Network Marketing which is also known as multi-level marketing or MLM for short has been around for decades and is the process of marketing products to people of which some will join the business under yourself. In turn, these people will look to do the same hence the name multi-level marketing was named.
In this article, I will go through the best network marketing companies to join in 2020 that have been ranked by revenue only. Although network marketing has been around for decades I have done a search in Google trends to see how it is standing up to other money-making systems. As you can see after a slight drop as social media emerged and grew in the early to mid-2000s it has since steady and even started to climb again.
This only reiterates that people are searching for ways to start their own business to provide an extra or full-time income. And that’s probably why you have actually been attracted to this article.
Discover how I make a monthly passive income with affiliate marketing… Read my Affiliate marketing for beginners complete tutorial
Before I run down to the top 10 MLM companies let’s just get serious for one second as I see many people lose money on the internet I included.
Don’t Be Scammed
The make money online industry is full of scams so just take care when you part with your hard-earned cash. Some pointers to look out for that should guide you from losing your money.
- The first is the company owners are they visible? Are they real?
- Are they making huge promises about what you can earn without backing it up with proof?
- Are they members of the DSA (Direct Selling Association)
- Have they got genuine products?
These are just a few things to look out for but remember if it sounds too good to be true it probably is!
Read my article – What is a scam including 9 red flags you should look out for.
These results are taken from the worldwide market and ranked via revenue generated in 2018/19. As you can see the USA still dominates the network marketing industry with China a surprise second place.
Car FAQs
Which MLM makes the most money
According to the most up to date figures Amyway is still pulling in massive turnover and remains number one turning over 8.8 billion dollars in 2018.
Others in the list are :-
Avon
Herbalife
Vorwerk
Infinitius
Mary Kay
Natura
Perfect
Is MLM a good way to make money
Every MLM gives the perception that it is easy to make money. But the truth is very few people actually make any money at all when it comes to multi-level marketing. This is backed up by looking at each individual company and its income disclosure statement.
Without exception, you will find that less than 2% of their members are earning a good living. This leaves the majority not making any income at all.
Taking this information into consideration I would not consider MLM as a good way to make money.
What is the best MLM company to join
Well, that's a million-dollar question and one that is frankly very difficult to answer as it will vary for the person asking the question.
If you are considering looking at MLM then ask yourself these questions:-
Is the company sound, profitable and of course legit.
Is there a market for their products
Would you buy and use the product
If you answer all these with a yes then it could be the best MLM for you to join.
#1 Amway
Amway is one of the oldest MLM companies. Founded back in 1959 in the USA they are still growing today with an annual turnover of 8.8 Billion dollars last year. Their products range from health, beauty, and home care. Just proofing that a good stable business can still beat the competition if run well. Their top markets were China, Korea, and the US.
Better business bureau rating A+
Although top-level earning within the Amway group are some highest in the MLM industry is over 6-7 figure salaries, the average distributor only earns $200 a month.
#2 Avon
The second oldest company on the list and probably the most well known worldwide. Launched way back in 1886 (that’s two centuries ago). Supplies of beauty, household, and personal care products, Avon truly has a formula that works with last year’s annual turnover hitting 5,57 Billion dollars.
Better business bureau rating A+
With this massive turnover you would expect people to be making some serious money with Avon, but whilst doing my research it appears that most are struggling to make more than $25 a week in commissions.
#3 Herbal Life
Top of the pile when it comes weight loss and nutrition has grown into a household name and one to be trusted in this Fiercely contested arena. Conceived in 1980 so one of the youngest companies in the top 10. With a turnover of 4.9 Billion dollars, they certainly have become a force to be reconded with alongside the MLM big boys.
As already mentioned their products focus on weight loss and nutrition which in this day and age will always prove to be popular as many strive for a healthy body.
Better business bureau rating A+
Reports have suggested that although 1.7% of the distributors have earned a good $35,000 plus around 88% actually earned zero commissions at all. Some serious research is needed for this company before you consider joining.
#4 Natura
Natura was founded in 1969 and is based in Brazil. Their products range from daily care, perfumery, makeup, and hair. They even section for children and males too. Looks like vegan products are on the cards soon too, which will enable them to keep bang up to date and keep building on their impressive 4.3 Billion dollar revenue.
My prediction is to look out for Natura especially if they are introducing Vegan products as this is a huge growth market currently.
Better business bureau rating for most of the USA states is an A+
There doesn’t seem to be any figures regarding what distributors are earning so maybe some more research would be needed on this.
#5 Vorwerk
The oldest company in the top ten is Vorwerk. They were created in Germany way back is 1883. Their products include fitted kitchens (not something people buy every day) but that said a huge purchase especially if it has been engineered in Germany they are renowned for amazing craftsmanship.
Cosmetics are probably their stable products that help enormously is the generation of just over 4 Billion dollars in turnover.
Better business bureau rating is A+
Figures produced by Vorwerk show that over 80% of distributors are earning $300 bucks a year with over 10% of these earning zero in commissions.
#6 Infinitus
Born in China in 1992, Infinitus primarily deals with health products. That said they have a healthy turnover of over 4 Billion dollars.
Better business bureau rating is A+
No real information about what their distributors earn so we can only presume that they are similar to the others with the majority of members not earning a huge amount.
#7 Mary Kay
One of the more common names around the Multilevel marketing industry is Mary Kay. With their range of cosmetics and personal care products they are firmly rooted in the top 10. Although a recent drop in turnover to 3 Billion dollars may cause concern for potential new distributors. Having over 50 years of trading experience I am sure it will work in their favor too.
Better business bureau rating A+
Only about 5% – 6% of their sales force earn over $100 year, with less than 1% earning over $20,000 that means a huge 90+ % are earning less than $100 a year
#8 Perfect
I can totally see why Perfect’s revenue dropped by nearly one Billion to just 2 Billion last year as their online presence is non-existent. I don’t think their website has changed at all since it was first built then they were formed in 1994.
Perfect operates in Asia and its products include health care, household and personal care, skincare products.
By not having an internet presence I could not find any BBB ratings nor any earnings disclaimers.
#9 Forever Living
Formed in the USA in 1978 Forever Living has grown to an impressive player in the MLM marketplace. Yet another company that has personal care and cosmetic products along with nutritional supplements and drinks.
Their turnover has remained stable over the last few years at around 2.5 Billion dollars.
Better business bureau rating is A+
As regards earnings, I found some people that are earning $300-$500 a month but no real actual figures, so I think we can assume that we are looking at similar percentages as the others.
#10 Pola
Created in Japan back in the days of the roaring twenties (1929 to be exact) Pola turned over 2.25 Billion dollars last year selling cosmetics and skincare products.
There are no records of any earnings disclosures and or a better business rating.
Don’t Let Yourself Be One Of The 98% That Fail
As you have read from the income information I found during my research only a few percents actually earn good money through network marketing. That’s not to say you will not be in that top 2%. Here’s why I think most fail;-
- Misleading Marketing – Most are fed the dream of earning a full-time living, by very misleading marketing. They are not really told the pitfalls but only of what you can make, when in truth very little do.
- Lack of Research – Most people do not do enough research about the business, what time is involved to be successful.
- Patience – People are shown a quick fix when in reality any business including a network marketing one takes time, hard work, and patience to build up.
- Don’t Use The Products – I have come across this one many times before. If you are selling a product you have to love it! This will help when selling it… so many people take on the dream of running their own business and the freedom it can create. When in reality you lose more of your time as you are juggling a job and your business.
There are many other reasons that people fail. Let me know your experiences (good or bad) in the comments below I would love to hear from you.
Why I Quit the MLM Industry for Affiliate Marketing
There were a few reasons why I quit MLM and don’t get me wrong I was guilty of some points above too. That said I did have a couple of great companies I was a distributor for and then there were others that sailed too close to the wind and were shut down owing me money.
But, I think the main reason I decided to look elsewhere for extra income was that although I was focused and hard-working I was never really in control of my business. Either the company changed the goalposts or people who came on board full of enthusiasm just done nothing… Maybe you can relate to this yourself, you may be going through it right now.
That’s when I decided Affiliate Marketing was right for me. No products to handle, No products to purchase. No monthly quotas to hit and of course No distributors to recruit!
For a full account of the differences read my affiliate marketing vs network marketing article
Now I know what you might be saying right now. Many affiliate marketers make no money either. Well, I would have to agree with you there and this could be for various reasons. The main one being lack of knowledge and training and of course, hard work and patience come into play again.
But, as a percentage, there are far more that are earning a full-time income. Hell, some super affiliates are earning megabucks per month and are millionaires.
The beauty of being an affiliate marketer is that you are your own boss you don’t have to rely on others and once set up most of your income is made passively.
Like any business or profession having great training and support is vital if you are looking at Affiliate Marketing then I would definitely look at my Wealthy Affiliate University Review as you will learn everything to you need to know right there.
Finishing Up
Can you make money with network marketing? Yes, of course, you can there are thousands of people around the world doing just that. Are there easier ways to make money? In my view yes, I have found it far easier to make money with affiliate marketing than multi-level marketing.
If you are still up for network marketing then do your research, beware of scams out there and be prepared to work hard and give it time to build. Other than that I would always encourage anyone to take the bull by the horns and work for yourself so whether it MLM, Affiliate Marketing, or something else.
GO FOR IT!
Avon is the most popular MLM in our country. It was easy for Avon ladies to sell their products. Some of them use the tactic of selling the product by giving the order to the customer without forcing them to pay in one go. It’s like an installment as long as they can collect the whole payment in a month.
Herbal life also made it in the scene since a lot of young professionals opt for safe dietary supplement and other healthy products. But with the rise of numerous alternative medicines and independent herbal products, it somehow dimmed the popularity of this company. I guess it’s really different in other countries. The point is, others continue selling and some would just stop ’cause they only earn a meager amount.
I never tried MLM, it’s not something where I can commit my time. This is also the reason why Affiliate Marketing is my option. It’s not easy but I am learning so much. Thanks for sharing this!
Thanks for your comments glad you are learning affiliate marketing I trust you enjoy my site 🙂
Hello Martin. I was very into MLM marketing a few ago and I was a part of one big and very famous MLM business company. I won’t name them, but I was selling their products and I adopted the mindset of a successful salesman. At least that is what they were teaching us on our meetings and trainings.
I had moderate success but I realised this kind of business is not my thing. Your list is great and all of the companies you showcased are doing really good and are on top of their game. My personal experience with MLM business model was that it was too overwhelming for me and I did not get the results I wanted – so I switched to affiliate marketing.
After realising affiliate marketing really suits me better I continued my career there.
I appreciate your article.
Strahinja
Thanks for sharing your experience with network marketing and affiliate marketing much appreciated
A most entertaining article and the reasons which as soon as I see it says MLM, I leave the site at once, have been involved a couple of times and barely made any cash, certainly not enough to live on.
Like most people I do not mind hard work, but as we used to say “A fair days work, for a fair days pay”, this is certainly not the case with network marketing unlike Affiliate Marketing.
With Affiliate Marketing put in the work and research and you will see the rewards.
Many thanks for opening people’s eyes.
Stuart
I am with you Stuart affiliate marketing does get you results for sure.