Can you make money from home? – The truth about MLMs
Multi-level marketing (MLM) businesses have been around for years. Today I want to share with you the truth about MLMs as I see it.
In recent years, however, with social media being so popular, I think there are more and more people being offered these work-from-home business opportunities, especially for mums.
Frequently, by cold messaging on platforms like Facebook. Can you really make money with them, though? Is there such a thing as free money? The truth about MLMs is that often you actually can’t
I spoke with several other bloggers to uncover the truth about MLMs. Would it be better to sort your finances out and save money elsewhere?
How to make money from home
I love working from home, and for many, it is ideal. Parents of young children often find that childcare costs lead them to consider whether they can make money from home.
You don’t have to physically visit an accountant either, as you can access a certified tax expert online from your home in the USA whether it is in New York City, Tampa, Baltimore or anywhere else in the country. If you are in the UK, there are similar experts available as well. The truth about MLMs is you probably wont earn enough to need one though!
Can you make money with MLM companies?
We are always alerted to the big successes whenever someone approaches us to encourage us to join a business like this. Of course, some people will make a lot of money with them.
Those people, however, I believe, are very few and far between. The truth behind MLMs is that, sadly, many of the people recruiting are actually instructed to tell others that they earn massively.
This is because the more people they recruit, the higher their actual potential earnings will be. I find this absolutely astonishing.
Are the MLM success stories genuine?
Of course, if you choose to look at these success stories and decide it is the business for you, then who am I to stop you?
Remember that essentially, the big money is made by recruiting more people; however, sometimes it is also made by selling expensive products. Do you have people to recruit or to buy the products? The truth about MLMs is that this is key to success!
It fits perfectly around children and other jobs
This is one of the primary reasons people enter these businesses. They want to make money from home to support their families. Do remember, though, to check out the negative stories for each brand.
Also, consider how much money your social circle generally has to spend. If you need to put money into a business, this is also a factor to consider. The truth about MLMs is that primarily, you are selling to your friends!
Make your own mind up, but here are some stories from bloggers of the truth about MLMs.
Can you get into debt – the truth about MLMs?
One blogger said, “I did Avon and loved it until I started buying stuff myself, and people not wanting products they ordered, then I got into debt with them.”
Another said, “If someone doesn’t pay for their order, you have to pay for it yourself! Sadly, I ended up owing about £100 because other people wouldn’t pay up!”
When I did Avon years ago, I tried to help pay off debt. I ended up owing them money.”
Do MLM recruiters have high expectations?
I was shocked to hear another blogger say “I was involved with Body Shop at Home in 2017. I was recruited online by a woman I didn’t really know. Within a few hours, I was added to a Facebook chat with all her other “downlines.” They would discuss how badly sales were in the chat, but on the public pages, brag about how much money they were making to entice others to sign up.” This truth about MLMs sounds like bullying to me.
She added, “I had a specified time limit to make a certain amount. Before I had a chance to put in a large order, my access to the ordering part of the Body Shop At Home website as an agent was revoked. I wasn’t sure why. When I questioned it, I was told that I had not made enough in sales, despite still being within the time limit.” The truth about MLMs is this is not uncommon.
You have to recruit others to make money from home
This quote from a fellow blogger didn’t surprise me either, but may help you to see the truth about MLMs. “There seemed to be loads of initial fees, and the rep who signed me up and told me to purchase loads of these ‘specials’ which would make my money back in no time. I circulated those catalogues around every house in my are,a and I must have walked miles! I got one sale in the first mont,h and the commission was poor. The rep who signed me up explained that obviously, empires take time to build, but I’d get my money back soon and that I needed to ‘recruit’ reps!”
This one also didn’t surprise me, but may help you decide if MLM businesses are a way to make money from home for you. “I love Scentsy products. Their wax products and warmers are fabulous, and I love the brand’s values, but they make it impossible to make a profit with their extremely strict approach. this and the fact UK prices are so much higher than in America. The only way you’ll do well is if you treat it as an “illegal” pyramid and recruit recruit recruit. I refuse to lie to people, so it was a non-starter for me.”
Do MLMs prey on the vulnerable
These bloggers told me things I had suspected with MLM businesses, but was never entirely sure about. The truth about MLMs is that they do seem to prey on the vulnerable!
“I was eighteen and it was sold to me as an opportunity to become my own boss and work for myself.”
I once had a woman contact me in response to a blog I’d written about my Post-Natal Depression. Basically, she said, “I’m sorry you’re feeling this way. Have you read X book? Have you ever considered selling Younique?”
“I tried Jamberry, Nu Skin and Kids Bee Happy when I was desperate. I made a loss.”
What are you actually selling?
This experience is shocking. “I was approached to try Forever Living, and knowing very little about it, I queried what exactly it was for. I was reassured that it wasn’t a weight loss product, but rather a product for busy mums like myself to feel healthier, provide a boost for my hair and skin, and help me feel more energetic. It sounded like the perfect pick-me-up!” The truth about MLMs, however, is that like a lot of their claims, this wasn’t entirely true.
All sounds ok, but then what she went on to say was shocking. “Within 24 hours of starting on the cocktail of ‘vitamins’ as they were described, I was in the back of an ambulance with a suspected heart attack. My heart rate is at 200 beats per minute, and I’m wired up to every machine going. I was rushed straight into resuscitation. It turns out that the “vitamins” they sell have such massive amounts of caffeine (disguised under different names) that it has massively impacted my heart. The consultant said I wasn’t the first patient experiencing the same, and in his opinion, they should be banned completely!” I tend to agree.
Unwelcomed Messages to join – the truth about MLMs
I have received a number of these recently. Included as images in this post for you are quotes from a recent email. Here are some quotes from others.
“I’m always approached about it through Instagram. When I say I’m a journalist by profession and ask why they are cold-messaging me, I’m not sure what to make of it. Pointing out I’ve never expressed any interest in earning extra money, they say I have a really positive looking profile and I should take it as a compliment.”
Are MLMs all bad?
In the interests of a fair argument, I have also shared below a few less negative stories from fellow bloggers.
“I sold Bodyshop for about 6 months while I was studying last year. My experience was very mixed. The company is very nice and all seems well, but there is a huge pressure to recruit more people into the organisation. Additionally, it’s very time-consuming for the amount you receive in commission. I ended up with huge amounts of stock that I couldn’t sell as there were already about 10 girls in my little village selling Bodyshop. It wasn’t a bad experience, but it wasn’t worth it for me.”
“I’m working with one now, and I have nothing but positivity for it. It’s health and fitness related. I’m making decent money and leading a very healthy lifestyle because of it, and I have absolutely no issues with sharing it with others. I feel like all network marketing is being tarred with one brush”
If you have a story with an MLM, either good or bad, please do feel free to comment in the box below with your truth about MLMs. I would love to read about your experiences.
MLMs are businesses such as Avon, The Body Shop, Just, Pampered Chef, Arbonne, Thermomix, Younique, Jamberry, Juice Plus, Ann Summers, Scentsy, Herbalife, and Utility Warehouse, among many others.
My thoughts on MLMs
My thoughts on MLM businesses remain that they prey on the vulnerable. They are leading people to believe that it is easy to earn high amounts of money from home.
I believe the truth about MLMs is that they are essentially cons. Very few people ever make a significant amount of money from them compared to the hours they put in.
Feel free to share if you agree or disagree below!
Do you agree with me about the truth about MLMs, that they are essentially not a good idea?
Another peril of MLMs is that they can cause friction in friendships. My husband’s friend approached him about joining one, gave him loads of brochures etc. He came home with them and I put them straight in the bin and told him to tell his friend its an absolute no. His friend hounded him for weeks and it caused a bit of tension between them. All is well between them now, but after insisting DH could make thousands of yen his friend almost went bankrupt through the scheme and has since left it.
I would like to try but it is not so easy to be able to create, how to say, your own lap … being able to convince you to buy and trust in selling!