Work from Home People / Self Employed are they a cult?

Not talking about those who work (for a company) from home but people that work for themselves, either selling beach body, scentsy oils, photo shoots, massages, life coach, crap, etc, etc..

I think these people are basically all in the same circle of each other and they mostly only do business / "shop" with other like minded people creating their own circle of employment / money / clients...

For example the lady that lives next to us has recently befriended the wife. She is a stay at home mom, whose kids are also home schooled. She also does photo shoots (you've seen the type, a family walking down a RR track holding hands, a couple standing next to an old barn, HS senior pictures, etc)  & I am all in favor of these types of photos over "Olan mills"..however..

So the last couple of months she has brought my wife along to all these little neighborhood get-together's of other women / moms and all of them have basically the same thing. I sell some crap out of my house and I'd like for you to buy some. But they are billed more as "come get on board the neighborhood wine train!" luckily after the 3rd one the wife figured it out and stopped going...But it seemed like everyone there also hawked some type of crap product or service and they all were eagerly passing the plate around to speak..

The same lady nextodoor is also having a bday party, we haven't met many neighbors so we thought that would be safe, until she started emailing out "I will have a drawing for a free family photo shoot at my party!" Yeah.. some lucky winner    Can "these people" not even have a simple birthday party without basically inviting everyone to a quilt trip of please by my **** cause I am too ill equipped to get a real job?

F'n annoying..  

I was going to have a cul de sac BBQ this summer to get to know everyone (actual BBQ/Pork) not the "verb" BBQ which out here means "grill hot dogs"  maybe I will see if I can get anyone to buy  new road or Bridge?

Any swinger parties yet?

very true!!  I'm not in the social circuit in our town( I'm not old enough) so thankfully I miss out.  I tried selling pampered chef about 10 yrs ago as something to do in the evenings since mr snick was only home on the weekends at that point, but sales person I am not.  

I'd love to see "real" family photos.  You know, everyone around the dinner table with their faces buried in their phones.  Or worse.

Those multi-level marketing schemes are the worst. Taking an item like vitamins or lotion that costs lets say $1 to produce then sell for $40-60. They prey off one's network of friends and gatherings just like the one you described.

Some people who are desperate for more money just see friends as 'potential customers'. It's sad and annoying as hell.

My wife sells MLM stuff.  She isn't doing too well.  It is annoying.

matt267 PE said:

Any swinger parties yet?

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I was thinking a neighborhood of hookers might be less annoying and a more interesting circle of selling 

Looks like RG will be having a cult de sac BBQ. 

EB-b-q meet up

I might be in NJ on a study soon.   BBQ at NJM's.  I'll bring the mad elf.  

BBQ is not a verb!

kevo_55 said:

BBQ is not a verb!

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I'm from the north so it is okay.  

My wife tried selling Pary Lite candles for a while.  With having to buy samples of that stuff for the shows and other expenses, she barely broke even.  There was also a lot of pressure to sign up other suckers women to expand the network.  She gave it up after 6 months or so.  After 12 years, we still have a shelf full of those damned candles in the basement.

party lite candles were huge in the 90's early 00's.  I think I still have some of their tea lights for lighting halloween pumpkins.    

I believe my rant on this topic is well established, but I recently got hit with another party, so here it is:

LADIES. We can hang out and not have to spend money on overpriced products. We can just hang out. I'll even bring snack! No dudes are sitting around another dude's house being pressured into buying some crap so RG can have free crap and NJMike can be a businessman. STOP MAKING US LOOK LIKE FOOLS. YOU'RE BRINGING THE GENDER DOWN. 

Ahem. That is all. 

my SIL has tried many of these companies as a way to make $ but she hasn't managed to stay with a single company for very long.  She went from having the parties to being the peddlar.

she tried osburne books for awhile, then tupperware.  I think she probably spent more $ than she brought in, she isn't a good sales person.  now we are getting all the cast offs of the failed business venture as christmas/birthday presents.  

We don't sell any of this crap (never have never will for a number of reasons), but my wife is constantly going to or hosting a party for friends selling jewelry, cleaning supply, purses, etc.  I'm sure its costing me a good bit of money, but she thinks its good stuff and gives her a girls night every now and then, so I guess thats a fair trade.

The pull to MLM is crazy. Have a few friends that graduated with Engineering degrees that now sell full-time!

MLM (multi level marking)? or just selling some type of amway full time?

We had a lady here at work that sold those 31 bags to pay for their international adoption. Once the adoption went through she promptly stopped selling.  A high school friend who is a teacher sells that tastefully simple stuff.  at the time it was to help get the mortgage out from being upside down so they could sell it and not have to bring a **** load of $ to the table.  But she still sells it, has her own network of ladies beneath her and is in the top 5 groups in her region.    Amazing what people will spend money on