Jeff Mills Blog | Work at Home | Home Based Business Ideas | Make Money from HomeJeff Mills Personal & Business Blog

In case you have not heard, YourTravelBusiness.com, or YTB just got slapped big big big time by the California Attorney General, Edmund G. Brown Jr.

The office of the Attorney General has sued YTB declaring that it is a pyramid scheme because only a few make money at the top and the rest never make money who join under the top players.

You can read the full story at their website:

The YTB Lawsuit is called: "Brown Sues To Topple Online Pyramid Scheme"

I'm going to be giving my opinion on this matter, which is a very delicate matter, and I invite you, the reader to offer your opinions in the comments of this blog as well.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Now, keep this in mind. Brown is only suing, so there is no final order from a Judge to declare Brown's claims to be true. YTB will say they have done nothing wrong and are within the realm of the law to conduct business the way they see it legally.

And, in case Brown did not realize, according to Dunn and Bradstreet figures, 90% of all new businesses fail. Network Marketing, MLM and Direct Sales are the same way. People start and most people fail no matter if it is a brick and mortar or a digitally based internet product or a physical product.

According to Michael Gerber from the Emyth Revisited:

• 1,000,000 million people will try to start their own business this year
• 400,000 will fail their first year
• 400,000 will fail within 5 years
• 160,000 will fail within 10 years

That leaves only 40,000 in 10 years are still in the game… Of those 40,000 most I would say are just scraping by…almost at the end of their ropes and a couple hundred at the top are killing it making millions… So, does that make it a pyramid scheme cause the failure rate is so high?

It's not a function of a marketing plan or a pay plan that makes a business a Pyramid Scheme.

Pyramids are everywhere in business.

Just look at your fortune 500 set up where presidents, CEOs, VPs and Managers make huge salaries, while the rest of the office makes minimum wage. Pyramidial structures are everywhere. All major businesses are set up this way so the rich stay rich and the not rich stay comfortable there.

The case for failure is not how the company recruits or advertises (although Brown Claims they are doing this illegally as well), the failure of so many is because of numerous conditions found within the soul of every one who calls themselves a human being…

• FEAR Of FAILURE
• FEAR OF SUCCESS
  
• LACK OF KNOWLEDGE
• LACK OF SKILLS
• LACK OF IMPLEMENTATION
• LACK OF MONEY
  

Most people fail because of a fear that comes from a lack of knowledge and a lack of skills development.

More people would succeed if they spent the time to work on THEMSELVES and develop skills and knowledge. So blaming the system for failure of so many and calling it a pyramid scheme is wrong in my opinion.

Home Based Businesses would be WILDLY successful if Human Beings did not run them!

I guess, if you join a company and you don't make money cause you told 4 people about, then you complain to the AG of your state… and enough people do it… then you'll get their attention.

So, maybe Brown should start sueing all the MLM or Network Marketing businesses since only 2-10% ever make it in the big paychecks and the rest can only wish to be in that top group?

So, many in YTB are obviously freaked out by this.

So are many similarly modeled travel agent business opportunity websites out there as well. If the courts do see it as Brown see it, many people will be fleeing from these home based travel agent businesses and looking for new homes.

If you are reading this, and you are a part of a company like YTB or another like minded "possible pyramid scheme" then maybe consider or weigh your options.

Do you want to keep recruiting people into a company with a grey cloud over their heads, that is bound to have to defend itself in public, over the long haul and constantly try to stick up for this companies business practices, or would you rather move on to a different company where you are not going to find lawsuits and red flags?

That is a decision all reps from Your Travel Business (YTB) will have to decide for themselves.

But if the reader is looking for a new home, please contact Jeff Mills, the CEO of Goldmills Marketing, which has other popular travel products to offer with high commissions, that might be a better fit for starting a home based business.

As I said, the jury is not out yet on the legitimacy of Brown's self declared "pyramid Scheme" talk he is shouting from Sacramento, this will need to be decided and defended in a real court where a judge or jury will make the final decisions.

This case will be a case watched by ALL industry players, as it does infact effect more than just the travel business opportunity markets that promote home based travel agent businesses, it affects many MLM models and affiliate sales based models as well.

Hopefully, all the money YTB has made over the last several years is enough to hire the best MLM lawyers to defend the case.

I am not actually too worried about what the outcome will be. I think MLM's have been on trial many times in the past and the real legit ones always come out on top, while the real schemes out there get pounded for what they really are… scamming people at the bottom to pay the people at the top.

I don't think this applies in YTB's model. But I am not a judge and I do not know the bounds of the law like the book smart lawyers do.

ONE BIG CAUTION: There are MANY high roller Direct Sales people out there touting their homes, Cars, Boats, Bentleys, Hummers, Jetskis, Bank Accounts, and more ENTICING people into a business opportunity and if I was one of those dudes, I would be scared as hell! Seriously… here is why…

Brown charges the company, its affiliates, and the company’s founders J. Lloyd Tomer, J. Scott Tomer, J. Kim Sorensen and Andrew Cauthen with operating an “endless chain scheme,” an unlawful pyramid in which a person pays money for the chance to receive money by recruiting new members to join the pyramid. Brown also charges the company with unfair business practices and false advertising practices including:

* Deceptive claims that members can earn millions of dollars with the company
* Operating without filing legally mandated documents with the attorney general and the Department of Corporations
* Selling an illegal travel discount program

Under California’s unfair business practices statue, the company is liable for $2,500 per violation of law. Attorney General Brown is suing YourTravelBiz.com to get a court order that:

* Bars the company from making false or misleading statements
* Assesses a civil penalty of at least $15,000,000 and at least $10,000,000 in restitution for Californians who were ripped off by the company.

from Brown's Comments "From August 6 through 10, thousands of members are preparing to travel to St. Louis for a national convention to learn new techniques to recruit more victims into the illegal pyramid scheme. Last year at least 10,000 people attended a similar national conference. For more details on the company’s plan to perpetuate its scheme visit: http://www.yourtravelbiz.com/bizRep/BizReports/BIZREPORT_07-18-08.htm"

For more information on pyramid schemes visit: http://ag.ca.gov/consumers/general/pyramid_schemes.php

Consumers who believe they have been bilked by YTB should send a written complaint with copies of any supporting documentation to:

Office of the Attorney General
Public Inquiry Unit, P.O. Box 944255
Sacramento, CA 94244-2550

Or through an on-line complaint form: http://ag.ca.gov/contact/complaint_form.php?cmplt=CL.

This lawsuit against YourTravelBiz.com, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, also names affiliates which include YTB Travel Network, Inc., YTB Travel Network of Illinois, Inc., as well as the company’s founders J. Lloyd Tomer, J. Scott Tomer, J. Kim Sorensen and Andrew Cauthen. For a copy of the lawsuit please contact the attorney general's press office: (916) 324-5500.

You gotta love the timing of the lawsuit eh? All these reps flying into St. Louis, for the company yearly convention, over 10,000 expected to be there, and boom, this bomb drops on everyone WHILE THEY ARE THERE!

Crazy timing from Brown, sure to shake things up in the MLM, direct Sales industry.

Cross your T's and dot your I's people … watch how and what you are marketing. I point to finger back on me as well… Do a thorough and real inventory on what your marketing really says to people and promises to people.

What do you think?

Popularity: 19% [?]

Can you guess who I am describing below?

I'll give you 6 hints of who I'll be interviewing tonight, live on the internet on my Ustream TV show at 9 pm EDT, Thursday, August 7th for the Midwest Super Conference Free Interview Series.

1. MarketingSherpa, one of the world's leading research organizations, has put on the largest email marketing conference the past three years.

This person is the only one in the info marketing or IM niche to attend any of them and was there for all three.

2. MarketingExperiments.com certifies people as email marketing professionals. This person is the only one again with this certification in the IM niche.

3. They have been doing email marketing profitably since 1996.

4. Professional basketball was one of their former occupations.

5. This individual has a love for cuddly bunny wabbits.

6. This individual is an internet reality show junkie, staring in The Next Internet Millionaire and Top Affiliate Challenge.

(BONUS #7) People always seem to look up to this person whenever this individual walks into a room, and stare….

If you haven't guessed by now, its…..

Big Jason Henderson of Big Marketing.

Tonight he is going to share with my friends the biggest keys to being successful with email marketing.

That's right… Email marketing… Something so familiar yet, people are totally doing it wrong.

Two ways you can tune in to listen to our "show" at 9 pm EDT tonight, Thursday, Aug 7.

1. Dial in on my Tele-Seminar Bridge and listen over your phone.
(limited lines available!)
605-475-8590 pin 5846101# @ 8:55 pm EDT

2. WATCH IT live on my TV Channel and hear us over the net!
 - http://www.ministerofmarketing.com

You'll be able to chat with Jason and myself as well as other VIP's live on my show.

Tell your friends, let's have a big party tonight and learn some great tips on improving our email offers.

In His Grip, ><>
Jeff Mills
Midwest Super Conference

PS - Incase you have never tuned in to a Ustream show, you'll get a kick out of this "web 2.0" media. It's HOT!

1. Dial in on my Tele-Seminar Bridge and listen over your phone - limited lines available - 605-475-8590 pin 5846101# @ 8:55 pm EDT

2. WATCH IT live on my TV Channel and hear us over the net - http://www.ministerofmarketing.com at 9:00 pm EDT

Popularity: 10% [?]

In 2004 John Reese released Traffic Secrets 1.

Soon after the product was in circulation for a period of months, John put out a call.

"Send me your testimonials"

I am sure he got hundreds of them… Why? Cause until the old sales letter was still going, John posted over 124 social proof, real people testimonials of what this course did for them. Posting 125 I guess would be 'overkill'?

Here is the proof you can read for yourself.

Traffic Secrets Course 1 Social Proof from 2006 (opens a new window…don't buy from that page either)

So, if you study all 124 people's real stories, you'll see the impact it had on their business.

Testimonials absolutely sell better than anything else out there cause it tells people John's stuff really works.

As a marketing case study, see how these testimonials affect you as you read through them.

So, if you missed my post from yesterday and did not see my bonus offer if you get John Reese's new Traffic Secrets 2.0, then you need to watch the video I made today.

Watch my John Reese Traffic Secrets 2.0 bonus offer video here.

Popularity: 16% [?]

Please watch this video where I explain my bonus offer if you want to get John Reese's Traffic Secrets 2.0 traffic generation product today. I tell how I will give you over $3000 worth of bonuses!

Get John's program through this link: John Reese's Traffic Secrets 2.0

Popularity: 18% [?]

Some of the great fun we have with Wordpress blogs is the plugin capabilities which allow us to customize and monetize our blogs.

With some minor tweaks, and some basic knowledge of how to use FTP to move files from your computer to your server, you can be using these great plugins to:

• Make more sales
• get more optins
• Make more cash

Today's Featured plugin is The Deal Dot Com Plugin. This plugin will allow you to offer killer deals from Dealdotcom's database.

One of the biggest secret of closing a sale every time is to offer a KILLER DEAL which a prospect simply can't refuse. If you can do this every time then it’s almost sure that you can close the sale each and every time.

But the problem is how you can find a killer deal every day to sell for your prospect?

The solution is:

Using this plugin, you can easily put DealDotCom’s deal of the day at the sidebar of your wordpress blog:

The nice thing about this plugin is that it will automtically show the latest deal every time a new deal is on sale.

You can just install this widget in your blog and forget about it. All the selling will be done automatically by this plugin and you’ll continue to make money each day.

It will also silently recruit hundreds of affiliates under you who will work hard for you to make money…

At the bottom of the widget there is a link which will silently promote this plugin for you. Whoever sees this plugin in action, they also want to put these deals in their website.

As you know, you can earn 15% of the people you referred, if any people download the plugin via your website, they will join under you and promote the DealDotCom earning you more money.

Isn’t that exciting?

How easy is it to install?

Go to the Deal Dot Com Plugin Page and get all the details on how to install it, it's very simple, like most plugins, with not a lot of hard to figure out details.

Popularity: 11% [?]

I was watching John Reese's Traffic Secrets 2.0 review 3rd installment on traffic and how to get it and I could not stop watching what he was doing with his hands… do you know what I am talking about? It's sorta mesmerizing.

I'll show you what I mean. Watch the next installment of the traffic secrets 2.0 video.

Popularity: 17% [?]

Run over to this site before the price jacks up - seriously the price nearly DOUBLES in the next 24 hours!

I recently saw the movie Wall-E and one of the only words Wall-E says is, "WHOA".

All I can say is this "system" shows you how to get the best of the best advice and tools on using google adwords and make money with affiliate programs using STEALTHY "tricks"… Made me go, "WHOA!" too.

You need to see the social proof, what the owners are calling: MONSTROUS PROOF

http://www.jeffmills.com/go/googlenemesis 

Now, I will give out a special offer which is good only until TODAY and TOMORROW - July 10,11.

If you buy the program, I'll give you my:

• Outsource Secrets Revealed Course (Digital Download ONLY - People paid as much as $1500 for this.. ONLY NEW customers only can get this deal, not current OSR owners).
• Mp3 Audios from my Midwest Super Conference in 2006 ($197 Value)
• Mp3 Audios from my Midwest Super Conference in 2007 ($197 Value)

Plus… (maybe the best deal ever)

• 1 Seat to my up coming Outsource Workshop Aug. 23 and 24 ($1997 value)
• 1 Seat to my up coming Midwest Super Conference Sept. 19-21 ($997 value)

How's that for a killer offer eh?

Send an email with your receipt to Jeff at Jeffmills.com and I'll cross reference your order and send you an email with how to get all the free stuff.

http://www.jeffmills.com/go/googlenemesis

Popularity: 20% [?]

I get a lot of emails from people asking for help. I make it a rule not to post things like this on my blog or send out requests for help, but these two instances need your attention and focus.

If you CAN help, awesome, do what you can. If you cannot help, then don't let yourself feel guilty, you do what you can.

Time are hard right now. I think if you read the papers and watch the news they show a pretty bleak economy here in the USA right now, but personally, I think it is much much worse than people realize.

I think people are seriously at the end of their rope. With the flooding in the midwest, it took a personal toll on one family who is on my list the Biddles.

Harp Recovery Fund

Indiana, along with other Midwest states, has been hit hard with a 500 year flood. Thousands of homes, farms and businesses have been destroyed. Homeless families living in shelters and the hopeful promises of tomorrow are far, far away.

This note is about two young teenage athletes and musicians, Hannah and Sarah Biddle. The sister components that make up the Steel Sorority, a tag team of World Champion power lifters and classically trained musicians, are also Harpists. Despite their troubles in the horrendous floods, currently plaguing the Midwest, are helping others in greater need and are asking for your help to replace something precious lost and destroyed in the floodwaters.

The recent flood waters descended on the 2 facilities where their harps were placed. The smaller of the 2 was being refinished and the larger 100 Year old Lyon and Healy Washburn Harp was located in the Martinsville Tabernacle Baptist Church. The church was in the center of the deepest part of the deluge in Martinsville. The picture of the Starbucks ( above) directly across the street from the church facility will give you an idea of the devastation… the Starbuck’s building is several feet higher than the church property. Unable to remove the harp till many days after the flood, the delicate instrument sat in the church building in near 100% humidity and temperatures approaching 100 degrees with no climate control due to loss of electricity and air conditioning.

This is a classic harp, to replace it will cost nearly $25,000.00. The insurance will not pay for it due to the nature of the flood and no flood insurance. It took many years of family sacrifice and savings to get this fine instrument and no ability at this time to replace this important tool for the girls. It is an important point to note that during their entire education of being privately educated and home schooled that not one tax dollar has ever been spent on their educational pursuits. They have worked extra jobs, sold flowers roadside, saved and been self disciplined in all that they have done for themselves in their educational and musical pursuits.

Will you Help the Biddles fix their beloved and "magical" harp? Click on this link to read more about the Biddle's situation.

Can You Help the Jeff Perelka Family?

 .hmmessage P { margin:0px; padding:0px } body.hmmessage { FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:TahomJeff's family is being kicked out of their rental house and they need to find a place by August 1st. Jeff has put up a blog, explaining his need at: http://5in30.blogspot.com

Jeff has 3 small kids. Liam-age 1, Aidan-age 2, and Abby- age 9. He feel like he has his back against the wall wants to be able to find a nice, safe place for his family. Please take a look at his blog. 

Will you pray for them and evaluate how you can help their discouraging situation?

Popularity: 10% [?]

I was introduced to Raam Anand back in March 2008, by Reed Floren.

Raam has an incredible outsourcing service for internet marketers where he does a ton of stuff for people to get traffic to people's websites. (if you need more traffic, pay attention to this…)

I recently met Raam, who came to an internet marketing seminar that I was speaking at.

We filmed a video there, debunking the Outsource Myth, which many people have stereotyped.

Here is a list of some of the things internet marketers need to focus on to make traffic come to their websites, and by the way… for most Solopreneurs who do all the work themselves or who have multiple online properties, it's nearly impossible to keep up with all the work. Therefore, the entrepreneur's business struggles to make sales.

Another thing you need to focus on if you decide to use Raam Anand's services with Outsource Myth is that you need good converting sales copy on your sites.

If you look at Raam's site, it is very well written and he is a good, persuasive copywriter. So, Raam brings you the traffic, but make sure your page is optimized to do the conversions.

I think Raam is a great guy, he is honest, hard working and has a real business in Bangalore, India with real office staff that go to work for you daily.

Raam and I are talking about the possibility of doing an International Internet Marketing Conference in Bangalore, India, late in the fall of 2008, possibly in November or December.

Tell me what you think? Do you think India is ready for an International Marketing conference? If you try the http://www.outsourcemyth.com service, let me know how it goes, of if you have used Raam,

I invite you to post your experience in the comments section.

Popularity: 18% [?]

Here is a video I shot explaining and reviewing what is in John Reese's Traffic Secrets 2 package.

Traffic Secrets 2 Reviews

Popularity: 17% [?]