ScamTelegraph has investigated The Bold Approach (TBA), a company founded by Fred Fitts that combines affiliate marketing, in-house ebooks, and an "article library" with a multi-level marketing compensation plan. While the company claims 13 years of operation, its MLM offering appears to have become public more recently.
The Bold Approach's business model integrates affiliate marketing through a third-party engine, alongside its own digital content, to incentivize members to generate revenue. Uniquely, TBA does not manage any product inventory directly. Instead, it leverages external platforms and proprietary digital products to form its core offerings. This approach raises questions about the company's own product branding when viewed as a multi-level marketing opportunity.
The company markets its services and third-party products across three main categories. The first is an affiliate marketing platform, which TBA refers to as a "shopping mall." This mall is powered by LinkShare, a third-party affiliate marketing group. LinkShare typically requires high performance from its publishers, including generating over one million dollars annually in affiliate sales and maintaining a conversion rate above one percent. It is presumed that The Bold Approach operates under a single corporate account with LinkShare, as not all individual TBA members would meet these stringent criteria.
While this arrangement provides TBA members access to LinkShare's extensive network of affiliate companies and their products for promotion, it is not an exclusive relationship. Members consequently compete with numerous other individuals and companies holding LinkShare accounts. It is also important to note that The Bold Approach essentially facilitates access to a third-party affiliate catalog, from which it derives profit from member sales. While some individuals might not independently qualify for a direct LinkShare partnership, TBA is likely not the sole entity offering access to LinkShare's affiliate network to a broader audience.
The second category of offerings consists of in-house produced ebooks. Fred Fitts, the founder of TBA, has authored two digital books retailed through the company: "Success Systems for Life," a self-help title, and "Debt to Wealth," which focuses on debt management. These ebooks are often bundled and sold in a price range of $25 to $50. Delivered digitally in PDF format, these products incur negligible costs for The Bold Approach beyond their initial creation and minimal bandwidth for distribution. The market for such ebooks is saturated, and their perceived value can vary significantly.
The third component of TBA's offerings is its "Article Library." This library is sourced from iSnare.com, a platform described as a "Free Article Submission And Distribution Directory." Such directories are traditionally utilized by webmasters and businesses to acquire backlinks to their websites, thereby enhancing search engine visibility, rather than for their content's intrinsic value. The articles found within these directories are often marketing-centric and freely accessible to the public directly from iSnare.com. Despite this, The Bold Approach presents access to this article library as a distinct selling point for its members. While iSnare does offer a paid distribution platform, this service is for content dissemination, not for exclusive content access. It is assumed that TBA subscribes to this distribution platform to curate a library for its members, yet the underlying content remains publicly available.
Prospective members of The Bold Approach are offered three distinct entry paths into the business. The most economical option is TBACo, priced at $30 per month. This subscription grants members access to the shopping mall and a license to sell a minimum of 10 ebooks monthly, with additional licenses available for $3 per book.
The next tier is "A Better Way," which expands upon TBACo by removing restrictions on ebook sales volume. Furthermore, "A Better Way" members become eligible to participate in the recruitment commissions aspect of TBA's compensation plan. This membership costs $100 per month. However, if a member directly recruits two new individuals into the business, this monthly fee is considered "prepaid," with the amount deducted directly from their recruitment commissions.
The highest tier is "The 5 Percent Club," which operates similarly to "A Better Way" but includes additional benefits. These include a guaranteed 70% share of commissions generated from sales made through the member's shopping mall. Additionally, members gain a share in a bonus pool, which comprises 40% of all commissions paid out from all TBA member shopping malls. Qualification for this bonus pool requires a member to have directly recruited at least four new individuals.
What is The Bold Approach and who founded it?
The Bold Approach (TBA) is a company that combines affiliate marketing with the sale of in-house ebooks and access to an article library, structured under a multi-level marketing compensation plan. It was founded by Fred Fitts.
What are the core components of The Bold Approach's product line?
The core components include access to an affiliate marketing "shopping mall" powered by LinkShare, two in-house ebooks authored by Fred Fitts titled "Success Systems for Life" and "Debt to Wealth," and an "Article Library" sourced from iSnare.com.
How does The Bold Approach structure its membership and compensation?
The Bold Approach offers three membership tiers: TBACo ($30/month), A Better Way ($100/month, with recruitment commission eligibility), and The 5 Percent Club (including higher commission shares and a bonus pool, requiring direct recruits). Higher tiers provide greater access to commission opportunities, particularly through recruitment.
What concerns have been raised regarding the value of TBA's offerings?
Concerns include the non-exclusive nature of the LinkShare affiliate access, the low production cost and common nature of the in-house ebooks, and the fact that the "Article Library" content is freely available to the public directly from iSnare.com, suggesting members pay for access to publicly accessible information.