[Lucas]

Originally Posted by Caveman Joe

There is no business that can guarantee success. I don't know where you got the idea that there was.

I apologize if I misunderstood. Mainly I wanted to know what the business opportunities you were talking about that have a higher chance for success? I would be inclined to think that all businesses have the same chance of surviving when done by the same person. So if I were in and MLM or opening up a brick and mortar store, I still have the same chance of profiting, because it really depends on me.

MLM's don't use word-of-mouth advertising. They pay people to sell for them, just like other companies pay telemarketing firms - except that instead of selling to random people, most people end up selling to (and recruiting) friends and family members. It's not word-of-mouth if money changes hands.
ASDA is the biggest supermarket in the UK, and recently merged with Wal-Mart. ASDA, Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons are the UK's "Big Four" supermarket chains.

I can get behind that statement. That's another thing I forgot to mention though, you need to join a company whose products you would be using regardless of if you were a distributor. Thanks for clearing up the ASDA thing for me. MLM is a lot like Steve's affiliate links, in the sense that while he is getting paid when you buy the products, he still believes in the product.

Are you saying that MLM companies wouldn't like to have their products sold on ASDA's shelves? It'd certainly shift a few units. No, I don't think that's the case. I think the problem is that the Big 4 don't want anything whatsoever to do with MLM, and prefer to stick with a business model that has proven itself to work.

It depends on what it is I guess...I mean the company I am in, couldn't possibly even do that, since store shelves are the antithesis of the products, hehe. In general, I would say no, they don't, because they made a conscious decision to go with MLM as their business model. I would like you help me understand why MLM has not been proven to work? Amway is over 50 years old will millions of distributors. Avon, Mary Kay, Tupperware and Partylite (to an extent) are household names (in the US at least). It is just as successful a model as the traditional one in terms of how many succeed and how many fail.

If you can make a living in MLM, then fine, go ahead and do it. I just think that if you have the determination to make money in MLM, you have the determination to make money in anything, and you really should be working for yourself instead.

I thought that way too a couple years ago, and it makes perfect sense to me. Personally, I chose network marketing so that I could utilize my strengths. I am good at talking and writing. I can do that, and the whole back end support system is there for me. I didn't have to develop marketing systems, figure out duplication models, basically I plug into my system and do what comes natural for me. Since MLM goes hand in hand with personal development, I can still brand myself and be differentiated from other distributors. I am working for myself, but promoting a product I love. It is win-win for me.