
Have you thought about starting your own Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) business because you want to start earning an income from home? Something that you can work around the kids and the chaos that is family life? But you’re concerned that you’ll constantly have to try and sell stuff to family and friends? If you’ve searched online and come across this page then I’m guessing the answer is yes! Well, you’re in the right place. In this article you will learn all about the good and the not-so-good of Multi-Level Marketing, including my personal experience, and why there is a much better alternative to this business model in 2024. Here I’ll explain…
- What is MLM and how the business model works
- The companies making the biggest profits
- My personal experience with the largest MLM company
- The pros and the cons to consider
- Why if you’re an “introvert” MLM is not for you
- What the best alternative business model is in 2024
- Why I chose this other business model over MLM after lots of research
- And the only skill you need to succeed (this will blow your mind!)
WHAT IS MLM?
The Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) business model, also known as Network Marketing, Referral Marketing or Direct Selling, is a business strategy where companies sell products and services directly to consumers, bypassing the traditional retail channels. Companies have a wide variety of offerings in the beauty, home, health, nutrition, financial, utilities and travel industries. Individuals join under a distributor known as an “upline” and earn money through both direct sales and the recruitment of new members into their own network. Some companies will offer training and support in the early days to help new recruits get up and running.
To begin, you sign up with an existing distributor of a company whose products you like and feel aligned with. Your focus is to start selling products and services to customers and recruiting other people into your team. You earn commissions on your own sales, and as a recruiter, you earn a commission on the sales made by your recruits, or your “downline.” You may also earn bonuses and other incentives based on your team’s performance. This creates a multi-tiered or multi-level structure of compensation. In essence, an MLM company primarily consists of non-salaried representatives who are encouraged to sell products or services and frequently recruit additional representatives to do the same.

You’ve probably come across this business model before, or been approached by someone in an MLM business. There are lots of popular companies including Avon, Herbalife, Mary Kay and Forever Living to name a few. People usually get started by investing in some stock and then asking family and friends, mums at the school gates or colleagues in the break room if they would be interested in making a purchase. You will often see distributors selling at local events, school fairs, market stalls and maybe to you every time you meet for a coffee!
THE BIG COMPANIES MAKING PROFITS
According to “The History of Network Marketing” the MLM business model was started in the 1940’s by the founder of “The California Vitamin Company” Carl Rehnborg. In order to boost sales, he rebranded the company to “Nutrilite” and invented Multi-Level Marketing. Still going strong in the 21st century, TitleMax recently reviewed the Top 25 MLM companies and here is a snippet of that article showing the Top 5 and their turnover…

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
About 20-something years ago, my husband and I (before we got married) were looking for a flexible business that we could run from home. We hated working for other people and wanted control over our time and our income. Shortly after we met a chap who had all the answers and soon we were signed up with him in his MLM business with Amway. At first, all was good. We liked the business model, liked the products and liked the group of ambitious people we had joined. However, fast forward 4 years and we were hundreds of pounds in debt with boxes full of cleaning products that we couldn’t shift. The products were really good quality, don’t get me wrong, but there are only so many bottles of washing-up liquid for $10 each that I could sell to my mum!
Now there were some real positives to being a part of this particular MLM group… they used and promoted a lot of self-help and positive thinking books to us and we found them invaluable. This is how our journey into self-development started and we still read and listen to this type of material today. The other thing we enjoyed was the large-scale events that we went to regularly in big arenas in the UK with celebrity speakers and successful Amway business owners sharing their stories. However, years into it, we were no further forward than the “Silver 9% Pin” level and we got there by buying boxes of products in bulk ourselves and not actually having any customers that we could sell them to. This was a big mistake on our part, in desperation to make something of the business we had spent so much time and money on. We had travelled to every meeting and bought every cassette tape of training and book to read we were advised to. We had sold every home and make-up product we could to our family and also some to our friends, and we were ok with that. But when it came to trying to sell products to strangers and then recruit them into our group, that’s when it started to feel really uncomfortable. Ugh! It makes me shudder now when I remember the awkward conversations my husband used to have with local shopkeepers, men at the nearby petrol station and random strangers waiting for the chance to mention our “great business opportunity.” People (quite rightly!) thought we were crazy! It was so embarrassing! Needless to say, we decided that MLM was not for us, as the pressure was too much and eventually quit the business.
If you’re considering signing up with an MLM, there are some pros and cons you should consider first…
THE PROS IN AN MLM…
- It’s a good way to start a business and be your own boss
- It can be flexible
- The training and personal development means gaining skills in sales, communication and leadership
- It’s a good way to meet new people
- There is a support network and community
- The products are usually of a high quality
- There’s potential for good earnings
THE CONS TO CONSIDER…
- It can be high pressure with targets to meet
- You need to sell high volumes of product to make a profit
- There is a lot of pressure to recruit
- Saturation can be a real problem if there are several distributors in your local area
- There is some financial risk in buying stock upfront
- You need to be prepared to manage and motivate a team as results are heavily dependent on their performance
- Some companies have a bad reputation for operating as a pyramid scheme

MLM? NOT IF YOU’RE AN INTROVERT!
MLM is a business model that thrives on networking, social interaction, direct sales and recruitment. This can be a fun and rewarding way to make money for extroverts who have a more outgoing personality. However, if you’re more of an introvert, every part of this business could be a real challenge on a day-to-day basis and may not be the best fit for you. Here’s why…
- Introverts can find the social interaction and regular networking exhausting
- The face-to-face selling and constant need to recruit new members challenging
- Meetings, demonstrations and public speaking can be daunting
- Handling rejections and managing conflicts in the team can be uncomfortable
- Often the need for strong self-promotion on social media is not ideal for an introvert who prefers a lower profile
While introverts can certainly succeed in MLM with the right strategies and support, the business model’s heavy reliance on selling and socialising, networking and promoting, and targets and performance makes it a less natural fit for those who prefer quieter, less pressured and more solitary working environments.
THE No.1 ALTERNATIVE BUSINESS MODEL IN 2024
When it comes to choosing a new business opportunity a flexible, home-based, online business is the number 1 choice for many aspiring entrepreneurs. You could set yourself up as an E-commerce business owner and sell your own products, or start a Coaching and Consulting company helping people achieve their goals. However, the best business model to choose over MLM in 2024 is… Affiliate Marketing!
Affiliate marketing is a great option for beginners, or for anyone looking for a business with low start-up costs, as you don’t have to create your own products or handle any inventory. It is purely an online business that can be run in your own time, from the comfort of your home or quite literally, anywhere in the world as long as you have a laptop and an internet connection.
Affiliate marketing works in a similar way to making a recommendation to a friend. Have you ever had a great experience somewhere and wanted to tell someone about it? Well, it’s a bit like that. This business model involves promoting other people’s products or services for a commission with sales made online through your own unique affiliate link. You can promote this affiliate link in many different ways, which don’t involve putting your face all over social media! Essentially, you’re acting as a middleman between the product creator/company and the customer. If someone clicks on your affiliate link and makes a purchase, you receive a commission from the company. Depending on which company’s products you choose to promote, commissions can range from low-ticket (up to $100) or high-ticket (hundreds and sometimes even thousands of dollars.)

The concept of affiliate marketing on the Internet was first created by William J. Tobin, the founder of PC Flowers & Gifts, in 1989. Now, 35 years on, there are thousands of companies that offer an affiliate program as it is a great way to reach a number of different audiences by using affiliates that the company cannot appeal to just on it’s own.
Also, affiliate marketing is an ideal business model for introverts, or anyone who much prefers to work independently and set their own schedule. There is no pressure of company targets, face-to-face selling or recruiting new team members. There’s just you, your schedule and the goals that you set for yourself. And just imagine your commute in the morning… from the bedroom, to the kitchen for a coffee, and then into the home office, still in your pyjamas! 🙂
THE REASON I CHOSE AFFILIATE MARKETING
After I had my 3 children, I needed to bring in an income but going to work for someone else in a full-time job was not an option. I wanted to be there for my kids; to do the school runs, to go to the sports days, the dance shows, the football matches and to just be the one that picks them up at the end of the day, cooks the dinner, helps with homework and puts them to bed. This was really important to me as children grow up so fast and you don’t get that time back. So I knew I had to look for a flexible business opportunity.
I knew I didn’t want to go back into any kind of MLM business and I’d tried starting an E-commerce business but struggled with it. I couldn’t start a coaching or consulting business as I had no skills that would work in that area, so I knew that Affiliate Marketing would suit me best. It gave me everything I was looking for… the flexibility of working when I wanted to (when the children were in school or in bed), the freedom of working at home on my own (or popping down to the local café for a change of scenery) and financially, there were 2 big benefits…first, there was no ceiling on what I could earn and second, I could create a passive income stream, with money coming in whether I was working or not. And there were no company targets or selling products to everyone I met! For me the pros totally outweigh the cons.
SOME OF THE CONS TO AFFILIATE MARKETING TO CONSIDER…
- It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme – Affiliate marketing requires time and effort to learn how to choose your audience and promote products effectively. It’s not a quick or easy way to make money.
- The commission rates can be low – While some affiliate programs offer generous commissions, others may only offer a small percentage of a small sale price.
- Dependence on the companies – As an affiliate marketer, you have no control over the product or service you’re promoting. If the product creator makes changes or stops offering the product, your income could be affected.
For me, it was a no-brainer. When I researched affiliate marketing, I read it’s a $17 billion dollar industry and growing every year. There are people making a nice little side-hustle income and then there’s others (like my mentor) who are earning millions a year. And one thing I knew for sure is that millions of people are shopping online and spending billions of dollars a year. (I’m one of them, just ask my husband!) I certainly know how to spend money online so I could definitely learn how to earn money online!
At first I worried I wouldn’t be able to learn the technical skills needed and didn’t have the time to build a business. But I pushed through those doubts and fears and I’m glad I did! Fast forward to today, and even though my children are all teenagers now, they still need me, and my time (and my money!) so I’m grateful I took the opportunity to start a flexible, online business that brings me in an income, whether I’m sat at the laptop or not. Most of my business is now fully automated and runs 24/7. This means I have a passive income stream… something I really appreciate. On last year’s holiday in Majorca, I made 1 sale while lying on the beach that earned me a $3,000 commission!

THE ONLY SKILL YOU NEED TO SUCCEED
If you can learn how to make 1 sale online, then you can make 10, and if you can make 10 sales, you can make 100. Once you have learned how to sell anything, to anyone, anywhere in the world, the sky’s the limit!
To succeed with an online affiliate marketing business, there’s only 1 skill you need to learn and get really good at… marketing. That’s it, marketing. (I told you I would blow your mind!) Mastering this skill will determine how successful you are and how much money you earn. So you might be thinking “OK, where do I learn this stuff?” Great question! I remember thinking the same thing and I can help!
While this is a simple business model and can be a great way to earn a passive income as a beginner, it’s important to understand there’s still a steep learning curve in the early days. Remember, this is a proper business. If you have no idea of how an online business works, you’ll need some help to get yourself off to the best possible start. That’s why it’s a good idea to find a reputable and well-established company that offers step-by-step training and a proven blueprint for success. This type of quality training should be taught by successful coaches and mentors, who will teach you how to “Prepare, Launch and Grow” an online business the right way and help you get the results you want and fast.
Once you’ve got your head around the tech side of things and completed a few other steps, your online business will be ready to go! Next… marketing.

This type of marketing comes under many different names… online marketing, internet marketing or digital marketing. The approach taught by my mentor Stuart and his training company is more specialised… it’s “Authority Marketing”. Understanding Authority Marketing or Attraction Marketing is essential for success in Affiliate Marketing. Authority Marketing involves establishing yourself as a trusted expert in your niche, which can significantly boost your influence and sales. But this isn’t just about selling. It’s about understanding how to… decide on your niche / pick your target audience / know how you can help them / know how and where to find them / establish yourself as an authority in your field / build a strong brand / target the right traffic / get quality leads / and make sales – gaining these skills will set you apart from all the noise online. If you take the time to learn and master Authority Marketing, you can be very effective at promoting the products and services you’re affiliated with and earn a very good income from your new online business. As I said earlier, if you have the skill of being able to sell anything online, the world is your oyster in this new digital economy!
So there are pros and cons to both MLM and Affiliate Marketing. With the right approach, either one can be a lucrative and fulfilling way to earn an income. While MLM could be a great business opportunity for some, there are some negatives to consider. The same can be said with affiliate marketing. I hope this article has helped you decide which is best for you.
If you’d like more information on what’s involved in starting an online business, whether that’s affiliate marketing, e-commerce, or coaching, then click the link below and sign up for a free 4-part video workshop series that delves deeper into what you really need to know and how to become one of the new “Modern Wealthy.” The training is given by my mentor Stuart, who has 15 years of experience, built several online businesses from scratch and knows what he’s talking about!
Hi! I’m Hayley, a happy wife and busy mum of 3 fantastic children. I’ve recently started my own online business from scratch and I’m starting to reap the benefits and enjoy all the rewards of the flexible lifestyle that this type of business can offer. I hope that you have found this article interesting, helpful and inspirational. Thanks for reading!