In the MLM industry, there are a few factors to consider when considering which company to build a long term business.

- Product background
- Marketing or Compensation plan
- The team (Upline, Sidelines, even the company staff)
- The trend of the time

Product background

Products are very crucial in MLM. Just because one company says our product is the ‘best’ doesn’t mean that it is. Just like any other business, people seriously building an MLM will only say good things about their own product. They will even give fantastic and even outrageous testimonials about how the product can help them.

The Marketing or Compensation Plan

The plan is very important. It shows how much work you need to do to get paid this much. All marketing plans have their own advantages and disadvantages. Different companies offer different margins for their products. The key to remember in margin comparison, if the company pays the distributor too low, you might not survive; if the margin is too exorbitantly high, you might earn a lot, but your retail customers will suffer and the business might not be long term.

The Team (Upline, Sidelines, even the Company Staff)

Joining the right team is also crucial in MLM. No man is an island in this world. Uplines will always be there to help but the attitude to be adopted is that I am in business for myself but not by myself. Since I am in business for myself, I am the master of my fate, I create my own luck, and I am the author of my own book - it all boils down to ME. Having an upline to help you is considered a BONUS. If you were to run a traditional business, would you expect other people to open shop for you and close the shop for you? Same goes in MLM.

The Trend of the Time

One last aspect to consider about a company is the state of it’s current market trend. Many people at one time or another has heard about aggressive marketing and campaigns on certain companies based on the need for their product and how hot the opportunity is at the moment. They could be in the pioneer stage, marketing the latest health products to a growing or maturing market (for example, aging baby boomers). Some could be in a mature stage after surviving in the market over 10 years.