To ask how much you earned from a MLM?

[Cinderellashoes]

Not because I’m thinking of joining - I’ve read Elle Beau’s blog! But because I’ve had about ten people (no joke) message me over the last 2 weeks. Distant family members, ex colleagues and people I have on Facebook but haven’t spoken to for years!

I’ve been offered the body shop, Essens, FM perfumes, younique (which I didn’t even realise is still going!), some form of weight loss stuff and skin care stuff.

My sister in law is selling the perfumes. She’s just posted on Facebook that her extra income has paid for a new sofa yet I know her mom and dad brought it for her

So I was just wondering how much do these people actually earn? I can’t see her selling enough perfumes to pay for a £1000 sofa!!

I did an MLM a few years ago. I can't remember how much profit I made but it was definitely at least high three figures over the 6 months or so that I did it, enough to need to pay tax on the money after deduction my expenses. I stopped when I went back to work after maternity leave as I couldn't dedicate the time to building it up once it had started to naturally fizzle out.

(and to counter the general MN view of MLMs, while I was encouraged to recruit I wasn't under any pressure, I didn't spam my own Facebook with marketing and I didn't nag my family and friends to buy. Most of my sales were to strangers)

One of them will ever tell you!

I've got a feeling there was a part on the money on the BBC documentary with Cherry Whats-her-name on MLMs. A lot of people make nothing and spend plenty on their set up costs.

Ellie! Why did I think she was called Cherry?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p076n2hg

@DebbieFiderer I'm intrigued that you can't remember exactly how much you made. Didn't you at least keep a spreadsheet?

"The high three figures", say if that was £800, then that would average out at £133.33 per month over six months. Does that seem right?

I did keep a spreadsheet, just don't know if I still have it, it was 10 years ago. I'll have a look. I know I got paid every two weeks, each one was between £50 and maybe £200, but obviously there were also some expenses. On top of that I got several hundreds of pounds worth of free products, many of which I still use daily. It was never intended to be a main income, just something to top up my maternity pay, which it did.

Which mlm did you do to earn three high figures? I thought it was a bit dishonest of my SIL to use a photo of her new sofa in her ‘join my team’ posts which are pretty much daily! She specifically said she paid for it from her perfumes but I know for a fact it was a present! I thought why be dishonest? If you’re actually earning money be honest about what you earn?

I know someone who made at least 50k a year doing scentsy, or whoever you bloody spell it.

I think she’s pretty high up.

No amount of money I could earn from a MLM would be enough to get me to bandy around the word Hun as much is obviously required.

Because nobody makes money from selling the products; they only make money signing up new people to the scheme. They are pyramid schemes.

According to this: www.thebalancesmb.com/the-likelihood-of-mlm-success-1794500 only a quatre of people in MLMs made of profit, with around a quater breaking even, and half losing money.

Out of those that did make a profit only about 3% made the equivalent of minimum wage.

Your SIL is lying because she knows that the only way to make a profit is to con other people into joining you. You make virtually no profits from selling the products themselves

@DebbieFiderer - what did you sell?

I'd rather not name the company, partly in an effort to keep some anonymity, and partly because I don't want to get in to a debate about whether it was a good company or not. They aren't around any more, at least not in the UK. The products were pricey, but I live near some affluent areas so people could afford them which is why I could make a profit. At the end of the day, MLMs do get a deserved bad rap, but for me personally it worked well. I didn't make a fortune but I got some much needed extra cash and a load of freebies, and got out at the right time for me.

Oh and I've looked and I don't have the records any more. The spreadsheet was on an old PC, my online bank statements only go back 7 years, and I can't remember the government gateway ID for my self assessment records.

And just to add, I didn't recruit anyone. All my profit was from selling the products.

I'm just wondering what product lasted ten years - obviously not food, perfume or cosmetics. You're a rarity though.

I did Betterware almost 30 years ago. I earnt between £20-30 per week in between being at college which doesn’t sound much but I had to work a full 8 hours in a shop on a Saturday to earn £12.

Well I don't think it did last 10 years I did it 10 years ago, it had been around for a few years, but stopped trading in the UK about 5ish years ago, maybe a few more.

I don't want to be mysterious, so I'll say it was Pampered Chef, but as I say, I don't want to get into a debate about whether the products were any good/overpriced etc.

@embarrasseduser are you calling me a liar? I have absolutely no reason to lie. I'm not involved with MLMs any more, and wouldn't sign up to one again because I know they are not for me, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm telling the truth.

Absolutely fuck all. Probably less than fuck all because if the times I bought extra products to qualify for free postage rather than lose the sales.
And the money i did make i couldnt ever get because they wouldn't let me have it without a passport or driving license to verify my identity
According to my 'mlm friends' I just didn't try hard enough. They mostly jump from one company to another so clearly aren't making any money either

Could be Pampered Chef - they aren’t in the UK any more, products would probably last 10 years and they were certainly expensive - though not bad products.
But it wasn’t really an MLM in the same way as Arbonne or others. More like direct selling IIRC.

I was asked to join an MLM and I remember asking the person asking me won't I dilute your potential customer base (same area) and she looked at me as though I had 2 heads and said of course not, as I'll get money from your sales
But yeah, recruiting someone else to sell to people you could have sold to yourself doesn't sound quite right to me.

@MonkeeBidness

Could be Pampered Chef - they aren’t in the UK any more, products would probably last 10 years and they were certainly expensive - though not bad products. But it wasn’t really an MLM in the same way as Arbonne or others. More like direct selling IIRC.

Good guess! I know they have a better reputation than some of the really dodgy MLMs, but they were still one - bonuses for recruiting, recruiters got a %of their 'downline's' sales etc.

@Maireas

I'm just wondering what product lasted ten years - obviously not food, perfume or cosmetics. You're a rarity though.

Just realised you meant the products lasted 10 years, not the company, d'oh!

What has lasted ten years? Kitchen gear?

I think direct selling is different. That's what Betterware was, and probably the Pampered Chef.