To not support friends new business venture

[melclaire1111]

Not sure if I'm being a bit unfair or if i should stick with my current stance!

I Have a friend, let's call her B. We have been friends for many years after meeting through mutual school friends and have been through many milestones together (broken relationships, engagements, weddings, buying houses etc)

That's about where the similarity ends tho. B went to uni and came out with a very well paid job which she progressed further into (financial controller type role) I didn't go to uni but instead work in a more administrative role at team leader level, any more responsibility does not appeal to me and am perfectly happy.

We both had DC's within 6 month of each other. B didn't return to work. She was made redundant while on maternity leave and was fortunate enough to be able to stay at home with DC. I went bavk full time after 8 months as financially we needed the money and I wanted DC to go to a nursery setting which they do full time and are absolutely thriving there. B and i have argued about this in the past as she has called me an absent parent for doing this and did once say what was the point in having children if all I did was send them to childcare but we have agreed to have difference of opinions on this!

Anyway b has recently started selling products to a well know MLM company, and is flooding her Facebook with posts about how great the products are and trying to get everyone to buy them. The products don't really appeal to me but I have put a few 'likes on her posts to support her.

Today however I received a message asking if i wanted to buy anything as she was putting an order in today. I politely said no as we don't have much money spare (attempting to move house so all spare money is going towards that as the potential new house needs some work) she then replied saying I was the only one of her friends who hadn't brought anything, she was hurt that I'm not supporting her and if it was me she would be buying everything she could. I told her that I think shes doing really well but the products aren't for my liking (she sells make up, I barely wear a coat of mascara when I go out, for work I wear no make up!) And that I didn't have the money to spend on stuff I don't need!

She then carried in saying that I could order the cheapest item they do (£35) and that would make her happy! I politely declined again and received a massive rant how I was an awful friend and she has now blocked me on everything!

I don't feel I'm being unreasonable but Wasn't expecting her reaction I guess.

I too suspected your 'friend' was involved with a MLM scheme of some kind. She is obviously the sort of person who is not only judgemental about the choices other people make in life, but also quite prepared to strong-arm, guilt-trip, bully or cajole people she knows into buying the high-priced tat she is trying to sell, She may well have fallen for the company's spiel about how she will make X amount of money and only needs to introduce X amount of customers to get rich quick (all bullshit of course). Stick to your guns and find better friends :) (Or just tell the cheeky fucker to fuck off if it makes you feel better)

She is saying that you have to buy her friendship. Ugly, tacky behaviour- please tell her that if you ever hear from her. Please don’t be upset if you don’t.

The trash took itself out!

She is losing it as she is losing money.

Hurrah for the block button. Now you no longer have to be inundated with overpriced Younique (or similar) products that you could get for a fraction of the price in superdrug or boots.

"I only buy Cruelty Free products, sorry B. But good luck with your business!"

I reckon it’s Argonne. I reckon you could get SOMETHING from Younique for under £35... I have friends doing both. They don’t realise that the rest of us have hidden all their #bossbabe shit from our feeds because they all say the same.

If you cost out the number of hours worked over a year, total commission earned (not own money out in) minus tax etc, I reckon most of these women (always bloody women) are working for a big company for less than minimum wage and with no protection whatsoever.

How people are so stupid, and how it isn’t illegal, I’ll never understand.

Arbonne. My phone hates it so much it won’t even type it!

It really doesn't matter what it is - they're all the same. Arbonne, Younique, Forever Living, Juice plus, Nuskin, Topic Skincare, Herbalife... all the same. Scamtastic.

As someone who has been involved in mlm previously, I can say that it does work IF you pick the right company AND you are prepared to work your backside off. I also have clients who are beyond successful mlm people with different mlm companies generating money beyond even my wildest dreams! Its about making it work for you. However there are people out there who are all about the numbers of folk assigned to their downline. If you only focus on recruiting and not on training and support like you would do in any other managerial job, your mlm network is going to fail and you wont generate long term income. Your downline is going to be pissed off as they aren't getting the support needed to start and grow their business causing people to quit leading to all the comments about pyramid schemes, scams and cons. If you do your research, several mlm companies have been around for years. Avon is over 100 years in business. That doesn't happen by being a scam.

Like I say, as with any business venture,do your research before joining a mlm venture - a fast buck it will not be (and anyone who says it is is lying so run for the hills and find a different sponsor or venture!) but if YOU work at it, it is possible to swap your day job for being self employed.

All of that aside, this does not excuse OPs CF friend who is no friend at all in my book! If you blocked everyone who said no to an opportunity you would have no friends (or customers!) left in this game! accept the answer and move on! X

Avon has only recently gone down the MLM road, though. I bet that it's products are the cheapest (MLM-wise) too.

I have friends who do various MLM's (for years), they are not pushy (thankfully!) and don't beg people to order. A big part of the attraction is the positive messages and the various conferences/training days which have a (deliberate) celebratory feel to them. Anyone who could make a business out of that side of it would absolutely fly, I'm telling you! That's the bit they like!

Ugh.

Any company who puts focus on building a team before selling actual products is a dressed up pyramid scheme.

And they don't own their businesses. They are reps working their asses off for a very small commission.

I am such a negferret. And all MLM's are banned from my life.

Ha ha! Mlmbot Demented Mummy has used the phrase "beyond my wildest dreams"

Yes love. These rich life styles are beyond anyone's dreams because they don't exist!! There are so many anti MLM blogs and groups, read them, educate yourself, only the top of the pyramid gets rich. With a multi million pound American company some Mummy in England is hardly likely to be in that top triangle.

It's a joke of a business and she's a mug. Steer clear.

Actually zeebot - ive seen the tax returns for those I referred to in mlm making it big so it can happen! but it didn't happen overnight and didn't happen without a lot of hard work. Just dont write off all mlm ventures as scams because they are not. They are businesses much like franchises - when done properly they are selling a business system that allows the agent to duplicate and build their business. Its the practise of seemingly a pile of agents touting their venture as a get rich quick scheme for zero effort which leads to negative views on the industry or indeed the actions of OPs "friend"! But anyhoo! I'm clearly on my tod with a more positive view on the industry! - resume your mlm bashing positions!

Demented Mummy that post was like MLM Crapshite Bingo. And I got a full house.

I’ll believe it when I see the tax return. And the income/expenditure spreadsheet. These never actually appear though...

No mlm crapshite bingo is "create a residual income stream.that supports itself", "swap 40 hour weeks for 4 hours on your phone", "our products sell themselves!". Mlm crapshite bingo is not its bloody hard work because that's what it is! I dont mind that you dont believe me but in my (for the avoidance of doubt non mlm advisory) business, I'm seeing people clear 5 figures a month (yes per month) from various household name mlm ventures. So it can be done. Fair play to them. Its not for everyone and you might say its the luck of the draw but they have worked really hard to get where they are now so I dont begruge them. Safe to say though with an attitude like OPs friend, said friend is not likely to be one who succeeds in the mlm industry or indeed any job requiring people skills! Karma is a .......!

The only MLM I have bought from was Virgin Vie, I used to love their stuff and still miss the one step face base. They did a bubble bath called connoisseur and I have found nothing that comes close
But my friend who did it was not pushy at all she would drop off the catalogue and that would be it we would then contact her if she wanted anything.

She had lots of people buying from her due to her none pressure selling technique, she did not take anyone in a team though. She once showed me some of the messages from senior virgin vie people and they were vile, really pressuring her to get a team and saying she wasn’t meeting her potential. Funny the main bot who hassled her jumped ship to Jamie at home when that came out. So much for her devotion to the brand

Hi OP,

Just remember this- she’s trying to make you buy her products using the hard earned money from the job you have that she looked down on. Wow. So she doesn’t support you in your work- the opposite in fact- but now she wants your cash? That is high level of CFery

Real businesses don’t base themselves on guilt purchases, because it’s not sustainable. My self employed friend has support and help from our group of friends in the form of looking after her DCs every now and again so that she can attend meetings. The favours are then reciprocated. That’s real support, and it’s mutual. But then again, that’s the difference between a real business and MLMs where you are basically an unsalaried salesperson on 100% commission.

I also had a friend who was into MLMs for a while last year. It was unbearable and very obviously not family friendly because she was constantly on calls, attending village fetes/events at weekends, or checking her phone. Then she went into Bitcoin and tried to get us all to invest in some odd scheme. I unfollowed her. She’s now looking for (real) work...

YADNBU x

generating money beyond even my wildest dreams

The only way that this is in any way true is if the Demented one lives in Utah, and is mates with the founders of these companies. The "super ultra mega diamond level top class most excellent influencer business guru boss bade level". Of which there are 2 or 3 in each pyramid. What people SAY they're earning and what they're ACTUALLY earning is vastly different. It's a whole industry built on lies to try to suck more people in at the bottom of the pyramid.

Dementedmummy - it is NOT ANYTHING like a franchise. When you buy a franchise you are also buying a dedicated sales area in which to sell product that is PROTECTED, ie no other franchisee can touch your patch. That is not the same with MLM at all. These companies couldn’t give a damn if every person in a street had signed up to peddle their wares. It’s cost less to them and the more people involved the more likely they are to make money!!! It’s a throw mud at a wall and see what sticks sales strategy from their perspective.

Also - seeing people "clear" 5 figures a month. I could easily do that in ANY multi-level thing. I would just buy loads of stuff myself, enough to fill the garage in the hope of selling it at some point in the future. That would show my accountant that I'm doing really well because I'm reeling in the commission! The fact that I've got £30k on my credit card and am up to my eyeballs in debt wouldn't register with them as they have no idea what i'm spending my personal money on. And get all my minions to do the same.

Running a business? Running a fucking business?! You're posting shit on facebook, that is NOT running a business.

Boils my piss. I run a business. I know what it's like to run a business, it certainly isn't spending 4 hrs a day posting memes on facebook.

Flogging a companies ridiculously expensive shit make up whilst "recruiting 3 #bossbabes to my team" is not running a business.

k2p has it spot on too. It's all smoke and mirrors (and recruiters to MLM should be ashamed of themselves. They know full well their downline will lose money and still they brainwash them in to doing so)

The latest one is this beachbody thing. I have seen "then" and "now" photos which are totally misleading (taken 4 years apart rather than 7 days as claimed) and yet they get away with it. HOW?

Your friend is an arse OP and you're better off without her.

Thanks for the replies everyone, am feeling much better about myself now. Have spent the better part of 2 days reading Elle Beau's blog - wow, amazing reading.

Said friend has unblocked me and sent me a WhatsApp message apologising but also said I didn't understand the pressure she had of running a business, as well as looking after the family and running a house. I didn't bother replying but blocked her on everything! It felt rather good!

My bot has been rather quiet of late but a while ago she posted details of a family holiday that she said had been funded entirely with her earnings from the aloe vera one. Thus proving its success.

I went online quickly to see how much the holiday was likely to have costed - around £2,000 is my guess. I looked back to see how long she'd been pushing this crap - about four years at the time.

£2,000 in four years of apparently full time work? And she's the success story?