What do you think of MLM?

Yes, there seems to be some MLM business that became Ponzi schemes--some are because they are illegal to begin with but some just became like that because of mismanagement on certain important fields in the business. But I see a lot of potential in MLM businesses. It's not that I believe or don't believe the saying "they just aren't putting in the work". It's because people don't know their jobs, don't know anything about the MLM business or just don't have the necessary intelligence or knowledge on what to do on certain situations. What I mean to say is MLM is supposed to be a teamwork. Very much like the government and its people. However, the concern of each individual should not center only on oneself but towards other people. You can say MLM is a Pay it forward system. Unless people understood it and know how to change their way of thinking from that of an employee to an entrepreneur, then that MLM team they've put up would be in great risk...right?

As I've said, I still have to work under a network marketing business. So I cannot name an MLM company to satisfy your question. But I believe from your words alone that you only know about the system as much as I do right now. What structure does the MLM provide you that you couldn't get on your own? It's not the structure that I want. What I want is the ability to work with people, enhance my business and money management skills. It's about what I get from joining anything and that's simply the right education to create a business that would survive. My purpose is simply to learn what I can and get out. For others it could be their living--but I won't stay on that level only. I need to know their system and why their business usually prosper. It's cheaper than investing in franchising and it's a beginner's classroom for practical business management. Well, that's all it is for me. What is it about their products and why they are over priced? Do realize that most products from MLM businesses are far superior in nature compared to what's lying around the common market. I don't know for you, but that's the case in my area.

I hear what you are saying. You certainly will be around other people. I have never seen an MLM that has some superior product. Certainly they have extremely loyal salesman that will tell you they are, but they obviously have a vested interest. I am confused about what product needs to be sold in MLM fashion that couldn't be sold on the market in an open fashion. But I am American, so this might be a cultural difference, I don't really know what products you have available, or if you have certain embargos or trade stipulations that causes you to have access to inferior products.

Faith? I do admit when people mention MLM, I silently cringe. At first I never really understood this aside for a ponzi scheme or another business out to take people's money. If we were having this conversation just a few weeks ago, I might have very strongly said negative things about MLM. But now, I think I know better. I realized that I was not very open to marketing businesses. But when I think about it, I never really knew anything about the business. It was then that I started to read about the background of MLM businesses. What I found out are things people run away from. But that's the reason why I see it as an opportunity. Most people hate taking risks but I don't see risks in it thanks to my many months of investing on my financial intelligence, I understand what rich people see here that the average don't. The MLM business is very much like how life is. Its system don't center on the person himself. The business is about giving to others and pushing others to success. By this, I don't mean the mass pushing the one on the top. No, It's the top that's helping the ones below. It is a very generous business. That's why the poor and average run away from it. They see themselves lacking enough to give something to others. They hope that entering this business, they would earn money for themselves. This is a very bad misconception. By making your purpose as something to help others, others in return would help you financially via the commissions you get once they became successful under your influence. That's why until people who enter this business, get this, they are bound to say negative feedback on this kind of business.

Is that how you view the system, telmesh? From what point are you talking about? The individual entrepreneur? The mobile? The center? Or the business company itself? MLM businesses indeed takes the expense it rewards to its entrepreneurs from the products they sell and/or the investment of entrepreneurs to the business as membership fees. However, the entrepreneurs are the ones who puts a price on the product they are selling. For example: a product is sold for $10 in the market--as the average price--the entrepreneur may buy it from the center/the business company itself for only $8 and sell it for $15. That way, the entrepreneur can get some profit from selling the product. It depends on the business. In my case, since I am a member of a certain MLM business, I can buy a Php 420 product with a 10% discount compared to the non-members. I can sell the product for the market price or up the price a bit like Php 450. This is not ripping money but a common business sense. Buy low, sell high. So long as the product is not over priced, I don't consider the business as ripping money from someone else. If you think that MLM businesses rip money from people, look into other kinds of businesses too. They use the same way of buying and selling. They buy raw materials for a low price, add some name to it, and they sell it for a very high price in the market--sometimes for 10 times the amount they got the raw material from--some even higher. So what's the difference between MLM system to the common market businesses? Sometimes none.

If you're not onto brands too, then so am I. I grew up with hand-me-downs and other types of merchandise that don't have brands. The reason is, I can't afford to--considering my father is overly thrifty and I was frail in health. I also understand what you mean in people buying something they don't actually need. It's because business creates those needs that they buy those products. I am well aware that in paper, people previously labelled as "population" are now "consumers". But there is something I would like to point out: there are brands that really do guarantee quality in products for example in computers--considering I am a computer student. If their merchandise is not functioning well, they offer warranty. Unlike unbranded units, sometimes you can't go back to the store and have it changed. My father is one who likes to buy cheap things. But he's impatient so he buys straight away without looking whether the product he brought is well made or not. That's why he frequently buys another one if the last one breaks. He spends more than he thought he does.

It's a shame that you don't have consumer rights as in here in Britain where products are expected to give reasonable service and most carry at least a 1 year guarantee. The store where purchased is responsible for the product in the first place and the product must be fit for purpose.