#1 Question to ask...WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE INVESTING IN AN ONLINE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
IF YOU ARE A NEWBIE like me with no technical training, I think you will agree that learning
e-commerce business is likened to learning a new language.
Hi Folks.
Seriously, going from Brick-and-Mortar Retail to OnLine/E-Commerce Business is so challenging I wonder sometimes if I might be too old to grasp it…..
I have been reading everything I can for two years now regarding online business. Everything out there is about capitalizing on the world wide web. Young and old alike tell of their easy street business and spending an hour a day on making millions through E-Commerce Stores that they set up in less than a week...they claim. Some claim to have stumbled into it. Some claim that they worked their __$$eS off. Some claim that they knew nothing about internet before they started. I am here to tell you it can all be true.
What they FAIL to tell you is what you need to watch out for. The trade has tons of sharks that are smooth as silk in their sales pitches. They call and speak to you as an old friend who merely wants to help you get to where you want to be. Everyone of them give you enough information to intrigue and capture you, with a ‘will that be master card or visa?’ at the end. The Federal Trade Commission does not yet oversee all that goes on in the E-Commerce world.
How do you decipher who is real and who is not? Are any of them really legitimate?
IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING BUYING A BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY you MUST without any ifs, ands, or buts:
1st and Foremost: Ask for a written copy of their Disclosure Document.
This will include: -Information about the Company
-A List of previous purchasers
-Information about lawsuits the company has faced from prev. Buyers
(IF THEY ARE UNWILLING TO GIVE YOU THIS, SIMPLY HANG UP)
2. Get information in writing about earnings claims by the company. This should include the numbers & percentages of recent buyers who earned at least as much as the company claims.
3. Interview previous purchasers in person. (Fraudulent companies will give a few names for references. Often times these names work for the fraudulent companies.
NOTE: FTC requires that they give at least 10 Names, addresses, and phone numbers of previous buyers. To report 877-FTC-HELP
4. Resist the urge to buy over the phone. Often times they will tell you that there are others in line to create a sense of urgency. Don’t fall for it.
After the first year of reading, researching, and re-reading, I took the plunge and invested with a company that would ‘teach me all I need to know and get me up and running’. Sound familiar??
The company was from Washington State. Once I signed on, I had a representative assigned and I had phone numbers to call when I had questions. We would have ½ hour phone appointments through mikogo (an online meeting platform) once a week at first, then every two weeks after a few months. The representatives were always polite and knowledgeable.
The company did set up my site but it wasn’t what I had envisioned. I had to firmly interject any changes I wanted to make in editing and publishing. Through the entire process I felt as if I was blindfolded and led through the dark by a stranger. The problem was that they were not teaching me. They would do it for me but with weeks in between. I would constantly request that they show me how to do things so I could better understand and move forward at my own pace. There was never enough time in that ½ hour appointment. When I would ask specific questions about their process I sensed that they had rehearsed answers and would only say what they were permitted to say.
The progress was slow and I got bits of information in tiny doses. After 8 months, I was posting daily as they coached me to establish an online presence. They told me to continue with that, and offered little regarding other aspects of marketing the business. I wondered why It got to the point where they really did not have anything else to say. I asked what to do from there and they said just keep doing what I was doing. If I needed anything to call. At that point, frustration and determination had taken over. I was going to make it work with or without them.
I felt it WAS an education. All that I read about getting started and the investment required, was my only gauge as to the fulfillment of the contract. I was educated on how unwatched and unregulated the entire system was. There were so many other calls daily that I had to establish a password with the company I signed with. Young gurus would call and pull out all the stops at trying to sell marketing plans and promises. When I would say no thank you, they would persist and even become rude when I would not submit. Some sharks were even able to acquire the password. How? Who? What an education.
A recent phone call from a kind and professional gentleman from Allstate Management Group Inc (Better Business Bureau certified) was all it took to validate what I had experienced was not entirely ethical. He called because the company that I signed on with, and others like them were under investigation for fraudulent business practices. I am not getting paid to share this information. I just think it will help you before it is too late.
If you feel that you have been a victim of fraud, this company is rated by the Better Business Bureau and there to help you. They are one of the good ones. Allstate Management Group Inc., 2401 E. Atlantic Blvd, STE 314, Pompano Beach, Florida 33062-5243
Phone 954-916-7983.
Now after a year in and knee deep, I learned a small fraction about e-commerce business from the company I contracted. I recruited the help of Kamden Kruise, a college technical student, entrepreneur, and trusted friend. His teaching ability is incredible. The rest I learned by reading, asking questions, and googling answers.
There is still so much to learn, but I am getting closer everyday towards making a sustainable passive income with this endeavor.
It is my hope that you read the above information before you invest in any online business.
Take your time and get the informational facts before you dive in. If it is a reputable company they will have no problem with any of your questions. I recommend that you watch the video on
AllState Management Group Inc’s website. Good Luck with your future business!
