LIFE: Is It a Scam?

Scam: defined as a dishonest scheme, possibly telling somebody that they can get rich fast or that there will never be a better deal then today!

Everyday most people want a different LIFE. Something just hasn’t worked out the way you imagined it would. Maybe you want more money, to be debt free, or you just want more free time that does not revolve around work. Perhaps you do not enjoy your job which makes you look at your income as barely worth it, but you know you need to work to survive. Perhaps you are not in one of these situations, but you want to be closer with God or have better fitness. The truth of the matter is everybody has something in their life that they can improve upon. So whether you have hit low enough to go searching for that change, you just think about it once in a while, or perhaps you have never thought about it, but now that I’m bringing it up you think, “oh ya, I could probably improve upon my …” When this happens many people search online for a fast way to make money or improve upon their life. In these situations they usually come across many options that at first glance seem to good to be true. Usually if it seems too good to be true, it is! At this point an intelligent person usually does their research to find out if these companies have scammed others who were once in your position. If you are lucky, the advice will sound strong and you will decide against attempting to be involved with these too good to be true companies. Still how do you know when you just missed a great opportunity?

This question is in response to a business that I actually just recently became involved with through my boyfriend. This company is entitled TEAM. If you search it on the Internet you find many pages that are telling you it is a scam. So you might listen to these pages and turn away from a great opportunity. Here you might be asking, why is this not a scam and how do you know? Well I will explain it to you. First off TEAM has a couple of different subdivisions you can be involved in. They include AGO and LIFE, along with a few others but these two are my personal favorites! These two areas of business offer life improvement products to you and the people you know. AGO is all grace outreach and provides information on how to live for what you believe and become closer to God. LIFE stands for living intentionally for excellence and provides a great deal of variety of information including marriage packs, parenting packs, and finance packs. Yes you pay to be in the business. Yes there is a chance that you can make money out of the business. Yes it is a difficult business to make money in, but the truth of the matter is that this is not a scam. Why? Because a scam is a dishonest attempt to make money while telling people that they will become rich with in a few weeks. This is not a scam because the product is an item that many people buy anyways. You are buying self-improvement books and CDs. Some of the information has changed lives, marriages, and relationships with friends, family, and children. Like any business you are attempting to get people underneath you to make more money, but it is also about a community growing together to make the world a better place. Once again that is not the definition of a scam.

So since I have only been involved for a few months now, how do I know that this is not a scam? I know because I have seen it. The community that gets together to learn about the product is like a family. They care about each other and they want everybody to have a better life. The product they listen to and read sends messages that inspire them to be better people. This community is filled with people who really want to make the world a better place. The leaders of this business have also been written about as scam artists, but they do not always write the books you read. These books are best sellers that really have a great message. Most of the CDs are recorded from different meetings, but the guests are people that have made a name for themselves and really believe what they are saying. I have seen people break down and cry on the stage because of the difference in their life. This business is not about becoming rich, although that might be a possibility if you want to and have the ambition, but it is about making the world a better place. If you have the ambition to make a little extra money, this business offers you that option. Some people eventually even make enough to leave their current job and live a life of luxury, but that is not what this business is about! This business is about the community. This business is about freedom. Most importantly this business is about leaders who are taking a chance and who want to turn you into a leader as well.

So here is the deal. I am not advocating that you get involved in any business if it seems against your instinct. If something like TEAM and LIFE are not for you, then by all means stay out of the business. Still what I am advocating is that you use your brain when presented with a business opportunity. Many people who get frustrated because they were promised the world write angry and frustrating things on the Internet. They might claim this business is a scam because they were promised to make money and they did not make anything. Some people do not want to change their world and others think they are better than the knowledge provided. The truth is that when you are selling knowledge, there is only two ways that it could be a scam. That is if you were promised to get rich quick off of this knowledge or if the knowledge was inaccurate. So if you have the desire to change the world around you and make your life better, go ahead and take a look on line. Just remember to do your research and when you read what people have written, ask why they wrote what they did. Do they provide examples of how the business was a scam? Is the business the best deal you will ever get? Are you actually paying for a product or is it just a ‘secret’ way to make a lot of money? If you are paying for a product is the price outrageous? Are you talking to a person about the business or is the whole process online? Ask questions to who ever you can get in touch with. If anything does not make sense ask again and again until you are satisfied with the answer. Most importantly though, make sure you follow your instinct and if you have any issues with it discuss with the person who might be introducing you to the business. After all, most people have heard of Avon, Mary Kay, or Pure Romance and many enjoy getting involved, but how is a credible business opportunity like that different from the ones you see online? If you can answer that you might find the answer you are looking for when you ask, “ Is this business a scam?”