home_based_possibilities.htm

There has been a lot of recent interest in new business ideas for the home-based entrepreneur. In fact, you will find a recent article I wrote on this IAHBE Website about some of these opportunities. But there are older well-established businesses for entrepreneurs that you should carefully examine if you want to become involved in a solid established company.

While reading the October 30, 2006, issue of Forbes Magazine I came across their 2006 list of “200 Best Small Companies.” While most of these are completely outside the realm of home-based size, there were a few that appeared to offer the possibility to make a buck. I selected those that seemed to be most likely prospects for my own business plan and began an investigation. Of the 11 companies in my original group, all but three turned out to be not suitable as a home-based business; one was a $200,000 franchise, and the rest had distribution systems with no chance of a business opportunity. Perhaps you can benefit from my findings.

The three companies remaining all use network or multi-level marketing methods for distributing their products. Amway, Herbalife, and others fought many legal battles in the past over the MLM concept and won most of them. But there remains a stigma among a lot of people; it’s the same old negativism ingrained in all of us at birth which says, “you can’t do that; it won’t work.” Even the Forbes editors had problems in their article about Mannatech, Number 5 on their list. They called it “this multilevel marketing outfit, which converts customers ... into salespeople who, in turn, push products on friends and neighbors.” And that’s true of all MLMs; however, distributors who only prey on their “warm” market go away fairly quickly. These are real businesses and, if run like a real business can make serious money for their owners.

Another thing that struck me was all three in my selection are in the vitamin, supplement, or health food business. I’ve always been intrigued by psychics and the paranormal; it always seemed out-of-sync with the real world until the popular TV shows “Medium” and “Ghost Whisperer” came along. Now I’m not so reluctant to say that 15 years ago my father, recently deceased at the time, came to me in a dream and said, “Sell vitamins.” I took no immediate action, but this field continues to grow rapidly—our own SFI has a substantial line of Veriuni vitamins and supplements. It appears to be a field to get into because the FDA, the pharmaceutical manufacturers, and the news media are all stepping up attacks from every side on the industry. It makes me think there may be a future here, because most of the opposition seems to be criticizing the lack of studies on effects of these products. All this stirring of the pot will produce more studies and probably eventual acceptance of many of them.

Let’s look at these companies in the order of the Forbes list; all three were in the top 15 out of 200.

The company’s core products feature the key nutrients for health of cells in everyone’s body, which are glyconutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and phytohormones. Mannatech feels well-positioned to take advantage of the Wellness Revolution many analysts see as the next trillion dollar industry. All these forces are coming together to make this happen (according to the company Website):

Growing healthcare crisis.

Baby boomers fueling emphasis on prevention and wellness.

Disruptive technologies opening doors of opportunity.

Home-based business movement.

Global communications capabilities.

Here are details of the Mannatech compensation plan. Because all purchases and membership applications must come through an associate you will need to go through this site. Note there is a section to complete if you do not know a current associate.

When researching any business, it is always wise to check for unfavorable information. In the case of MLM companies the negative people have rooted much of the unfavorable stuff up, so I try to concentrate on government regulators and respectable media reports. Two I found about Mannatech are a fraud suit involving some distributors and an article in the Dallas Morning News about some pending legal issues against distributors, not the company.

This is a rapidly moving high-powered company and may be just the thing you want to carry you to success. Investigate it yourself.

Usana Health Sciences is Number 12 on the Forbes list. Company founder, Myron Wentz, Ph.D., says Usana is one of America’s leading health and nutrition companies because of a trusted superior product line and an innovative marketing program that rewards all distributors. Founded in 1992 the company’s headquarters are in Salt Lake City with worldwide distribution in 11 countries outside the US.

The product line is composed of four types of products:

Essentials-vitamins, minerals, other basic nutrients.

Optimizers-support for cardiovascular health, skeletal health, digestive health.

Macro-Optimizers-additional beneficial ingredients such as dietary fiber, soy protein, potassium.

Sensé-three step program including cleansing, tone, replenishing.
These product lines may be purchased online by selecting your country and then following the left sidebar to products you want to buy.

Usana is a well-positioned opportunity in the nutrition market that has grown by 300% over the last five years. Much of this growth is due to demand from 76 million baby boomers who want to stay well and never grow old. It’s a very good business for the foreseeable future.

Usana’s pay plan is based on a binary system where commissions are paid weekly; there are no monthly volume requirements. Here is a detailed discussion of the pay plan. The company is forthcoming with information and tells you right away the average annual income for a North American distributor in 2005 was $802.62. While this may seem small, realize it is an average, and many distributors make a whole lot more. Still, this average is close to $70 per month; for an entrepreneur with several businesses, such an amount could mean a significant income addition. The only requirement to become a distributor is purchase of a starter kit for $49.95 (less online).

One thing impressive about Usana is the Website provided for distributors, many of which rank highly on Google; here is one example.

Usana participates in many programs for young people. This article from the Orlando Business Journal describes one such relationship. This is another good message about the company; I tried to find negative items and searched four pages of Google without finding anything. It looks like a solid opportunity for you to investigate.

The final company in my search is Number 14 Reliv International. This news release is about Reliv’s featured position in the July 2006 issue of Success from Home Magazine. Note the significance of the wellness industry as detailed in the writings of Paul Zane Pilzer and the significance of MLM by Robert Kiosaki. Part of the strength of Reliv is in its 73,000 independent distributors.

A significant benefit in the Reliv distributor program is availability of a 24-hour story line. Tap this base and find a story to help with any sales situation you may have. Another strong element is easy availability of training for English speaking distributors servicing the growing Hispanic market. These immigrants are becoming a significant economic force in many communities, and the fact that this company has a serious program in place to approach them is a tribute to the value of Reliv as a promising business.

Founded in 1988, Reliv is headquartered in Missouri and has worldwide operations in 10 countries. The company sells a large line of balanced nutritional drink mixes designed for different uses like:

Essential Nutrition

Functional Formulas

Weight Loss

Sports Nutrition
There is a new skin care product line called ReversAge Performance Enhancing Skincare. It includes cleansers, moisturizers for day and night, and special use face and eye creams. The products are also available as Starter Collection and Advanced Repair Collection.
There are five ways to achieve income with Reliv:

Retail Profits-Up to 40% of sales.

Wholesale Profits-Up to 20% except Master Affiliate up to 40%.

Overrides-On five levels, with royalties from sponsored sales you can make a lot of money.

Cash Bonuses & Trips-Star Director Bonus can double income.

Ambassador Program-Get paid to help others;
There is no payment for new distributors, only commissions on sales of products. A new distributor must purchase a sales kit for $34.45 with an annual renewal fee of $30 which includes a subscription to the magazine.

I did find a negative report about the investment potential of the company and one report of false advertising; there is also a report where Reliv sued about defamation and false statements on someone’s Website. Other than these few negatives, I found no others on the first four Google pages. Reliv also appears to be an attractive business for a home-based entrepreneur.

The vitamin/supplement business is an exploding opportunity. One of these companies could be your ticket to financial independence. See if they are for you!

Yank is a home-based entrepreneur and freelance business writer living in Hurricane Alley, North Carolina, USA. His Website is http://www.furriwhalesworld.com/. Contact Yank at globalbiz@furriwhalesworld.com.