Personal Money Tips

I’m seriously thinking of a career move lately. This is somewhat due to changes in the business trends but more so due to the many disadvantages of being an intermediary. As an intermediary, I’m dependant on a or several principal corporations for products and services. Having being in such a position for many years have slowly opened my eyes to see things I’ve not noticed. If you are an agent, a franchisee, independant contractor or any such relationship, you are in the same boat as I am, and perhaps can relate to this.

Now, I not naive to think that corporations will stay the same forever. If they did, you better steer clear of them, since they are going the way of the dinosaur. It is no surprise to me that CEOs and board of directors will push for growth in market share, increase in profitability, ROI or shareholder value, or all the above!

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2 days ago, I met a prospective customer, Mr. B who after hearing my explanation of products, started to tell me about a Bio-Disc. Being a logical skeptic, the item Mr. B showed me look like ordinary glass with lightly imprints of circles. That the product was distributed through Multi Level Marketing or network marketing, is another red flag to me.

I mean, if you have such a fantastic product, why wouldn’t the manufacturer sell it at what ever price and get all the profits, rather than share the money with the people in the network? Look at Viagra. Pfizer didn’t sell the drug through the network. They knew they have a market and a product that will stand up to medical trials and FDA approval, not withstanding side effects but you get my drift.

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I was passing through a shopping mall today when someone approached me with an investment idea. Normally I don’t stop for such 5 minutes on your feet talk but today, I have some extra time and I let the lady talk.

In less than a minutes, it turns out to be no investment idea at all. Apparently, people will call anything an investment to get you to join them. An anything that even has a hint of possibly potential income is touted as an investment. I highlight the phrase possibly potential inceome. Truth is, what the nice lady tried to sell me was nothing more than multi level marketing. They ask people to “invest” i.e. become a member, buy their products and get others to join. I don’t have anything against MLMs. But to frame the idea that what you are purchasing is actually an investment is hogwash.

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