Forever Living MLM Review - Make Money Selling Aloe Vera Products?

If you have any sales experience or even if you don’t, selling products as an independent business owner can be a very lucrative way to earn money. Couple that with a flexible schedule and it can be even more appealing. Anyone who loves health and beauty products can take advantage of their wide network of friends and family by selling Forever Living products. In this Forever Living MLM review I will explain how this home business opportunity works and if the program is as lucrative as they make it sound.

What is Forever Living?

Forever Living is a direct selling MLM (multi-level marketing) company that is based in Columbia, MO and was started in 1978 by Rex Maughan. According to the BBB (Better Business Bureau) there’s no BBB rating, customer reviews or customer complaints. Their products are available in North America, Africa, Latin America, Europe and Asia.

In 1981, Rex Maughan expanded into the resort business with a sister company called Forever Resorts which includes 65 properties that are located near national parks, national forests and recreation areas. There are also over 20 properties in Europe and Africa. Rex Maughan was listed in the Forbes 400 as the 368th richest man in the world in 2002 coming in with a net worth of $600 million.

Are Forever Living Products Worth Their Price?

Now let’s talk about the products. Forever Living products include a range of different products including weight management, personal care, essential oils, drinks, bee products, skin care, household and even accessories.

Forever Living has been in business for over 40 years. Their products are aloe vera based products that have not been approved by the FDA so they cannot claim to be a cure for anything. But the products can help with certain ailments.

Forever Aloe Vera Gel

Let’s talk about one of their signature products. Forever Aloe Vera Gel is a drink that you take each morning in a small cup (15Mls). This product is 99.7% pure aloe vera gel with no added preservatives and retails for $19.31 USD for one litre at the time of this review. It has two other flavors: Forever Aloe Berry Nectar and Forever Aloe Peaches. This product is aimed at people with digestive issues. According to their website, “Aloe vera supports your digestive system, promotes a healthy immune system and helps you maintain natural energy levels.”

Compare that price with similar products that you can buy at a health food store and you will see that the prices are similar. Forever Living products are also available on Amazon and are similar in price to those listed on the website. The only real difference is how you make the purchase. Forever Living products have a decent reputation as being very pure and competitively priced.

The Forever Living MLM Opportunity

What does all this mean for you? To join Forever Living there are a couple of ways to do it. For the most part, people have joined through word of mouth. You may have been invited to a Forever Living party by a friend or co-worker where a FBO (Forever Business Owner) displays and discusses products and their health benefits. This is similar to how other MLMs like this work such as Shaklee, Avon, and Mary Kay. You have probably heard of at least one of these. Orders are taken, products are delivered and the host/hostess usually gets a free gift for hosting the party. If you are interested in becoming an FBO, you would sign up and be sponsored by the person you bought product from.

If you don’t have a sponsor or someone who refers you, one will be assigned to you. All you have to do is go to the website and enter in your first and last name, city, state and zip code. Then click the Search button.

How Much Does it Cost to Join Forever Living?

Joining Forever Living is free to join but there is a caveat.

Once you join, you have to purchase products. According to the Terms and Conditions, the first option is to purchase 2 CC’s (case credits). One case credit is awarded for each $214 USD of sales. So to get started as a FBO (Forever Business Owner) you will need to buy $428 worth of products right out of the gate. You don’t get sample products to get started.

Can You Make Money With Forever Living?

As a business owner, it will be your job to sell as much product as you can. The more you sell, the more you earn. You can earn more by being promoted up the ladder as indicated in the image below.

In order to be promoted, you need to meet certain sales criteria. For instance, in the first case of Assistant Supervisor, you will need to generate 2 personal and non-manager Case Credits within any two consecutive months. The more case credits you can produce within a 2-month period, the higher you can go and the more discounts and bonuses you earn.

This is a tiered system so you’ll also need to sponsor other FBOs. You will earn a percentage of any sales that your FBOs sell.

Pros and Cons of Forever Living MLM

Pros

• FBOs Get Discounts
  All FBOs get discounts on all the Forever Living products. The more you buy, the better the discount.
• More Sales Equals More Bonuses and Discounts
  The more sales you make and the more people you sponsor, the more bonuses and discounts you qualify for. Not to mention you also get a percentage of any sales your FBOs make.
• Incentives and Awards
  There are a number of incentives and awards you can earn as part of the company’s incentive programs. Recognition pins, all expense paid trips, promotions, diamond rings, sculptures, and even an exclusive personalized watch. These incentives are earned as you work your way up through the tiered system.

Cons of Forever Living MLM

• False Claims About The Products
  As mentioned above, Forever Living products have not been approved by the FDA yet some FBOs have made false claims that products will cure certain ailments. Representatives who are under pressure to make sales have used this tactic to encourage people to buy the product so they can meet their sales targets and keep their active status.
• You are Out Of Pocket Immediately
  While signup is free, you need to place an order for products equal to 2 Case Credits. This means that you have to invest close to $500 in products to get your business started.
• High Pressure
  You are strongly encouraged to not only sell products but to also bring people onboard and sponsor them. This pressure to recruit starts as soon as you sign up.

Is Forever Living an MLM Scam?

The Forever Living MLM Opportunity is not a scam. They have been a very successful business model for 40 years and there are plenty of people who are making money with this program. But as a business owner, you will have to work very hard to earn money here. Not to mention the pressure to bring on others to sponsor.

I do recommend you proceed with caution with the Forever Living MLM opportunity because of the issues they've had with the products. Forever Living was criticized by the Advertising Standards Authority for making false claims about the health benefits of its products. Regardless of the products are valid, false health claims can certainly hurt your business growth.

Final Thoughts

While Forever Living may not be a scam, it is certainly high pressure. There have also been articles that outline a stay-at-home mom’s reason for joining Forever Living and how it went so horribly wrong for her. The rewards can be great but may also come at a high price. I’m not talking about financial here. I’m talking about time--your time and how much time you will spend in order to make enough money to meet your own financial goals.

Your income with Forever Living will depend on your sales numbers as well as people you recruit and how well they, in turn, do. This means that you are dependent on others to help you meet your own objectives. I’m not saying that joining Forever Living is a bad idea, I just think you can do better than this.

An Alternative to Forever Living MLM

Not everyone is suited to this type of program. Especially moms who want to earn money from home with a flexible schedule. If you’re not interested in high-pressure, tiered systems like this, there are other ways to start your own home business. Even if you like health and beauty products you can start your own home business promoting any health and beauty products you like by checking out my top recommended way to build an online home business. You’ll make all the decisions but get all the tools and resources to make your new business thrive.