I have been with this group for a little while and as some know from my past posts, I am currently with an MLM, and do make some money. Of course, this came after 11 years with various OTHER MLM's where I either lost a LOT of money and went into debt, lost relationships, and nearly got divorced because of one.
Am I a glutton for punishment? Some may say "yes"...me, I KNEW there was something out there that would allow me the flexibility to be a stay-at-home mother (after 20 years in Corporate America and the Defense Industry), and still contribute to my family's financial needs....I just had to find it. And, yes, it came at a great cost, but I now have the lifestyle that I want, and work hard to keep it. Am I a millionaire? Nope. Not by any means. I am a middle-income American. If I am one day, great...for now, I am happy that I am able to put my kids on the bus, be home when they get home from school, work part-time, and still make a decent income while not being the stress monster I was, trying to work a full-time job, and care for 2 children when my husband was out of the country for his job, for weeks, sometimes a month at a time.I refuse to ever live that way again. And for me, this is the answer. And it works for me.
I am a part of this group because I DO know all too well the pitfalls of many MLMs, and want to help others realize that many of the MLM's out there are scams, and do not have marketing plans that truly allow the independent distributor (or "independent contractor", because that is what we MLM-ers are, basically) to create any kind of income.
I would like to comment on a few of the following comments posted earlier; my comments are in << >>.
***********
To that end, I've been reading, with interest, the posts of our new
pro-MLMer. From my experience (thus opinion, not factual in the truest
definition of term) and research I can only say this about MLMs (in
general):
1. Money can be made only if you get in early and can live with
yourself knowing that many of those dragged in at some point, by you or
someone else, will not only not make money but will, in all likelihood,
lose money.
<<Money can be made IF you do your research, ask a LOT of questions, and WORK your business. Money will be LOST if you commit to something off the cuff, without thinking things through, and without doing the necessary research to find out the real ins and outs of a home business with an MLM with the company you are looking at joining. Joining this group and asking LOTS of questions is a good first step. I do agree with you with regard to your statement that many of those dragged in to MOST MLM's will NOT make any money. People MUST be careful when looking at the MLM industry for income. Typically, most people don't make enough to compensate themselves for their time, effort, or initial investment. The sad thing is that a great percentage of American families rely on two incomes, and are living payday-to-payday, so people are looking for that "other thing" to create additional income to help put money away for kids' educations, retirement, or even just to pay their
next light bill. It's sad, but many MLM's prey on these unsuspecting people and fill their heads with over-exaggerated income figures and "you're gonna get rich" thoughts. I have had several people sign into my business with me as a "sponsor". ONE of them did not get her initial investment back. But she also never worked her business..I mean LITERALLY. I guess she thought she was going to get in, then income would just magically appear. Money doesn't grow on trees...you have to work for it, regardless of what industry you're involved with.>>
2. Product/tools/ etc. can be sold only if you're the kind of person
that can sell ice to eskimoes (in my case the product was so over-priced
I, myself, decided just to go to Whole Foods and buy a comparable
product that can be easily returned if the product was not to my
liking).
<<<When choosing an MLM, again, ASK QUESTIONS!!! Check around and see who your competitors are. Compare product, pricing, manufacturing process, etc. I am not a ruthless salesperson; I am not pushy...I learned my lessons through the other MLM's I was involved with...and I sell a good amount of product at my home shows by presenting my product, and informing my customers in a way that is not pushy. If they purchase, great. If they don't, that's fine too. I came into this business knowing that not everyone who attends my home presentations REALLY wants to purchase things...and some don't. And that's okay. I've been that pushy butt-head in another MLM...it cost me dearly; I lost a part of myself in the process, and several friends. I approach things MUCH differently now. I have to; it's a promise I made to myself when I got involved in the business I'm in now. But, understand that SOME products are not that way. Again, do the research, and make sure you're not buying into a
"buying club". Signing people up to "buy product from themselves at a discount" isn't typically the best way to make an income with an MLM.>>
3. Market saturation is inevitable, whether that point comes because
there's too many people in one zip code trying to sell a product or the
product has been around so long people just move on to the next best
thing (as has happened to Pampered Chef in our area).
<<<Market saturation is NOT always inevitable. Otherwise these businesses who have been in business for 20+ years would not still be in business, and would have closed their doors years ago. For example, this is my 6th year in this particular business. I hold anywhere between 2 and 8 home shows a month...depending on what I have going on in my life, when I want to work, and how many shows I book each month. And I have sold, on average, over the last few years, anywhere between $20,000 - $33,000 worth of product per year, retailing to customers who are NOT a part of my downline, and who are NOT involved in this business. And I don't live in a big city. At my shows, most of the women who are in attendance have never heard of me or my product, and are excited at what I teach and the product I sell. Companies that do their research, and are truly geared toward helping their distributors succeed and maintaining an active customer base, are able to successfully and
continually bring in new products and/or services that the public will want to purchase. In addition, those young adults who are 15 years old right now will one day be independent adults, who will need/want to purchase products...consumer
4. MLMs are not a business. A business, for all intent and purposes,
is an entity with a profit and loss statement that can be sold. There
is no MLM distributor that can be sell their "business" when they decide
to get out. After weeks/months/ years of work they have nothing but a
few dollars in their pocket and experience to speak of.
<<MLM's ARE a business....
So, that's my two cents which, hopefully, didn't overshadow my desire to
truly Thank all those who offered tips and advise on how to return
product for a refund. Truly appreciated!
<<<I am glad to hear that you got out of a business that you found to not be worth the effort. There are MANY MLM's out there that are like that. I was involved in a few myself over my last 16 years in the direct sales industry. There are SO MANY scams out there, that people do have to be careful. It was great that you did your research and was able to get 90% of your money back. I think that some companies WILL do somethink like that, but only if the distributor pushes the issue. It's not something they like to advertise openly. One of the companies I was involved with would also refund you 90% of the value of your usable product. However, it came with a price: if you ever did this, and "cashed in", you would NEVER be able to be a distributor with that company again! And I know that many members of this group know the company I speak of. THAT doesn't speak to a company that "cares about its people" as so many of them advertise! Good for you for taking the bull by the
horns and getting as much of your money back as possible!>>
<< Terra>>
Cheers,
Cyndi
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