Can’t Argue With the Price
I’ve tried out a few different MLM / network-marketing companies in the past. I did Pre-Paid Legal, Primerica, and Herbalife. I looked into Amway/Quixtar and a few others.
Most MLM’s cost around $200 to get started. That usually includes getting your starter kit, processing paperwork, getting your independent business owner ID number, etc. Then the goal is to tell others about your new product or service, make sales, and earn commissions. And then if you recruit and train people, you get a small bonus commission on top of their commissions.
Perfectly legal, perfectly legit. The trick is, you have to run it like a business. You can’t just sign up and magically expect everything to come to you. Most people I meet who join MLMs get excited at first, but then never do anything with it. And so nothing happens, and they either give up or call it a scam.
MLMs are NOT pyramid schemes. A pyramid, which is illegal, just has money transferring hands. Only the people at the top make any real money. There’s no actual product or service being sold.
Today, with the economy and job insecurity the way it is, people have been looking more and more for alternative and better ways to earn an income. Some start their own business, invest in the stock market or real estate, play the lottery, work more hours at a second job, or try selling something (like a book!) online. :)
MLMs are a good solution for some people (not all), because they’re a business-system-in-a-box. You pay the start up fee (again, usually around $200), follow their system, and make sales. The harder you work, the more you make.
Period.
Just like with any business.
Personally, I tend to shy away from MLMs these days. I’ve done them before, they work, but personally I like to create things from scratch. However, creating things from scratch comes with a high failure rate. And lately, I’ve just been taking a break. I’ve also been investing in the stock market. What a crazy few weeks that’s been lately! lol. But I’ve been talking with God about it all lately. And I’ve been looking for a new opportunity.
It doesn’t have to be the end-all, be-all perfect business for me. Just something easy and fun to do on the side, to create an additional stream of income. If you study what wealthy people do, they have multiple streams of income. Usually they own several businesses, some big and some small, real estate, stocks, bonds, and other things.
I’m still going to build my entertainment company, continue to invest, write stories, etc. But I’m now more open to looking at other possibilities, other fun and easy things, to make extra side income here and there as part of my overall weath-building plan.
Then Jason, an online friend of mine, mentioned a new MLM business he’s getting into.
It’s called Acquire Benefits Group, and they’re in their pre-launch stage. Meaning, if you get in now, it’s totally free.
Yup. That’s $200 startup fee is waived. He paid $0.
So sure, why not, let me take a look and see what this new MLM is all about.
Apparently it’s a program to give you coupons and discounts at places you already shop — like Wal-Mart, Starbucks, Apple Computers, Quiznos, Dominos, Borders, Sony, Dell, Gap, Target, AMC Theaters, Cinemark Theaters, Shell Gasoline, Chevron, Mobil/Exxon, medical prescriptions, local dentists, local chiropractors, local eye care specialists, hotels, you get the idea.
Wait. And it’s free to join right now?
Sign me up, baby! :) Especially in today’s economy, who doesn’t need and want coupons and discounts at all those place? And according to the site, those discounts range between 20% to 50% off! Hello! :)
So yeah, obviously I joined. There’s no risk. :)
You can check them out for yourself at http://www.acquirebenefitsgroup.com/davidmichaels and see if it interests you too.
Like I said, they’re still in pre-launch stage, so they’re just getting their initial people (who can still get in for free right now) who are interested. I don’t know how the compensation plan works, but at the very least, I’ll be using the coupons for myself and friends.
I can’t argue with the price. :)
And who knows, maybe this will be exactly what I was also praying for — a chance to make some side income that’s easy and fun.
We’ll see as the business officially opens to the public. For now, I’m locked in for free, and at the very least can use those coupons for myself. So thanks Jason!
http://www.acquirebenefitsgroup.com/davidmichaels
Let me know if you decide to get in right now too.
Peace, love, prosperity (in all that you do),
David Michaels
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[...] Original David Michaels [...]
Hey Dave,
It sounds like with no initial upfront price to you, you may not be one of the unfortunate masses that loses money by getting caught up in MLM schemes. It is true that the people at the top of these schemes sometimes come out in the black, but almost all the people who sign up below the top levels are going to end up spending more than they take in.
But even if you end up ahead, think about this: If you do end up in one of the top levels of this thing, is it moral to be the benefactor while those masses of people on the levels below you end up losing money? I know that a big part of your philosophy is compassion. Maybe this company is unlike every MLM scheme out there, in which case you don’t have to worry, but just think about it.
–Kevin
P.S. Keep up the good work on Small Business Podcast… still listen every week!
Sup Kevin!
Actually, you’re thinking of the illegal pyramid schemes, where only people at the top can make a profit. That’s just where money is changing hands, but no actual product or service is being sold to non-member customers.
Legal, legit, ethical, honest, and sometimes heavily government regulated MLMs like Pre-Paid Legal, Primerica, Amway, Noni Juice, and many others, are all perfectly good business opportunities — regardless of when or where you get in.
The catch is, it IS a business, and you have to treat it as such. That means going out and closing sales. It’s ironic. Most people I meet who join an MLM just “sign up” and maybe mention it to a couple friends. They spend all of 15 or so minutes “working” the business … and then give up, complain that it’s a scam, and swear they can’t make any money at it.
I dare them to start ANY business (MLM, franchise, personal start-up… heck, even try being a realtor or lawyer or self-employed doctor) and put the same amount of effort and advertising in, and try to get better results.
Business is business. Period. If you didn’t do your job, you’d get fired. If you don’t do your business, you won’t fire yourself — you just won’t make any money.
Simple as that.
All that being said, I probably won’t end up doing this particular MLM. Why? Apparently the “get in free” bit was only temporary to get their initial people excited. If I want to STAY in this program, I have to pay a $200 joining fee just the same. There was NO mention of this anywhere on their website before that I saw.
While it looks like an interesting business, I just don’t have the time and desire to work it seriously full-time, and all my cash is tied up in the stock market right now.
I still support anyone who wants to get into it and do it. But I was only interested in doing it “spare time” on the side, since there was no risk or up-front cost. Since that’s no longer the case, I’ll continue focusing my money on making good returns with stock options.
By the way, back in the 50’s, everyone said franchises were scams and should be illegal, too. Now it’s a common and accepted business system.
A couple decades from now, people will feel the same way about MLM’s. They just make sense on both the personal and business side.
The business saves money by cutting back its advertising cost. Instead, they let individuals market their products for them, and pay them a cut of the sales they generate. If you work harder and sell more, you earn more. You share in the rewards. If you sit on it and do nothing, you’ll earn exactly that.
It’s a smarter way of doing business, and allows unlimited financial rewards those who do the work. I predict more and more companies will be using MLMs as part of their business plan in the future.
Thanks for the compliment about the podcast! We’re about to record a new episode now! :)
Whatever you do, MLM or otherwise, I wish you success and fun. MLMs may not be for everybody, but it’s one of many options to build wealth in America.
Namaste, love,
David