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So many people are getting more and more interested in MLM business opportunities. I for one have participated in a few and have compared different companies based on my experience, and my friends and family’s experience. First thing I would like to address before I get in too deep into this article is that, “any and every business is going to have it’s ups and downs based on your belief system”. Some things will resonate with you and some things may not. I have my beliefs and you have yours. All self employment is difficult and takes a lot of hard work and continued research and education. I am not here to change your mindset, but only to share with you my experience with MLM businesses based on my personal experience.

Many people think that when they start an MLM business they will “Get rich quick” and that is just not the case. When people go into an MLM with this kind of mentality, they never make it far! When we realize running an MLM involves more work than we anticipated, we end up disappointed, discouraged, and quit too fast to even experience the full benefits of having a business. Look as much as you may think the products are going to sell themselves, good marketing is still needed. If you have a mindset where you think your going to have an overnight success story, I am here to tell you’re miss-leading yourself. Entering into any business that you have to run yourself, is going to be hard work. Well, if you want to make any money. Truth is, it is going involve A LOT of HARD WORK! Yes, you will have to speak to people! Yes, you will have to purchase the products, try them, and experience them for yourself! Yes, you will have to learn something about the company, the products, their ethics, culture, and history. And yes, you will have to have some product knowledge! With that said, here are 5 tips to success with an MLM business

5 Tips to Succeed with an MLM business

Choose a great upline
Choose a company that has products you use daily and that you actually enjoy using
Trust the products and the company you join
Love the journey of learning
And love interacting with people

Do these 5 simple things and you will succeed in more ways than just your cash flow!

Understanding the Politics of MLM

Understanding the politics of any business is essential to your success and that is no different with MLM opportunities. I know many people will disagree with me in this article and that is okay by me. All I ask is that everyone just please remember to keep comments respectful, encouraging, and please, do feel free to share any helpful information you may have concerning MLM opportunities. I am intrigued by MLM companies, specifically those that sell essential oils or anything ORGANIC for health and wellness and skincare. See, essential oils and living an organic lifestyle has changed my life mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. And I love sharing new products and my experience with others. However, what I am not a fan of, is when MLM companies are not giving valuable information to their consultants that can actually help our environment, community or overall health and wellness. Many MLM companies are deceiving people with false pretenses. In fact, there are some MLM company’s that tell people it is okay to ingest certain products or to use their products without diluting them when in fact these products could do more harm to certain individuals.

I get it! MLM businesses are meant to upsell and get others to buy into their program to keep the chain going. However, I don’t agree with a strategy when the “politics” or the principles of that company are flawed by deceiving people with unpredictable, unhealthy, and dishonest methods to succeed. First, I don’t care what your MLM representative tells you, you should never be selling anyone on the idea of applying or swallowing products without fully researching and understanding the product itself, and for your body and health condition! Furthermore, if you don’t know the person who you’re offering remedies to, you should not be offering advice as if you’re a medical professional. For example, many doterra and Living young representatives teach dangerous practices of applying essential oils to the skin without dilution. They also offer tablets so people can make their own essential oil pill for ingestion. PLEASE DON’T DO THIS!

I have a cleaning company where I use essential oils. I diffuse them into the air for aroma and for their healing properties. All my cleaning products are also made with essential oils in them. Everything I use is “plant based and organic”, however, I do not take this lightly. I always ask my customers if they have allergies to the aromas that I am using. I also ask if they are on any medications, have health concerns, or if they have kids or animals. I ask lots of questions and get to know my client before I take them on a journey into my aromatherapy cleaning experience. And do you know why? Because I know that these essential oils can do major damage if I do not take the proper precautions and use them sparingly. If someone has a reaction I want to know ahead of time because I never want to be the cause of getting someone sick. Or even worse, die because I misinformed them of the potential hazards of essential oils mixed with certain medications.

FACTS ABOUT MLM & Their products

I can tell you from experience that the rules for using the products are essential to your success! You must know them and like them. For this article, I will be talking about the essential oils as an example, because that is what I used. I have used essential oils for my cleaning business for over 5 years now, and let me just say, “too much of a good thing, is a bad thing”! I have gotten really nauseous and felt ill when exposed to too many essential oils in one workday. Honestly, I don’t think any essential oil MLM Company should be advising people to ingest essential oils ever! I definitely think it’s important to know how much you can handle before applying it to your skin. Did you know what you put on your skin soaks into your bloodstream within 6 seconds? do-Terra and Living Young representatives are huge in offering advice on healing illnesses by ingesting tablets with a full glass of water. Many people think they are safe and that the water is diluting the essential oil. But the truth is, IT’S NOT! When have you ever known water and oil to mix? NEVER! Water and oil do not mix! Do you know what that means? That when ingested, the oils are not emulsified and they go straight to your mouth, down your throat, to your esophagus, and then to your stomach, all undiluted!

The treasure that is nature can be extraordinary and yes, beneficial to our health and wellness, when used properly. But we must know our own body and be mindful when something is wrong. This includes following some safety precautions. We must remember, these are plants that have been used as medicines for centuries. They have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and their aroma can sooth and alter your mind, mood, and emotions. Still, we must be aware of how we use them. Essential oils can be used for anything and everything under the sun but if not used with caution, they can be deadly. Yes, I said deadly. Also, not all essential oils are created equally, bottom line. Different companies extract essential oils differently, some say pure, some say organic, and some say fragrance. There is a difference between these oils. And FYI “natural” is not equal to “organic”!

Choosing the Right MLM

First, let me just say, I was not very educated on essential oils when I first started using the products for my Cleaning Company. I mean, “I wasn’t using the products on my skin, and I was not ingesting it, so I was fine! Right? WRONG! I didn’t realize I could actually have an adverse reaction to essential oils, until I began to feel weak, fatigued, and even dizzy after using certain products on my skin and then cleaning with essential oils. After experiences some symptoms when using certain products and oils, I started to do some serious research. After realizing that I started to feel really ill in the homes requesting Lavender for each cleaning. And I mean really ill! Headache, nausea, dizziness, and even felt faint at times. However, when I got home, I would shower and eat dinner with my kids. After some time passed I would feel better. What was the cause? Why did I feel so sick every time I cleaned the particular clients? Was it something in their home? A perfume I was allergic to? I had to get to the bottom of it. So I began to look at all the common denominators of those clients and their homes. YUP! Lavender! Who’d ever thought? Lavender is a favorite to so many!!

.Needless to say, I can no longer use Lavender without an uplifting aroma such as orange, and I must wear a mask and gloves when using any of these essential oils. Another very important part I want to bring up here is that, I didn’t wear gloves all the time and I didn’t realize it, but I was spraying product, wiping things down, and all those essential oils were soaking through my hands and into my blood stream. Even though I highly dilute my products with “water”, and they are made with “carrier oils and a base”, I was still getting sick! Now, I make a point to use massive precaution to protect not just my customers, but myself as well. Truth is, I learned all of this being a part of a great MLM company I was a part of for 3 years.

See, I became a consultant for an amazing company that taught me the value of business ethics that care about the people, the animals, and the planet. I was a consultant for an MLM and I joined this company for many reasons. After attending a conference I was hooked to the products and the friendships I built while there. I’ve met amazing connections from all over the world. What I loved about the company was their proof of ethics in improving the company by consistently refining their products, their continued certification,s and quality control, educating their consultants, and they are always cultivating new ways to inspire, support, and develop teams that want to improve the world we live in. And to me, there is no better journey in life than the one that improves human development and growth through the mind, body, and spirit. Honestly, this company does that and much more! What I didn’t like, was that I would find products I loved and I would use them and then share them, and they would go off the market! Constantly changing products, is really frustrating. I get it! We are always looking to improve our products and services. But com’on! when is enough, enough?

Conclusion

So, to conclude this article, I would like to say that from my personal experience with MLM businesses, they are equal to owning your own business. It is not a scam, but you will have to work your tail off to generate clientele and sales! It’s not for everyone and very few make it to the top! I certainly didn’t! Just know this, you will have to put effort into any business if you want to work for yourself or work from home. This is why it is important that you find something you enjoy. If you like it, then it won’t be considered work. If you are completely passionate about it, well, you will be driven to share it! It is not going to easy, and it will take hard work to build, regardless! I mean with the internet being the main marketing tool today, you will need to build a platform for yourself! You will want to choose a company that has products that you enjoy using so you’re not scared to share it and you won’t delay actually doing the things that will generate business. Like those days spent cold calling and days where you will have to have parties and host events. MLM’s are meant to be fun, cash flow opportunities, and if you are not having fun or you don’t like the products, you will set yourself up for failure. trust me! And you must not follow what everyone else is doing, you must sell and be creative in ways you are comfortable. Bottom line! Because if you are not comfortable, it will show and you will come across as fake and not genuine. You must build a team that is trustworthy, and one that performs. Laziness is not part of MLM business opportunities. In fact, there is no room for lazy in any “self-employment” journey. It’s about hard work, learning new things, building new relationships, sharing, growing together, and embracing change in every season. So, go-a-head, embrace the season and give it try! Love what you do and do what you love! And remember…