It\’s been just over a year since I first discussed my experiences with Arbonne, the multi-level marketing skin-care company. Since that time, over 600 comments have been posted to that single entry! Diehard Arbonne supporters and vehement detractors have enjoyed spirited discussion and debate via my blog. Isn\’t the Internet great?
My take on the company remains the same. They have good product, albeit overpriced… and an unfair Internet marketing model that favors those who joined the company early and stymies those who would otherwise succeed online.
Anyhow, I was just perusing their official company website and came across some interesting numbers.
According to their site, the company paid out over $147 million in overrides and bonuses to independent consultants in the US.
They state that the average override and bonus paid to all registered Consultants in the United States was $101.16 per quarter and $404.63 on an annualized basis.
During the four quarters in 2005, an average of 12,798 registered Consultants (3.50% of all registered Consultants) received an override or bonus check from Arbonne.
The average quarterly override and bonus paid to registered Consultants in the United States that qualified for an override and bonus check was $2,887.74 or $11,550.94 on an annualized basis.
They also note that these numbers do not represent total profits as expenses are not considered.
In other words, the majority of the consultants don\’t make anything worth noting. A very small percentage make the major moolah. And of those at a managerial level, approximately 6% earn what I would consider to be a good income.
I still think there is plenty of opportunity with Arbonne, especially for someone who is highly motivated and fits the Arbonne model. Youthful… pretty… outgoing… But for the majority of people who get involved, it\’s just another MLM sinkhole.