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The chances that you are here because someone introduced one of the heavyweight champions of network marketing to you is high. Yes, I am not kidding; Amway products is a heavyweight champion in the multi-level marketing industry.
They have been around for decades and have survived many legal battles. They have not just survived these battles but have continued to wax stronger. So you see why I referred to Amway as a heavyweight champion.
Many folks tend to ask if Amway is a scam or a pyramid scheme. So let us set it right. Amway home or Amway product is neither a scam nor a pyramid scheme. They are a product-based company that operates with multi-level marketing business.
Like I always do, I will take a detailed look at the product, its genesis, its business model, how to join the business model, see opportunities in the model, and take advantage of it. Lastly, I will recommend an alternative to the model where applicable.
Let us get on a ride with Amway Products.
Table of Contents
What is Amway?
Like I said initially, Amway is a long-standing multi-level marketing business. They are specialists in the production and distribution of home and beauty products. In addition, Amway has grown its brand name to become synonymous with network marketing.
It stands out as one of the most profitable multi-level marketing companies. Below is a screenshot from Statista reflecting Amway’s income between 2016 and 2020. Other closely related multi-level marketing outfits are Pink Zebra, Oriflame, and Forever living products. Still, they are not in any way a match to Amway when it comes to brand name and revenue generation.
One of Amway’s primary distribution channels is the use of distributors, who are also known as Amway’s Independent Business Owners (IBOs). As such, if you are thinking of making money with Amway’s products, then you are on your way to becoming an Amway Independent Business Owner.
Who are the founding Fathers of Amway Beauty Products
Amway was founded by two friends who believed in themselves and knew the strength of the partnership. Richard Devos and Jay Van Andel started working for Nutrilite, a company well known for selling nutritional products.
It gave them leverage and exposure to multi-level marketing with which they started Amway in 1959.
They exited Nutrilite after they had grown Amway to a network comprising of 5,000 people. They started with the American way, Which is popular know now as Amway.
The company grew steadily and recorded $8.4 billion in sales in 2019. Without missing words, their joint effort changed their scope of business. Richard lived between 1926 and 2018, while Andel lived between 1924 and 2004.
All Amway Products Categories
Amway products have gained good popularity and acceptability in the market in terms of quality. The current manufacturer has more than 450 products covering home care and beauty products. They can be divided into different categories, as listed below
- Nutrition: This includes weight management supplements, sports nutrition, and energy drink.
- Home products: covers laundry, dish care, and all forms of cookware
- Jewelry Accessories: Necklaces, gift sets, and all forms of bracelets
- Fragrances: Personal accents
- B2B Products: Commercial size agricultural products
- Beauty: Skincare and all forms of makeup
- Bath body: Haircare, body care, oral care, and lots more
Some of their most popular products are the SA8 laundry detergent in the home products and Martinique hair care products in the beauty category. Apart from their various factories, they also have farms in Washington, Mexico, and Brazil. It makes processing plants for products a lot cheaper.
But when it comes to pricing, their products are much more expensive than other products in the marketplace. It is a common thread amidst multi-level marketing companies.
It accounts for why the products are always challenging to sell; distributors are left with no option but to use the products or sell to friends and family. As a result, their distributors concentrate much more on recruitment than product sales.
How to make money as an Amway Products Distributor
If you are looking at making money with Amway products, you are looking at becoming an independent business owner on their platform. To become an IBO, you need to pay a sum of $62 in the US and $67in Canada as a subscription fee for joining Amway.
Another common trend among multi-level marketing businesses is to sign up with a startup fee. While some will count it as a subscription fee, others like Pink Zebra will count it as the cost of startup kits.
You will need to get a sponsor to get started on Amway because the registration process includes a sponsor code. Your sponsor will make the necessary links and documents for you to fill with your details.
After which, Amway will send you an email to confirm your registration. Expectedly, this should be within the first 24 hours. After which, you become an IBO and can access products with a discount of 21%.
Below is a list of advantages of signing up as an Independent business owner on Amway.
- Access to products at a discount of not less than 20%
- Ability to participate in Amway’s loyalty programs
- Ability to become distributors at will
- Enjoy money-back guarantee
- Ability to make a direct purchase from Amway
The 21% discount looks juicy, but the high cost of these products defeats the value. To make a decent and sustainable income, you have to sell many products. So first, let’s look at the commission and various bonuses accrued to IBOs.
Income and Bonuses
- Immediate income: this is the difference between the price at which you make your purchase on Amway or via your sponsor and the price at which you sell. It is a direct income on each sale you make.
- Performance bonus: This has to do with your sales and business volume (recruitment). It comes in every month.
- Point Value: relates to the points associated with each product.
- Gross income: this puts your earnings together. It is the summation of immediate payment and every other bonus you earn.
Why are Amway Products so Expensive
It is not strange that you will expect a company with such a profile to be profitable. Of course, they are highly profitable, but the bone of contention is making money and building a sustainable business promoting Amway products.
My answer is a Yes and NO.
A Yes because for a company that earns billions of dollars annually, joining such should be a winning ticket to make some bulks. But for multi-level marketing companies, it is usually applied to the first sets to join the business. The same applies to Amway.
It will take a lot of trial and failure to break through selling Amway products and its network.
A big ‘NO‘ because the products are expensive and difficult to sell. Let me show you how they compare their competitors on Amazon with the Image below.
Image Amway compared
From the Image above, while Amway home SA8 sells for $69, its close alternative sells for $16. You will notice that while SA8 has just three reviews, its choice has over 15,000 reviews. Amway does not own that market.
So if you work as an independent business owner with Amway, you will use the products with friends and family.
The company hinges the high product cost on quality products and advises business owners to buy in bulk. But with the bulk purchase, the outcome is still expensive and high not competitive in the market because of price.
Are Amway Products Good
That said, with the Pro and cons of Amway products, we will be able to ascertain if it is best for business.
Amway Products Pro
- High-quality training materials: the company is famous for high-quality training for its members. The package top notch training in videos, podcasts, webinars, and other forms of online courses. They make it available in a convenient and affordable format.
- Quality Product: although the products are not competitive in the market, they are of very high quality. As an Amway Independent Business Owner, you can be sure that the Amway product in your hand is one of the best in the market, if not the best.
- Side Effects: Users have testified the side effects of Amway products is highly negligible.
- High Rating: I must let you know that Amway is an accredited business with the Better Business Bureau. They have enjoyed an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.
It is not to say that Amway has not had its ordeal, some independent business owners have had a lot of negative reviews and sometimes court cases, but they have sailed through the ocean safely.
Amway Product Cons
- Amway Products are Expensive
Your total gross profit combines your bonuses and immediate product profit. However, as I have demonstrated above, the prices of their products are pretty higher than that of their competitors. Therefore, it will be challenging to make sales amidst the significantly cheaper alternatives.
Where there are few or no sales, there will be no profit.
2. Amway has a lousy Business Reputation.
Although having both negative and positive reviews is a common phenomenon with large corporations. And this should not be a roadblock to doing business.
But if you look up Amway on the internet, there are many negative reviews against Amway products. They have been accused of being a pyramid scheme on so many occasions. It will be a challenge when marketing the product
3. Complains of Unethical Practices
Countries and organizations have had to keep their nose into Amway’s business model. They have faulted Amway in making exaggerated income claims, fixing high prices, and creating misleading ads.
On a candid note, this is a common thread with Multi-level Marketing businesses. They claim that they are not just selling a product but selling an idea or a dream. But unfortunately, it has misled many to signup and later finds out that the packages are difficult to promote.
4. Those on top make money.
On average, Amway independent business owners do not make much money. Yet, those below keep working to serve those on top. As a result, those on top have a large base of followers.
My Number One Recommendation
I have worked you through the business model’s pros and cons. I must reiterate that I am not related to Amway; I am neither an affiliate nor an independent business owner.
But I feel it is essential I help you see if you can make money with Amway and reduce your risk of working without earning anything tangible.
My number recommendation to making money online is affiliate marketing via your blog. There are many ways people approach affiliate marketing, and it can be via word of mouth, social media, or even WhatsApp or other messaging apps. But the most sustaining is building a blog for affiliate marketing.
With affiliate marketing,
- You will not be selling expensive products that are difficult to sell
- You have the liberty of selecting products from diverse companies to promote
- You can start the business without any initial cost
- You are in control of your business
That said, affiliate marketing does not mean money without work. You must be ready to learn, gain the required skill, and put in the necessary work.
Talking about gaining the required skill, I recommend getting started with the Wealthy Affiliate. You can get started for FREE and learn affiliate marketing from wealthy affiliates and start promoting any of the supplements affiliate programs.
Apart from excellent training, they will provide you with a free website, keyword research tool, and a community of affiliate marketers that you can join all for FREE.
They have been in business since 2005, and you can count on their expertise to get you started. Join wealthy affiliate for Free, and you will have me, Kyle, Carson, and a host of other affiliate marketers as your guide.
Alternatively, if ……..
If you are passionate about selling home products or Amway products in general. In that case, you can stick to selling Amway products and building a network of followers around it for yourself. But like l said earlier, it will not be an overnight cash cow. Below are my recommendation for building a sustainable business
- Build a Website for your Business
I strongly advise you to face the business like a full-time business and not side income – create a website of your own for the company. It is not difficult; you can get your website running while learning how to SEO for your new website with a few clicks.
A well-optimized website will help you increase your network and outreach.
2. Follow the pieces of training.
Always has a handful of relevant training for their distributors. As a distributor, you are entitled to their activities and tools. Following the pieces of exercise will help you build your business.
3. Concentrate on ReCruiting
Network marketing is all about recruiting. Not everyone loves recruiting or networking a business. You have to look for followers interested in your business and who can run with your business.
It is where you will also find the website very useful. Create contents that are relevant to building a network. It will help you find people who are interested in your business. It is accessible to mentor folks of like mind
4. Use Social Media to your Advantage
The initial folks who started Multi-level marketing used mouth-to-mouth channels for marketing. Today’s marketing has changed; technology now makes it easier to face the market. Like I advised you to create a website, use social media like Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram to your advantage.
5. Make a daily commitment to your business.
Take it very seriously. Devote time to your business. To be successful in any business, whether online or offline, you need to devote time to it. Many folks start, but they get distracted, take your eyes off distraction and concentrate on your business.
In conclusion, if you are passionate about selling home products, fragrances, jewelry, and other fashion-based products, you can give Amway product a trial. On the other hand, if you are here looking to build a sustainable business from scratch, I highly recommend affiliate marketing.
While I recommend Affiliate marketing, it is not a make-rich overnight scheme. Instead, you need to learn and work hard to build the business. So if you are ready to learn, join me at Wealthy Affiliate, where my friends (Kyle and Carson) and I will be willing to help you get started for Free.
Thank you very much for this valuable and detailed post about Make Money Using Amway Products. Actually I have never made money from amway products. But I think affiliate marketing can do more than this. Because it is very easy. I learned everything about affiliate marketing from this wealthy affiliate. I highly recommend WA to anyone.
I’ve known someone who was an IBO for Amway and it was awful. Yes, for affiliate marketing, you have to work hard at the beginning but your commissions are still here. Amway makes you sell extremely expensive products and makes lots of pressure on you to recruit other people. I’ve never been attacked to this kind of business, though some people seem to succeed!
Basically, selling Amway products makes you a representative of the brand but you’re not fully working for them because you’re setting your own hours and what you’ll be selling, did i get that right? It’s always so fascinating to learn new things about companies that have been around for so many years, no matter how much you know about said company there’s always something new that you’re able to learn along the way. The fact that it has sold around $8.4 billion speaks loudly on how much people trust the product itself.
Diving into the world of Amway is like embarking on a journey through a vast ocean of opportunity. This blog guides you through the company’s history and its impressive standing in the marketing industry. The blog clarifies the business model and the different paths you can take to earn income as an Amway distributor. With a wide array of high-quality products, from skincare to cookware, Amway has something for everyone. It also delves into the income and bonuses available to IBOs, making it clear that the potential for success is there .
But let’s be real; the elephant in the room is that Amway has faced criticism and legal issues. Some folks might be hesitant to jump on board because of this. The blog addresses this concern head-on, and the author’s perspective is that Amway is a trustworthy, legitimate, product-based company with a marketing business model. It’s all about educating yourself a little more and making an informed decision. So if you’re ready to sail on an exciting business adventure, Amway might be the perfect ship to board.
Wow, I have heard of Amway before but I didn’t really know what it was. Thank you for breaking it down like you did. This was a thorough review of the business and you wrote it in a way that seemed very honest and unbiased. I’m also curious to know how their business did during the pandemic because most MLM businesses that I know usually prefer to market in person with presentations rather than the zoom presentations.
Very informative!
I really appreciate you showing a revenue chart, because I’ve gone down these avenues before and found many of them to be rip offs or lack luster.
It just goes to show that when you find something legit and you put in the hard work, time and effort it will pay off down the road.
This s great thank you so much for writing this review, I’m so glad I have found your website. This detailed review of Amway is brilliant. There is so much information out there but I love the way you have broken down the information. As you say “Amway stands out as one of the most profitable multi-level marketing companies” period. Have bookmarked your site for the following. Thanks again
Thank you for the article. Before today, I never heard of away products before. Their high price point could mean a better quality product. What makes their price point so high I wonder? Making money from Amway products could be worth it. If selling one Amway product creates the same profit as selling 5 lesser products, then it’s not a bad way to go. Im definitely going to look into this. Thank you!
How do you go about selling these products once you have set up to be a business with them? Is there a minimum amount of sales you have to produce each month? I’m always looking for ways to make money, will this take up some of my time or all of it? Would be interesting to know as I am someone who is self-employed.
Thank you for publishing an informative, non biased article on Amway. I wish I had read something like this 10 years ago! Your advice is on point.
In my experience with Amway, it was hard to sell a significant amount of product and most people I tried to recruit had no interest in being part of a known MLM. I know a few people who got into it decades ago and are still doing well, but I just couldn’t replicate their success, unfortunately.
Affiliate marketing is definitely a great option. It took a while to build up an audience for my websites, but now they provide me with more side income and my profit continues to grow every month!
Hey there! I stumbled upon this post and thought I’d leave a comment.
First off, I have to say that I’ve heard a lot about Amway products and the business model. Can you tell me more about how exactly you make money with these products? Also, have you personally tried it and seen success with it?
As for my own opinion, I have mixed feelings about MLM-style businesses. While they may offer a good income opportunity, I’ve also heard some negative things about the pressure to recruit and the amount of time and effort required.
I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences!
I enjoyed your article in outlining the pros and cons of Amway. Many years ago I sold and used Amway products and found the products to be high quality and the opportunity was a viable strategy to build a part-time or full-time business. I did have a large number of customers and a few distributors but went off to build my career in other areas. I did enjoy the time spent with Amway but I agree that affiliate marketing is a more viable alternative.
Thank you so much for this detailed and informative post on Making Money With Amway Products. In fact, I’ve never heard of anyone making money by selling Amway products. This is the first time I’ve heard of it. However, I believe affiliate marketing has enormous potential. Because it is extremely simple. Everything I know about affiliate marketing I learned from this wealthy affiliate. I would strongly advise anyone to try WA.
Hey, I got a little confused when I read your post about how it works. I think it is because I don’t have adequate information on your Amway products. Fortunately, I have enough information about it now. Amway’s sales revenue chart is very convincing and it shows that is not a scam. Way to go
Amway is a legit MLM. I was involved years ago. I also used many of their products which are of high quality including their cookware. However I have to say it’s a hard sell. Like every MLM, real money is possible if you introduce people.
WA is a different type of opportunity and has low entry point which makes it easier to get results quicker if the work is done. WA also depends on referral although the pressure is nothing compared to AMWAY.
Your review is very informative.
This is a great article on Amway. I was a distributor many years ago and did pretty well selling the home care and nutritional products. Unfortunately, I moved to an extremely isolated area of Canada and some thing changed for me in terms of cost and delivery. So I stopped. I have never gotten back into the business. The one thing I did not like was the recruiting but I did all right with just selling on my own. I still use many of the household products. Your article reminded me about that time when I was a distributor. I think I will look into it again although I am not sure I have the drive to be successful. It is a good business venture.
I was an Amway distributor in Texas years ago and was on Dexter Yager’s team, He ran an Amway empire from Charlotte and died a multi-millionaire.. We found out the hard way that the real money was being made selling the tapes, the books, and the mandatory meetings.
We ended up with a garage full of expensive products that we could not sell. I enjoy the network marketing model, but I discovered a better way. I call myself an “affiliate networker” because I merge these two models together for the greatest benefit. I agree that Wealthy AFfiliates is one of the best platforms to use for long-term success for any business model you choose because the benefits are long-term and stable storefront.
Great article! Thanks for the pretty comprehensive dive into Amway. I had a friend who decided to jump into Amway several years ago and he made a mint. I often wondered if it was too late to join now and I think your article has answered that question for me…I think it’s too late. You answered all my concerns and I think I will take your recommendation of other ways to to supplement my income.
As someone whose had some dealings on MLM I can tell you from my experience it is the worse business model online. To me you have to have that “It” factor to sell products. You had to be able to talk to people and convince them into buying something or joining your business. But you are absolutely correct about affiliate marketing to me it is the best way and the easiest way to make money online.
Hey a helpful post you have here!
I wasn’t aware of this multi marketing platform until you discussed it in your post, I am on the lookout for a platform like this one. You mentioned they have products in the hair department, thats great since it is a topic of my interest. I think its best if I check it out! thank you for bringing this platform to our attention.
Have a great day!
I like your take on Amway and how to make money within the company.
I knew a long time ago about Amway products and knew of someone that sold products as well. They did alright, but did not last too much longer in the sales part of that product.
Since then it slowly zoned out of my memory banks until last year when I joined an MLM. I realized the name was the top brand in MLM companies.
It brought me back to that guy selling products. The best product within Amway that I recall was bug repellent. Anyways, Thank you for your article. Lots of memories with Amway, and yes it is a money making business but you are correct, products are expensive.
Hi, Owoeye, thank you for this balanced review of Amway company, along with its products and business model. It is good you have highlighted its strength and weaknesses. While this is with all companies, the pros should out way the cons for that business model to attract promoters. That said, I have personally, witnessed that MLM schemes tend to reward those who joined earlier and “punish” those who join later. This is not a good business model. As you point out, a product that is 400% higher in cost cannot out-compete its counterparts, even when it is of very high quality!! As long as they serve the same purposes, they will be out-competed. As a promoter, one starts by climbing a very steep cliff and will be lucky if he/she does not fall off the cliff. I also agree with you on your recommendation of affiliate marketing. Since one promotes products to a specific niche that may specifically be looking for such products, chances are high that he/she will succeed. All in all one must know that both business models, require hard work, although Affiliate marketing would register higher successes than MLM. Thank you, once again, for this Amway review.
I enjoyed your article about Amway. Many years ago I had gone to a Amway meeting and I was looking into doing a business with them but I backed out because I was the sole provider in my home. I already had so much on my plate. It was not the right timing for me. I would like to learn more about your personal experience with Amway. Have you sold for them before?
I’ve heard of Amyway but never knew what it was. I assumed it was similar to selling Avon.
Thank you for breaking it down with charts and providing a thorough review of the business model.
For anyone looking to become their own boss and have a flexible schedule, this might be a good option.
Thank you for sharing.
I connected very much.
The world today is moving to a state of selling quality in close circles, each with his own circle of customers.
Although I don’t know this specific company, it is clear that the marketing methods are not only stars on Amazon….
Connecting to the world of affiliate marketing is a real change of mind.