Search:
Recent Posts
Categories
Archives
Welcome to the “new” Speaking Roses
Yes, this is a blog post about Speaking Roses. Yes, they are back from the dead. After trying almost every conceivable business model and failing to the point of bankruptcy Speaking Roses has now emerged as a bizopp.
No, I’m not kidding.
You see, Speaking Roses has a Google problem. If you go to Google and type in “Speaking Roses” several unflattering but true blog posts by yours truly on Speaking Roses come up in positions two and three. So when you have people out performing due diligence on Speaking Roses’ bizopp and they go to Google to do a little homework I end up getting emails like this:
Subject line: Speaking Roses WOW!
Chris,
I just wanted to drop a line to you, I recently almost sent these guys 15K to start, what I thought, would be a brilliant business in my area. Then I read your articles along with viewing a few financial websites, and needless to say I’m glad I didn’t make that move. But my question is, if they truly are doing this poorly how are they still here? I just wanted to get some further insight from you, thanks
Jason
To which I replied:
Jason:
First off congrats on doing your due diligence. Most people get overexcited about an “opportunity” and jump into things without doing proper homework.
To answer your question - Speaking Roses, the publicly traded company, filed for bankruptcy last year. Several of the former founders then acquired the IP out of the bankruptcy. They then re-launched the company in its present form as a bizopp. So the things you have read about Speaking Roses mostly applied to the company before it filed for bankruptcy. That said, several of the founders of the “old” Speaking Roses are also the ones running the “new” Speaking Roses.
My take: same people, same product, same problems. You made a wise decision.
Chris
I’ve been in touch with Alan Ferrell about the “new” Speaking Roses. I have offered to help the “new” Speaking Roses with this problem but they have been very slow to respond to my correspondence. If Rene and Alan can convince me that the “new” Speaking Roses isn’t “the same people, same product, same problems” then I am more than happy to change my tune on the business. Heck, I might even be willing to help them!
I sincerely mean that but right now the jury is still out.
Until that’s resolved, the following notification will be posted at the top of all my blog posts on Speaking Roses:
Important notice: In the Summer of 2007, Speaking Roses filed for bankruptcy. The company’s intellectual property was acquired out of that bankruptcy by several of the former founders of Speaking Roses. Those founders then restarted the company as a new entity and are now trying to market Speaking Roses as a bizopp distributorship. Therefore, the Company discussed in the post below was the “old” Speaking Roses not the newly founded Speaking Roses. However, the founders and investors of the “new” Company were also the founders and managers of the old publicly traded (now bankrupt) Speaking Roses.
If you came here looking for information on the new Speaking Roses bizopp please consider the following: I encourage you to look at ANY investment opportunity very closely. I encourage you to perform thorough due diligence. I encourage you to specifically look at the management team of the business you are seeking to invest in. Look at their track record, skill set, and ask for personal references. Demand the company produce financials. The last thing you want is to invest cash upfront only to have the company go bankrupt soon thereafter. I encourage you to do a detailed financial analysis of the “opportunity” with your accountant. You should also perform a detailed analysis of your local market. You should have an attorney review any and all paperwork given you by the company. Finally, get valid references and drill them on the “opportunity” and how its working for them. Be as specific as possible in all your questions and research.
