There are several opportunities in my life for which I am grateful! Being a Christ-follower, being a mom (and, yes, a wife! 😊), being a college graduate, being a Norwex Consultant.  What?!?! Where did that come from?  Why do I say that?

 I recently overheard a person mention that his small business was ‘legitimate’ unlike those ‘MLM* people.’  Hmmm.  My first reaction was to be offended.  But he didn’t even know me or know that I was ‘one of those’ people.  Anyone who knows me knows that I hate to be the cause of wrongful disparagement to God, my family, my church, or myself.  I think that was the source of my reaction to this person’s statement. 

After mulling it over for several days, I concluded that it is human nature to think that things ‘outside the norm’ are strange.  After all, we run with the masses – or at least our peers.  But we are so blessed to be in a country of free enterprise and entrepreneurial-ness (Is that a word??).  The ‘norm’ in this country is for large companies to spend millions of dollars to advertise their products, to place them in ‘brick and mortar’ stores, and to pay their employees a set amount for their work (the lower, the better for the company’s bottom line) and for 'regular people' to flock to purchase.

Then, there are other companies (usually smaller) who choose to spend their ‘advertising dollars’ on benefits for their customers and representatives letting these people ‘spread the word’ about their products.  (This type of marketing usually requires that the products are above average in quality and/or effectiveness or the customers/representatives will not continue to promote them and the business will fail.)  Whether the products are clothes, cosmetics, kitchenware, or cleaning supplies they are usually things people buy one way or another.  Buying them from company representatives rather than brick and mortar stores is not worse.  It is just different.  There are actually some great benefits for the customer – a personal relationship with someone who cares and can answer questions, troubleshoot, and ‘make things right,’ if necessary.  (Granted, there are always people who give the majority a bad name.  But isn't that the case in ALL businesses?)

This business model has many benefits to the representatives, as well.  I am able to have a flexible schedule, to work as much or as little as I want/need, to take care of my customers, to build and train a team of friends who want to help others, and to be proud of the difference I am making in other peoples’ lives. (I am very proud that my company’s core values are: Integrity, Trust, and Respect.) Each of us has different ‘whys’ for what we do:  to support a family, to get out of debt, to provide additional educational opportunities for our kids, to save for retirement, to pay for vacations, to give to those in need beyond our current ability, to have a purpose in life, and on and on.  

Whether you choose to ‘shop’ in this manner or not, I hope that you will value these as legitimate, entrepreneurial businesses that make a difference in peoples’ lives.  And here’s to you, my sweet entrepreneurial friends, who represent many worthwhile companies across the country! 😊

*Multi-Level Marketing businesses are sometimes thought to be scams because they are confused with Pyramid Schemes which are actually illegal as they benefit only top-level people, offer no product or service, and make money only by charging a fee to sign up new members.  MLM Direct Sales Companies are legitimate as they make money by direct sales to the public.  They encourage their distributors to recruit new distributors and receive small percentages of those distributors’ sales for training the recruits and helping them whenever needed.  i.e. My company requires only ‘upfront’ shipping ($9.99) for its starter kit which can be earned for free over a period of 3 months or purchased for less than its retail value.   No matter how many recruits a consultant has, she/he must always maintain a direct sales requirement (meaning that they cannot simply make money off of others’ labors) and ALL consultants, regardless of level or number of years in the company, receive the same commission % on their sales.