Is Body Shop at Home MLM or a Pyramid Scheme?

Have you been invited to become a Body Shop at Home MLM consultant? Or are you perhaps interested in joining yourself? Read this article to avoid wasting time and losing money.

The Body Shop at Home is multi-level marketing (MLM). It is not a pyramid scheme because you sell physical products. This does not mean you should join, though. Consultants buy products they may not be able to sell. This leaves them at a loss.

What Are MLMs and Pyramid Schemes?

Multi-level marketing (MLM) is a sales strategy. Consultants in an MLM scheme sell products to other people and recruit them into the business. They earn a percentage of the earnings of the recruited people. A successful MLM consultant makes passive income by letting their recruits do the work.

In a successful MLM scheme, those at the top earn the most money. Those at the bottom, new recruits, make the least profits. MLMs are legal. In the UK, MLM schemes are regulated by the Direct Selling Association UK.

Pyramid schemes are illegal. In pyramid schemes, there are no actual products. Consultants make money by recruiting new members. New members pay to join and then take payments from members they recruit.

What Is Body Shop at Home?

Body Shop at Home is MLM but not a pyramid scheme. It describes itself as a social selling channel. Everyone can apply to become a Body Shop at Home consultant and sell Body Shop products. Consultants have to buy these products.

They have to build their customer base, often friends and family. Most products are sold at so-called Body Shop parties in someone’s home. You receive access to digital tools and training. But making sales is up to you.

Selling products and recruiting people to earn commissions are the hallmark features of MLM. Body Shop at Home even states that they are doing MLM.

What Are the Risks of Working as a Body Shop Consultant at Home?

Working as a Body Shop consultant may sound great, but there are some hidden dangers:

• You will likely lose money
• You are under pressure to buy and sell products
• You are self-employed
• You have to pay your expenses (travel costs, etc.)

You Will Likely Lose Money

Less than 1% of MLM consultants are successful. Your chances to be one of them are slim. You may make some profit at first, but your friends and family can only buy so much. If you want to continue making money, you must expand your circle.

In 2020, 5.1 million people reported using Body Shop products. This may sound like a lot, but it is less than 7% of the UK’s population. Plus, these people do not buy Body Shop products every day.

You Are Pressured into Buying and Selling Products

Being part of the Body Shop is being your own boss. However, members report pressure from higher-ups to buy and sell products. There are many reports online from people describing what it is like to work as a Body Shop at Home consultant. Pressure to sell is one of the main reasons these people stopped.

Re-selling can be a great side hustle. However, it is better to do it on your terms. For example, you can buy items on car boot sales to resell online.

You Are Classified as Self-employed

As a person in self-employment, you are not getting the benefits employees have. There are no holidays, no pension payments, and no sick leave. When you are not working, you are not making money. Factoring this in, earnings from working as a Body Shop at Home consultant are not great.

You Have to Pay for Your Own Expenses

You have to deduct your expenses from your sales profits. If you travel to Body Shop at Home parties, you need fuel or public transport costs. You also need to account for other supplies you need to buy or the cost to set up a stall. These eat into your profits.

Body Shop Consultant Earnings UK

Body Shop at Home is a legal MLM; some consultants make money with it. In fact, 92% of consultants stated that they are happy with what they are doing. Body Shop conducted the survey in-house, so this may be biased.

Body Shop consultants earn:

• 35% commission from personal sales
• Commission from the sales of their recruits
• Rewards for good sales performance
• 20% discount on products
• Some freebies

You only get to keep 35% of the sales price if you sell a product. The average Body Shop product is about £20, so you would get £7 from it. Here is how many products you would have to sell to make a target income:

Product Sales Needed (No. of Products	Income per month
15	£100
43	£300
72	£500
143	£1,000
286	£2,000

As you can see, you have a lot of selling to do to hit meaningful income targets. The table does not consider expenses or taxes. It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme, and you may not make any money.

Commission Structure

As a body shop consultant, you earn a 35% commission from your personal sales. This has recently been increased from 25%. You also receive 2% from the earnings of the members you have recruited.

So if you have recruited eight people into your Body Shop at Home team, you earn 2% from each. Body Shop at Home is a great side hustle if you can recruit many people.

Pros and Cons of Body Shop at Home

Pros

• Flexible
• Can make passive income from recruited members
• Opportunity to socialise while working
• Develop sales skills that can be useful for other jobs

Cons

• Upfront costs for products you may not be able to sell
• Risk of making a loss from being unable to sell
• Poor mental health due to the pressure of having to sell

Is It Worth Becoming a Body Shop at Home Consultant?

Being a consultant can be a fun side hustle. However, it is not worth your time if you are serious about making money. There are better side hustles that let you keep all of your earnings. Examples include freelancing, reselling, a YouTube side hustle, blogging, and others.

Is Body Shop at Home MLM or a Pyramid Scheme? Summary

Body Shop at Home is not a pyramid scheme. It is legal because you sell actual products. However, this does not mean the Body Shop at Home is a great side hustle. Most MLM participants lose money, and you should consider the pros and cons before you sign up.

If you want to earn money, try these genuine work-from-home jobs instead.

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