In 1972 I was a 26 year old living at that time in Idaho Falls, Idaho. I really hadn’t heard much about the Network Marketing industry. There were two companies that I had heard about…Amway and Shaklee, and I really didn’t know much about them. I also was aware of a company called Avon, and that because my wife was approached by a door to door sales person, which was always a woman selling cosmetic products.

I learned from research on the Internet that network marketing originates back to the 1940’s where a company trading under the name of “California Vitamins” discovered they could make more sales when they had a lot of sales representatives selling a small amount of product each, compared to the traditional business model…selling large volumes of products in stores and markets. The company changed its name to NutraLite, and true network marketing was in the developing stages and started gaining in popularity.
In 1956, NutraLite was joined in Network Marketing by Dr. Forrest Shaklee to gain a broader distribution of the food supplements he had developed, and the name was changed and called after him. Not long after, in 1959, former NutraLite distributors Rich DeVoss and Jay Van Andel founded the company Amway which was an abbreviation for the term “the American way”. Amway from day one was based on the same network marketing concept. Over 50 years later Amway is still a well established network marketing company operating in more than 80 countries around the world and with more than 3 million business operators.
In 1972 I was approached by a representative from a new company called Royalite. It was being marketed as a direct competitor to Amway, and distributed soap products that had been developed to compete with Amway soap products. The company had a general cleaner called RC, which to me is better than any I have ever used…even to this day! They offered an excellent carpet shampoo, that rivals any on the market today, and a very good mild cleaner for delicate fabrics called Super Satin, and a hair shampoo.
I was intrigued by this opportunity, and joined the company as a distributor of these great products. I was what was called a direct distributor, and could buy the products wholesale and sell them for the suggested retail price established by the company. It was part of the compensation plan to invite others to join with me as a partner or downline member.
There were several ways a person could become a distributor by purchasing products, although they weren’t required to if they only wanted to use the products themselves. If you wanted to make the big bucks you bought a garage full of soap and could sell them retail, or wholesale to frequent customers. If you signed up others to become distributors who also bought a garage full, you would earn a percentage of the money paid to the company for their product purchases. I’m only kidding about a garage full, but it was certainly a number of cases of each of the products!!

You could advance in the company to higher distributor levels where you would earn even greater percentage and also bonuses. These were: Senior distributor, regional sales rep. and Area rep. over several states. The money one could make was very exciting in those days just as it is in today’s Network or MLM companies. Although then as now, success depended on your mindset and desire, and your work ethic!
I was advancing very well and working very hard at my marketing of the company and of the products, which I really believed in! I became a presenter, a regional rep. and held meetings in Idaho Falls, Blackfoot, Pocatello, and other cities nearby. I did product demos, and became very good at promoting Royalite. I remember receiving a check in the mail for $4000, which at that time in my life was an amazing amount of money!!
Then, when all was going soo well for me and for others that were really working hard, we were devastated to learn that the Founder and the VP closed down the company and disappeared with the money and the formulas for the products. A very many people were left with garages full of soap, and only the prospect of trying to sell them on their own!
This was to me a terrible tragedy and a real loss, not only because the opportunity was gone, but because the products were the best you could buy!! I have actually kept some of those soaps and use them sparingly, because they are so very effective and good!
Since those days I have seen hundreds and even I am sure thousands of companies come and go. Many of them fail for lack of funding, or they don’t have a product that is really appealing to the public. Some dissolve because they are not legal or haven’t met FTC standards, or the requirements of the Attorney Generals of the states if they are American based companies.
Some companies like Amway, NuSkin, to mention just two, have been around for a good long time and are still doing well. I’m certain there are many more that would fill a long list, but it is not my intention to name them here. What I do want to say is that network marketing is a very viable industry in which motivated people can make as much or more money than many in the medical, dental and other well paid professions!!
The industry has taken some very bad raps from uneducated individuals and even by government agencies over the years. Some is perhaps warranted due to the nature of some people out there that don’t care how they can hurt the public, and are only interested in making a pile of money. Even Amway had to fight to prove they were not a pyramid scheme as they were labeled in the early days and years of their existence!
When all is said and done, it is my feeling and opinion that MLMs or Network Marketing businesses are a very good option for people to make a great living and especially in today’s economy when we cannot seem to count on traditional business models. With downsizing and outsourcing to foreign countries of Americas manufacturing, and other industry, home based MLM and Network Marketing opportunities are really providing for many an excellent way to make a living!!
I am involved and very excited about network marketing still today, and now the internet has added a dimension to the industry that has caused it to become a world wide amazing success story! If you’re at all curious about what I am doing, look me up on Facebook, or email me at Fewlsf@hotmail.com. For those that are truly serious to know how to market their company or product.. Check this out: http://www.winningatnetworkmarketing.com

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