Before you spend that money, let's talk about historyWritten by Kathy Burns
Have you noticed all of advertisements on Internet from "gurus" and people who have "made it" with their Internet business? You know ones, they tell you how in demand they are. They tell you how they get several thousand dollars for each seminar they give. They tell you how they've made hundreds of thousands of dollars online. And they tell you they'll give you their secrets and formulas for "ridiculously low price of $99.95"!These characters are all really slick. Their one page web site is designed to draw you in, convince you, and take your hard earned money. Some of them are written really well and product is very tempting to buy. But does a little doubt linger somewhere at back of your mind? Is there something holding you back but you just can't quite put your finger on it? There might be a valid reason for that. Let's travel through history a bit and see if we can figure out why you get those tiny doubts.... Orson Wells. Heard of him? War of Worlds. Heard of that? I think almost anyone in U.S. knows both names, but for amusement I'll summarize story. The War of Worlds was a fiction radio story. I think it was broadcast in 1940's or 1950's era but I don't remember exact date. This story happened to be science fiction, and happened to involve aliens landing on Earth and starting a war. Now story was put on in full production mode -- just like fiction movies you see on TV today with professional actors. The only problem is, many people tuned into radio show while it was in progress, and they had no idea it was a fictional story! Panic and chaos ensued. Jump to 1960's era. Did you know there was a book that was put on to best seller lists, even though book didn't actually exist? Yep. A radio DJ cooked up a plot to "fool" some people. He arranged to have listeners go to bookstores and request a specific book. The book didn't actually exist, and this was part of prank. To his and his listener's surprise: Their requests for this book stirred up interest across world. People were talking about book everywhere -- reviews were even written about it! And soon enough it showed up on a bestseller list. But book did not even exist. The non-existent book was called "I' Libertine", and due to furor created from prank, radio DJ went on to write a real book by that name later in life. Now let's jump ahead about 30 years. In 1990's, some of you may remember computer communities called a "BBS". BBS stands for bulletin board system, and back then this was a computer that you dialed in to. Once connected, you could download files, chat with other members and play games. The public Internet was not available back then, so this was as close as you could get. One BBS was having a difficult time getting itself off ground. They had one major competitor, and they couldn't seem to win customers away from that competitor. So owners decided to entice customers. The customers were almost 100% male back then, and one thing they were all looking for was a friendly female. So one of owners of new BBS -- a man -- took on a BBS personality of a female. They set up a charade basically, with all trimmings. This man would pretend to be female and chat with all guys on competitor's BBS. During chats, "she" would make sure they all understood that she could be found more often on this other, newer BBS. So, if they wanted to talk to her more, they would have to go over there. And they did.
| | Beware of the Biz Op GypsyWritten by Sandra Stammberger
Traditional gypsies have traveled around world for years running scams, taking people's money, and heading out of town faster than you can blink your eye. They normally offer "too good to be true" products, services, or investments that make you drool and have you dreaming of riches. The problem is, only part of what they say is true.In Information Age, you have to beware of biz op gypsy. Along same lines as gypsy of old, biz op gypsies look to have you buy into their so-called "opportunity" so you can make hundreds of thousands of dollars with very little work. Anybody who knows anything about Internet business will confirm in a heartbeat that life online is not effortless! While there are some quality business opportunities available, don't let visions of sunbathing by pool while - at same time - raking in thousands of dollars a day cloud your judgment. When making your decision about which business opportunity to seriously consider, take following points into consideration. 1) Sounds Too Good To Be True - One of your first clues will be tales of how easy it is to get rich. "No work on your part," "The company does everything for you," and "Immediate rewards" are lines gypsies like to use. I'll tell you now, regardless of how good biz op is, you will still have to work to be a success. Be very wary of sales pitches that include statements above. 2) Ask Person: "What Have Been Your Experiences With This Company?" - Granted, good gypsies will tell you of all wonders they've performed with help of this company, and how easy their lives are now. That's great! But don't settle for lip service. Ask for proof. Commission check stubs bearing their names, receipts, or other hard documentation will help to back up their claims. 3) Contact Company Directly - The "home" company will be very aware of its "top sellers." If for some reason they are not, with salesperson's company ID number, you should be able to confirm everything supposed gypsy is saying. Better yet. Arrange a 3-way call with company, gypsy, and yourself.
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