past). The problem isn't with MLM in general. The problem with MLM is shady people and scam companies. There is no in-between. You either make it or you fail miserably. What I find funny are those that say "only the people at the top" make money. If that is the case, put yourself at the top. If you fail, don't blame MLM, blame yourself for getting in with the wrong company, listening to the wrong person, just plain doing nothing (something we wish we could all get paid for), etc.

Some simple rules for selecting an MLM company-
-They must sell a product
-That product must be consumable
-It must be a product you would use at a reasonable price
-Their website should be a product website with a valid email and phone number (to real live person)
-They should pay you commissions for sale of PRODUCT
-If they only pay you to recruit-it is probably illegal
-Have they been around for a while? (my suggestion is run from "ground floor" opportunities)
-See if they are on the World Wide Scam Network or have a bad write up on the MLM watchdog site
-Make sure you get your training in-person or live online.
-Are they free? (look around-some are actually free)

This should rule out about 95% of MLM companies.

So what does all this tell you about MLMs? The only people who make money are the ones who started it - the ones at the "top" of the pyramid. MLM is a prime example of a "trickle up" economy - any profits made at the bottom trickle up to the top. And the fewer at the top, the bigger the share from the bottom.

Those who buy into downlines are the ones who want to "get rich quick" without the effort. I own three computer consulting businesses and am "reasonably wealthy". I've found that there is no easy way to become financially comfortable. It takes a lot of hard work, a lot of time, and a lot of sacrifice. If you're not willing to work hard, sacrifice your time, give up weekends, holidays, and vacations then your not going to "get rich" or become financially comfortable.

Again-MLMs that only pay for your recruitment of other people are very bad. Buying downlines is just plain silly. However, there are MLM companies out there where you can make decent money (over a period of time) without ever recruiting anyone and your "upline" gets a very small commission on your sales. Sometimes MLMers listen to their upline too much when it comes to recruiting. Why? Because they make very little on your sales (even if you are wildly successful from a sales point of view). People high up on the MLM food chain try to make it sound like you will get rich quick and be able to replace your current income. It won't happen. It will take anywhere from 1-2 years for the full time MLMer to make a full time living. 3-5 years part time. These numbers are only accurate if with the right company, proper training, a LOT of work, and ample support. The work you have control of, the rest will decide if you are with the right company.

I'am in agreement that the Amway system or Quixstar. What ever you want to call it,takes way to much of your time. I know because I was there. The amount of time and money spent on products was insane. I also found my self wondering if I was a cult member. I also learned alot of good things while in Amway. How to have a goal in life and dream again. Mlm is just another way to do business. I'am now an Excel Rep. I like this Mlm just fine. I sell quality services that I make a commission on over and over again. No products in house. No deliveries. You have to try many things to find out what is right for you. Put your head to the plow and never give up.

kpsanders

Has anyone heard of eWorldMedia.com?

I was "cold contacted" today by a man that gave me his card, which is from a company called eWorldMedia. I didn't recognize the name, and I've only just picked up on the name "Quixtar". I was once an Amway Distributor back in the mid-90's before Quixtar. Anyway, this man used the same tactics I used when meeting strangers (e.g. looking for something to comment on about clothing, someone's child, an item someone is looking at, ice breaker stuff...). He was already giving a somewhat familiar pitch (heard "network marketing" several times) to another man next to my table, ended up talking to a woman with a baby a few tables over, and, just as I had predicted quietly to myself, introduced himself to me some moments later. I was wearing a polo shirt with a sports logo on the front. Guess what got his attention?

I'm positive that this is Amway related...just too many similarities evident. Just curious if anyone has heard of the name eWorldMedia? Possibly a company that falls under the Quixtar umbrella?

Hadn't heard of them before, but a quick trip to the site's "about us" page shows it to be an internet media company.
Their products include a TV quality commercial for the internet, emails, etc.

I was involved with Quixtar for two years. In that time I made little or no money. Quixtar's fault? No, mine. I bought in as an IBO, but I never put in the time I needed to build the business. I eventually dropped my IBO status because I was unemployed and could not afford it. Did I find it a bad business? No. Given the opportunity, I would happily join again just to get the products.

My upline (who is also a good friend and my son's godfather) was in very much the same boat. He made very little money from Quixtar and had two people in his downline (of which I was the most active). And he was involved starting the June before the full launch.

Time forward to six months ago.

He made the decision that he was going to work at building his downline. He doesn't do the high-pressure pitch that most people associate with MLM. He (and I, when I was involved) was never told to drop friends that didn't agree with Quixtar. If someone he knows tells hm they're not interested in Quixtar, he doesn't bring it up again unless they ask.

He will retire at the age of 34 in about 2 months time.

So much for "only the people at the top".

As a person who has owned and run a successful business (it closed only because I wanted to go on to other things), I like the Quixtar business plan. Is it for everyone? No. But, then again, neither is rum & raisin ice cream. Does that make it bad? Not a chance.

I know there are always two sides to a story. I don't have the time though to make it pay. Thanks for your comments. I really appreciate it.
dmcgill

__________________
D McGill
Web World directory

My wife & I became IBOs at the birth of Quixtar. After owning our own brick & mortar pool & spa business for many years, we looked at this as being a new, fresh opportunity. What we got involved with ended up being a terrific group of people committed to growing personally & professionally. The fact that we were making some money on the side was an added bonus. Plus we found that doing MOST of our shopping online, especially everyday stuff, was a tremendous savings of time for our personal family's use AND for most of our business "backroom" & office supplies.

Our personal upline was located a couple of states away, so the support was a little tougher. But we looked forwarded to the regular quarterly get togethers. What we saw in the Quixtar business was the opportunity to make a significant amount of money, understanding that it would involve a LOT of work. Did we make money? Yes; enough to keep our daughter in parrochial school (using a minimal downline). Are we wealthy from it? Honestly, no. The experienced gained from being part of an organization like Quixtar has been down-right fabulous. We've been able to take many of the ideas & education and apply them to our pool & spa business.

Quixtar opened our eyes as to how important the web is to a growing business. Now that our pool & spa business is going national via our web site, we're now a brick & click business. By 2004, close to 1/3 of our gross revenues will be from online business. We've found a nice, quality, profitable niche and are hopefully exploiting it.

Do I personally like MLM? Not necessarily. I don't believe they're for everybody. But for someone who is very aggressive, is going to work diligently & has a desire to be mentored by a good mentor (and there are many), I think it's awesome.

Ron

www.parpools.com

Most people look at only the direct impact that Quixtar can have, meaning money in an IBO's pocket. My company on the other hand, benefits from having Quixtar as an affiliate. Through inclusion in the Quixtar site as a partner store, we sell a tremendous amount of products and only pay commission once the sale is completed.

Believe it or not, working with Quixtar was a tough sell to our internal marketing department, beause they were worried about a negative impact on our brand. They were proven wrong....very wrong.

People seem to get the misconception that joining Quixtar is the easy road to easy money. That is exactly where all the negativity comes from. The fact of the matter is this. This is a people business, just like most. It involves time and effort. You would need to keep your current job while starting any other business. What makes you think this is different? You win some, you lose some (downline and customers). You spend more for product (granted one bottle of LOC outlasts 12+ bottles of any other cleaner out there which more than makes up for the up front cost, so stop whining). And you have to nurture your downline. Help people grow.

Face the main fact here: This is a business! Just like any other business, you have to market. Instead of banner ads, Pay-per-click services and billboards, you have to TALK to people. A big money saver if you ask me. You have to provide a product or service. Why not sell product lines that have 50 plus years quality reputation, then the newest thing off the turnip truck? AND... The best part, is you have to learn, be it from book, tape (and yes you buy them; but then again would you try building an engine without having a manual?), or the person himself (face to face) how to build the business. No blind mice here. You learn from the people with the millions. Ask yourself this question. Is a leading stock broker going to tell you how to make it rich in the stock market without expecting to get something out of it? Heck No! You'll pay out the nose for that information. In Quixtar, Quixtar pays for that cookie cutter info. You talk to your upline and they teach you. YOU don't pay THEM a cent. Quixtar pays them to help you. And quite well I might add.

Another thing to mention is something called residual income. A doctor spends 4 or more years in college and then an extra 2-4 years in residency to make the bigger dollars (half of which goes into paying of the school loans). But, they also have to work, and work, and work to continue making those bigger dollars.

The beauty behind MLM is that you put in the hard work now, build a business/network of people all striving to get where you are, and soon you can live off of your past indevors. The monetary input will out-weigh the time output and you will see the magnificance of the program. The other benefit to Quixtar is that you deal in consumable products. They get used up, you need more. Unlike PrimeAmerica where you help one person, you get a commission and that's it. You start over. In Quixtar you get 10 good customers and serve them well, they will buy, and buy, and buy from you and you will make profit with little to no effort.

The bottom line is this. Quixtar is a business venture. You have to work it just as hard as any other business. If you are not willing to put in the time, then don't complain about the program. Do your job, live your life and be happy. But don't be negative toward something that works, just cause you don't want to put in the effort to do it yourself.

To those that are involved, GOOD FOR YOU! Work hard, strive, don't give up and you will see the fruits of your labors.

Cheers to all,
Scott

I read almost all the negative points about Quixtar/AMWAY. I'm a IBO. I got involved also way back before Quixtar was invented. Why am I still with them? Well I like the soap. I have a septic tank, and I'm the ONLY ONE in my neighborhood, who has not had trouble. Because the soap being all natural soap and no additives added. So when you go down to the store and get your Tide, take a wash cloth which you have just done up and put in a clear glass bowl and see how milky it gets.

Now I do totally understand all your arguments about the money end of this MLM. But have you taken a look at ALL or almost all MLM's today and how they have structured to Amway? How come? Because they are the oldest MLM SURVIED today.

I'm with you understand on how you have not made it in the business, as I have not either. I just use the products mainly and yes I have a few customers who love the soap as well. Don't have to add cholorine to get out stains.

Okay, so why in the world did I write this. Well I went to print out all your responses (14 pages of letters), as I wanted to show them to my upline, and let them see what you all were saying as you ALL have VERY GOOD POINTS.

I have wondered why Amway hasn't restructed after all these years, as time has changed. I have some ideas for them.
The first one who brought up this supject asking about this company, I will say, YOU CAN NOT put these products on to your OWN web site. It's against policy. That is one thing I would suggest to Quixtar, is they setup a personal web site for us all. But they don't want the trouble.

So now how about talking to me about how you can get into an product business that is working. How about YOU getting a TAX WRITE-OFF on ALL products you purchase? Sounds great? See how this company has set this up their structure for you to this TAX WRITE_OFF. http://www.JoAnne.lovesmoney.com

You will see a totally new concept in this and will do much better than Quixtar. Yes, I like their soap as well. But I also like some other Amway products which this company does not offer.

Sincerly,
JoAnne Graham
graham@cptnet.com

Well the Internet was to be the next great money making frontier. Stock prices soared and then shockingly they dropped and eventually we had the Dot Com bust. Honestly, get rich quick schemes are all over the place. Amway/Quixtar is just another avenue to find those willing to "take the chance". Buy a Tony Robbins CD set for $199 and change your life forever! Gotcha again. It really is about trying to reach for something better. Oops, you say you have gained a little too much weight. How about buying that new book on the South Beach Diet? It's called the free enterprise system. Quixtar is still around for a reason. They have sold people on an idea that it really does work! You have to believe, don't you? No, you can make your own choices. Just say NO!!!!!

I have to say I was really pumped up. Seeing all these people was nice but after reading this forum I have to say I have doubts now. Yes everything did sound like a cult. Bill Britt the man who is at the top supposeldy is a billionaire. Does anyone know for sure. There was even a church service. I love the LORD and I don't doubt him though. I think he sent me to this sight. Now I do not think I will get too involved with them till I get some more information.[/quote]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds a bit hypacritical to be skeptical on something that someone is telling you positivly or negativly on. I could be skeptical on if you're really right on telling people that MLM is a bunch of crap, or if it isn't. You've just got to dive into it, and figure it out for yourself. Some things in life suck, and you'll get the bad end of things. But if you never try, then how are you going to know? No one is right or wrong.

:) skepticalguy,

It doesn't have to be a bad experience. Doing some research ahead of time can save a lot of headaches. This is true with any business including franchises and mlm's.

One thing that people seem to forget is taking a reality check of their own interests and reasons to start in a business. With a typical franchise costing in the $$Thousands$$ to start, people will do a lot of research before investing. They get the details on what it takes to "make it happen."

With a typical mlm, the startup costs are relatively low, but the research should not be ignored. Take a realistic look at what you like & dislike about any you consider. Does it match your interests & beliefs? Can you see yourself promoting a particular product or service? If not, then check out something else. Be realistic when starting, and the journey will be alot smoother.

And your comment about needing to start is right on the mark. Many people wish, want, or hope, and never TRY. Even if you find out that a company or product is not right for you, you may also find one of the missing pieces in your life.

Wish you well!

Quixtar is a spinoff of Amyway. Goo luck on your $10,000 per month

Take a look at http://themvpnetwork.com/redskins
it can be used in helping you advertise Quixtar

I have tied several mlm and I spent a lot of time getting no where. The problem with those is that it takes a long time to build and people need to see RESULTS! If You want to learn a much easier and quicker way to make some serious money starting from week 1 then you want to get into the one I am in. You can earn $3000.00-$5000.00 a week. Some people are making that a day. I am on track to make over $10,000.00 my first month! The great thing about this is that their is no downline and you dont have to up to strangers throwing a pitch. If you are interested in an AMAZING oppurtunity then check out my websites. I have 2 short 8min. video presentations describing the business. Goto www.mavericksmakemoney.com, www.mavericksuccesstools.com HAVE AN OUTSTANDING DAY!![/list]

Having been in the network marketing industry since 1997, I've got my share of "war stories" about the ups and downs of direct selling, recruiting, and such. I've been both a skeptic and a promoter of network marketing...and I still am a skeptic and promoter. The important thing to remember about any business venture is that your success (usually measured in dollars of profit) does not come overnight. The same holds true with the business model called multi-level marketing, wherein a portion of your income comes from a downline of folks doing exactly what you are doing...and in which a portion of the revenue from your own personal sales goes to your upline. I agree that some companies using this model perhaps overly focus on what could be termed a "cult mentality" to achieve loyalty and total energy focus on promoting their products. Of course Amway comes to mind. Amway was my first introduction to MLM...I was put off by their approach but intrigued as well. So I did everything short of signing the dotted line back in 1993 so I could learn about Amway. What I learned was that Amway was far too "cultish" if you will and wove too much religion into their business for my taste. Following that experience, I kept an eye on the industry and in 1997, joined Excel and began marketing telecom services in the residential telecom market and recruiting new Excel representatives to do the same. But Excel's "pay to play" sign up fees and annual renewal fees and fees to become a trainer seemed a bit of an overkill. I had over 50 personal customers in conjunction with my business partner and had a downline of 13 representatives when finances forced us to fold. I learned a lot about network marketing, a lot about telecom, a lot about business, and mostly a lot about people and their behavior. It was all fascinating to me, even moreso than getting my degree in psychology! I'll post more in the coming days and weeks, but suffice to say, MLM is an interesting beast with a very bad reputation that has earned some folks money and some folks a lot of heartache...much like any other type of business out there.

Yes, Bill Britt is a billionaire. I have met the man and shaken his hand. I was in Amway long before it turned into Quixtar (more on that in a minute) I am two down from Greg Duncan (and if anyone knows Amway and has done their research, know this name). Greg Duncan is two or three down from Bill Britt. The leg I am in is run by Chris Solberg, personally sponsored by Greg Duncan. I have a photocopy of a check issued to Chris by Amway for $17,000; and that was one of 7 different bonus checks he receives on a monthly basis for helping others like you and I, build a personal business. That check was issued in 1998. I can only imagine what he is making now on that bonus alone. Am I a millionaire, no. Why, because at the time I did not have the motivation to succeed. It is like any other business you want to build. You have to want it. It won't come for free; everything has a cost; time, money, sweat, tears, etc. You have to commit yourself to something to make a difference. It is the same way with Quixtar.

There are several different legs from the main company. Bill Britt just happens to be Christian. He claims his belief and service to God has brought him the success he has. And he has filtered that down through his lines of sponsorship. There is no requirement to be Christian to be in his line. I have met several people of different nationalities and religions at the many conferences I have attended. And all have met with different levels of success.

Actually, Amway is still Amway. And Quixtar is the division of distributors that Amway started. Amway is the name of a manufacturing company. They wanted to find a way to distribute their products without having to increase the price to the consumer through normal channels. (i.e. shopping store, physical store fronts) They created the Amway distributorship to be able to offer a quality product at a quality price. And they did just that. The problem they encountered a few years back is that their distributorship program became too large to handle and still deal with the production of quality product. So they created Quixtar and DID restructure their distributorship programs. A distributor (IBO) is now associated with Quixtar. Amway is now the name of a product manufacturer and nothing more. Quixtar is now the hub in which an IBO offers all the products.

As far as making money, it can be done several different ways. Some legs of distributorships teach that you sell products and that is it. And yes you can make good money off of just selling the products. Other lines of distributorship teach duplication. Why? The old saying goes, "100% of your own effort is not equal to 1% of 100 people’s efforts." If you put in 50% effort, then your 100% is only 50% of what you could do. If you had 100 people do 20%-70% of the 100% they are capable of, and you only got 1% of that effort, you would still get a full 100%. Now, add you 50% to that and what do you get? If you duplicate your efforts by getting others involved, and only get 1% of their efforts. You get more than you could ever put into it by yourself. And just for clarification, that 1% comes from Amway/Quixtar. Your distributors don't pay you a dime to help them.

Someone earlier mentioned $199 dollars for Tony Robbins tapes. How much effort does Tony Robbins put into your future after you buy the tapes? Nothing you say? Exactly. But through a group of people all with the goal to succeed, your investment is well worth it. That is if you have the desire to succeed.

Gary Duncan once told me, "If shoveling horse manure into wet paper bags paid as much as Amway did, I would shovel horse manure." It is not the vehicle that you choose; it is the result that choice offers that you are after. Doing what you love to do doesn't always pay the bills. Doing what makes sense does. Is Quixtar for everyone? No. Not everyone has the desire to succeed. And maybe they do, but they need a different vehicle. Quixtar is not the only company pumping out financially independent business people. It is just one of them. You just have to find the vehicle that is right for you.

Gary Duncan chose to quit medical school in his last year to build an Amway business. I don't think he regrets it for a minute.

Wow, I think I may have just talked myself into getting back involved.

__________________
Scott Brinkerhoff - Art of Zen Studios
Web Design I Design Monk
© 2000-forever - All rights reserved by me - SO THERE!!

Looks like you should have all the answers here!

As I read the posts there are two real problems in the MLM Industry.

Companies with stair step break-away plans. These are for people who work full time selling door to door and people to people ok for full time salesmen and real heavy hitters. Not good for people who want to earn a substantial part time income working from home on the internet.

and

people who would rather spend their time chatting on the internet. You know the ones that are so ignorant that everything is a pyramid to them. The FCC determined a long time ago what is a pyramid and what is not. Most MLM companies are not. Unfortunately there are enough bad ones around to give reason for some to not bother to educate themselves, look at the good ones and see how they may improve their lives. They are probably working as a worker bee making people at the top rich. You know traditional employment like Boeing or GTE. :) You know those really big Pyramids. :)

Make sure its a product or service that people need and use that are reasonably priced and look for pay plans that pay allot up front so the average person can start making some money and not be discouraged.

I make money on the internet, not allot but it's profit. I also save money on the internet by doing my homework. That means more disposable income at home. One of the best little pieces of advice I saw here was loose the credit card debt! Talk about a pyramid! Working on the internet and paying off my credit cards and cutting them up are a couple of the best things that have ever happened to me. Period.

If you don't want to work full time, run now :)

Thanks to everyone for the high quality posts in this thread.

Best wishes,

Dan

Good luck to you. I myself bought what I could afford from them. Their products are quite good and I enjoyed them until I found my own niche. If your not really sure why not check out other business just to compare.

After reading all the messages on this subject which has been going for some time; some of you spoke of being involved at one time with Amway and would like to get back in probably. Well why not? You like the products. So come on.
I also own a septic tank and I also can say the products are the reason I have had no problems at all with the tank.
I would love to work with you. Just let me know.
JoAnne Graham
graham@cptnet.com
or
JGraham87413@yahoo.com
505-632-2559 MST.

Hi. I am a recent IBO in Quixtar. The company is not as bogus as some people might have you believe. Before you go taking everyones advice, let me give you my input. First of all, half these people (or more) probably did not make to much of an effort witht he company. You do not use the products themsleves to make money!!! That right there is just common sense. You buy the items you regularly would buy at the store, only at wholesale prices (meaning less money) and get paid a check at the end of the month for it. the catch, in order to succeed, you have to bring your business up. You have to get downlines and help them to succeed in order for you to succeed. That is normal in any business. This is not a sit on your butt and do nothing to get money job. This is a chance for a lifestyle, not just a life. Yes, it does take work. Yes, it will get irritating and painful. But those people that have been in for 5+ years did not get where they are today by not doing anything, listening to skeptism, or quitting. They got where they are by work, hard work. And a lot of them didn't work to hard the first year to 2 years. That is why it took them so long. And besides, how many jobs do you know that are a great environment, you can have fun in, and you can make money while helping others to make money? Oh, and you can make more than your uplines IF YOU WORK HARDER. For those of you that are critics, stop whining. What did you do that was so tough? Did you try to get downlines? Did you try to make it succeed? Or did you expect a "quick fix"? Look, the world of the prison, also known as a JOB is a lot worse than this. Give Quixtar a chance. It really is a great opportunity. My uplines upline has been in for about 2 years now and the guys wife is retiring in May and the guy is retiring in October. They are only in their mid-20's!!! I am 19 and starting. My goal is to platinum in a year and diamond within 2-3 years, maximum. Like I said before, it all depends on how hard you try. But that is with anything you do. Good luck, and I hope I was helpful.

I too am a new Quixtar IBO, I read this forum just to see what kind bad things people say that really have no clue what they are talking about. This business has set many of my friends free, not only financially but also spiritually. The biggest thing anyone has to do is use your own products, and unlike most of what i have read in this forum keep an open mind. I seen an entry that stated that "Quixtar is Amway online", once again someone has spoken on a subject which they have no knowledge...Amway is actually one of Quixtar's suppliers. In closing, For all of you new IBO's that read this "junk", as Bill Britt would call it, disregard it, listen to your upline, and the Britt system will set you free as long as you are willing to work for your DREAMS.

Hi,

Regarding Quixtar, I would say be careful and stay informed.
It is in many ways a good company with great people, and I do know of people who have done very well regardless if they've been in it from 6 months to 45+ years. But, you really have to evaluate if it is a match to yourself.I was in it for a year and got out after losing a good deal of money. I have no problem with working hard and going after my dreams, I just am not meant to be a sales person. But I was told that I wasn't succeeding because I wasn't trying hard enough. That's a bunch of baloney. I expecially didn't like approaching my friends and family, unless they were genuinely interested.
While I do still use two of their products, even with staying as an IBO to buy at wholesale, I'm not impressed with the rest of their core products (not brand names) for the price. I have found other brands that are less expensive but more effective, even after the kickback for buying their products.

I applaud those who have 'made it', and I don't want to discourage those who could possibly succeed. Just please evaluate the system and yourself carefully.

Hope this can help anyone.

Thanks,

Ok, the one thing that I want to offer up to everyone is the fact that you don't "join" Quixtar. They are simply your supplier. Owning a buisness isn't for everyone. Having worked in sales of some capacity for the past ten years I have learned; whether you sell candy, toys, clothes, houses, etc., you get from sales what you put into sales. If you can't handle selling something that you believe in as an IBO, you should stick to working for some one else. That ensures you a paycheck for doing a job you don't believe in or enjoy doing.
Not trying to look down on anyone, but isn't that the real issue with any buisness?

As far as making the big money, ofcourse it will take time. Think of a major department store. Take Sears for example. How long do you think it took that company to start making "the big money". They started out as a mail order only store for many years. In time they made enough profit to bring the merchandise to the public in department stores.

I may be seeing life through rose colored glasses, but this is how I feel about this subject. I welcome any questions, comments or critisism.

I've heard of it.. and am an IBO... I don't have the Greatest down line... Yet... but It'll get better...Yes it does take some time to build a good downline.. but no one ever said it was going to be easy.. I listen to the CD's you get, they are Great for motivation...OH!!.. and also.. you have to remember if you want to make money in any job out there.. You have to spend time on it.. or at it.. You can't ust join any job and expect to make millions with out some kind of effort... just remember most full time jobs require 40 hours a week,, think about it this way.. if I spent 40 hours a week doing nothing but looking for more "Downline"... I know I'd be a richer man... that's what keeps me going.... remember when you join Quixtar.. You're starting off your own Buisness... any good Owner of any buisness is going to want for their buisness to get bigger...