Team National MLM Business – Opportunity Or Scam?
Recently, Team National (or National Companies, aka “Big N”) has emerged as a very popular home based business opportunity. As the idea of having a successful home-based business has grown in popularity, Team National has positioned itself as a very popular (and somewhat controversial) leader in the network marketing arena.
There are also some very real concerns about starting or participating in a Team National business. I’m about to go through and give an unbiased review of the pros and cons of developing a business and see if we can find out whether Team National is a great opportunity…or a great scam.
Team National – The Good
National Companies is a company developed and chaired by Dick Loehr. At its heart, Team National provides savings benefits packages that allow clients to access discounts to furniture, jewelry, travel, insurance, communications, and more. Located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Team National offers people the chance to save money, and also to recruit other people to build a business helping people save money.
The best that Team National has going is the compensation plan. With its binary matrix, it allows distributors the potential to earn a sizable commission off of each benefits package sold. It can pay high, and motivated distributors definitely have the potential to earn decent money.
Team National – The Bad
The first big strike against Team National is the cost of the packages. For a 2 year membership, it costs over $899.00. For a lifetime membership, the package costs a cool $2,199.00. If you buy a lot of jewelry and insurance, then it might be a great deal. However, most people joining a business opportunity are not looking to spend that kind of money just to get into business, especially with no guarantee of profit.
Another concern is regarding the true savings that are offered in the benefits package. In an interview with a Team National representative, I was told that the package did offer some savings, but he found that he could always find a better deal just by shopping around. So if you don’t like to shop and compare, then the benefits package is probable a great investment. But if you’re truly looking to get the best bang for your buck, there might be some question as to how much you can truly save.
Team National – The Ugly
The truly painful thing about starting or growing a Team National business is their marketing plan. Like many network marketing companies, Team National advocates that you chase your “warm market”, friends and family. They teach their distributors to use a “baseball” marketing plan that goes like this:
1st Base – Call up a friend or family member, and send them to the 10 minute “Sizzle Call”, where they can hear a bunch of hype about making millions of dollars marketing the benefits package. 2nd Base – See if your poor prospect is still interested. If so, 3-way them into a phone conversation with your upline, where you prospect can hear another testimonial about how they can get rich. 3rd Base – If you prospect is still taking your phone calls, then you can schedule a home-viewing, where you can go over to their house, show them a DVD presentation, and do another 3-way call to your upline for extra “validation”. Home Base – Closing time! This is where the deal is done.
Growing a Team National business can be a great opportunity. They have a decent (not great but decent) product, but there are plenty of companies that have great products, and many people that market good products never make a dime. There are also plenty of terrible products that generate millions of dollars in revenue (anyone remember the pet rock?) The difference is the marketer, and their ability to target their market effectively.
In closing, I would say that starting and developing a Team National business is lucrative if someone knows how to effectively use the telephone, the Internet, and other effective marketing tools. It is not a scam, but like any business, success will be determined by the skill-set of the marketer. Team National is definitely not a lottery ticket or a stock option – meaning, you do not just buy in and wait for a payout.
If someone does not have the first clue on how to market effectively, then I would suggest they either learn how to be an effective marketer, or else just use the benefit package to save a few bucks.
10 Top Budget Travel Tips For Tokyo and Japan
Tokyo on a Budget
You’re coming to Tokyo but you don’t want to spend an excessive amount of money. Follow these tips to help you keep within your budget and have a great vacation!
Trains – Rail fares on local trains are not expensive in Japan. My train route to work costs me 250 yen. This is just over 1 British pound or 2 US dollars. The same distance in the UK on London transport would cost me around 5 pounds. When you get here use the local train system as much as you can to reduce your travel costs.
Rail Pass – Planning on traveling across country from Tokyo to Kyoto, Osaka or other major destinations? Consider buying a Rail Pass. Note that the Pass can only be bought from your home country before landing in Japan. The great advantage of a Rail Pass is that it can be used on the shinkansen/bullet train along with all other JR lines including local. Pay one price and have access to unlimited travel for 1, 2 or 3 weeks.
100 Yen Stores – The 100 yen store is the equivalent of a dollar or pound store. You can buy a multitude of items here. Pick up your souvenir gifts and also stock up on any treats such as crisps or chocolate.
Izekayas – If you want a good night out without spending a fortune, an izekaya is the best and most entertaining way to go. On top of that you’ll get a taste of real Japanese culture in action and see the locals really let their hair down as they socialize outside the rigidity of their normal business lives.
Capsule Hotel – Capsule hotels are a great way to save money – particularly if you’re a guy. Why guys? Many hotels are still men only, although there are some that now allow women too. Average cost in Tokyo is around 3,000 to 5,000 yen per night. This is approximately 15 – 25 pounds or 28 – 47 US dollars.
Business Hotel – Some hotels are known as business hotels as they do not have the same luxury of space as some of the bigger chains. If you don’t fancy staying in a capsule hotel you should consider the business hotel alternative. Prices usually start from around 7,000 yen and go to 15,000 yen per night.
Museums – It’s worth including some museums on your itinerary as they are not expensive in Japan compared to many other countries. Some are even free! Choose from science, history, art or technology museums and more.
Kaiten-Zushi – Sit at a revolving conveyor belt and eat to your hearts content. Notice that there are normally 4 or 5 different colours of plate. The reason is that each colour is a different price. Check how much they are and pick the ones that match your budget. Keep each plate after eating and then add them up for your bill.
Noodles and Ramen – Stand up with the locals and enjoy a delicious bowl of noodles or ramen at one of the many restaurants dotted around. Find them either inside, or in close proximity to, both subway and overland train stations.
Lunch – At lunchtimes take advantage of the range of set menus that are available, both Japanese and international. Many places in the center of Tokyo offer an all you can eat option for 1,000 yen – 5 pounds or 10 US dollars.
Want to know more about the city of Tokyo. Check out the link below.
National Grid
Electricity is in demand just about everywhere in the civilized world, and in Great britain the network for supplying this electrical power is known commonly as the National Grid. The National Grid is an electric power transmission network which connects the substations and power stations. This is so that any electrical energy generated in Great Britain, can be utilized and help meet energy demands elsewhere. This grid system also includes interconnections that run under the sea to northern Ireland HVDC Moyle, the Isle of Man and France HVDC Cross-Channel. In Scotland the grid is owned by the Scottish Power, and Scottish and Southern Energy group, and today the National Grid control these Scottish groups, but the network is owned by Scottish companies.
The electrical energy generated for the National grid needs to be moved around all parts of the country to supply the demand. There are two methods available for the transmission and distribution of electric power and these are:
Underground Insulated Cables Overhead Cables (Bare Conductors Suspended at a Safe Height Above Ground)
The overhead lines are generally used for high-voltage long distance transmission, because the cost is lower than underground cables, especially at higher voltages.
Lattice steel towers or ‘pylons’ are erected to support the high-voltage overhead transmission lines. The height of the towers is determined on the need to provide sufficient ground clearance of the conductors at maximum sag and deviation caused by swinging in the wind.
The transmission line supports may be constructed from other materials such as, wood, reinforced concrete, steel, or steel lattice towers. Lattice steel towers consist of painted, but more usually galvanized steel members, and are used mainly for high-voltage and extra-high-voltage lines. Rolled-steel sections or tubular members are used for these structures. Aluminium alloys are also used as construction materials for transmission line supports, as they have the advantage of low weight and resistance from corrosion, but they are more expensive than steel.
In British practice, high voltage transmission lines carry voltages ranging from 66kv to 132kv, and extra high voltage lines carry voltages from 220kv to 380kv. In all cases the power is transmitted in the form of three-phase alternating current at 50 cycles/sec, and the cost of an overhead line depends largely on conductor size and voltage.