Lesson Summary Any number or variable raised to the zero power will equal one. This rule is true for all numbers and variables except for zero, which plays by its own rules again. Zero to the zero power is undefined.

The emoticon >:( means “Angry.”

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Better Business Bureau

BBB means “Bored Beyond Belief,” “Bugging Beyond Belief,” “Bullsh*t Baffles Brains” and “Better Business Bureau.”

BBB complaint process is to help two parties resolve a dispute. The BBB Dispute Resolution Counsellor (who handles the complaint) works with both parties to try and help them come to their own mutually acceptable resolution. BBB acts as a neutral third party, and does not make a decision to resolve the matter.

business meets accreditation standards

When businesses lose their accreditation, it generally means that they simply decided to stop paying their bill. The BBB does not engage in any sort of process to protect consumers or their interests, they earn their money by essentially protecting businesses from consumer complaints.

BBB Business Record Because the BBB archives information about businesses, unanswered complaints are considered unflattering by consumers. Therefore, it is advisable that companies deal with complaints to keep their business records clear and so that it doesn’t dissuade future potential customers.

In truth, the value of a BBB accreditation lies solely the eye of the beholder. For some customers, an BBB accreditation could be a make-or-break factor when choosing a company to work with. For other customers, however, a BBB accreditation might mean next to nothing.

You must pay the fee (also called Accreditation Dues). Remember, when you pay the fee you are not paying for a rating. You are paying for the BBB’s overhead expenses to process applications and maintain operations in the Better Business Bureau organizations. (As an entrepreneur, you know that nothing operates for free.

Joining the local BBB requires businesses to pay a fee, which is about $400 annually, as of the time of publication. This is an average amount, and dues may be higher or lower depending on the size of a company.

Where the money comes from: A self-proclaimed source of mediation and unbiased ratings of millions of businesses across the country, the BBB receives the majority of its revenue from membership fees paid by hundreds of thousands of companies. Others hire outside sales firms to aggressively pitch BBB membership.

Through the support of their BBB Accredited Businesses, BBBs work for a trustworthy marketplace by maintaining standards for truthful advertising, investigating and exposing fraud against consumers and businesses, and providing information to consumers before they purchase products and services.

From top to bottom, the BBB is funded by the annual dues paid by businesses it anoints with “accreditation,” which allows the companies to put those iconic BBB stamps of approval on their storefronts and websites. Whether or not a business is accredited, it can be graded by the BBB.

Through its investigation into the organization and its practices, CNNMoney found that the BBB’s rating system is seriously flawed — resulting in grades that appear to be arbitrary and change erratically.

BBB is just a private organization, not a regulated government entity. It is a completely useless organization. Do not waste time with them. They give A+ ratings to companies that get 1 star from reviewers and have hundreds and sometimes thousands of complaints against them.

If a business isn’t appearing on the website at all, it means that no customers have left reviews — good or bad. This doesn’t mean that the business isn’t valid. It may just mean that customers have left their reviews on other websites.