Tag: network marketing

3 Reasons to Stop Calling Network Marketing a “Pyramid Scheme”

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www.fitnessbeautytravel

“Don’t hate what you don’t understand” – John Lennon

I see posts online with people calling the Network Marketing industry a pyramid scheme all the time, and I hear it in person occasionally as well. I have to say, when this happens it takes a lot of effort to keep myself from educating the people that said it. For this reason, I have set out to hopefully educate some people about Network Marketing a little bit so that we can do away with this line of thinking. To start out, I want to provide you all with the TRUE definition of a pyramid scheme for a basic understanding in case any of you are unsure:

Pyramid Scheme: a form of investment (illegal in the US and elsewhere) in which each paying participant recruits two further participants, with returns being given to early participants using money contributed by later ones.

If you are one of the people that typically refers to Network Marketing companies as a pyramid scheme, I wanted to share these three reasons with you to hopefully help you understand why you should really stop.

UntitledNumber 1: It is untrue. As defined above, a pyramid scheme revolves solely around recruitment. So as an example I wanted to show you what a pyramid scheme ad looks like. I didn’t really browse that hard, I just went to a random advertising group on Facebook and scrolled for about 5 minutes. I found this gem to the left, and this is just the first I came across of what I am sure would be many to be found on the wall of that group. This isn’t an obvious pitch for a pyramid scheme, because obviously, they would get in trouble. However, I have a little insider knowledge with this $25 per referral ad because someone tried to recruit me for this kind of crap in the past. And that is exactly what it is – total bullcrap. THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is a pyramid scheme. Their sole purpose is to go out and recruit people for the “company”. All they have to do to join is pay a small fee of $25+ dollars to join, and then they can start recruiting more people and earning money immediately. It is a constant return of cash from ONLY recruiting.

Do you see the difference between THIS and between legitimate Network Marketing companies? I hope you do, because it is pretty freakin’ huge… THERE ARE PRODUCTS AND/OR SERVICES FOR SALE… If it is a company that has legitimate products for purchase, it does NOT qualify as a pyramid scheme, despite the fact that it does involve team building. In fact, when you think about a typical corporate environment, there are often bonuses for referrals. When you work at the company for so long, you are granted the opportunity to make recommendations for people that you think would be a good addition to the company. If they are hired, make it through the probationary period, and succeed in their role, you receive compensation for the recommendation. So when you think of it that way, the corporate environment has team building too! The problem here is that this industry is a relatively new concept to people, so it is difficult to grasp I guess. Think of it this way: Each person involved in Network Marketing is essentially the CEO of their own company. In order for a company to grow and become successful, they typically must have other employees and grow in size. It is the same with Network Marketing. To become truly successful, you need to build a team, and you need to nurture that team consistently to help them grow teams of their own as well. When you think of it this way, Network Marketing actually is more of an inverse pyramid. Why? Because in order for one person to be successful, they have to aid their team to be successful. You can’t just recruit a bunch of people, then sit back and rake in cash. You need to train your team, help your team to grow, and push your team to achieve new heights in their business. Nobody can simply sit back and get complacent, which appears to be a common assumption.

Number 2: It is offensive. Seriously though! If you ask anyone in the Network Marketing business what they think about people that refer to their JOB as being a pyramid scheme, chances are they will say that it drives them a little bonkers. It is just so frustrating to be so passionate about a company that you love, and to have so many people on so many different fronts constantly trying to dis what you do. We work HARD at what we do (or at least those of us trying to make this a real career) and it can be offensive and rude to have people look us in the face and call the Network Marketing industry a scam or a pyramid scheme. If you care about your friends and family involved in this industry, please do not use those terms when speaking to them about their business. Even when speaking to strangers, it is best if you just keep those words out of your vocabulary when discussing this topic. These days Network Marketing is becoming super popular for being part-time endeavors, so you seriously could be meeting tons of strangers every day that have businesses outside of their “real” jobs without your knowledge. If you want to avoid an awkward and uncomfortable conversation, just keep those little negative thoughts to yourself!

Number 3: It makes YOU look bad. I am aware that this one may offend a few people, because I am sure that there are a lot of you out there that are guilty of doing this on a fairly regular basis. However, I gotta be real… It seriously makes you look kinda silly and ignorant to those of us that actually know the true definition of a pyramid scheme. We live in a time where SO many people around the world are bringing in full-time earnings by working at home with their direct sales business. There are millionaires in many of these companies, and more and more are made all of the time. If you put the time and effort into this industry, and you are willing to learn and to grow as a person, you can be successful in this industry as well. To say that something is a scam, when it is clearly doing so much good for so many family and individuals around the world, is just ridiculous.

If you have been guilty of this, I want to encourage you to please just stop. Start thinking of Network Marketing for what it really is – a successful business opportunity not for the faint of heart.

xoxo

Jess

So you want a business opportunity that is free?

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Much like anyone else in the network marketing business, I am a member of multiple groups to network with other people in the industry and those looking to become a member of the industry. Within these groups, I see countless posts on a regular basis of people seeking business opportunities with no starter costs. If you are one of those people – this is for you.

If you have been searching for anything free, chances are you can’t find a business opportunity that is free because that is not the way that the world works. Network marketing is NOT a get rich quick scheme. Network marketing is a legitimate business opportunity, and essentially you are your own CEO. Obviously all companies are a little bit different in how they do things, but for the most part, you are paying a fee to start that covers a kit full of products, training, website fees, etc.

Think of it this way. If you wanted to start your own store locally, you wouldn’t be able to just do it for free. There are start up costs, and a whole lot more that way too. Network marketing gives you the opportunity to have your own company without all of the hassle of producing the product and shipping it out.  You can’t expect companies to give you the world. The products that come in those kits are super discounted already (at least with my company, LimeLife) , so you can’t expect to be handed them for free. Not to mention that initial fee also covers your training online, it usually covers a personalized website, you get a LimeLife credit card for your commission, and more.

Another common theme among people that make these posts is to say “well I would rather join for free and not get the starter kit”. That is available with LimeLight as well, but I am sorry, that option just makes no sense if you want to get your business off to a good start from the beginning! Having a start up kit is essential to a new business so that you can use the products and accurately represent them to your customers. You need to have experience with the products and be knowledgeable about the products if you are going to sell them successfully. People are going to ask you what you think of certain products and expect you to be able to give them an honest answer. They won’t appreciate you saying “well, I don’t know actually because I have never tried any of the products”. Right then and there you will lose all credibility with that potential customer, and that is bad for your business.

If you are just joining a company for the sake of joining a company and making money, I have to be honest, don’t bother. People can tell when you are genuinely passionate about a product or if you are just trying to push it, and they will gravitate to those they can tell truly care about the product. People want to buy from people that they can trust, and with whom they have formed a relationship. If you’re all about the sale and you place little value on the customer experience, you’re not going to get far in this industry.

Now I know that if you’re struggling and you don’t have a lot of money it can be difficult to make that investment, which is why some of the people making those posts are seeking something free to join. However, if you are serious about wanting a business opportunity that you love and creating a life of financial freedom, you’ll make the effort to save up bit by bit until you can pay for your kit. Even just a couple of dollars here and there will add up.

Just remember that with any network marketing business, you need to put in what you want to get back out of it. If you are not willing to make an investment into your business, then that is a choice that you are making, and it is something you are going to have to learn to live with. I don’t believe in sugar coating the truth to get people to join my team because I feel like people need to know the truth about network marketing prior to joining. It is important that you know what you can expect from this industry and what it will take to be successful, because it simply may not be for you.

It’s not for everyone, and that is perfectly okay.

Visit my previous post to learn about the Network Marketing industry. If you are still interested in making this a part of your life, Click Here to learn about LimeLife, or visit my website to sign up today! I have my own team training resources in addition to those provided through LimeLife corporate and our Facebook training group, and I would love to have you on my team and help you create the success you are hoping for.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Jess

“I already have a job, I don’t need a part time business”

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The title of this post is something that I hear a lot when talking to people about the opportunities that I present. Until now, I have just let that go and bitten my tongue. However, I recently listened to a podcast by Chalene Johnson, and it inspired me to write this post. For those of you that don’t know Chalene, she is actually my favorite trainer for Beachbody fitness programs, and you can find her in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the most home fitness workouts. In addition to being a great health and fitness trainer, Chalene also hosts podcast and helps women all over the world to build their businesses and regain their confidence. She does this through her “Build your tribe” podcast, and her Courageous Confidence Club program.

One of her podcasts had Chalene talking about part time businesses, and how she and her husband actually encouraged their employees to have part time businesses on the side. Why? Because steady jobs are not always as steady as they seem. Companies crumble and go bankrupt, sometimes unexpectedly due to unforeseen circumstances. They may suffer a hit and be forced to do some layoffs. You hear of cases from time to time where employees get screwed out of their retirement money for one reason or another. In addition, things change in life! Maybe you decide that you want to start a family, but your full time income doesn’t provide you with enough money to comfortably support and raise a child. Maybe you do have a child, and you decide that you want to quit your job and become a stay at home parent. Whatever the case may be, steady jobs may not be as steady and secure as you think they are.

So why should you have a part time business on the side if you don’t have much time to spend on it? Because that is the beauty of a business that is part time. You can chip away at a part time business bit by bit, and over time, your business will grow. Will it take time and effort? Absolutely – but it is something that can be done at your own pace.

“I’m working full time on my job, and I’m working part time on my fortune” – Jim Rohn

Think of it in the words of Jim Rohn. How would it feel to be able to live off of your full time income, but to have the security of knowing that you also have funds from your part time business tucked away for your fortune. Work full time to support your lifestyle, and allow the money from your part time business to accumulate over time. This could end up being your retirement savings. If you’re like me and you like to travel, this money could send you on trips around the world. If you have children, this money could put your kids through school. No matter what your priorities in life may be, most of us are not millionaires, and we could all benefit from having extra money coming in for added security.

If your next objection to having a part time business is that they are scams or pyramid schemes, then you should jump over to my post on Network Marketing to discover the truth. It is a common misconception that all network marketing businesses are pyramid schemes, and it is time that we set the record straight.

To learn more about the Beachbody opportunity, Click Here.

To learn more about the Younique opportunity, Click Here.

The truth about Network Marketing success

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One of the biggest objections that I get from people that I approach about my Network Marketing opportunities is that it is a pyramid scheme, and/or it is not a real job. Well, I am here to dispel these misconceptions and tell you exactly why that line of thinking is just plain wrong.

I think the biggest issue with these network marketing professions is that people tend to think that if you just join, you’ll be able to start making a LOT of money fast without actually putting in a lot of work. If you think of it as a get rich quick scheme, chances are, you are NOT going to find success in this industry. These businesses DO work, and they can provide you with unlimited earning potential. However, it is not a magic money tree that is going to continue giving you money for little to no effort – at least not in the beginning. Just like any other job, you actually have to WORK at network marketing in order to be successful. This means that YOU and you alone are responsible for your own success or failure with your business. The tools and training are all at your fingertips, and if you join under the right upline and with the right team, you will have the support that you need to be successful. However, the rest is completely up to you when it comes to putting in the time and the effort that it takes to sell your products, and build your team if you hope to move up through the ranks to be successful.

I don’t want to sugar coat this part because I think you need to be prepared for the fact that it is not always going to be sunshine and rainbows, and there are going to be a lot of people that are going to ignore your invitation to learn about the opportunity or straight out reject it. It can be scary at first, because nobody likes rejection, but you just have to realize that it doesn’t matter! If you believe in your products whole-heartedly like I do, then you just move on to the next person until you find someone that can understand and appreciate what you have to offer. It is really a numbers game, so the more people you get the opportunity in front of, the higher the likelihood that you’ll be successful. Anyone can make some extra income with network marketing, but if you really want to be successful, you need to step out of your comfort zone and get over your fear of approaching people about your business opportunity and/or products. Our team actually does challenges to motivate everyone to step out of their comfort zone and do something new and different to take their business to the next level, and that is a huge help. Small little steps compounded over time can make a BIG difference.

Again, you need to think of this as a real job, because it is a real job and a real business. Too many people out there are looking for something free to join in the hopes of making some easy money, but in most cases, that just isn’t going to happen. It is super unfortunate, but way too many people join a company thinking they’ll get rich, and then they quit before they ever get to experience the results of their small steps compounded over time. You should commit to at least one full year with a company before you throw in the towel, because a breakthrough could be right around the corner. Furthermore, with a real business, you have also got to be willing to invest something! If you’re going to join a company and promote their products, you kind of have to know what it is that you are promoting! For example, with Younique there are no monthly fees and you don’t pay a “startup fee”, but you do purchase a presenter’s kit that is full of our most popular products at almost a 50% discount. This allows all of our new presenters to try out our products so that they can market them to others appropriately and really gain a passion for the products and the company. Most other direct sales companies out there will have the same kind of system with their products, and it really is a valuable investment.

Thinking of a network marketing opportunity as a real job also means that you need to designate some time each day to working your business. Honestly, that can be as simple as taking 15-20 minutes out of your day here and there to make a few posts on social media, respond to a couple emails or messages, or make a simple blog post. A lot of us waste hours of our time on social media without even noticing! Why not use that to our advantage and use some of that time to take steps that can further our success with a given company?

“You work just hard enough to keep them from firing you and they pay you just enough to keep you from quitting. You are in a prison.” –Rise of the Entrepreneur

The fact of the matter is that our system is flawed because so many people are going to school in the hopes of finding a good job, but then end up struggling to find a job after graduation and being saddled with debt for years to come. People work sometimes 2 and 3 jobs just to make enough money to get by, and instead of going away for vacations, most people are stuck at home on their vacation days because they don’t have the money to do anything else. That is why network marketing is an amazing solution to these issues. It is something that you can do from home on your own time, and it is without all of the risk that usually comes from starting a business. Most companies have relatively low startup costs, and you aren’t responsible for coming up with the product to sell because that is already established for you. You aren’t responsible for producing the product, shipping the product, fixing issues, etc. All of these things are taken care of by the company, and you are just the third party tool that spreads the word about what you have to offer and brings in the new clientele and you get paid to do it. I find it so ironic that people are willing to spend 50+ years of their life working for someone else and struggling with money, yet they aren’t willing to spend 3-5 years working a business with unlimited earning potential and making enough money to not only get by, but to thrive! With network marketing, we get to be the CEO of our own business. How awesome is that?

Probably the biggest issue that I wanted to address was the common misconception that network marketing opportunities are really pyramid schemes. This one drives me craaazzzyy. It is one thing for people to genuinely ask about this, but it is a whole different story for a person to try TELL YOU that your company is a pyramid scheme. I am sorry, but in my opinion that is just childish and ignorant. Please do your research and learn the definition of a pyramid scheme before you insult someone like that, because though there are pyramid schemes out there, the vast majority of network marketing opportunities are legitimate. Honestly if you think about it, Corporate America is actually a pyramid scheme because you have the top people getting richer and richer while everyone else stays relatively at the same income level. Now, with network marketing, it is actually more of an INVERSE pyramid. Instead of the top earners doing well while the rest of us stay at the same low income, the top earners GET to where they are by helping those below them to do better. Our success is really the product of our team success, so in order to do better ourselves; we first have to help teach our team to be successful as well. This means that everyone on the team that is putting in the work will be moving upwards with their business!

“Think of your dream as a balloon on a string. Are you going to reach out and grab it, or are you going to let it slip through your fingers?” –Rise of the Entrepreneur

Are you willing to work and to learn? Could you benefit from an opportunity that would allow you spend more time at home? Do you need or want an extra source of income? If so, I would love to chat with you about the opportunities that I offer. I highly value both of my companies for different reasons, but fitness and beauty have become huge passions of mine. If you’re a woman that loves makeup, ask me about Younique. If you want an opportunity that would allow you to work on your health and fitness, ask me about Beachbody.

Network marketing IS a better way, you just have to be willing to take a chance and try it.

I need your input!

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This is why I am content with my two businesses! First I have my regular in-person job for money, and then I make money on the side with my two businesses. My Beachbody business has the health and fitness avenue covered, because I drink my Shakeology daily and get my workouts in from various Beachbody fitness programs! I also have the benefit of being creative through Younique in experimenting with makeup and creating different looks. I absolutely love fooling around with different pigments and trying to create something new!

There is one more passion of mine that isn’t represented here though – TRAVEL! I adore what I do as a Beachbody Coach and a Younique presenter. I get to make money for working out, staying active, and playing with makeup! I joined both of these companies out of love and appreciation for the products, and a desire to share that love and appreciation with others. I had zero intention of joining any other company, but recently I was approached by someone in the travel industry.

I need advice!! I am strongly considering taking the plunge with a travel company to take care of that third passion I have for seeing the world. I have been itching to get back out there ever since I got back from Europe last summer, and the only thing that is stopping me is the money. I now have an opportunity in front of me to earn super cheap rates for travel all over the world, and to make money with the company at the same time as a travel agent.

My question for all of my followers is this: Do you think that I should take a chance on another business to satisfy my travel urges, or do you think that I should stick with what I’ve got? Sound off below on this thread with your opinion!