Before I get into the details of the income opportunities, I would like to provide some background. In February of 2007, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. The symptoms that I was experiencing have prevented me from working a regular job since September of 2006. At the time, my wife was a stay-at-home mom as we wanted to homeschool our daughters. This meant that after I became disabled we had absolutely no income other than my disability insurance. My wife began to look for a job that would allow us to continue to homeschool the girls and accommodate for my frequent need to visit a doctor or hospital for tests. You can imagine that this was not an easy prospect! Eventually, she was able to find a job, but with her income, my disability insurance, and a lot of help from friends and family, we were just barely making ends meet.
In an attempt to become a little more comfortable with our financial situation, I started looking for an alternate source of income online. I remembered seeing several ‘work at home’ opportunities on the internet, so I decided to look into them to see what they entailed.
Not wanting to be scammed out of money that I didn’t really have in the first place, I took my time investigating things before committing to anything. After a year of trials, I feel comfortable recommending a couple of opportunities to you.
Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) and Direct Marketing
Sadly, MLM has gotten a bad reputation with a lot of people who have tried to work from home. On the whole, the driving concept of MLM is an excellent one. The problems come from companies that have either a bad compensation plan, a high volume requirement, a too-expensive distributor ‘kit,’ an undesirable product, or – and likely most commonly – the opportunity doesn’t fit the person trying it. If you don’t believe in a product, you will have a really hard time selling it. Further problems arise when a Ponzi scheme disguises itself as a potentially profitable MLM structure. Ponzi schemes, or pyramids, simply rely on people to buy their way into the plan. They are then asked to get more people to buy into the plan and so on down the line. The ‘fee’ for joining is usually spread out so that each person that came into the ‘plan’ before you gets a share. For example, if Fred buys into the plan for $50 on Joe’s recommendation, Joe gets $10. Further, another $10 goes to Mike as the person that brought in Joe. Finally, the remaining $30 might go to Susan because she sponsored Mike. Now, in order for Fred to make any money, he must convince at least five people to join the program, hope that those people do the same, and get his share of their entry fees. The problem with this, and what makes this illegal, is that no real product is changing hands. Due to the similarity in the multi-level structure, a lot of reputable MLM companies have gotten bad press because it is all too easy for a disgruntled distributor to cry ‘Ponzi’ when they don’t get what they are led to believe they are entitled to.
If you are not familiar with MLM, the concept is simple:
1) A person signs up to become a distributor of a company’s products. This is not really any different than a person buying a franchise for a retail store or restaurant. Basically, you get the rights to sell the product(s) the company offers. You have to follow their marketing guidelines and promote their products. As a distributor, the company will pay the distributor a portion of each sale made. Based on personal performance, you are entitled to more benefits for selling more product.
The difference between MLM and brick-and-mortar retail shops is that the distributor generally does not have to stock product. They can place the orders or the customers can buy direct from the company and have the product shipped directly. The distributor does not have to pay rent, employees, utility bills, or other costs associated with keeping a store open. Additionally, the start-up cost is considerably less for the distributorship than for the franchise. On the other hand, the cost of goods sold – the wholesale price – tends to be higher to off-set the higher cost incurred by the company.
2) The distributor is also encouraged to recruit more distributors. These recruits become part of the distributor’s ‘downline.’ This allows a person to further build their business as every sale made by their downline entitles the distributor to an override bonus. As with step 1 above, the distributor might gain new titles and benefits based on the size and performance of his/her team.
Different MLM companies offer different compensation plans – different percentage overrides for different levels of downline, different placement options for recruits, etc. All of them take note of J. Paul Getty’s famous quote – “I would rather have 1% from the efforts of 100 men, than 100% from my own efforts.” To the MLM world, this means that you can make more money on less effort by bringing more people onto your team and teaching them to do the same. Even a small percentage override can lead to a big income as your team grows.
Whatever the plan, no MLM can promise something for nothing. As well, the good ones will never promise to help you ‘get-rich-quick.’ They do require you to work in order to see any results.
With that, let’s get on with the opportunities…
Opportunity #1: SFI
The first business opportunity that I want to present is SFI. Here is a quote from their site:
“Since 1998, SFI has been leading the Internet income revolution with its cutting edge affiliate program that empowers even average people to earn $20, $50, even $100 per hour working from their home computer.SFI has shown millions of men and women from over 200 countries worldwide how to cash in on the Internet. In fact, our system is so successful that OVER 8000 people join SFI every week!SFI is totally FREE for affiliates to join. And there’s absolutely NO OBLIGATION. SFI provides you with FREE Websites, a FREE course that teaches you everything you need to know to make money online ($295 value), and hundreds of exciting products to stock your online store shelves with.Plus, SFI takes care of all orders, product shipments, and customer service for you. You just have to cash the commission checks!”
In January of 2008, I joined SFI for free – it couldn’t hurt, right? – to see what they had to offer. At that time, they offered several products for me to market in an attempt to earn money. They offered nutritional products, cleaning products, magazine subscriptions, MP3’s, and even domain name services and website hosting. Additionally, they had just introduced a new advertising co-op called EyeEarn. This co-op is what initially attracted me to SFI. More importantly, after signing up, I was presented with a lot of training articles, how-to tips, and support on how to be successful with SFI – all for free. In fact, there is so much to peruse that it is almost daunting in its scope.
On January 5, 2009, SFI launched a major upgrade to the way you do business with them. Essentially, they revamped the internet storefront and added thousands of products to the store ‘shelves.’ Along with the additional products, they have introduced a ‘Private Seller’ program so that people like you and I can sell our own used items, paintings, photography, or any other item we might wish to unload. This new storefront is called ‘TripleClicks.’ As with the business opportunity, there is no charge to become a TripleClicks customer. Simply visit the site, create a profile – i.e. provide shipping information, etc. – and proceed to shop. In order to sell an item, you need to purchase credits. SFI Affiliates are provided with 3 credits for free. Additional credits start at $1.99 for one but can cost as little as $0.19 each. Beyond the cost of the credit, all proceeds from the sale of your personal item(s) go directly to you, the seller!
– How It Works
There are essentially three levels of participation. They are: Affiliate, Executive Affiliate, and Team Leader – though the Team Leader title has four levels of its own, Bronze (BTL), Silver (STL), Gold (GTL), and Platinum (PTL). Each title carries with it additional benefits and higher commission percentages.
This is really no different than any other MLM out there. Each title has a minimum requirement in order to earn it. Most companies require the distributor to sell more product and recruit more people in order to advance to the higher ranks. With SFI, the focus is on recruiting and duplication.
The first step is to become an Affiliate. As mentioned previously, this step is free of charge! I recommend taking this step and taking advantage of the training resources provided to affiliates – even if you do nothing else with SFI. The training offered can benefit any internet entrepreneur. As well, take the time to browse through the products offered in the store. There is a good chance that you are already buying some of these products at the mall or other local store. If so, start buying them from yourself! This only makes sense. Also, start marketing! Get the word out there that you are now able to sell these products.
Step two is to become an Executive Affiliate (EA). With SFI, this is an easy process. There is only one requirement to become an EA – generate 10 Sales Volume Points (SVP) in one month. Each product offered for sale through TripleClicks has an amount of SVP assigned to it. By selling product you are generating SVP. In fact, some products carry a full 10 SVP! By selling just one product a month you can become an Executive Affiliate!
Step three is to become a Team Leader. This is what I like about SFI as compared to other MLM companies: in order to become a Team Leader, all you have to do is maintain EA status and teach others to become an EA – five other people to be exact. There is no additional SVP requirement; it never goes higher than 10 SVP! To advance above BTL you simply need to teach more people to become EA. This is where the duplication comes in – just show other people to do the same thing that you are doing.
When I joined last January, I personally did not try too hard to sell products. I wanted to try some of them out for myself first. I wanted to compare them to similar products that I was already using – shampoo, hand soap, multivitamins, and more. I transferred my purchasing from local stores to purchasing from MY store. As such, I did not end up spending any additional money from what I was already spending. In fact, I ended up saving money. Due to the fact that I did not try too hard to sell products, I know that my earnings are not what they could have been. The true benefit, though, is that I got a first-hand look at how powerful this system is. I know that if I work harder at selling products and teach others to do the same, not only will I earn a comfortable income, so too will the people that I teach.
In summary, SFI is an excellent opportunity for anyone to earn an extra income over the internet.
To learn more about the opportunity, CLICK HERE (https://www.ezinfocenter.com/10004681/FREE)
To see the products available for sale, CLICK HERE (http://www.tripleclicks.com/10004681)
To get one free listing to sell one of your own items, CLICK HERE (http://www.tripleclicks.com/10004681/go)
Opportunity #2: Great Life International
My reason for looking into Great Life International goes beyond the potential to earn some extra money. I was introduced to a product called VidaCell. I was intrigued by the product and the benefits it is said to offer. I wanted to try it out to see if it would improve my physical health. After a bit of research, I found that the best way (read the most cost-effective) to do this would be to sign up as a distributor in order to get the product at the wholesale price. I was not looking for a business opportunity but I found an excellent one!
Great Life International offers a different commission plan than the one that SFI offers. As well, they only offer one product, VidaCell. I have only been a distributor for a couple of months, so I can’t really offer a personal testimonial on the potential of the commission plan. However, I can see that potential. My belief in this program does not come from the plan, though. Rather, it comes from the product. I have been using the product now for several months. While I have not experienced a miraculous cure for my symptoms, I have been more able to do the things that I want to do – play with my children more frequently, exercise more often, and walk the puppy that we recently adopted from the Connecticut Humane Society. I intend to continue using VidaCell well into the future in hopes that my condition will further improve. My improvement has been notable enough that my parents are also using VidaCell in hopes that various conditions they are experiencing can also improve. Ultimately, this is more important to me than money. I would rather have my parents around longer and be able to enjoy my improved health. So too, by marketing VidaCell, I hope to improve the quality of life for lots of people through use of the product. If they can also earn a supplemental income through Great Life International, that is just icing on the cake.
As with my experience, I encourage you to examine the product. Visit the website and learn about the origins and the benefits of VidaCell. There are several videos, articles, and audio links on the site for you to review. You can do so by clicking HERE. (http://www.greatlifeintl.com/default.asp?r=309149)
To reiterate, I became a distributor in order to save money on the product. I do not use the product for the purpose of creating an income but rather in order to improve my health. The potential for earning an extra income is a bonus for me.
To become a distributor with Great Life International, one must purchase a distributor kit. Included in the kit are a variety of marketing and training materials to help you get started. The kit costs $49.95 and is available in English and Spanish.
Being a distributor provides you with a replicated website to direct people to online. This site provides a plethora of information about both the product, VidaCell, and the business opportunity. As well, you will get a profit from every sale made through your website.
As is the case with MLM, you are also able to progress through the ranks via sales and recruiting. Again, if you are looking for a quick buck, this is NOT the opportunity for you. This does require effort to make it work. Similarly to SFI, Great Life international places a lot of merit on duplication. The company really wants to see people succeed and the best way for that to happen is to have their distributors teach others what the product is all about. They would rather have ten people make one sale per month than to have one person sell to ten people. Their commission plan is based on this very principle. One box of VidaCell – a one month supply – carries a personal volume (PV) of 50 for the distributor. One monthly sale entitles the distributor to Team Commissions and Matching Bonuses. Eventually, in order to advance to the higher ranks, your required PV will increase to 100, but by that point you will already have earned a decent income.
Both Team Commissions and Matching Bonuses are based solely on the performance of your team, not your own personal productivity. As such it behooves the distributor to help others to learn about the business and how they can do the same for others.
Over and above the commission plan, Great Life International offers Life Points to distributors. In order to earn Life Points, a distributor needs to establish a monthly autoship order of at least 50 PV (or one box of VidaCell!). If, like me, you are using the product on a regular basis, then this is a no-brainer. My personal supply of VidaCell comes to me without my having to remember to order it. As an added bonus, I earn Life Points for not only my personal product but on every sale that I make. These Life Points can be accumulated and be exchanged for various things ranging from marketing materials to VidaCell to a new laptop computer.
In summary, Great Life International is an excellent opportunity for someone that is looking to improve their health and overall quality of life while trying to earn an extra income. It may not be for everybody.
To learn more about both the product and the opportunity, CLICK HERE. (http://www.greatlifeintl.com/default.asp?r=309149)
The answer to that question is yes…IF you are not afraid to work the opportunities. Due to regulations, I cannot divulge my earnings as this could be viewed as a promise of earnings. The important thing is to not be shy about what you are trying to do – to improve the quality of life for yourself and others. When you talk to more people you will make more sales which should lead to more affiliates as your customers will want to realize the same benefits as you. Share your knowledge with others and help them to be successful. With both SFI/TripleClicks and Great Life International, it is more important to help others make a sale or two than it is to make a lot of sales on your own.
Set goals, work toward them, and don’t give up too soon. Neither of these opportunities is going to succeed overnight. In fact, SFI recommends giving it a couple of years before you will see any real results. In my first year with them, I am pleased with my earnings based on the effort that I have put in. I know that both of these opportunities can provide me with the means to the income I need to not only get me off of disability but to allow my wife to leave her job.
“If you can dream it, then you can achieve it. You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.” – Zig Ziglar
