Monkey business is one of the most popular business strategies lately. Its popularity rose not because this strategy was profitable, but the other way around.
We must have seen many people on the internet suffer losses due to online social gatherings, investments, and other business models that offer fantastic benefits. This example is an illustration of the monkey business.
What is monkey business and what ways do you need to take so you don't swallow the bitter pill in the future? Let's see more in the following article.
Understanding Monkey Business
Monkey business or monkey business is a dirty business strategy (Dirty Business). This term is commonly found in business and investment. It is analogous to the monkey animal because like this animal, the perpetrator will just run away after obtaining the benefits obtained from harming other people.
It is quite reasonable why this strategy can easily ensnare so many people. The reason is, that not a few people still have the mindset of wanting to get rich quick, wanting to get profits without the need to work hard, or just satisfying their egos. It is from this mindset that a certain person or group takes a gap through this strategy for their own benefit.
The types of monkey business strategies are very diverse. It can be in the form of fraudulent investments under the guise of savings or online social gathering, as well as buying and selling goods with commodities that are difficult to find.
Talking about the history of the formation of the word monkey business, at first, this strategy was known as Monkeyshine in 1832 which means bad deeds. This word has also appeared in one of the songs sung by a famous singer named Jim Crow.
Not only songs, but the term monkey business also appears in a book written by W. Peck in 1884 with the title Bad Boy: There must be no monkey business going on. If translated into Indonesian it means 'Don't Let Bad Things Happen'. Over time, this word has changed into monkey business because it is closely related to business activities.
Features of Monkey Business
If understanding the meaning of monkey business is not enough to make you understand what monkey business is, you can use the following characteristics as a reference to make it easier to recognize this strategy.
Image Source: Unsplash/Jamie Houghton
Goods or Commodities Offered Not Sustainable (Seasonal)
Monkey business exists because of a trend in a group or society. Existing trends can be in the form of ownership of rare, unique items, or certain financial transactions that can bring in rupiah coffers.
Unfortunately, these commodities are not sustainable. These items are not relevant for the future because they are not used every day and are not included in primary needs.
Unstable Goods Value Turnover
Because monkey business goods are not sustainable goods or used in daily needs, the value of these goods is very unstable. From time to time it can experience a rapid increase and then soon it will drop drastically (bubble economy).
Offers Instant Profits
The next characteristic that is commonly encountered is that it offers instant profits. Monkey business takes advantage of human greed so that they are consumed by their ego. Many people are reluctant to try and choose shortcuts even though it is a risky thing to get a lot of profit.
For example, online investments offer more than 70% profit within one month. Of course, this advantage is very unreasonable considering that the investment has not been around for a long time.
No Guarantee
Monkey business has no guarantees at all. If anyone dares to give a guarantee, it is certain that the business applies a Ponzi scheme where once or twice you will be benefited, after that when you provide more capital, your money will be taken away. Therefore, any type of business model without a guarantee should be wary of.
Who Are the Monkey Business Actors?
Monkey business can be done by anyone. Individuals, two people, even a certain group or organization. It is possible for the actors of this strategy to carry out their mission by cooperating with certain parties who have power. For example, public figures or influencers.
The Monkey Business Case That Was Booming in Indonesia
There are several examples of monkey businesses that were once popular in Indonesia. Among them are as follows.
Agate
The agate trend boomed in 2014. At that time, President Yudhoyono gave Bacan agate as a souvenir to the president of the United States, Obama.
Finally, many people started hunting for raw agate and various types of this stone came to the surface at fantastic prices. Priced from tens of thousands to hundreds of millions of rupiah, the center of agate is mushrooming all over the area.
Like monkey business in general, this agate trend did not last long. Only about 1 year ago dimmed again. Currently, the price of agate on the market is very affordable, ranging from tens to hundreds of thousands.
Gelombang Cinta Plant
Gelombang Cinta plant was so booming in Indonesia, presumably in 2006-2008. For this ornamental plant at that time the price could touch tens to hundreds of millions. It's different from the current price, which ranges from tens to hundreds of thousands.
Arisan Bodong
Who is not interested in having a lot of money, especially in an easy way? Even though it is impossible, it turns out that many people are consumed by greed and fall into fake social gatherings which are part of the monkey business.
Arisan Bodong is like an activity in general where members are required to deposit a certain amount of money to then wait for their turn to disburse the social gathering. At first glance, there is nothing odd about this business, but the profits offered can be doubled.
From the acquisition of this large profit, many people flocked to join it. Shortly after the period was collected, the business owner ran away with all the members' money without any clarity. This business scam is also known as a Ponzi scheme.
Metal Coin Rp1,000
Mid-2020 metal coins with the palm oil logo were popular in the community. Rumors circulated that the unit price of this metal coin ranged from tens to hundreds of millions of rupiah. In fact, at that time this palm coin had not been completely withdrawn from the market and was still legal tender.
Janda Bolong Plant
Widow perforated plants or better known by the Latin name Monstera in 2020 have faced price increases that reached millions to tens of millions of rupiah. Its aesthetic appearance and thanks to the help of social media, make this so-called instagramable plant much sought after.
Lovebirds
Lovebirds are an example of the next monkey business object. This bird was booming in various walks of life because of the color of its feathers and its melodious chirping. Because of the boom, at that time the price of this bird penetrated millions of rupiah. Now, the price of lovebirds is not as expensive as it can be found easily.
Gecko
Geckos had boomed a few years back to be precise around 2010 and were hunted by many people. The gecko being hunted here is a gecko that can make a sound 5 times. From the news circulating it is said that consuming geckos can cure various diseases including HIV / AIDS. Because of this circulating myth, the price of geckos at that time reached hundreds of thousands per ounce. This trend occurred in various areas in NTT (East Nusa Tenggara).
8 Easy Ways to Avoid Money Business Trap
1. Avoid Greed
Greedy nature is the main factor in how easy it is for someone to fall into the monkey business trap. This trait can darken anyone's eyes regardless of their educational background or curriculum vitae.
Therefore, make sure you are not greedy just to pursue instant profits until you are willing to take dangerous high risks.
2. Don't be Immediately Tempted by the Lure of Multiple Profits
Money is a very sensitive object because almost all needs in this world require money as a transaction tool. And therefore anyone trying to earn money, is no exception in an easy way.
This loophole is used by monkey business actors to attract new victims. They will lure multiplied profits with little capital and minimal effort.
Be careful with lures like this because this strategy is easy to find offline and online with very varied business models.
3. Stay Away from FOMO Syndrome
FOMO syndrome is a syndrome that is quite dangerous and needs to be watched out for. The word FOMO stands for Fear of Missing Out or the fear of not being able to keep up with the current trend. This syndrome is very dangerous because those who are affected by this syndrome will be prone to easily fall into the monkey business.
4. Find Out As Much Detail As Possible Regarding the Business Offered
You need to understand how the business offered can run and whether the system used is reasonable enough.
5. Stay Away from Unusual Goods Transactions
After seeing several examples of monkey business cases that had occurred in Indonesia, of course, you can conclude that the goods sold are unusual goods. This item is not an item that will be used for a long time let alone can be used as an investment.
6. Legality Check
Checking the legality of an institution, organization, or person is a powerful way you can do to avoid monkey business. This is because legality is not easily obtained and supervised by a clear legal institution. For example, if you are lured by investment, you can check the legality at the OJK (Financial Services Authority).
7. Track Record
Make sure the institution has a positive track record. How do I find out? By reviewing the history of business transactions and reviews of people on the Internet. This will help you stay away from monkey business.
8. Equip Yourself With Sufficient Financial Literacy
Through financial literacy, you will be better educated to manage money well, including understanding what businesses have the potential to bring losses.
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Sobat BFI, that's the discussion about monkey business. Hopefully, we can all avoid this monkey business's deadly seduction. Be sure to always be careful and smart in dealing with the lure of high profits.