Did you know that only 25% of MLM participants earn money, and of that, only 3% earn a livable income for a one-person household?
It's easy to see e-commerce conglomerates like Market America and get swept up in their seeming online success, but that doesn't always guarantee your online success.
If you're interested in joining the “best” MLM company because you're looking for ways to have an online business, then this blog is for you.
Read on as we give you our honest Market America review and show you how the business works. We'll also discuss alternative strategies proven to help grow online businesses and how they can help you too.
Let's begin!
What Is Market America?
Founded in 1992 by JR and Loren Ridinger, the former Amway distributors, Market America is a product brokerage MLM company.
As a multi-level marketing company, it works by persuading individuals to subscribe to their program, and in return, they receive online marketing training materials and products they can then sell and earn commissions from. The goal is to give people a chance to throw away the 9-5 and start working for themselves!
Originally operating as MarketAmerica.com, it bought the e-commerce business Shop.com from Microsoft in 2010. Now, Market America acts as a corporate and careers website, while Shop.com is their e-commerce hub.
The Difference
While most MLM companies are the same, there is a key difference in Market America that almost makes their business admirable.
Instead of making a product or product range, Market America sells products that others make. So, instead of spending money manufacturing products, they partner with other companies and sell and promote their items through individuals like us, and on their website.
How Does Market America's MLM Work?
So how does this work? Why wouldn't companies want to sell their own items?
Market America promises companies that if they partner with them and sell through their website, customers will buy more of their products because of cashback opportunities.
Cashback tells consumers you're going to buy this product anyway, so you might as well buy it here where you'll save money.
The Goods
Both Market America and Shop.com sell millions of products and services from very well-known brands. Nike, Apple, and so much more, covering a wide variety of industries like:
- Weight Management
- Health & Nutrition
- Cosmetics
- Anti-aging
- Pet Care
- Home & Garden
- Financial Services
- Auto Care
You could argue that most of its success comes from its extreme range of offers. Because it sells a bit of everything, it becomes this one-stop online shop. The same goes for workers. They can sell and specialize in almost anything.
Money Making Process
Now it's time to figure out how this business can serve you. While the online shop is a big part, Market America's MLM branch is what draws in a lot of people looking to develop marketing and sales skills. And with 700 employees and over 180,000 franchisee workers, they must be doing something good, right?
The framework for earning money with Market America happens in three ways.
The first way is by earning cash back. We mentioned this earlier, but to reiterate, when you or your customers purchase items online from Shop.com, you'll earn money back.
The second way is through commission. You earn retail profits when you sign up for their program, and for every product you sell, you'll earn a 30%-50% commission.
The last way is through recruitment. Once you've joined the MLM scheme, you can recruit others and essentially build a team that you can receive residual profits from. This is a part of their compensation plan or “The UnFrancise Business”, as they call it.
Sign Up Process
To get a slice of this money pie, you have to spend some to earn some.
When you first sign-up you'll pay a one-time fee of $399, this payment includes your first month's subscription as well as your starter kit. After that, you'll pay a $129 monthly subscription fee.
In the subscription, you'll get:
- Starting Guide
- Audio Training Series
- Training and Seminar System
- Coaching and Mentoring
On top of this, you'll also need to routinely purchase between $130-$300 worth of products and attend seminars that can cost anywhere from $20 to $200. This doesn't include any extra costs you'll invest into the brand and yourself to help sell the product (i.e. travel costs, hosting, and attire).
Similar to Avon, and other MLM companies, this seems like a great way to gain crucial online marketing training, however remembering back to our statistics, that's not always the case.
Is Market America a Scam?
So, is Market America a scam?
No, it's not a scam. They offer real products that you can buy and safely know that you'll receive them. Does this mean we recommend investing in MLM and signing up for their program? Absolutely not!
The infrastructure Market America has set up does not teach individuals valuable marketing skills. Most of the money, like all pyramid schemes, comes from recruitment rather than sales.
Gaining skills to help you grow your brand, business, or even yourself online doesn't come from investing in falsehoods. True online success comes from understanding various marketing techniques, like affiliate marketing, and learning from experts, who like you, wanted to understand the ever-changing marketplace and build their online business.
The Honest Market America Review
We're not here to bash any company. If you believe Market America has the answers you need, then you should follow that.
However, if you like seeing measurable progress, avoiding pricey subscription fees, and are truly looking to build your own business online, then try your hand at affiliate marketing instead.
In order for you to develop your skills, you should consider taking a free or paid marketing course. There are a variety of digital marketing courses you can take from businesses that can help you enhance your skills. As of writing this, over 80,000 new marketers have taken the Online Business Builder Challenge (only $7), and that might be a good starting place for you as well.
