Is it worth joining a network business? Is this a scam?

[Lilysun]

An offer from acquaintances to do network business with them, but I really do not want to part with my money if something goes wrong.

 

[bodgitt&scarperLTD]

'Network' buisiness? You mean, like Amway? Multi level marketing?

Run a mile. That's not business, it's a pyramid scheme.

 

[Mark T Jones]

As @bodgitt&scarperLTD says, from the limited information given it sounds like MLM. There are any number of them

Mostly not scams nor actually pyramid schemes they are dreadfully missold - if you’ll forgive me for saying so - usually by suckers to suckers

 

[Mr D]

'Network' buisiness? You mean, like Amway? Multi level marketing?

Run a mile. That's not business, it's a pyramid scheme.

Pyramid schemes are.
Multi level marketing isn't pyramid.

Same way that being employed by a big company isn't a pyramid scheme.

 

[Mr D]

Network business is a large term - can you clarify what they are meaning when they refer to that?

 

[pentel]

Pyramid schemes are.
Multi level marketing isn't pyramid.

Same way that being employed by a big company isn't a pyramid scheme

99% of people involved in MLMs make less than minimum wage... for a 16 year old....

 

[Mr D]

99% of people involved in MLMs make less than minimum wage... for a 16 year old....

Why do they make less than minimum wage?

As compared to the many self employed people in other work that make more than minimum wage when they start out?

Hey all those people who open a shop that immediately make £10 plus per hour for all the hours they put in eh?

 

[pentel]

Mr D, the important bit is the 99%.....

Being employed by a big company at least almost guarantees minimum wage... at least..

https://blog.usejournal.com/why-are-people-still-defending-mlms-c1d6ea878f83

Having said that if you can get into the top .2% and have 5,000 people underneath you then you can do reasonably well.

 

[Mr D]

Mr D, the important bit is the 99%.....

Being employed by a big company at least almost guarantees minimum wage... at least..

https://blog.usejournal.com/why-are-people-still-defending-mlms-c1d6ea878f83

Having said that if you can get into the top .2% and have 5,000 people underneath you then you can do reasonably well.

Oranges and moon rocks.
We aren't talking about employees.

How many of us when we started out in business were earning at least minimum wage as our personal income for the hours we put in?

Those doing just the catalogues / parties / events can also make considerable money.
Went to a party a friend was putting on for a candle company presentation, the hostess made over £50 in the night from her share of commission. The person who was doing the party would have made considerably more. For a couple of hours drinking, chatting and a little talk to a bunch of people plus delivering the goods - way more than minimum wage? Quite possibly.

Our local Avon lady did it a couple of evenings a week to help supplement her state pension. For years.
Sufficient income? Probably, she was on just her personal state pension and went on an overseas holiday at least a couple of times a year. Perhaps as a result of the state pension being so generous or perhaps paid for from her maybe 6 hours a week doing Avon.

My father in law retired from being an employee of the county council and started doing Kleeneze catalogues.
No people working for him, simply went out with catalogues.
His income exceeded state and works pension together some months for a 20 hour week.
Lets see, say £600 to £800 a month for 10 to 20 hours a week...call it average 15 and average £700.
780 hours a year, £8400. £10.76.
Which was almost double his hourly rate working for the council in a hard job.
Minimum wage at the time somewhere around £4 an hour for an adult.

 

[MBE2017]

Network Marketing can work, but it is down to the person involved. Most struggle to recruit and make the big bucks, most are happier just selling individually. The average network marketer recruits just one more person into the company, the big hitters have 50 plus, sometimes thousands of people.

 

[Jakub_sa]

'Network' buisiness? You mean, like Amway? Multi level marketing?

Run a mile. That's not business, it's a pyramid scheme.

Good one. I think you need to go back and learn a few things before you say anything.

 

[Maxwell83]

Good one. I think you need to go back and learn a few things before you say anything.

Why do you say that? Do you think Amway is a good opportunity?

 

[Jakub_sa]

Why do you say that? Do you think Amway is a good opportunity?

Certainly. I think you are that person that heard something 20 odd years ago and just adds his side of the story to it. Network Marketing created more millionaires that any other industry around the world. Amway. Personally, great history of the company, high quality products, does a lot for community. Their business presentation looks way better than many conventional businesses out there. In conclusion, Network Marketing Has changed a lot over the years. For mamy people is a way of escaping the fast paced world and build their own business on their own terms. We are all different and hear different things.

 

[Maxwell83]

Certainly. I think you are that person that heard something 20 odd years ago and just adds his side of the story to it.

I think you should read threads properly . I have not made a single comment in this thread about Amway or anything else, that was someone else.

 

[Jakub_sa]

I think you should read threads properly . I have not made a single comment in this thread about Amway or anything else, that was someone else.

I am sorry Maxwell83. This was aimed at bodgitt&scarperLTD, but worth a think about Network Marketing

 

[Maxwell83]

I am sorry Maxwell83. This was aimed at bodgitt&scarperLTD, but worth a think about Network Marketing

No worries.

 

[Mitch3473]

99% of people involved in MLMs make less than minimum wage... for a 16 year old....

I'd probably agree with that judging by some of the advertising wording on the back of what can only be classed as MOT failures.

 

[Personalised stories]

i would like to recruit direct sellers for our personalised story business, where is the best place to find them?

 

[Mark T Jones]

i would like to recruit direct sellers for our personalised story business, where is the best place to find them?

Almosr certainly not by digging up old threads and spamming

There are lots of threads on here about finding agents & salespeople - do a search.

On the other hand, if it's MLM, stick to the tried and tested method of annoying friends & family

 

[Paul Norman]

i would like to recruit direct sellers for our personalised story business, where is the best place to find them?

Is there a Home for the Desperate, Skint and Gullible?

There. I would try there.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Is there a Home for the Desperate, Skint and Gullible?

There. I would try there.

Weatherspoons?

 

[Personalised stories]

not very helpful Paul, but thank you for your time, much appreciated!

 

[Paul Norman]

not very helpful Paul, but thank you for your time, much appreciated!

Not massively helpful, I concede! But, in a round about way, we are trying to encourage you to be a bit more systematic about it than adding to a rather old thread. You could, for example, start a new thread on the topic.

But actually I suspect that forums like this are very low on the list of places to try. Most people genuinely do start with friends and family, and local community groups.

 

[Oscar478]

I see 'network marketing' gigs as a game, not a business. People (winners) can be successful and make a lot of money. They rely on these people to stand up and recruit more players. If it is a well designed game, the many losers feel as if they were not good enough, too lazy or generally did something wrong, so they do not protest, and some even want to play again. They may tell you it will be easy to sell X number of Y, and that's how many you should buy up front. If you sell them all, youll be making Z, a huge amount of money. You don't sell half of what they said would be easy, and you blame yourself. You take the hit and give them more money for another spin of the wheel. The rewards are not clear, and neither are the rules in many cases.

 

[MikeJ]

Good one. I think you need to go back and learn a few things before you say anything.

I am completely convinced by this new poster that's registered simply because he happened upon this thread concerning MLM scams.

 

[Rekkovitch]

I was invited to join the BNI locally about 8 years ago. I stupidly agreed to attend a free breakfast session only to find people condescending of my business and I think they thought they were a cut above. I know a couple of crooked businesses that are members of another branch/team/area or whatever they call it.

So my advice , buyer beware !

 

[estwig]

Bl**dy BNI won't leave me alone, chamber of commerce ain't no better and there's another crowd kinda like the BNI, can't remember what their called, 'numpties are us', somefink like that.

I design houses, extensions and loft conversions, so my leads are especially valuable to builders. That bunch of numpties aint getting them for nowt!

 

[Mark T Jones]

Bl**dy BNI won't leave me alone, chamber of commerce ain't no better and there's another crowd kinda like the BNI, can't remember what their called, 'numpties are us', somefink like that.

I design houses, extensions and loft conversions, so my leads are especially valuable to builders. That bunch of numpties aint getting them for nowt!

There are a few of them, often mimicking the format - though some are a bit less pompous than BNI

It always makes me laugh when I see people on LinkedIn randomly 'recommending' a list of people who happen to belong to their networking group


Not the networking the OP was referring to, but it always makes for a fun thread.