Thanks to advances in technology and the rise of social media, there are many ways for people to earn supplemental income, whether it’s through a ride-sharing service, food delivery app, or selling a product to social media followers.
One industry that offers a flexible way to earn extra income – and has done so for more than 100 years – is direct selling, where individuals buy products from a company and sell them directly to consumers with no intermediaries. The sellers decide for themselves how much time and effort they want to put into selling a product.
- According to the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations (WFDSA), direct selling is a $186 USD billion industry with approximately 128 million independent representatives.
- In 2021, direct selling in the United States included 7.3 million sellers, according to the S. Direct Selling Association. Of those 7.7 million, 6.8 million do the business part-time.
What Is Direct Selling?
Simply put, direct selling is person-to-person sales. Direct sellers buy products from a company, sell to a consumer, and earn a profit on products sold.
Direct selling is a $186 USD billion industry worldwide, with approximately 128 million independent representatives or distributors. Most of them do the business part-time: they earn extra income, work flexible hours, and sell to people they already know as well as new people they meet in-person or online via social media.
Many direct selling companies also offer representatives the opportunity to, if they choose, expand their business by developing teams of people who also sell products.
About Herbalife: Why We Chose This Business Model
Herbalife is a nutrition and lifestyle company that sells high-quality nutrition products through the direct selling business model because we know nutrition is personal and complex. Our independent distributors leverage trainings developed by our team of nutrition and fitness experts as well as tools and resources provided by the Company to offer their customers a high-touch, personalized experience.
In addition to the support offered by the Company, fellow distributors around the world work collectively to support and train new and upcoming distributors to foster success. This type of coaching and passion for mentoring others is an integral part of our 40-year history and, I believe, sets Herbalife apart from other direct selling companies.
The entrepreneurial opportunity we offer is grounded in solid business skills and responsible business practices for people who are interested in being their own boss and working either full or part-time hours.
How Does Herbalife’s Business Model Work?
The Herbalife business opportunity has clear terms and low startup costs. All you need to do is complete our simple sign-up process and purchase the International Business Pack, our initial distributorship kit. There is no requirement to purchase any sales and business tools to start up.
New distributors are required to complete training:
- This training is intended to help distributors create a solid foundation to grow their business, including topics such as how and when to purchase, producing sales receipts, and so on.
- Through other Company tools and learning platforms, distributors also receive trainings from our experts in nutrition, fitness, and coaching as well as outside agencies.
- Distributors also benefit from ongoing mentorship from the distributor community.
Some distributors choose to build their own sales teams. Distributors cannot earn money by only recruiting other distributors. As with every other business, income is based on sales. This means they are eligible to earn a commission based on the sales of their team members. The top independent distributors can also qualify for monthly and annual bonuses.* Building a successful Herbalife business takes skill, hard work, and time.
How Much Money Do Herbalife Distributors Make?
Like all businesses, there are many variables that influence success. Income can vary from entrepreneur to entrepreneur. Our independent distributors have the flexibility to decide when, where, and how they work. Businesses can range from selling products directly to people they know or meet to opening a physical location or creating online communities.
Globally, first-year distributors, on average, earn supplemental income – extra money on top of their regular income. For example, in the U.S., the typical distributor earns approximately $200 in a month before expenses in their first year doing the business. This extra money can help a parent pay for their kids’ sports equipment, or go towards home repairs, or be used to put gas in the car.
Can Distributors Cancel Their Membership?
We understand that distributorship might not be for everyone. We provide clear, accurate, and timely disclosures to prospective distributors regarding potential income; we are aware many circumstances can change their decision to be involved in this particular business opportunity.
As a leader in the industry, we offer safeguards for those that change their mind. If someone decides that the Herbalife business opportunity is not for them, they can cancel their distributorship:
- A distributorship can be canceled at any time and for any reason.
- If they are a first-year distributor, they can receive a full refund of the cost of the initial distributor kit, including the shipping cost to return it.
- When canceling, former distributors can return unopened products they purchased within the last year for a full refund. The cost of shipping, both the initial delivery and return shipping, will also be refunded by the Company.
Trusted Leader for Over 40 Years
For more than 40 years, Herbalife has been nourishing the potential in everyone with high-quality products and an opportunity to earn income.
Our longevity and continued success are due to the quality of our products and the business opportunity we provide.
We are committed to continue supporting entrepreneurs who want to turn their passion – helping others lead a healthy lifestyle through good nutrition – into a business. How they achieve this goal may vary: some distributors are part-time to earn extra income around their full-time schedule, and some are full-time solo or as a team, or from their mobile device.
The “how” is up for each distributor to choose: the flexibility of our direct selling business model allows individuals to determine what works best for them when building a business.
For answers to some of the common questions about Herbalife, visit our FAQ section.
* Achievements come from hard work, skill, and dedication and are not typical. Visit the appropriate regional Herbalife.com site for current Statements of Annual Gross Compensations.
Rob LevyRegional President, The Americas
Rob Levy is regional president of The Americas for Herbalife. In his role, he is responsible for all business, strategic, sales and marketing functions across the region, which includes North America, Central America and South America.