Not sure what's with Zaken Corp and answering emails, but I haven't received a reply. Which is fine, because I just called them and got all my questions answered (for the moment, of course).

Closing and Reopening

Remember from a previous blog how I was told that they reopen and close a lot? Here's what it's all about. They like to have a certain amount of business coming in from the associates that they have. If they get low on work, they open it up for more associates. Of course, not all of the ones that order the course stick with the program; also, some work only a few hours a week while others work it like a full-time job. So they reopen the opportunity when they need more workers, and close it when they have enough.

Name Discrepancy

Some may have noticed that in some places that Mr. Zaken's first name is written as T. Ron, while in other places it is Tiran. This puzzled me, but apparently they thought in the past that Tiran looked foreign (as if "Zaken" doesn't!), and thought T. Ron would be easier to use. But now they just use his real name (and Tiran is his real name).

Refund?

Apparently, we were rushed the package. It would normally have taken 2 weeks to get to us, and it only took 6 days, so I'm not going to contest the $10. Especially if Rafael starts his job Monday, $10 won't be a big deal. And anyhow, maybe we can make the program work and then $10 will be superfluous.

Company Name

We have officially chosen the name "Valley Liquidations" as our company name. The name is just to give us credibility (most people we talk to won't know we're working out of a home office, using Word to fax documents to them). For tax purposes, we will be getting a 1099 at the end of the year, which is what I figured.

This is something that anyone who needs to send the occasional fax should keep in mind. Microsoft Word allows you to send one-page faxes. You just set up your document and go to the print dialog box (under File--the icon will send it to the default printer). You have to be connected to a phone line (through the modem, even if you have high speed internet), and if you use dial-up like us, you have to not be connected to the Internet before it can send.

For those who want to include their signature in the fax, you can scan it with a scanner (make sure the file size is cropped so that it doesn't scan a whole page!). It will give you a jpeg, probably. Then insert the picture into Word and position it where you want it. You will want to edit the text wrapping to put the picture behind the text, so that if you are one of those with a fancy, sweeping signature, it won't move the text around when you place it. Thought you might like that bit of free advice.

How Do I Know They'll Pay Me?

This question is very legitimate, and I was told they get it a lot. How do I know they will pay me--and not just keep 100% of the money? What kind of assurance do I have, other than their word?

Simple logic makes it clear, I think. They have been in business for 11 years. Even the BBB report on them, bad though it is, never reports complaints of unpaid commissions. If they circumvented the finder, they would go out of business really fast, because you can't survive with the refund offers they have (which are very extensive, taking in just about every situation). They have admitted to less-than-perfect business practices in the past and are working hard to change their reputation--and withholding commissions wouldn't make them look very good, I'm sure! But I figure we can deal with that on a case-by-case basis.

Another somewhat related issue is deals that don't go through. Suppose I find some merchandise, but they can't find a buyer. That means it doesn't sell, and that I don't get a commission. Oh well, that's life. I need to keep trying. If a potential seller says, "Let's give it a try with this one item, and then if it works, I'll offer you the rest of my inventory," I should try to encourage him to try several things at once. Chances are, if he has 10 items, at least some will sell; and it would be very sad if the one item he selected to test were the one that didn't sell. It's a matter of being professional, I guess. I'm glad I have sales experience. My husband does too. I'll have to dig up some of the persistence I learned knocking doors to get started. But I have a feeling that if we can make it work, once we get our first commission, it'll get easier! I know it was that way with selling books door to door!

Also, for anyone who has the course, there is a line on page 55 about reimbursing the seller. Just ignore that. It's something old that they don't do anymore, but they haven't updated the manual.

Check back soon for more updates