Most of us shy away from MLMs, yet many people are making money with multi-level marketing irrespective of the high-rejection and turnover rates. If you have an entrepreneurial spirit, can work under pressure, and are looking for a new stream of income, multi-level marketing may be for you. Read my Forever Living review to find out if selling personal care products is profitable.
Table of Contents
Forever Living Quick Look
Company Name: Forever Living Multi-Level Marketing Company
Company Inception Date: 1978 (Tempe Arizona)
Owner: Rex Maughan
Products Sold: Personal care products, skincare (notably aloe vera products), dietary supplements, essential oils, and household items
Cost To Join: Free (But you must purchase two credits)
What Is An MLM?
Multi-level marketing (MLM) is a type of business model in which individual representatives receive commissions for selling products. They do this through a variety of methods, including direct sales, referrals, or word-of-mouth. Representatives also receive financial compensation by having people in their downline who are also selling the company’s products.
When these “downline” members make a sell, the person who recruited them also makes money. This hierarchical commission model is dependent on both product sales and sign-ups. MLMs are also referred to as referral marketing or pyramid selling. MLM companies are notorious for marketing products that are overpriced. This is likely due to the fact that they have to pay their representatives commissions on top of what the company makes.
Forever Living Facts
Forever Living is a multi-level marketing company dedicated to finding the best natural sources for health and beauty. As stated on their website, they are “a multi-billion dollar company that manufactures and sells hundreds of wellness and beauty products all around the world.” The company owns their own plantations and facilities, along with quality control labs and distribution channels. Forever Living has a global presence in over 160 countries.
The company sells a broad range of products, including nutritional supplements, essential oils, skincare, and products centered around weight management, with aloe vera products being their signature line. In fact, they’re called Forever Living: The Aloe Vera Company, and are the largest grower and manufacturer of aloe vera products in the world.
Aloe vera, referred to as the wonder plant, is a succulent revered for both its internal and external healing properties. It’s grown and cultivated on plantations in Texas and the Dominican Republic, and is offered in liquid gels, nectars, and juices.
One liter of Forever Aloe Vera Gel costs $19.31, which seems a little steep to me, but I buy aloe vera leaves at my local Asian market, which are extremely inexpensive. A quick Google search shows that the products can also be purchased on Amazon.
Aloe vera boasts many health benefits, including soothing digestion, balancing hormones, reducing dental plaque, along with its antibacterial and antioxidant properties. Externally, it moisturizes and conditions the skin.
Forever Living’s products are not FDA-approved, but then again neither are nutritional supplements. This means that no health claims can be made in terms of curing specific conditions or diseases.
The company has a pretty impressive track record, in that they have been in operation since 1978, underscoring the popularity of their products with consumers. Forever Living has an A+ rating on the Better Business Bureau website with no customer complaints.
How To Join Forever Living
Like most multi-level marketing companies, members, who are called Forever Business Owners, are recruited most often through word-of-mouth. Somebody knows somebody and gets them to join their downline or they attend a party and join through that avenue. People attending the party can get a feel for the company by purchasing products. It’s the same kind of deal as Pampered Chef or Mary Kay.
If a person decides to sign up, they would do so under the person, or sponsor, who is selling the products. You need to have a sponsor to join, however if you don’t have one, you can have one assigned to you by entering your information in the appropriate box on Forever Living’s website. It’s free to join, and one advantage of doing so it that you’ll receive discounts on products purchased. The more you buy, the more significant the discounts.
One disadvantage, in my opinion, is once you’ve become a Forever Business Owner, you’ll be required to buy products in the form of credits. One credit equals $214.00, and since you have to purchase two credits, your initial product investment will be $428.00. That sum is obviously going to be prohibitive for many people. You can, however, “become a product of the products” if you’re not yet ready to begin building a business. This means your primary focus would be on selling.
Forever Incentives And Bonuses
Once you’ve become a Forever Business Owner, your job will be to sell as much of the company’s products as possible. The more you sell, the more you’ll make. The idea is to not only sell products, but to sponsor other people who are looking to join the company because your income will be dependent on their sales.
Forever Living has a generous incentives and rewards program where you can earn all sorts of perks, such as destination vacations and jewelry. Incentives are the result of climbing higher and higher up the tiered system as you meet the requirements for sign-ups and sales.
The Chairman’s Bonus Program rewards business builders and leaders for their hard work and dedication by paying them a percentage of the company’s global revenue. These leaders receive recognition at Forever Living’s Global Rally. Retreats and specialized training are also offered to top leaders.
Pros
✅ Set your own hours
✅ Discounts are given on products – the more you buy, the more you save
✅ Earn a significant income stream
✅ Generous bonuses and rewards programs
✅ Potential for worldwide travel
Cons
✔️ Commissions are based on sales, no sales = no commissions
✔️ It’s mandatory to buy two credits when joining – so technically it’s not free
✔️ Getting people to join under you takes a high degree of motivation and commitment
Can You Make Money With MLMs?
I don’t know about you, but I don’t have the personality to try and convince people to join my downline. This aspect of multi-level marketing has always been off-putting to me.
I think it takes a certain personality-type to be able to push this type of agenda, and you must have people in your downline if your goal is to make money.
However, getting people to sign up under you is only half the battle, as your income stream will be dependent on their ability to sell and recruit. Additionally, pitching products is stressful in itself, there’s a certain amount of pressure that is part and parcel of multi-level marketing. In order to achieve success, you’ll need to be good at selling, and have a strong team under you.
If that kind of work appeals to you, then yes, you can certainly make money with MLMs. Multi-level marketing is a viable business model that has worked for many people. Do keep in mind, joining Forever Living is not technically free, nor is it low-risk. This is due to the mandatory requirement of having to buy credits, which equates to over 400 bucks just to get started.
Plus, you’ll have to like the products yourself, particularly the aloe vera line, in order to be convincing enough to sell them to others. If you don’t, selling will feel forced and inauthentic, and people can sniff that out. I’ve had several people try to convince me to sign up under their MLMs, and I’ve often wondered if they truly believe in the products themselves. You can never be certain when money is involved, no matter how convincing the person is.
Final Opinion
Essentially, if you have a salesy type of personality, are somewhat of an extrovert, have a high degree of motivation, and don’t mind paying a few hundred dollars to get started, AND you work well under pressure, then do learn more about Forever Living. It may be a good fit for you…
If that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, check out my #1 recommendation for building an online business. You won’t have to sell products or sign up people to be in your downline, but you can still set your own hours, enjoy a community of like-minded people, and learn marketable skills that will serve you for years to come.
The best part – your success will depend on you and you alone, no pressure to get anyone else onboard, and your business won’t be dependent on whether people in your downline are making sales and signing up recruitments. You can start a business in any niche of your choosing, whether that be in the field of wellness, essential oils, or skincare. OR in any other field you’re passionate about.
READ MY REVIEW or click on the banner below to learn more.
What do you think, does Forever Living sound like a good company to work for? Let me know in the comments:)
Forever Living
$428.00
Pros
- Members receive discounts on products
- Incentives and bonuses are offered
- Potential for travel
Cons
- It's not free to join
- You must buy 2 credits worth of products
- A downline is necessary to make money
Your review of Forever Living is very thorough. I was not sure whether you are purchasing some of their products or if you joined the program. The initial investment to get started sounded a little steep unless the products are really top-notch. Are there some MLM programs that you do recommend?
Thank you. No, I have not joined Forever Living so I don’t have personal experience with their products. I know the initial investment would be steep for some people, it would for me. Apparently, however, it’s not an issue for the people who have joined, although I’m not sure the percentage of people who actually end up making money.
Thanks for reading my review:)
It is clearly impressive that they have been running this company since the late 1970s, that’s really mind-blowing. My concern with this company is that their products are not FDA approved and for personal reasons I always try to avoid those. Not to mention the prices are a little overloaded, but again, the company needs to keep its manufacturing. Aside from that, I think it’s a pretty decent form of marketing.
Hi Stephanie,
Yes, Forever Living is an impressive company, they’ve certainly been around a long time. I think it’s fairly typical of MLM companies to hike up their prices a certain amount because they have to pay their representatives commissions. It is a viable form of marketing if you have the personality and grit for it. Thanks for your comment:)
Thank you for sharing this information! Forever Living sounds like a pretty great company, but I’m in the same boat with you where I don’t have over $400 to start up a business with, nor do I have the drive to push sales on people, and turn my friends away from me because I’m trying to encourage them to sign up and be in my downline. I’ve tried MLM marketing before, and I’m just not cut out for it, and don’t like the less engagement I get from my friends on social media, because they have no interest in my posts.
Affiliate marketing definitely sounds more appealing, as well as more rewarding. What are some of your favorite affiliate companies to represent?
Hi Brandy,
I’m with you. I’m not cut out for multi-level marketing either. Just not my cup of tea. Forever Living is a good company to work for if you like the MLM model. I’ve tried this form of marketing before too and it doesn’t resonate with me. Good for the people who are making money with it though.
I prefer affiliate marketing.You don’t have to have a downline to make money or sell products, unless they’re your own of course. Wealthy Affiliate is my marketing platform of choice for learning all things internet marketing. You can get started for free and you don’t even have to give them your credit card.
Thanks so much for reading and for taking the time to leave a comment:)
Reading your Forever Living review is what gave me my very first introduction to this MLM company, and even though this is a pretty detailed review on the company and it’s products which has taught me a lot, I believe that I still need to dig a bit deeper to learn more about the company’s income opportunity. For me that is the most interesting part of any MLM.
After I check out the products of course.
I do know about the benefits of the Aloe plant though and that it is used for a lot of health related things in countries all over the world, including my own.
Can you say if the Forever Living product line includes any products which are geared specifically for men?
Hi Donald,
Thanks for reading. Yes, my review was not meant to be a comprehensive overview of the company. Please do learn more if you’re interested in joining. And of course, check out the products. I’m not sure if there are specific products geared particularly for men. Their aloe vera line seems to be very popular. And yes, aloe does have many impressive health benefits. I appreciate your comment:)