Why does a person start their "own" business?  Wouldn't one of the top reasons be to make a profit through your persistent efforts?  This to me is the main message I have repeatedly attempted to share with Amway/Quixtar while I was inside and now outside of their business model.  For the efforts expended, Amway is the toughest MLM to build and you are rewarded the least for your efforts - in my opinion.  I won't even go into the fact that Amway feels they "own" the LOS that are actually your friends and families!  Hurting Inside has produced some very interesting numbers that I would like our math whizzes to verify.  If the following numbers are accurate, then it tells me that the Amway model is struggling to maintain a competitive position in the open markets.  No wonder they slid the non-competes and data management rules into the renewal processes without notification to all the IBO's.  If you cannot compete in the open market then the next best thing is to build walls. 

The next paragraph is a tongue in cheek response to the foolish behavior that I believe Amway is displaying. 

East Germany built the Berlin Wall and other communist systems built walls because they could not compete in the open market.  In my opinion, it looks like Amway felt they must do the same thing.  How can Amway claim to have the best compensation plan while at the same time building and defending a wall to keep people in your business through fear and intimidation?   Is this the plan that Dick Devos has for Michigan if he is elected Governor?  Force all companies (except his beloved Amway) to focus in Michigan and force all the state residents to remain in Michigan whether they have an opportunity or not?  Shouldn't it be the right of the state residents property to move wherever they can to get a job that pays the families bills?  I can see Dick now as he announces his non-compete and family management rules for Michigan.  You will need a passport to leave Michigan and must comply to not accept work for six months in any other state.  If they really don't like you - they will call the governor of another state and threaten to sue the state for "feeding the beast" and taking Michigan's employees property.  Ok, I feel better now for getting that off my chest!

Here is Hurting Inside's evaluation of the numbers.  Please review and comment on any inaccuracies or further analysis that you can do.  God Bless, Orrin Woodward

What I found even more interesting yet was the following quote from Quixtar/Amway:

"*The following are approximate percentages of Direct Fulfillment IBOs of record in North America who achieved the illustrated levels of success in the calendar year ending August 31, 2005: Diamond .0120%; Emerald .0320%; Q-12 Platinum .1683%."

Less than 1.000% of active IBOs achieve Q-12 Platinum in Quixtar?!?

Let's math this out... According to Quixtar's site as you pointed out above, there were greater than 370,000 IBOs who received a bonus.
This means there were only the following numbers:
 
Diamonds Averaging $146,995 -- .012% of 370k = 44.4
Emeralds Avg $72,241 -- .032% of 370k = 118.4
Platinum Avg $47,472 -- .1683% of 370k = 622.71

Now for the shocking (to some) facts from the IDS showing just how much more powerful MVs plan is.

MV Emerald Avg $151,630 -- 41 or <1%
(3 less MV Ems than Qx Dmds in 3 years versus 8 and making 4k more avg)

MV Ruby Avg $101,799 -- 79 or <1%
(39 less MV Rby than Qx Em in 3yr vs 8 and making 29.5k more avg)

MV Gold Avg $52,760 -- 225 or 1%
This is what I find the MOST AMAZING! Only 0.1683% of all active Quixtar IBOs are at the Q-12 Platinum, yet in MV a FULL 1% of active Distributors are at Gold!!! (comparable to Q12 Plat Income) Mona-Vie is doing so much better at helping the new guys make an income!
(MV Gold makes 5.2k more than Qx Plat)

I love these numbers!

P.S. There are (if my calculations are correct, this isn't a statement from Mona-Vie and simply calculations based on their Income Disclosure Statement)

Again, these are my calculations please refer to the IDS.

Mona-Vie has 106 Distributors at the Diamond level or above, or 0.2988% of Active Distributors. (Almost twice the percentage of just platinum in Quix)

When averaged together it seems these distributors at Diamond or above average $637,578 per year. (Which we know from the IDS that the basic Diamonds and Blue Diamonds are making less than, and the Black and above are making more.)

None-the-less, to have Distributors almost twice the percentage of $47k/yr Quix IBOs making 13.5 times the money is amazing!
 
Update:  Hurting Healing Inside has commented an update to address the mathematics involved in his calculations.  An excellent analysis and a slam dunk conclusion in my opinion.  thanks, Orrin 
 
Here is Healing's revised analysis.
 
In response to this and because I am trying to be truthful in my calculations, I will offer the following:

Quote from a dumb cartoon I watch, and probably shouldn't, and won't now that I'm finally enrolled and have work to do building my fiancé's freedom with her:
"[IBOFB,] your logic is flawless... but I'm transmitting a better idea." ;^)

A. 1 Week vs 12 Month
You have a bit of a point; however, I cannot tell you "how many MV distributors make Gold for the whole year." I simply don't know. It is more than likely not "significantly less than 100%" as MVDs tend to build their businesses based on Auto-Ship. I would say the Auto-Ship percentages are extremely high from what I have heard. (Orrin, is that true for your group? High Autoship Percentage?) This would mean that in all likelihood the majority of Golds are re qualifying every 4 week period. In fact if they are not they are more than likely moving up to Ruby.

If those assertions are not true then I have one other theory. I think the IDS numbers may be meant to reflect people qualifying at that level? Think about it, the IDS shows "Average Weekly Number of Distributors Paid at this Rank During 2007." The fact that it says "Average Weekly Number" flat out tells me that every week the number of Golds may vary slightly, but there are roughly 225 every week, and wouldn't it stand to reason that it is the same 225 people re qualifying as well as new Golds coming in as old ones move to Ruby from time to time? Lets test this theory shall we. The IDS shows 41 Emeralds EACH WEEK, yet the recognition site shows (I believe my count is correct, please verify) 208 Emeralds. That tells me that using the numbers from the IDS is a correct way to do the math which I have done, and it is assumed that roughly the weekly average means they are qualifying year round.

What, did you think they just picked their best week of the year and put that on the IDS? They aren't like your favorite MLM you know.

B. % Applied to *all distributors*
To be honest, I'm not sure what exactly you mean by this. I don't see where it says the percentages are of "all distributors" rather than just the ones that received a bonus during 2005. I thought those were the percentages for the "Active" EBOs (enslaved business owners) If not then let me recalculate, because I'm starting to see what you may be getting at... maybe.

370000 EBOs Active divided by 66% (%-of-Actives) = 560606 Total EBOs

.0120% of 560606 = 67.2 Diamond EBOs
.0320% of 560606 = 179.4 Emerald EBOs
.1683% of 560606 = 943.5 Platinum EBOs

So even if their percentages are of total IBOs and not of just active ones, (Doesn't sound like something they would do... it would be almost transparent... that isn't like them.) It is still a far cry from "halve the real # of Q* qualifiers."

I'm starting to see what people mean when they say SPIN.

Also don't get me started on percentage normalization. i.e. if MV and QX were to have the same number of active distributors, whether 370,000 or whatever is on the IDS, and the percentages were applied there, it would give some people heart attacks. Which is why I haven't done it. Think about it, 1% golds in MV versus .1683% platinums in Quixtar? even if both businesses only had 100k distribs, that would mean MV has 1000 people making 50k and QX would have 168 people making 50k.