I Am Flamingo - Latest Comments

Re: Take a cut in pay, stop selling so much or we will drop you!

Contact — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 18:39:11 -0000

Why would you even want to do that? What are they really thinking...seriously.

Re: Minnesota Affiliates Where Are You?

adriarichards — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:19:48 -0000

I just stopped over at the Revenews booth at Gnomedex and got schooled!

Had no idea that affiliate programs were causing so much juicy controversy! Learned the story of Connie who runs FlamingoWorld who opposed a bill in Minnesota that would tax sales generated by affiliate marketers as if they were directly selling or drop shipping inventory.

Let's imagine the following scenario to see why Connie opposed the bill (NOTE: I am not a lawyer)
- You need your taxes done
- You're going to hire someone to do it
- Accountants in your state must charge sales tax for their services

You liked the work of the accountant so you told a few people. Next time you go into your accountant, they mention four people had their taxes done because of your good words (aka referrals). They want to give you a break on your taxes to say thank you. You accept.

Should now be responsible for paying taxes as if you had done the tax returns for those four people?

Heck no!

In this case, you've accepted payment in the form of a gift or discount. This isn't the same as doing the actual taxes of the people you referred and potentially owing tax.

Thank you Connie for standing up for us in Minnesota!

Re: Sisterhood of the Traveling Sweater Vest!

Jim Kukral — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 15:02:04 -0000

Send me that thing. I'll wear it in front of the giant Lebron poster on the side of the arena and do this pose. http://thesportsbrareports....

Of course, you may get it back stretched out.

Re: Sisterhood of the Traveling Sweater Vest!

Brian — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:06:52 -0000

Stylin! :) May the travellin' vest give you much luck!

Re: Sisterhood of the Traveling Sweater Vest!

Rexanne — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 22:11:54 -0000

I'd wear it to honor Brian, too and be in on the traveling vest sisterhood if it's open.

It looks great on Hillary. Don't think many of us could do it as much justice. LOL

Re: Minnesota Affiliates Where Are You?

couponicodes — Mon, 10 May 2010 01:00:33 -0000

Thanks, for the info.

Re: Minnesota Affiliates Where Are You?

Scott — Wed, 06 May 2009 22:08:13 -0000

It doesn't matter what you say, how many letters are written, they do not get what affiliation is and only care about getting more tax revenue. They don't understand that online merchants will just terminate all Minnesota affiliations and get nothing. Your government elected officials only care about raising money for the next election, collecting their high pay, lifetime full salary pensions and health care, while the rest of us get pummeled into poverty.

Re: Minnesota Affiliates Where Are You?

Kent — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 10:30:48 -0000

The last draft of the Senate Omnibus tax bill, I found https://www.revisor.leg.sta... has it, beginning on line 54.18.

I also see it in the House version https://www.revisor.leg.sta... beginning on line 176.1.

Re: Minnesota Affiliates Where Are You?

flamingogirl — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:59:18 -0000

when I looked on Monday it was not in the omnibus tax bill. I was out of state for a few days and am just catching up. Ugh.

Re: Minnesota Affiliates Where Are You?

flamingogirl — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:54:46 -0000

I was talking the senate version, May 18th is just the deadline for any action as the senate goes on break.

Re: Minnesota Affiliates Where Are You?

Chip Jones — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:47:55 -0000

Are you sure? According to NYAffiliateVoice at http://nyaffiliatevoice.com... it was rolled into House of Representatives version. What is being voted on, on May 18th? The main bill without this legislation or a separate bill that contains it?

Re: Minnesota Affiliates Where Are You?

flamingogirl — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:07:20 -0000

It was not rolled into the main tax bill which was voted on on Wednesday the 22nd of April. I am trying to find out the status but know for sure it will be voted on by the 18th of May when they go on break.

Re: Minnesota Affiliates Where Are You?

Chip Jones — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:18:03 -0000

Just heard about this today (April 24th) and have written my State Reps. Can someone provide an update as to where this legislation sits right now? I hear that it was rolled into the main tax bill. Sounds like it's making some progress...

Re: Minnesota Affiliates Where Are You?

Erin — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 22:33:59 -0000

I actually attended the hearing on Thursday too, and wrote to my Senator last week. The majority of my income comes from affiliate marketing, so like others, I am quite worried about being put out of business if this bill is passed.

Re: Minnesota Affiliates Where Are You?

Kent — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 10:51:42 -0000

Thanks for attending the hearing and keeping us informed.

I'd like to be there too if other commitments and the distance from the Capitol weren't a factor.

Kent

Re: Minnesota Affiliates Where Are You?

Lynn — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 14:54:04 -0000

Hi Connie,

I wrote an email to my Senator, Sharon Erickson Ropes last Wednesday stating my opposition to this bill. I am an affiliate marketer living in Winona, MN. This bill would basically put me out of business. Because I live on the border of MN and WI, I would probably end up moving to WI to save my business, but that means MN is forcing my daughter to leave her high school, her friends, and for all of us to leave family and friends because of this. With the economy the way it is and my husbands job shaky, we would have no other choice.

Lynn

Re: Minnesota Affiliates Where Are You?

lisariolo — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:45:40 -0000

If you are in MN and want yourvoice heard and your story told, start with a comment here. We can help you rally if you let us know you are willing to help

Re: Take a cut in pay, stop selling so much or we will drop you!

carrie — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:28:34 -0000

"Thank you, in advance, for your cooperation and understanding," so they think that you'll just accept a lower commission rate? Bogus!

Re: Take a cut in pay, stop selling so much or we will drop you!

drivelocity — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:50:17 -0000

If anyone needs a book called "Affiliate Marketing for Dummies" it's that bunch... what a joke!

Re: Is paying 1.5% really what you call a valued partnership?

drivelocity — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:48:14 -0000

That's absolutely ridiculous! I hope you kindly pointed out that if you sell more, they make more, thus they can budget more.

Re: Take a cut in pay, stop selling so much or we will drop you!

Mike Allen — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 14:59:35 -0000

This is about as senseless as it would be to say the following: "The affiliate channel is performing better than we anticipated. Since we don't want to earn more than [insert value here] per month, we will have to cut back our marketing efforts. We know affiliate marketing works and so we are reducing our efforts there since we can track exactly how much we have to cut to avoid exceeding our earnings limit."

Re: Take a cut in pay, stop selling so much or we will drop you!

Matt Enders — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:14:00 -0000

As I see it, whoever runs this affiliate program did not set it up correctly from the beginning. Step 1 in any affiliate program launch should always be, "figure out what commission rate you can pay and still be within overall margins". This means a merchant has to consider, at a minimum, Their average margin, the commission they are paying to affiliates, the % the network is going to take, and the amount they are paying someone to manage the program (in house or outsourced, both cost a company money), and any discounts given to the customer. If the program is setup correctly at the beginning, then every sale which comes through the affiliate program SHOULD be profitable, even if only a small margin. It sounds to me that the company did not put in the time to figure out how their payout would affect their overall business.

In my mind, you should be ecstatic to cut a $250,000 check to an affiliate in any given month. Why? Because you as the merchant should have made money as well on each of those sales. I know it can be hard to figure out every variable in advance, but as an affiliate manager/merchant, that is one of your main jobs in this industry.

Re: Is paying 1.5% really what you call a valued partnership?

danielle — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:13:06 -0000

as if 4% is already something to shout about. i'm hesitant to even start promoting deals for merchants with commissions starting at 2-3% because i don't do nearly as much volume as flamingoworld. however, it's unfortunate bc i have quality traffic. rrrgh... it is frustrating bc like you i also send honest traffic.

Re: Take a cut in pay, stop selling so much or we will drop you!

DMC — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:10:36 -0000

Although I understand why, I wish you didn't have to XXXX out the merchant's name... it's a shameful practice and they deserve to be outed in a very public way. Some people are just utterly clueless.

Re: Is paying 1.5% really what you call a valued partnership?

ChrisCooper — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:09:57 -0000

Wow, lame....thats called missing the forest for the trees or something like that...