Are you trying to start making a secondary income stream? If you're like many people, you have friends or family members who have started working with network marketing (or multi-level marketing) companies.
They may talk about their success, their money, and how much freedom their business gives them. They look happy, so should you try it?
While you're probably familiar with some of the more common MLMs, like Herbalife and LuLaRoe, what about The Body Shop?
Many people, even beauty lovers, have no idea that The Body Shop is a multi-level marketing business unless they're already in it.
If you've had your eye on selling skincare, we want to talk about it first. Keep reading to learn all about this MLM company before you make your commitment.
What Is The Body Shop?
The Body Shop is a popular skincare store in the United Kingdom. It started in 1978 and it's since made its way to the United States. These shops are often found in airports, making them convenient for anyone who's on the go and looking for some last-minute skincare staples.
Is The Body Shop an MLM?
Alright, so far The Body Shop doesn't sound like an MLM, right? They're a skincare store, so what's the problem?
While The Body Shop itself is innocent enough, it has an MLM program: The Body Shop at Home. As with other MLMs, The Body Shop at Home recruits people to distribute their products to strangers, friends, and family.
As with every other MLM, there's an income structure in which distributors can make a commission based on their monthly sales. It's “not” a pyramid scheme, but the bulk of each distributor's money is going to come from recruits.
So, in short, The Body Shop itself is not an MLM, but their side business, The Body Shop at Home, is.
What Do They Sell?
To be clear, there's nothing wrong with the products that The Body Shop sells. There's a reason that their brand has been so successful. While they're not high-end, they have quality skincare for decent prices and overall, there are no complaints here about that.
They have good sales, they have good service, and they're a great place to stop in and grab a quick lotion or bubble bath.
They sell nicer skincare products like CBD balms and hydrating products with vitamins C and E that are often used for anti-aging benefits.
They sell decent makeup products that, while not high-end, perform well enough to be worth the cost. They even have fragrances and hair-care products. In other words, they're a well-rounded company.
With this in mind, it might seem like it's a good choice for an MLM. While they're better than some shadier companies who offer shoddy or overpriced products, it's still not a reliable way to make money.
Who Is Their Target Audience?
The Body Shop casts a pretty wide net, and The Body Shop at Home is no different. Everyone needs skincare products from time to time.
That said, the primary audience for The Body Shop at Home is going to be women of all ages (with a larger focus on young and middle-aged adults for most of their products).
Most of their distributors are women (similarly to most multi-level marketing businesses).
What Is Their Income Structure?
This is where things get a little bit complicated. It's hard to say exactly how their income works, but there are a few key things to point out.
First, you're going to need to recruit people in order to meet your goals. There's very little information online about how those uplines and downlines work, but it's clear that uplines earn commission from the sales that their downlines (recruits) make.
As with any other MLM, you also make money from your own sales. That said, it's not a lot of money, so you need to hustle if you want to make it a viable income option.
For the first £599.99 (around $843), you earn a 25% commission. After this, you earn 30%. This is for every month so your commission potential ends with the end of the month.
To do this, most people who work for The Body Shop at Home host parties (if those sound familiar, it's because they're incredibly common amongst MLMs). Basically, you sell to and recruit friends and family under the guise of a fun get-together.
Your goal is to recruit the people at the parties.
Can You Make Money?
This is tricky.
Yes, you can make money with The Body Shop at Home, but you're most likely not going to make any kind of livable income unless you're a very savvy marketer.
Some Body Shop recruiters will tell you that you only need to host a handful of parties in order to make £1,000, but this isn't true for most people. The general income from each party is around £50.
The math doesn't add up.
If you make a habit of not making enough money to please The Body Shop higher-ups, you risk having your sales suspended. This further gets in the way of your ability to make money.
If you decide to stick with The Body Shop, you need to up your marketing skills and find new ways to make money without harassing your friends as if they were dollar signs.
Getting on social media is a great start, but it's best to get some marketing classes under your belt.
The Body Shop: A Good Idea?
From where we're standing, The Body Shop has great products but a poor at-home business model. No matter how you cut it, it's an MLM, and like every other MLM, it relies on predatory business practices.
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.
