Salisbury — Prospects were looking bleak for Salisbury resident Kim Machum, 34, after the second of her 2 children went off to kindergarten and she was left unemployed and unfulfilled. Machum’s salvation came in an unexpected form: rather than taking the more traditional route of applying for jobs at businesses around town, she decided to test out her entrepreneurial side.
“I’m starting my own business,” Machum told the reluctant Manatee reporter who was forced to visit the site of this “business venture” this afternoon. “It’s called Jamberry Nails, and I’m at the bottom now, but I’ve already started my own ‘Kim’s Jamberry’ Facebook page and invited all my friends to a Jamberry party next weekend. Some of them said they might come — I think I’ll be moving up pretty quickly.”
Our reporter asked Machum why she would want to be involved with a pyramid scheme when she has her hands full with 2 children and a relatively intact capacity for rational thought. “It’s definitely not a pyramid scheme,” declared an offended Machum. “It’s my own business. I start at the bottom with a bunch of other people doing what I’m doing, and a few of us can move up to the elite top-level if we sell enough stuff and sign up enough recruits. Seems pretty simple.
“It all started last week when one of my friends invited me to her own Jamberry party. I checked online, and the company had posted a video along with a little description. It said: ‘Take a peek inside our new Host A Party video and get a glimpse of what it’s like to experience the latest in nail art fashion at a Jamberry party! Share a night of fun with friends while earning product credits, discounts, host exclusives and more when you host an in-home or online party.’ Obviously I was sold already, but I decided to dig a little deeper and see what makes Jamberry so promising.”
Jamberry Nails, according to their website jamberrynails.net, launched in 2010 and is the solution to the time- and money-crunch faced by many of us: “Gone are the days of nails that chip and flake after only a few days! Gone are the days of the single colored manicure. Gone are the mani/pedis that take all afternoon and most of your cash too! Jamberry nail wraps arm you with style and confidence while demanding very little of your time or money.”
Our reporter was somewhat distracted by Machum’s tacky-looking nail art, so hardly heard a word she was saying. The Manatee did manage to learn that if Machum sells enough nail-related junk to her soon-to-be former friends, she can one day earn enough to get a similarly tacky-looking car from which she can peddle her wares.
Other fledgling businesses that are definitely not pyramid schemes include Arbonne, Scentsy and the perennially popular Tupperware.