Why I Chose To Start a Network Marketing Business

I know many of you might have been surprised by this decision. Since I became a nutritionist in 2000 and opened Thirteen Moons less than a year later, I haven’t carried or promoted a specific brand of wellness products or even been much of a product consumer. Yet, I’ve made it my mission to educate on wellness, with a particular focus on nutrition. It’s been an amazing journey – one of much hard work with unpredictable rewards, as is the case with most businesses.

Five years ago I started using Arbonne products and making them available to clients in the guest bathrooms. The results and feedback were impressive. So last fall, I decided that it made business sense to embrace this opportunity for residual income because it met all the criteria that I consider important for such a venture – great clean products, a reputable green conscious company, solid visionary leadership, unlimited opportunity.

Although I was very hesitant and sceptical at first, I’m so glad I did and am very proud to be in the network marketing industry and especially to be associated with Arbonne. But, let’s face it, the industry is not well understood and has been the subject of some unjust misconceptions. Arbonne is deeply committed to changing how network marlketing is seen (and practiced) because in the 33 years it’s been around there is much evidence of how positively it can impact peoples’ lives.

So, you might be thinking just what is network marketing?  Network Marketing is simply a distribution model in which a company manufactures a product and then pays the consumer to spread the word about it. The terms Network marketing and multi-level marketing (MLM) are often used interchangeably. To me, it’s a very fair way of earning extra income because we all recommend things we love anyways – restaurants, books, movies. With network marketing, the money that would normally go to high cost intermediaries, like celebrities and advertising media,to promote a product in the retail process, instead gets distributed to a network of small business owners. And the ecological footprint of an online business is much less than a traditional bricks and mortar model.

Here are five of ten reasons why I decided network narketing and Arbonne are the perfect business opportunity for service-oriented, big-hearted, fun-loving, freedom-seeking, conscientious people like myself:

1. PROFESSIONAL CHALLENGE – After 12 years of running Thirteen Moons, I felt like I needed another challenge yet I wanted something that would allow me to continue to do the work I love. Arbonne seemed like the perfect fit. I have had the honour of meeting many great women who have inspired me and for whom  I have also been an inspiration (or so I’m told). In working with women, three recurring themes seem to always emerge – how much we resist self-care (consciously or unconsciously), how hard it is to ask for what we need, and ultimately how little we value ourselves in one or more areas of our lives. My businesses give me the opportunity to work with women to help them address these issues. And, Arbonne offers the possibility of earning a decent living without compromising my desire for a balanced life living on this special land. How much I decide to earn is up to me – there is great liberation in that concept. Leveraging my time also allows me to focus on bigger projects and dreams.

2. OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE PERSONAL GROWTH – Like many of you, I’ve come a long way, baby. And, I still have a long way to go.  One of the things I’ve always valued is comfort. Yet, we all know there is no growth in the comfort zone.  I’ve been told that by many of my teachers over the years and accept it to be true. What better way to get beyond your fears and insecurities than to address them full on?  Here’s a great article about just that. With the free training opportunities provided by Arbonne, I am learning more and more how to do this confidently and hopefully be better equipped to model this to my team and everyone I come in contact with.

3. ARBONNE: THE COMPANY and THE TEAM – It was very important for me to be associated with a company of integrity, stability and core values that matched mine. Shortly after joining, I got to attend the annual Canadian training conference where this became very clear and it confirmed for me that I had made the right decision. Arbonne is a bit like having a new boyfriend, they show their appreciation and provide recognition for even the smallest accomplishments. We just don’t get much of that elsewhere. After only 7 years in Canada, Arbonne is already rated #3 by the Direct Selling Association. (#1 & #2 spots are held by Amway and Avon, companies that are much larger and have been around much longer.)

Arbonne is a  health and wellness company with a Swiss heritage on the verge of becoming the industry’s next global giant. Our leader Kay Napier joined Arbonne as CEO in 2009. She’s a former VP with Procter and Gamble where she was head of the North  American Pharmaceuticals division and the Corporate Women’s Health & Vitality platform. Kay was also the Sr. Marketing and Operations Executive at McDonald’s and was behind their healthy meals initiative that turned the company around in the wake of the “Supersize Me” debacle.

Dr. Peter Matravers joined Arbonne in 2008 as Sr. VP & Chief Science Officer of Product Development. He holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, has a background in Ayurvedic sciences and over 25 years of experience in the industry supporting the million dollar growth of several major brands including Neurtrogena and Aveda. Peter holds over 20 U.S. and International Patents.

4. ARBONNE: THE PRODUCTS – While I have loved Arbonne’s bath products for years, after using the anti-aging facial skin care line for just 2 days while I was considering the business, my visiting nieces (24 and 30), without prompting,  commented on how great my skin was looking. That really made me think I was on to something special. I have always used “clean” products and believe that what we put on our skin is as important as what we put in our bodies. Learning to take a few minutes a day to care for our skin, our largest external organ (with many important functions beyond keeping us all together), goes so much beyond vanity. By doing so, we reinforce a sense of self-worth and self-love. If we don’t have 2 minutes morning and night to establish a skin care regime, we might have much larger problems than a time shortage.

All products have proprietary formulations and adhere to Swiss/EU laws, which are among the strictest & safest in the world. The Swiss ban over 1100 ingredients compared to a fraction of that in North America. Our proprietary formulations are:

 Botanically-based and pH correct

 Hypoallergenic, Dermatologist, Ophthalmologist & Pediatrician tested with 3rd party clinical test results

 Vegan Certified – Formulated without animal products or by-products and never tested on animals.

 Formulated without the following ingredients: mineral oil, benzene, petroleum jelly, toluene, phthalates, synthetic dyes, formaldehyde-donating preservatives, PABA, parabens, gluten, triclosan, or hydroquinone.

 Nutrition products are formulated without artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners, animal products or animal by-products (vegan certified), cholesterol, trans fats, or gluten

Arbonne makes over 450 botanically-based, every day, consumable products for the whole family. Consumable products are key to building a sustainable business with re-orders.

5. RIGHT INDUSTRY, RIGHT TIME When I considered expanding my business, I knew that wellness would have to remain a key component. After 12 years of running a retreat centre, it felt like the timing was right to explore other options that would allow me to continue doing what I was doing with greater opportunities for personal and professional growth. Arbonne’s growth has consistently been 25% year over year!

Health & Wellness is the fastest growing industry today. In 2005, the U.S. health and wellness personal care industry was estimated at $70 billion in 2005 and is projected to reach $1.5 TRILLION by 2015. Three key global trends are pushing this growth:

 Anti-aging: Baby boomers who represent 64% of the economy today are pushing the demand for anti-aging and wellness products in general; they will be living longer and want to live healthier lives as well.

 Pure, Safe & Beneficial: Consumers are increasingly more educated and are looking for products that are as safe for the earth as they are for their families.

 Ownership: In a downturned economy with many job losses and dwindling retirement savings, people look to Network Marketing as a viable home-based business that brings with it great tax advantages. Most financial advisors recommend small business ownership simply to get the tax benefits. While not everyone might be cut out to be an entrepreneur, it’s a great way to do something you love, to learn new skills, earn extra money and create a plan B.

Network Marketing is the 2nd fastest growing industry. The convergence of all these trends = EXPONENTIAL GROWTH

If you want to learn more, watch for part 2 to be posted in the next few days.