If you missed the May 2013 MLM Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Conference, or simply wanted to attend but couldn’t, we have another chance for you. MLM Attorney, Jeff Babener, Co-Host of the MLM Conference and Editor of MLMLegal.com will be hosting our next Conference October 24th & 25th, 2013 in Las Vegas! Get more information by reviewing the details below:

WHAT?

The next Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Conference is quickly approaching! On October 24th and 25th, 2013 we are hosting the MLM Conference for the 25^th year! This is now our 65th annual conference (held almost consistently three times per year over the last 24 years). All executives/owners of MLM, direct selling, network marking, and party plan companies are welcome to attend. This is the original MLM Startup Conference, hosted and perfected by direct selling industry expert, MLM Attorney Jeff Babener.

WHO?

Direct Selling Attorney, Jeff Babener, Founder of Babener & Associates and Sponsor of the MLM Startup Conference, has over 25 years of experience in the industry, representing companies such as Avon, Nikken, Melaleuca, Discovery Toys, Usana, and NuSkin.

MLM Industry Consultant, Mike Sheffield, with The Sheffield Group and Co-Sponsor of the MLM Startup Conference, has helped launch over 800 companies over the last 27 years.

Over the course of two days, you will hear from many leaders in the direct selling industry, who include:

Jeffrey A. Babener, of Portland, Oregon, Conference Chair and Sponsor, www.mlmlegal.com, is the principal attorney in the law firm of Babener & Associates. He represents leading U.S. and foreign companies in the direct selling industry. He has been advisor to such companies as Avon, Discovery Toys, Nikken, Shaklee NuSkin, Excel, Usana, Fuller Brush, Cell Tech, Kaire, Sunrider, Melaleuca, etc. He is a frequent lecturer and has been interviewed on the industry, and published, in such publications as Money, Inc., Atlantic Monthly, Success, Entrepreneur, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Home Office Computing, Business Start-Ups, Wealth Builders and Money Maker’s Monthly. He is editor of the industry publication, Direct Sales Legaline. Mr. Babener is also the author of the books, Tax Guide for MLM/Direct Selling Distributors, Network Marketer’s Guide to Success, The MLM Corporate Handbook, Network Marketing: Window of Opportunity and Network Marketing: What You Should Know. He is editor of one of most frequented network marketing educational web sites, www.mlmlegal.com.

Michael L. Sheffield is President of The Sheffield Group, a full service MLM consulting firm in Scottsdale, Arizona, and co-founder and Chairman of the Multi-Level Marketing International Association (MLMIA). His company has assisted in over 300 MLM company start ups including such companies as Fuller Brush, Service Master and Home Shopping Network. He has been a frequent lecturer on launch strategies for MLM companies at various MLM conferences as well as the Schools of Business at Arizona State University, University of Cincinnati and Anderson University. He has designed over 100 MLM compensation plans, and has been the guest instructor on the subject at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Co-author of numerous academic papers and research studies, he served as a coordinator of the major academic/corporate conference at the University of Texas, El Paso. Millions of readers have relied on Mike’s popular “Product Of The Month” column in Money Makers Monthly to help evaluate “What’s Hot” in MLM products and services, and he has also serves as “product editor” for Wealth Building magazine.

Dr. Clifton Jolley, of Dallas, Texas, is President of Advent Communications and has provided communications products and consulting to leaders in network marketing for more than 15years, in addition to teaching communications at the university level both in the United States and abroad. His innovation and skill have been heralded in the Atlantic Monthly, Success Magazine, Wave 3, and numerous other national publications and broadcasts. He has been a frequent contributor to leading magazines and has acted as media spokesman for such major companies as A.L. Williams, Home Shopping Network, Nokia, Sunrider, Quorum, Nikken, Oxyfresh, Network 2000, and dozens of others. His skill in crisis intervention and media relations has been credited with _rescuing_ dozens of Advent clients from media scrutiny. Dr. Jolley’s company is known for state-of-the art graphics production, including distributor kits and manuals and Web site production. Advent Communications also provides its clients award-winning video production, executive communications and distributor programs.

Robert Butwin, of Santa Rosa, California, is the consummate MLM professional. He has built and led large distributor organizations. He is highly respected in the MLM corporate community and juggles his distributor schedule with duties as a mentor on recruiting to corporate management of many leading companies. He is the author of the highly acclaimed Street Smart Networking, available in bookstores everywhere.

Garvin DeShazer, Executive Consultant, The Sheffield Group, has nearly 30 years experience as an entrepreneur. With 26 startups or acquisitions of his own, in industries ranging from alternative fuels to network marketing to fine arts, he has extensive experience in corporate and marketing management and driving sales. Included in his past corporate experience is the founding of a major direct selling company in the home security arena. He has served as a Senior Consultant for more than 60 network marketing companies where he focuses on strategic planning, key distributor development programs, creative writing and project management.

Alfred White is a Senior Management Consultant for Hamilton LaRonde & Associates of San Diego, California and Vancouver, Canada. Mr. White has extensive international experience. For the last twenty-two years, Mr. White has been a management and marketing consultant to the direct selling, multilevel marketing and network marketing industries. Mr. White’s experience includes more than 200 assignments with a wide range of companies both domestic and international. He is highly regarded for his expertise in operations management and compensation plans. Mr. White designed the PDX computerized system for structuring new MLM companies. The PDX system is a very effective system that can bring a company from concept to fully operational at considerable savings in time and money. Above all Mr. White has a love for the MLM/Network marketing industry and devotes time and energy developing systems for the entrepreneur to be the owner of their own network marketing company. He is a featured writer of articles in national journals on the subject of network marketing.

Sandy Elsberg, of Orange County, California, is one of the most successful and admired distributors in the MLM world. She has led huge sales networks over the years. She is sought out frequently by MLM companies and distributor groups to speak and train. She is the author of the best seller, Bread Winner, Bread Baker.

Wayne Hinkle is V.P. of Sales of Trinity Software of Dallas, Texas. Trinity is a leading technology solutions provider to network marketing companies. Prior to becoming V.P. of Sales, Hinkle served 20 years at Nortel Networks where he was responsible for customer service and satisfaction for the entire eight state regions of the SBC operator services division. He is a specialist in customer support and service as well as technical support, training and project management.

Greg White of Vancouver based Hamilton LaRonde has a twenty five year career in meeting management and coordination of MLM sales materials design and production. He has managed every single Starting and Running Conference since the 1980′s, more than 50 conferences, and supervised all of the art work for the conference.

Eugene Argent, of Santa Barbara, California, is President of Alexandria Services. On behalf of startup and established MLM companies, Alexandria specializes in searching out multiple resource options for merchant account processing with established banking and processing financial organizations.

Scott Fitzpatrick, Marketing Director of Pivotal Payments of Montreal, Canada. Pivotal is one of the leading merchant account processors for the Direct Selling/MLM industry, providing solutions for e-commerce online processing as well as traditional credit card, debit card and other processing for sales by direct selling companies and their sales force.

Greg Powers is Managing Partner with Hanna Shea Consulting, Scottsdale, Arizona, which provides Executive Search, Recruitment Process Outsourcing and International Staffing services for Fortune 500 clients. Additionally, Hanna Shea has a specialized search service that is dedicated to MLM and Direct Sales Organizations to identify and recruit top talent as members of the leadership management team.

Rod Cook is most commonly known as the MLM WatchDog of the industry. He studies the good of the MLM industry and at the same time tries to stomp out pyramid schemes. Part time he is a consultant who helps people start up new companies so they are a credit to the industry. At MLMWatchdog.com, editor in chief Rod Cook and his field reporters handle hundreds of questions or complaints a week about MLM companies. Rod jokingly says, “I live in the middle of the MLM Information Highway and get run over by trucks twice a day!” Rod is considered the ultimate MLM “marketing” inside information source! His articles have been published in over 30 different publications.

Robert Proctor is President of MultiSoft Corporation, a veteran provider of MLM Software to the Network Marketing Industry for over 25 years. With offices in the USA, Europe and Asia. MultiSoft Corporation provides turn-key and custom MLM software packages from start-ups to mature companies with a focus on “Internationalized” MLM software. Robert has worked with 100′s of companies around the globe and has been involved in nearly every aspect the network marketing industry for 16 years as a developer, designer, distributor, owner, operator and provider to the industry. Robert has built down-line organizations exceeding 50,000 customers and 6,000 distributors. Robert has a diverse background that includes public speaking, radio & television, advertising and marketing, business law, accounting & finance, banking, sales, customer service, compensation plan evaluation, network operations, programming, design, and management.

Jeffery Boyle, of Nampa Idaho, is the CEO of Boyle Network, a focused industry resource specializing in empowerment of distributors and companies through multimedia production on the web and social networking. In addition, he is editor-in-chief of www.networkingstar.com, an educational and informative website profiling the people and issues of the network marketing industry.

WHY?

The information you will gain and relationships that you will build by attending the conference are invaluable. You’ll receive information on how to:

- Structure your compensation plan

- Legalize your company

- Recruit key employees and top-ranking distributors

- Develop a business model

- Generate leads

- Fund your business organization

- Establish your website and technology platforms

- Better understand the direct selling industry

- And, so much more

Read why people have consistently attended the MLM Startup Conference for over twenty years:

We want to get the fundamentals and the basics down… get a good review of what needs to be done to be successful…

We have a traditional business at the moment and we are looking to take it into the realm where it’s more personalized, it’s more about building people and an experience. It has been absolutely worth our trip. We are looking to take our business to the next level and build relationships.

[I’ve] been in network marking for 30 years [but] we are learning a lot of things about how to launch, how to reach the people we need to have, and again, the things that are required to make a successful company, not only for us but especially for our customers and for our affiliates.

I want to teach other people how to run their own clothing business and have fun doing it. I have a distribution plan. I have a unique product that I need to take nationwide in a couple of months.

I’m here because I want to know more about multi-level and I can replicate that experience in my country (Columbia)… It’s worth it to be here.

The reason I came to the show was to learn more about how to launch my direct sales company. I’m very comfortable and accustomed to selling through more traditional networks; however, I believe that the product that I’m launching is more suitable for direct sales; to get direct-to-consumer faster and in greater sales.

I have a huge to-do list… Once I know what I’m supposed to be working on I won’t spin my wheels.

(The testimonials above can also be seen in the video: MLMlegal Releases New Film on MLM Startup Conference – Produced by Networkingstar.com.)

WHERE?

The MLM Startup Conference will be held in Las Vegas. Call 1-800-231-2162 for the exact location. Why don’t we advertise the exact location? We like to keep vendors, distributors and other solicitors away from the event in order to maintain the conference’s standards. Therefore, only registered guests are given the address. However, if for some reason you cannot attend after registering, we will refund 100 percent of your attendance cost.

WHEN?

October 24 & 25, 2013 – Las Vegas, Nevada.

HOW MUCH?

The price to attend is $195 for the first person and each additional attendee is $150. We accept all major credit cards. Reservations must be made via phone, prior to the event. 503-226-6600 or 800-231-2162.

WHAT ELSE?

Each attendee will receive a FREE copy of the Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Manual. Some of the chapters include:

Legal Issues
MLM Law in 50 States
FDA Health Claims: The Final Rules
The Snail that got Mugged: FTC v. Direct Selling
Start-up  Issues
Incorporating the Network Marketer
Five Dynamics that Drive An MLM Company
Product
Creating Your Next Million Dollar Product
Treasure Hunting for New Products
Compensation Plans
Comp. Plan Conversion: Direct Sales to MLM
Your Compensation Plan’s Competitive Edge
Communications and Media
Focus on the Mission…Not the Commission!
When the Media Calls… Who Answers the Phone?

Attendees receive over 30 hours of consulting hours with an array of industry experts – all in one location.

HOW CAN I FIND OUT MORE?

Visit the website:

www.mlmlegal.com

or, read visit our blogs:

http://mlmlegal.com/MLMBlog/ and http://mlmattorney.com/blog/

Watch the videos:

MLMlegal Releases New Film on MLM Startup Conference – Produced by Networkingstar.com

The MLM Startup Conference in Las Vegas

MLM Startup Conference - A Must for Executives of Startup and Existing MLM Companies

BEST BET? Talk to us. Call:

503-226-6600 or 800-231-2162

CAN’T MAKE IT?

As mentioned, our conference has taken place consistently over the last twenty years. We hold each conference three times per year. Join us in February, May or October. Check MLMLegal.com for the most current conference dates.

As one of the largest MLM companies in the world, Tupperware operates in over 100 countries and has over two million salespeople.

As one of the largest MLM companies in the world, Tupperware operates in over 100 countries and has over two million salespeople. Tupperware’s top five consumers are Germany, America, Mexico, France, and Australia. The company itself was founded in 1945 by Earl Tupper and grew to be quite competitive with its “burping seal” technology.

The top ten largest global direct selling companies include 1) Avon Products, Inc., 2) Amway, 3) Natura Cosmetics, 4) Vorwerk, 5) Herbalife, 6) Mary Kay, 7) Tupperware, 8 ) Oriflame Cosmetics, 9) Forever Living Products, and 10) Nu Skin Enterprises. To find out more about these companies and others visit the MLMLegal.com MLM Company Profiles Page where extensive information is available on over 700 MLM, network marketing, direct selling, and party plan companies.

For more information, visit our websites at www.mlmlegal.com and www.mlmattorney.com. Or, visit our blogs at http://mlmlegal.com/MLMBlog/ and http://mlmattorney.com/blog/.

Find us on our social networks:

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LinkedIn

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Myspace

Facebook

May 16-17, 2013 - $195 (Second Attendee just $150) - Las Vegas

PORTLAND, OR–(Marketwired – May 07, 2013) – For more than 25 years, leading industry experts have educated the executives of starting and existing MLM, direct selling, network marketing, and party plan companies on how to structure their compensation plans, legalize their companies, recruit key employees and top-ranking distributors, develop business models, generate leads, fund their business, establish their website and technology platforms, better understand the direct selling industry, and so much more. View the conference flyer page at http://www.mlmlegal.com/srs2.html to learn more.

This is the original MLM Startup Conference — responsible for launching many industry-leading companies — perfected over the course of a quarter of a century to ensure the highest quality of information, the most knowledgeable experts and the most practical advice from practiced experts.

Over the course of two days, attendees will hear from more than a dozen industry experts who have served as “behind the scenes” advisors to many of the direct selling industry’s leading companies. A full list of speakers and their biographies/credentials can be found at http://www.mlmlegal.com/bio.html.

In addition, the conference will discuss the recent analysis article on the role of “personal use” in pyramid and direct selling analysis: ”Herbalife: What Short Sellers Missed on the Way to the Press Conference… The Personal Use Issue in Pyramid Analysis; Who is an Ultimate User?”

The article is written by Conference Chair, and noted direct selling industry expert and legal authority, Jeffrey Babener. The article analyzes 20 years of FTC, SEC and Justice Department cases involving pyramiding, focusing on the key factors that have driven federal enforcement actions. It points out that short sellers of direct selling companies may have significantly missed the point in arguing that “significant personal use of products by distributors of direct selling companies” is a key legal failure of major direct selling companies.

For the full and detailed article “HERBALIFE: WHAT SHORT SELLERS MISSED ON THE WAY TO THE PRESS CONFERENCE… The Personal Use Issue in Pyramid Analysis Who is an Ultimate User?”

Each attendee will receive a FREE copy of the Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Manual.

How do you find out more information?

Visit our website:

www.mlmlegal.com

Visit our blog:

http://mlmattorney.com/blog/ or http://mlmlegal.com/MLMBlog

Watch the Conference videos:

MLMlegal Releases New Film on MLM Startup Conference – Produced by Networkingstar.com

The MLM Startup Conference in Las Vegas

MLM Startup Conference – A Must for Executives of Startup and Existing MLM Companies

Contact Us: REGISTER TODAY! 503-226-6600 or 800-231-2162

About Attorney Jeffrey Babener: Conference Host and Chairman, Editor of www.mlmlegal.com, as well as the leading direct selling attorney in the United States — With over 25 years of experience as a direct selling attorney, Jeffrey Babener has advised leading companies in the MLM/Direct Selling industry, ranging from Avon to Nikken, from Melaleuca to USANA, from NuSkin to Herbalife…. He’s been cited in national publications such as Money, Inc., Atlantic Monthly, Entrepreneur magazine, Direct Selling News, Direct Sales Journal, Success magazine, Money Maker’s Monthly, CNBC.com, and many others. He’s authored several books, including his most popular Network Marketing: What you should know. Mr. Babener has chaired more than 60 national conferences on direct selling.

Contact:
Babener & Associates/MLMLegal.com
Telephone: 503-226-6600/800-231-2162
www.mlmlegal.com

View the press release here.

Contact Us: REGISTER TODAY! 503-226-6600 or 800-231-2162

MLMLegal.com Announces Its 64th National MLM/Direct Selling Startup Conference! An ACTION CONFERENCE for executives of startup and emerging MLM companies!

For more than 25 years, leading industry experts have educated the executives of starting and existing MLM, direct selling, network marketing, and party plan companies on how to structure their compensation plans, legalize their companies, recruit key employees and top-ranking distributors, develop business models, generate leads, fund their business, establish their website and technology platforms, better understand the direct selling industry, and so much more.

The next MLM Startup Conference takes place May 16 and 17, 2013 in Las Vegas. View the conference flyer page at http://www.mlmlegal.com/srs2.html to learn more.

This is the original MLM Startup Conference – responsible for launching many industry-leading companies – perfected over the course of a quarter of a century to ensure the highest quality of information, the most knowledgeable experts, and the most practical advice from qualified experts.

Over the course of two days, attendees will hear from more than a dozen industry experts that have served as “behind the scenes” advisors to many of the direct selling industry’s leading companies. A full list of speakers and their biographies/credentials can be found at http://www.mlmlegal.com/bio.html.

Each attendee will receive a FREE copy of the Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Manual.

How do you find out more information?

Visit our website:

www.mlmlegal.com

Visit our blogs:

http://mlmattorney.com/blog/ or http://mlmlegal.com/MLMBlog

Watch the Conference videos:

MLMlegal Releases New Film on MLM Startup Conference – Produced by Networkingstar.com

The MLM Startup Conference in Las Vegas

MLM Startup Conference - A Must for Executives of Startup and Existing MLM Companies

Contact Us: REGISTER TODAY! 503-226-6600 or 800-231-2162

About Attorney Jeffrey Babener: Conference Host and Chairman, Editor of www.mlmlegal.com, as well as the leading direct selling attorney in the United States – With over 25 years of experience as a direct selling attorney, Jeffrey Babener has advised leading companies in the MLM/Direct Selling industry, ranging from Avon to Nikken, from Melaleuca to USANA, from NuSkin to Herbalife…. He’s been published in national magazines such as Money, Inc., Atlantic Monthly, Entrepreneur magazine, Direct Selling News, Direct Sales Journal, Success magazine, Money Maker’s Monthly, among countless others. He’s authored several books, including his most popular Network Marketing: What you should know. Mr. Babener has chaired more than 60 national conferences on direct selling.

Contact: Babener & Associates/MLMLegal.com
Telephone: 503-226-6600/800-231-2162
http://www.mlmlegal.com

Prospective entrepreneurs should recognize that upward mobility in any business enables its growth and success.

In multilevel marketing, individual consultants (or representatives, or distributors – which all generally mean the same thing) act as sponsors by recruiting other consultants beneath them, and then the process is repeated. The process of multilevel marketing produces a system in which top-tiered consultants benefit from the sale of products by downline distributors. In fact, multiple distributors can benefit from the sale of one product. Ms. Greene believes that the consultants who experience the most success are those who received mentoring by their recruiting sponsor.

Prospective entrepreneurs should recognize that upward mobility in any business enables its growth and success. The MLM model fosters upward growth through its culture and business model. The consultants that are the most successful likely are ones that provide the most mentoring to their recruits since the MLM business itself encourages a culture of success.

This article can also be found here.

More information about sponsoring consultants can be found by clicking on the following links:

MLM Cross-Sponsoring Rules

How to Analyze Compensation Plans

MLM In Cyberspace

For more information, visit our websites at www.mlmlegal.com and www.mlmattorney.com. Or, visit our blogs at http://mlmlegal.com/MLMBlog/ and http://mlmattorney.com/blog/.

Find us on our social networks:

Google+

LinkedIn

Twitter

Myspace

Facebook

And, as always, visit MLMLegal.com, the best MLM resource on the web. The next Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Conference will be here before you know it! On May 16^th and 17^th, 2013 we are hosting the MLM Conference for the 25^th year! This is now our 64^th annual conference (held almost consistently three times per year over the last 24 years). All executives/owners of MLM, direct selling, network marking, and party plan companies are welcome to attend. This is the original MLM Startup Conference, hosted and perfected by direct selling industry expert, MLM Attorney Jeff Babener. Call 503-226-6600 or 800-231-2162 to register. (Can’t make this event? Keep an eye out for our October and February conferences as well.)

Not all penny auction companies are illegal.

How does a penny auction work?

In a penny auction, the site owner posts items and you pay to bid for them. Unlike a traditional auction, where only the winner pays, penny auctions require you to pay before – and as – you bid, win or lose.

You may have to pay a fee just to register for the site, and sometimes, it’s substantial. Then, you have to buy a “bid package.” For example, you may “buy” 100 bids for $50. Additional bids cost more money, often between 50 cents and a dollar per bid.

The price of auction items usually starts at zero, and each bid bumps the price of the item up a penny. Each bid also adds time – from 10 seconds to 2 minutes – to a countdown clock. The goal is to be the high bidder when the clock runs out. But because the clock resets with each bid, the auction process can be unpredictable and take time to complete.

What does “winning” mean?

Winning the auction doesn’t mean you’ve won the auction item: It means you’ve won the right to buy the item at the final price. For example, your $50 winning bid for a camera might seem like a bargain, but if you placed 200 bids that cost $1 each, your cost will actually be $250 – plus shipping and handling, and possibly a transaction fee.

If you lose an auction, chances are you’ve lost your money. If you placed 199 bids on that camera, for example, you’d be out $199. Some penny auction sites have a “Buy-It-Now” feature that lets losing bidders buy the item at retail price and apply the amount they spent on bids as a discount. So, you might not lose your investment in the bids you purchased, but you wouldn’t save any money off the retail price, either.

Bogus Bidders: Bots and Shills

Some dishonest auction sites use bid bots, which are computer programs that automatically bid on behalf of the website. And some fraudulent sites achieve the same effect using human shills. You may be seconds away from winning an auction when another user places a bid. That keeps the clock ticking, and forces you into a bidding war to stay in first place. Though the bidder appears to be another user, it may be a shill, or a bot programmed by the website to extend the auction and keep people bidding (and spending money) as they chase the “win.”

Penny Auction Pitfalls

Penny auctions may offer deals, but they also can present problems. For example:

• Time lags. How soon do you need the item you’re bidding on? Can you tolerate it being delivered late, or not being delivered at all? Many complaints about penny auctions involve late shipments, no shipments, or shipments of products that aren’t the same quality as advertised.
• Misleading terms. Terms like “bonus bids” might suggest that bids are free. In a penny auction, you pay for every bid.
• Hidden costs. Read each penny auction site’s Terms of Use before you sign in or register. Sites may charge fees (for membership, ongoing subscriptions, or shipping), follow different rules, or have a variety of refund policies or other terms and conditions. If the terms and condition aren’t clearly disclosed on the website, take your business someplace else.
• Insecure payment options. Consider how you’ll pay. Do you have any recourse if something goes wrong? Don’t send cash or use a money transfer service. Instead, consider using a credit card. That way, if something goes awry – say, you don’t get your merchandise or it’s not what you expected – you can dispute the charge with your credit card issuer.
• Phishing trips. If you get a message that looks like it comes from an auction website or payment service and it asks for your password or financial information, hit delete. They’re “phishing” for your information so they could use it to commit fraud.
• Reputation rules. Avoid doing business with sellers you can’t identify. Check out any penny auction site by entering its name in a search engine online. Read about other people’s experiences before you commit any money.
• Hello? Anyone there? Look for a phone number and call it to confirm that you can contact the seller in case you have questions or problems.

You’re about to spend some money. Know exactly what you’re bidding on. Read the seller’s description of the product closely, especially the fine print, and keep a copy. Save copies of all emails between you and the auction site, too.

For more information, visit our websites at www.mlmlegal.com and www.mlmattorney.com. Or, visit our blogs at http://mlmlegal.com/MLMBlog/ and http://mlmattorney.com/blog/.

Find us on our social networks:

Google+

LinkedIn

Twitter

Myspace

Facebook

And, as always, visit MLMLegal.com, the best MLM resource on the web. The next Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Conference will be here before you know it! On May 16^th and 17^th, 2013 we are hosting the MLM Conference for the 25^th year! This is now our 64^th annual conference (held almost consistently three times per year over the last 24 years). All executives/owners of MLM, direct selling, network marking, and party plan companies are welcome to attend. This is the original MLM Startup Conference, hosted and perfected by direct selling industry expert, MLM Attorney Jeff Babener. Call 503-226-6600 or 800-231-2162 to register. (Can’t make this event? Keep an eye out for our October and February conferences as well.)

At the very least, MLM companies are expected to regulate the advertising being made by consultants.

The internet has opened up incredible opportunities for both MLM companies and distributors. However, at the same time, MLM companies often wrestle with these opportunities. For instance, some MLM companies will provide a location on their homepage for distributors; some will require a link from the distributors’ homepage to the company’s main website. And, in some cases, direct selling companies won’t allow distributors to promote the company’s product or opportunity (compensation plan) on the internet at all. There are two reasons for this. If the company name appears on each distributor’s homepage then search engine results will produce thousands of “hits” on distributors’ websites instead of the company’s homepage. Amid the thousands of searches, MLM companies may be concerned that people won’t be able to find the company’s homepage.

The other reason a MLM company may not want distributors advertising their marketing materials online is because direct selling companies are concerned about statements that are made about earnings claims (how much distributors are told they will earn) and unauthorized product claims (what distributors claim the company’s products can and cannot do). Earnings claims and unauthorized product claims that have been made by distributors in the past have threatened the MLM business, as well as both the MLM company and distributors. Many government agencies (FTC, FDA, etc.) hold the MLM company responsible for any statements made by its distributors. At the very least, MLM companies are expected to regulate the advertising being made by consultants.

For more information about earnings claims, unauthorized product claims and consultant advertising/marketing restrictions, please visit the following links:

Earnings Claims and Consumer Protection Laws Video

The Difference Between MLM Earnings Calculators and Earnings Claims Video

FDA Notification for Permissible Structure/Function Claims for Dietary Supplements

New Video: Earnings Claims and Consumer Protection Laws

MLM Company and Distributor Training on the Direct Selling Industry

Why do companies restrict the type of advertising carried on by their distributors?

Distributor Training – Two Common Questions

New Video – Unauthorized Medical Claims and FDA Issues

FDA to Issue Revised NDI Guidance – Nutraceuticals World Reports

Nutritional Supplements, Health Claims and MLM

As a consultant, what can I say about a MLM company’s nutritional/dietary supplement products?

Why do companies restrict the type of advertising carried on by their distributors?

Interview with Expert MLM Attorney – How to Handle Compliance Discussions with your Distributors

If I’m an independent contractor, why are there rules regarding my conduct?

The Educated Networker: Trademarks and Network Marketing

Nutritional Supplements, Health Claims and MLM

Comparative Advertising

MLMLegal.com Released a Significant Article Written by Noted MLM Industry Expert and Legal Authority, Jeffrey Babener

For more information, visit our websites at www.mlmlegal.com and www.mlmattorney.com. Or, visit our blogs at http://mlmlegal.com/MLMBlog/ and http://mlmattorney.com/blog/.

Find us on our social networks:

Google+

LinkedIn

Twitter

Myspace

Facebook

And, as always, visit MLMLegal.com, the best MLM resource on the web. The next Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Conference will be here before you know it! On May 16^th and 17^th, 2013 we are hosting the MLM Conference for the 25^th year! This is now our 64^th annual conference (held almost consistently three times per year over the last 24 years). All executives/owners of MLM, direct selling, network marking, and party plan companies are welcome to attend. This is the original MLM Startup Conference, hosted and perfected by direct selling industry expert, MLM Attorney Jeff Babener. Call 503-226-6600 or 800-231-2162 to register. (Can’t make this event? Keep an eye out for our October and February conferences as well.)

The Personal Use Issue in Pyramid Analysis; Who is an Ultimate User?

An excerpt from the article and link to the full article at www.mlmlegal.com

An excerpt from the article and link to the full article at www.mlmlegal.com.

Déjà vu, all over again … Yogi Berra

History repeats itself.

The 2012 billion dollar short seller attack on Herbalife, a 32 year old NYSE listed direct seller of nutritional products in 80 plus countries with annual sales in excess of $3 billion, is akin to a replay of seminal challenge to the MLM/Direct Selling model, won by Amway in 1979. In the Matter of Amway, 93 F.T.C. 618 (1979).

In the 1970’s FTC challenge, the criticism went to whether or not the core of the MLM referral selling model was a “deceptive” way to market. In the 2012 short seller attack, along with other criticisms, a principal complaint is that evidence of “substantial personal use and consumption” of company products by distributors themselves, renders an MLM/Direct Selling model inherently deceptive and an illegal pyramid scheme.

Memo to short sellers and algorithmic financial bloggers:

It may be time to reassess.

Some very salient facts and cases may well have been missed in the rush to challenge direct sellers.

1. A survey of FTC, SEC and Justice Department leading pyramid cases during the last two decades is instructive. Interestingly, in massive releases of the Herbalife short seller and the prolific financial blogging “call to action” that Herbalife is a pyramid that should and will be prosecuted by the FTC, NO ONE has bothered to actually examine the facts of leading FTC, SEC and Justice Department pyramid prosecutions of the last two decades … if they had done so, they might observe a significant chasm that exists between inherently deceptive and egregiously abusive pyramid schemes and the practices of leading direct selling companies.
2. They also may have missed the FTC’s own statements on personal use, as well as the trending legislation in more than a dozen states, recognizing the validity of personal use as a legitimate end destination of product.

For the full and detailed article.

For purposes of raising investment capital, the market section may be the most important part of your business plan.

Many MLM entrepreneurs are lucky enough to have a dream to start a MLM company but lack the capital needed to fund the project. Most people turn to family and friends, to co-workers, then to angel investors, and finally to private placement venture capitalists to find the money they need to grow their business. Investors may listen to the presentations, but the money is never a guarantee.

Searching for MLM Startup Capital – Funding the Direct Selling Company

What is the first step in the process to secure capital to fund the MLM startup dream? It is the business plan, of course! Before any sophisticated investor or angel financier will consider funding your marketing program, they will look for an organized presentation of your ideas, projections and abilities. A good business plan will be the backbone for any private investment of capital and will also help to bridge financial gaps as your company grows.

You can write the business plan yourself or hire a qualified MLM consultant. Most successful business plans are developed by experienced MLM consultants who have experience in management, marketing, compensation plans, and the MLM startup.

What should be expected in your business plan? Most business plans have basic formats; however, here are some of the basics.

How to Structure Your Direct Selling Business Plan

The structure and content of the business plan will often vary depending upon such factors as the company’s stage of development, the nature of the business, and the type of markets it will serve. However, the following topics should be addressed in any business plan, and provide a relatively easy format to follow.

Eight Key Topics to Include in Your MLM Business Plan

1. Executive Summary
   This section should provide the investor with a short overview of the key elements of the business plan. Since investors are turned away by exaggeration, the summary must provide an accurate appraisal of the company while distinguishing its product and organization from others who are competing for the same funding. It should also describe its management team, emphasizing experience and skills, but not ignoring management weaknesses or how it expects to correct them. In addition, summarize key financial projections, and the funding requirements needed to meet those projections. Above all, the summary must be designed to catch the attention of the prospective investor. Unless the summary inspires an investor to read on, it has not served its purpose.
2. Company History
   Investors want to know about a company’s past performance before they assess its future potential. Toward this end, the business plan should provide a brief history of the company; including: (1) when it was founded, (2) subsequent development and growth, (3) how it has been organized, (partnership, corporation, etc.), and (4) how well past performance reflects future potential. If you have good reason to believe that the company’s past performance is not indicative of future potential, be sure to cite those reasons in this section.
3. The Product
   This section describes in detail the company’s products or services, including a summary explanation of the engineering and technology involved, and a statement about performance and present status. Patented or patentable components of the company’s products should also be mentioned in this section. Keep in mind, however, that investors are generally not engineers. This section should be written in language easily understandable by business people with nontechnical backgrounds. This section should be easy to understand yet concise in its discussion.
4. The Market
   This section should contain a comprehensive description of the market that the company plans to serve. If the product is generically new, independent market research may be needed to define both the initial and future markets. If the product is a refinement on presently-available merchandise, the market may already be defined. In that case, you may rely on presently available data from industry, trade associations or government sources. For purposes of raising investment capital, the market section may be the most important part of your business plan. To any venture capitalist, a company without a strong understanding of the targeted market is a bad risk, even if its product is fantastic. Consequently, the market description should be longer and more detailed than the product description, indicating to potential investors that you understand the priority of market over products.
5. The Competition
   Identify your competitors, discuss their relative strengths and weaknesses, and indicate the market share held by each. Include a forecast of the market shares you expect to capture in the first three to five years, and which competitors you expect to draw customers from. Be sure to spell out your rationale for each projection, improved product performance, reliability, styling, price, service, or other factors. As with all projections in the business plan, do not understate the strengths of your competition while overestimating your own. Prospective investors will not back a company that does not have a realistic view of its competition in the marketplace.
6. Manufacturing
   Efficient production is the key to profit making. This section of the business plan should describe your manufacturing facilities and discuss production capacity in relation to projected sales over the first five years. Emphasis should be placed not only on cost reduction, but on quality control as well. Minimizing production costs will not make your company more attractive to investors if the savings are offset by increased warranty costs.
7. Management
   As a general rule, venture capitalists prefer to invest in a mediocre product produced by first rate management than a top notch product produced by mediocre management. This priority should be reflected in your business plan. In this section, emphasize the experience of each key management executive. Include job descriptions and salaries, and provide resumes detailing your executives’ past business experience, education, publications, and any other information that indicates to potential investors that you have a qualified management team. If your current management has weak spots, define them and explain how they will be corrected.
8. Financial Data
   First class products and tip top management account for nothing if your financial projections do not allow for a substantial return on investment. Consequently, this section defines the bottom line of your business plan. Begin by summarizing previous financial performance. If your company is new, be sure that all financial projections are realistic and justifiable. Remember that venture capitalists are sophisticated investors and will check out other companies in the same field. If your projections deviate widely from the industry norm, you will lose both the credibility and the financing you seek. Furthermore, do not inundate investors with yards of computer generated spread sheets. Your financial data should be concise and easy to understand. Investors will use common sense and so should you.

Finally, your financial section should discuss the investment itself. Indicate how much money the company needs, the form of the investment sought, and how the money is to be used. Most importantly, discuss the projected return on investment within the first five years of operation. As with all financial information, be realistic and support your projections with solid data and sound rationale.

The MLM Startup Business Plan Team

The development of a well crafted business plan is a considerable undertaking. It forces you to focus your ideas, ferret out weak spots in your organization, and turn abstract concepts into concrete plans. Experienced professionals such as an MLM consultant, an MLM lawyer and accountants can provide invaluable assistance in putting together a sound and attractive business plan. Your MLM lawyer can assure that your company has the proper patent, trademark or trade secret protection that it needs, while steering you away from the legal pitfalls that face all new or expanding businesses, particularly in the area of MLM law. Beyond this, an experienced MLM consultant, MLM attorney and accountant each have invaluable contacts within the venture capital community. They can tell you who has the capital, where it is being invested and how you can best get a share. By enlisting the help of experienced professionals and following the prescribed format, you can develop a business plan that will help you to attract the financing you need for your new or growing MLM business.

For more information, visit our websites at www.mlmlegal.com and www.mlmattorney.com. Or, visit our blogs at http://mlmlegal.com/MLMBlog/ and http://mlmattorney.com/blog/.

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And, as always, visit MLMLegal.com, the best MLM resource on the web. The next Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Conference will be here before you know it! On May 16^th and 17^th, 2013 we are hosting the MLM Conference for the 25^th year! This is now our 64^th annual conference (held almost consistently three times per year over the last 24 years). All executives/owners of MLM, direct selling, network marking, and party plan companies are welcome to attend. This is the original MLM Startup Conference, hosted and perfected by direct selling industry expert, MLM Attorney Jeff Babener. Call 503-226-6600 or 800-231-2162 to register. (Can’t make this event? Keep an eye out for our October and February conferences as well.)

Click this image for an up-close view of the manual cover

The “How To” Manual: Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company – FREE (For qualifying executives of direct selling, network marketing, MLM companies only.  Click HERE to see if you qualify.)

Some Chapters Topics Include:

Legal Issues
MLM Law in 50 States
FDA Health Claims: The Final Rules
The Snail that got Mugged: FTC v. Direct Selling
Start-up  Issues
Incorporating the Network Marketer
Five Dynamics that Drive An MLM Company
Product
Creating Your Next Million Dollar Product
Treasure Hunting for New Products
Compensation Plans
Comp. Plan Conversion: Direct Sales to MLM
Your Compensation Plan’s Competitive Edge
Communications and Media
Focus on the Mission…Not the Commission!
When the Media Calls… Who Answers the Phone?

Some of the Key Corporate Issues included in the manual are:

• Legal
• Start-Up
• Compensation Plans
• Communication Tools
• Software
• Media
• Affiliate Programs

If you don't start it right, you can't expect to get it right.

This FREE MLM Startup Manual is courtesy of MLMLegal.com and the law firm of Babener & Associates.

Qualifying executives of Multi-Level Marketing and Direct Selling companies can request a free “How To” Manual that includes vital information for starting and running the successful MLM company. Please call our office at 503-226-6600 or 800-231-2162 to see if you qualify.

This manual is crammed with articles and notes about what it takes to make your multilevel company successful. If you don’t start it right, you can’t expect to get it right.

Check out some of these article titles:

• How to Analyze Compensation Plans
• The Compensation Plan: the heart of a successful MLM company
• Creating Your Next Million Dollar Product
• Some Thoughts On Selecting A Good Software Provider

Written by experts in the field; tap into the greatest resource of knowledge and experience in the direct selling industry.

This is the manual that we provide to all attendees of our very popular MLM Startup Conference: Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company.

In order to receive your free manual, complete the following form.  This information is vital to executives of Network Marketing (MLM) companies, whether you are involved at a start-up level or are an emerging company, ready to launch and grow your company. We will confirm with you to verify that you will benefit from the information presented in the manual and then send you the complete handbook for FREE. Call us at 503-226-6600 or 800-231-2162 to see if you qualify.

Click here to read about just some of the industry-leading experts who’ve contributed years of their industry knowledge to the FREE MLM STARTUP MANUAL pages:

Jeff Babener represents leading US and foreign companies in the direct selling industry.  He has been advisor to such companies as Avon, Discovery Toys, Nikken, New Vision, NuSkin, Excel, Fuller Brush, Cell Tech, Kaire, Sunrider, Melaleuca, and more.

Michael Sheffield is co-founder and Chairman on the Multi-Level Marketing International Association (MLMIA).  His company has assisted in over 300 MLM company startups including such companies as Fuller Brush, Service Master and Home Shopping Network.  He has designed over 100 MLM compensation plans and is regularly published in Wealth Building magazine and Money Makers Monthly.

Alfred White is senior management consultant for Hamilton LaRonde & Associates and has extensive international experience in MLM consulting.  He is highly regarded for his expertise in operations management and compensation plans.

Clifton Jolley is President of Advent Communications and has provided communications products and consulting to leaders in network marketing for more than 15 years.  His skill in crisis intervention and media relations has been credited with “rescuing” dozens of Advent clients from media scrutiny.  Advent Communications is also known for their state-of-the-art graphics production, including distributor kits, manuals, web sites and videos.

David Klaybor is President of Powerline Systems, a widely recognized distributor training organization.  The Powerline Planner is in wide use as a management system by companies and distributors.

Check out Legaline Publications for books, brochures, DVDs, and more that are perfect for MLM company owners and distributors alike.

For more information, visit our websites at www.mlmlegal.com and www.mlmattorney.com. Or, visit our blogs at http://mlmlegal.com/MLMBlog/ and http://mlmattorney.com/blog/.

Find us on our social networks:

Google+

LinkedIn

Twitter

Myspace

Facebook

And, as always, visit MLMLegal.com, the best MLM resource on the web. The next Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Conference will be here before you know it! On May 16^th and 17^th, 2013 we are hosting the MLM Conference for the 25^th year! This is now our 64^th annual conference (held almost consistently three times per year over the last 24 years). All executives/owners of MLM, direct selling, network marking, and party plan companies are welcome to attend. This is the original MLM Startup Conference, hosted and perfected by direct selling industry expert, MLM Attorney Jeff Babener. Call 503-226-6600 or 800-231-2162 to register. (Can’t make this event? Keep an eye out for our October and February conferences as well.) All conference attendees receive a FREE COPY of the MLM Startup Manual.