Pyramid Scheme vs. Multi-level Marketing
- Date: 2007-02-19 - Word Count: 1059
Share This!
Pyramid Scheme
Many people automatically associate a negative connotation with buzz words like "multi-level marketing" and "downline." These people assume that those words denote a "pyramid scheme" and that the opportunity attached to those words is a scam. However, this is simply not true. If you know what to look for and what to avoid, you will be able to detect a true "pyramid scheme" from a potential money making opportunity.
Overview
A pyramid scheme is a non-sustainable business that involves the exchange of money, usually in the form of a sign-up fee, and usually has no product or service. Most importantly, pyramid schemes are ILLEGAL! The only people that are able to make money on a pyramid scheme are the people at the top of the pyramid.
(See the Picture at this website in order to fully understand the following paragraphs)
Picture available at http://www.sec.gov/answers/pyramid.htm
The above picture proves that pyramid schemes are unsustainable. As stated above, because these businesses offer no product or service, no possible way exists for the people at the bottom of the pyramid to make any money. The only way to make money in a pyramid scheme is to sign-up new members for a fee. However, as the above picture shows, this becomes impossible when the scheme reaches a certain level. The end result is that people can spend upwards of several thousand dollars to enroll in one of these scams and will end up losing everything.
Common Elements
As the United State Securities and Exchange Commission states, "[t]he hallmark of these schemes is the promise of sky-high returns in a short period of time for doing nothing other than handing over your money and getting others to do the same. The fraudsters behind a pyramid scheme may go to great lengths to make the program look like a legitimate multi-level marketing program. But despite their claims to have legitimate products or services to sell, these fraudsters simply use money coming in from new recruits to pay off early stage investors."
Some other identifying characteristics to look for are:
- Vague descriptions about the company from which your questions can only be answered by signing up and paying the fee
- No product or service being offered or a product that sells at a highly inflated price
- A majority or all of the possible income to be made comes from the sign-up fee from new enrollees.
- Repeated assurances that the company is completely legal.
If any of these characteristics are present, you will want to completely avoid the company and warn others from participating in this advanced form of fraud.
Multi-level Marketing
Overview
Multi-level marketing companies follow a similar concept to a pyramid scheme, which is a reason for most of the confusion, except that two significant differences exist. One difference is that members at any level of a multi-level marketing model can make income through the company's products and/or services without signing up any new members. The second difference is that multi-level marketing companies are LEGAL!
You may be asking, "if all the confusion, why then do these companies initiate this business model?" The main reason for this type of model is to reduce the cost of advertising. We can all agree that effective advertising in this day and age can cost a bundle. Many new companies do not have this much capital in the beginning. Therefore, one solution is to reward the company's members for "spreading the word." Instead of the company spending hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars on advertising, the company gives the members an incentive, usually in the form of money, for signing up new members to sell/use the company's product and/or service.
Unlike a pyramid scheme, any member on any level can make money without ever having to sign-up a new member. However, like a pyramid scheme, once the company reaches a certain population level, it becomes impossible for any new people to sign-up. Therefore, the people at the bottom cannot make bonuses for sign-ups, but they will still be able to make money based on the company's product and/or services.
Examples
The following is a list of companies that conduct business under a multi-level marketing business model. You may have heard of a few of these:
- Avon Products
- Tupperware
- Mary Kay Cosmetics
- Herbalife
- World Financial Group
Common Elements
Common elements of a multi-level business model are different from a pyramid scheme:
- Little or no enrollment fee
- The company completely explains itself, its products, and its services BEFORE you sign-up
- A member's main source of income will come from selling or offering the company's products and/or services
- A member can make money at ANY level of the model WITHOUT signing up new members
These elements assure that the member will have a fair chance to make money from the company. However, as is true with any venture, your income depends on your ability to sell products or offer services. Any company that promises you money for doing nothing is not being honest with you.
If you follow these guidelines, you should be able to tell the difference between the two types of companies. Some pyramid schemes are very cleverly hidden. If you should encounter a company like this during your entrepreneurial journey, and you discover that you cannot make a conclusive decision as to whether or not the company is a pyramid scheme, it is best to error on the side of caution and avoid the situation.
If you discover a multi-level marketing company that you may want to sign-up for, always do a cost/benefit analysis. Weigh all possible costs associated with signing up against all the potential benefits. If the benefits outweigh the costs, you may want to sign-up and try to make some money from the company. The same is true vice versa. In the end, the decision is up to you.
After reading this article, it is my intention that at the very least you should now be able to differentiate between an illegal pyramid scam that will take your money and a legal multi-level marketing company that offers a legitimate opportunity to make money. By knowing and recognizing the difference between the two, you should no longer worry when you here buzzwords like "multi-level marketing" and "downline." Also, you should be able to take a closer look at multi-level marketing companies and possibly expand your entrepreneurial horizons.
M. Angioni II is the creator of CASHSPEAK and Money Making Internet Opportunities.
Visit today and learn about this Incredible FREE Money Making Internet Opportunity !
Many people automatically associate a negative connotation with buzz words like "multi-level marketing" and "downline." These people assume that those words denote a "pyramid scheme" and that the opportunity attached to those words is a scam. However, this is simply not true. If you know what to look for and what to avoid, you will be able to detect a true "pyramid scheme" from a potential money making opportunity.
Overview
A pyramid scheme is a non-sustainable business that involves the exchange of money, usually in the form of a sign-up fee, and usually has no product or service. Most importantly, pyramid schemes are ILLEGAL! The only people that are able to make money on a pyramid scheme are the people at the top of the pyramid.
(See the Picture at this website in order to fully understand the following paragraphs)
Picture available at http://www.sec.gov/answers/pyramid.htm
The above picture proves that pyramid schemes are unsustainable. As stated above, because these businesses offer no product or service, no possible way exists for the people at the bottom of the pyramid to make any money. The only way to make money in a pyramid scheme is to sign-up new members for a fee. However, as the above picture shows, this becomes impossible when the scheme reaches a certain level. The end result is that people can spend upwards of several thousand dollars to enroll in one of these scams and will end up losing everything.
Common Elements
As the United State Securities and Exchange Commission states, "[t]he hallmark of these schemes is the promise of sky-high returns in a short period of time for doing nothing other than handing over your money and getting others to do the same. The fraudsters behind a pyramid scheme may go to great lengths to make the program look like a legitimate multi-level marketing program. But despite their claims to have legitimate products or services to sell, these fraudsters simply use money coming in from new recruits to pay off early stage investors."
Some other identifying characteristics to look for are:
- Vague descriptions about the company from which your questions can only be answered by signing up and paying the fee
- No product or service being offered or a product that sells at a highly inflated price
- A majority or all of the possible income to be made comes from the sign-up fee from new enrollees.
- Repeated assurances that the company is completely legal.
If any of these characteristics are present, you will want to completely avoid the company and warn others from participating in this advanced form of fraud.
Multi-level Marketing
Overview
Multi-level marketing companies follow a similar concept to a pyramid scheme, which is a reason for most of the confusion, except that two significant differences exist. One difference is that members at any level of a multi-level marketing model can make income through the company's products and/or services without signing up any new members. The second difference is that multi-level marketing companies are LEGAL!
You may be asking, "if all the confusion, why then do these companies initiate this business model?" The main reason for this type of model is to reduce the cost of advertising. We can all agree that effective advertising in this day and age can cost a bundle. Many new companies do not have this much capital in the beginning. Therefore, one solution is to reward the company's members for "spreading the word." Instead of the company spending hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars on advertising, the company gives the members an incentive, usually in the form of money, for signing up new members to sell/use the company's product and/or service.
Unlike a pyramid scheme, any member on any level can make money without ever having to sign-up a new member. However, like a pyramid scheme, once the company reaches a certain population level, it becomes impossible for any new people to sign-up. Therefore, the people at the bottom cannot make bonuses for sign-ups, but they will still be able to make money based on the company's product and/or services.
Examples
The following is a list of companies that conduct business under a multi-level marketing business model. You may have heard of a few of these:
- Avon Products
- Tupperware
- Mary Kay Cosmetics
- Herbalife
- World Financial Group
Common Elements
Common elements of a multi-level business model are different from a pyramid scheme:
- Little or no enrollment fee
- The company completely explains itself, its products, and its services BEFORE you sign-up
- A member's main source of income will come from selling or offering the company's products and/or services
- A member can make money at ANY level of the model WITHOUT signing up new members
These elements assure that the member will have a fair chance to make money from the company. However, as is true with any venture, your income depends on your ability to sell products or offer services. Any company that promises you money for doing nothing is not being honest with you.
If you follow these guidelines, you should be able to tell the difference between the two types of companies. Some pyramid schemes are very cleverly hidden. If you should encounter a company like this during your entrepreneurial journey, and you discover that you cannot make a conclusive decision as to whether or not the company is a pyramid scheme, it is best to error on the side of caution and avoid the situation.
If you discover a multi-level marketing company that you may want to sign-up for, always do a cost/benefit analysis. Weigh all possible costs associated with signing up against all the potential benefits. If the benefits outweigh the costs, you may want to sign-up and try to make some money from the company. The same is true vice versa. In the end, the decision is up to you.
After reading this article, it is my intention that at the very least you should now be able to differentiate between an illegal pyramid scam that will take your money and a legal multi-level marketing company that offers a legitimate opportunity to make money. By knowing and recognizing the difference between the two, you should no longer worry when you here buzzwords like "multi-level marketing" and "downline." Also, you should be able to take a closer look at multi-level marketing companies and possibly expand your entrepreneurial horizons.
M. Angioni II is the creator of CASHSPEAK and Money Making Internet Opportunities.
Visit today and learn about this Incredible FREE Money Making Internet Opportunity !
Related Tags: money, finance, entrepreneur, marketing, internet, success, business, motivation, opportunity, scam, opportunities, money making, pyramid, scheme, multi-level
Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- The No. 1 Rule For Projecting Confidence - Speak With Authority
One of the most important characteristics a person can project in a business setting - or any situat - After the Autumn Checkout European Debt Crisis and U.S. Brewing Rebound
In the commotion caused by the Fed on interest rates come to an end, the "disastrous" for the euro a - Advantages Of Arcade Game Rentals
There are many different advantages to arcade game rentals. Most people need something to release th - A General Primer on Truck Cargo Nets
In modern highways it is quite rare to see truck cargo nets in action, this is because they are usua - The United States Will Burst More Severe Financial Crisis
Not long ago, suddenly announced that the central bank to raise interest rates, the interest rate hi - Niche Marketing Profits - 3 Easy Steps to Finding a Profitable Niche Market Income in 10 Minutes
Like most beginners I was having a very difficult time trying to find a niche market to earn extra m - The Importance of Hospitality Management Consulting Firms Toronto
Businesses and the managers that help guide any business are in a constant state of improvement and - New Keynesian Theory Label
2010 winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics three theories have been labeled as "New Keynesian" labe - Federal Reserve Pouring Money QE2 Unpredictable Fortune
U.S. economist Milton Friedman proposed a "throw the cash from a helicopter" view, while the practic - Fiscal Consolidation Should no Longer Delay
British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne today announced fiscal consolidation policy, shoc
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Common Financial Problems to Avoid
One must first change their habits and not procrastinate. American Consultants Inc at offers key fi - How a Bad Hire Can Hurt Your Business
What's worse - hiring the wrong person or not hiring anyone at all? Companies can become almost des - Joel Comm Is Dr. Adsense
What is Adsense? If you are new to making money online and net marketing, you may not know what Ads - 5 Steps For A Dynamic Wealth System Online
Recipe: Opportunity + knowledge + Dynamic Wealth System + Your Action = Massive Success!!! Step 1 - How To Stop Foreclosure
Losing your house to a foreclosure can be very scary. There are times when circumstances are ou - How to Always Pitch A Strike
As business owners, we are always working on new ways to convince people to become customers, client - Membrane Diffuser Solutions for Wastewater Treatment Systems
In the aeration basin of a typical wastewater treatment plant there are both organic and inorganic m - Another Year Hating Your Job or Loving Life?
Copyright © 2007 Mary Foley I've come to the conclusion that to be successful - really successf - Dyestuff Industry In India And China
World demand for dyes and organic pigments to touch $10.6 billion in 2008According to a study on dye - Cma-cgm Case : the Series of Lawsuits Continues in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, France, England and the United States
Damietta company case : The series of lawsuits continues in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, France, England a