Shaklee is a 60-year-old company, founded 1956, that sells a system of nutritional and environment-friendly products through distributors, using the method described as “Use-Share-Build”.
- Use the products.
- Share your testimonies with others about how much you like the products.
- Build you a business with the products by becoming a distributor.
Shaklee found a niche in the vitamin supplement market and expanded it beyond the body-builder market. Unlike other marketing companies, Shaklee managed to stay in business for over 60 years! That longevity alone speaks volumes about the company. With Shaklee, it’s all about the science. Through research and development, Shaklee has scientifically developed an array of products that are effective and environmentally friendly.
Shaklee Review: Is This Shaklee Business Opportunity for You?
Website: shaklee.com
Shaklee The Company
Shaklee is now led by CEO Roger Barnett. Dr. Forrest C. Shaklee founded the company in 1956 based on the idea of helping people through products that promoted healthy living and that were in Harmony with Nature®. Dr. Shaklee introduced Basic-H®, a concentrated organic, biodegradable cleaner, along with other products that were environmentally friendly; and through the company, Shaklee, he did many other great projects around the world that improved the lives of many.
The Shaklee Products
Over the years, Shaklee quietly evolved into the industry giant that it is today by adding items to its product line. From dish detergent, to vitamins, to water filtration systems, their product line is large and listed under the five Product Tabs mentioned.
Healthy Nutrition: This is where you will find your vitamins, supplements, minerals and shakes to help the body perform at its peak with an eye on longevity in mind. They often imply the concept of doing something today that will benefit you tomorrow. #goodsellingpoint
Healthy Solutions: This is another location where you’ll find more supplements, but these are more focused on body repair and improvement. For instance, the Vivix product is supposed to slow cellular aging—‘naturally’. The SmartHeart Blood Pressure Regimen is focused on heart health; and the MindWorks product focuses on mental sharpness and brain health. Again, it’s all about the science. So through a blend of supplements, they look to help the user to that end.
Healthy Weight: This line of products is designed to burn fat and assist with weight maintenance by targeting three areas: Weight loss—with the Shaklee 180 Turnaround Kit; Energy—with the Shaklee Life Energizing Shake; and sustainment—with the Shaklee Life Shake Family Pack, a meal shake with pre and probiotics.
Health Beauty: So, after they focus on the inside, they turn their focus with products that help you on the outside. This line of products is meant to help with the maintenance of your hair and skin. The “Enfuselle® Nutrition Therapy Skin Care Kit” even sounds “rich” (once you struggle through the pronunciation) and is said to contain all the vitamins your skin craves in “one simple system”. If you have a few wrinkles you want to get rid of, the “Time Repair AM® SPF 15” might be the go to product. I noticed they didn’t call this one a kit. Smile. A “Time Repair AM SPF 15 Kit” … might have sounded a bit too mechanical. And, another product in this group is the “C+E Repair PM” …to be used for getting “firmer, younger-looking skin”.
Healthy Home: The last group of products in the system addresses your personal surroundings and environment. This group of products include the cleaning starter kit— “Get Clean”; their super cleaning concentrate— “Basic H2 Organic”; and their Water Filtration System, (which comes with enough filters for a year’s supply of filtered water). All products are considered ‘green’; meaning very friendly to the environment.
Shaklee the Business Opportunity
As with most companies like this, you make money by becoming a product distributor. Pretty much you would buy the products and resell them to your customers.
In my opinion, with these types of high-end products, I would approach small Inns and Boutique Hotels along with the traditional individual customer about being a distributor for them. This could quickly put you in the range of cash flow you want to be in with fewer customers to service.
Initially, when I read through the information, I thought it seemed to be a system that you can make money by just being a sole distributor. That could be very beneficial for people who aren’t necessarily interested in managing and coaching a group of team members.
The focus seemed more on you using the product and then buying a kit of products to share with others. Then, when I called to get more information, I understood the representative to say that if you came in under a lesser option than “Build”, you would be placed on a Distributor’s Team? …under someone else. I stopped listening somewhere after “you will be placed under….”. I’m not difficult to get along with, I love to learn, and don’t mind being coached. But, no thanks on the possible weekly–” uh… Daniel, did you get two more people?…” call. Having said that…
How Much Does It Cost to Join?
If I understood the pricing correctly, this is how you can join using the Use-Share-Build method.
You can “USE” Join for $19.95 for the membership. But then, you have to buy a Shaklee Life Plan that’s around $245 for the free membership.
You can “SHARE” join for $49.95 (I think this is the level where you get placed on a team if interested in becoming a distributor)—but with a Gold PAK for $349, member ship is free.
You can also “BUILD” join with a Gold Plus PAK for $649, or with a Super Gold PAK for $1,049.
With the USE and BUILD joining options, you get other goodies included like bonus %’s and what they call “FastTRACK” bonuses. Which pretty much seems to amount to you buying in to an upper level of the Down Line system.
How Does the Compensation Plan Work?
Shaklee reports to have paid its distributors over $7 billion over the past 60 years. It seems to be a great money making venture if you decide to become a distributor. Compensation depends on your position, level and part or full time status.
This is what Shaklee claims: For instance, a part time Director (low end) makes around $4,274. The quoted average is around $10,000. A “Presidential Master Coordinator (low end) is around $335,000; with an average around $614,000. You can see it here on their own image:
I have a BIG problem with this though! These are only the ones reported from a 1099-MISC. Let’s look at the Canadian version, where I assume they will not allow this desisive posting. Leaving out very important information.
Also what’s the percentage for each rank? Are there 2 presidential master coordinators?
The main point here is in the fine print…
The typical participant in the Shaklee Canada Inc. Compensation plan earns an average of $241.19 per year.
This makes me wonder WHO they include, do they include people that buy into the program but never makes a dime?
WHY is this number of an average yearly income not included with the American income plan?
If $241.19 is the average yearly income then that will not even cover the expenses…
Are People Successful or Is Shaklee a Scam?
Impossible to say, since ALL numbers are not revealed. It makes me believe though that people are not as successful as Shaklee and the representatives wants us to believe.
From the testimonial on the site and other places, people seem to be mostly happy with the products. They have a 30 Day Guarantee if you are not. Although there is a slightly different criterion for Distributors and if you want to get your money back—under certain circumstances you have to ‘RESIGN’ your distributorship. Although there may be a restock type of fee on returned items. Make sure you know the cost of return if you are not happy with the products BEFORE ordering them since it seem to vary.
Final Thought Is It Worth It?
It may be worth it for some people. But, personally, I’m not feeling the total concept. Yes, I was taken in by the ‘naturalness’ of the products –‘cause I’m all about the “nature”. But, I’m not good with having to be on someone elses team involuntarily. Let me get the products, tell people about it and share, and build my own team. Then, IF I need help or a coarch –I’ll call. That’s my approach.
PDF Brochure: Brochure
Written by: Daniel
Now What? Will You Go With Shaklee or Search for Another Opportunity?
Love Shaklee – if you love the products, love the company and think it’s a business opportunity for you then by all means go a head and join. Know what you give yourself into though!! I’m not trying to steal you away from it but the more you know the better prepared you are.
Read – 10 Tips Before Joining an MLM Opportunity
Like the Products but Not the Opportunity – There’s nothing that says that you can’t enjoy the products and make a decision on the opportunity later on. There are many other ways to create a side income if that’s what you are looking for. One way is to create a blog on health and nutritions. You can make money by recommending health products that you enjoy, this is called affiliate marketing. Want to know more?
Read – 10 Reasons Why You Should Consider Affiliate Marketing
Not a fan, This is Not for You – That’s ok, if you are looking for a way to make some extra money, it might be online or offline continue your search. On this site I blog about online opportunities like affiliate marketing, surveys and more. If you want to know more about how I got started online…
Read – How I Got Started with Online Marketing
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