Welcome to my USANA review
The health, nutrition, and personal care sector has become one of the fastest-growing industries in the world because people are increasingly becoming more and more conscious of their health and nutrition. Many companies are being established daily to tap into this ever-growing industry.
There are many MLM companies involved in this industry. However, most of these companies have a bad reputation as many of their distributors use unethical or inappropriate methods to promote their products.
This is why if you have been thinking about making money in this space, you need to be careful to choose a company that will have a positive impact both on your income potential and your health.
One of the biggest players in this industry is USANA Health Sciences. So, is it a legit company or is it a scam? Here is an honest review of the company to help you answer this question.
WHAT IS USANA?
Put simply, USANA is a leading Multi-Level Marketing company that specializes in health, personal care, and nutrition products and supplements.
According to its website, the reason why USANA operates as an MLM company is that it is easier to make the highest quality products accessible to consumers without the inefficiencies experienced in traditional distribution channels such as retail markups.
The products are sold by USANA’s own distributors or “Associates”. This is why the company’s products are not found in retail outlets.
The company claims that the products it sells are the best in the world. They claim that these products have the good reputation of being very beneficial to their users’ health.
However, all these claims do not change the fact that making a significant amount of money through MLMs is incredibly difficult. USANA’s MLM system is not reliable, and according to their own statistics, very few people have actually achieved financial success with them.
The company claims that all the products they produce are “science-based”. This is primarily because USANA was founded by Dr. Myron Wentz, a double PhD scientist, a world-renowned immunologist, microbiologist, an expert on infectious disease diagnoses and a pioneer in the development of human cell culture technology. He is also a recipient of the Albert Einstein Award for his work in the life sciences.
According to USANA, unlike most other people who go into health and wellness MLMs for their own financial gain, Dr. Myron Wentz founded USANA intending to improve the nutrition and health of people worldwide.
The company was founded in 1992 and has since grown tremendously. Today, it even has scientists from various fields who assist in the production of health and nutrition products.
According to the official site, the company is made up of a team of some of the best cellular and molecular biologists, chemists, pharmacists, nutritional biochemists, and sports science experts, guaranteeing that the products produced are backed by solid science. And as the company continues to make more innovations in the nutritional sector, they are also improving their existing products.
WHAT PRODUCTS DOES USANA OFFER?
USANA has a large variety of products which can be grouped into:
- Nutrition and Supplements
- Diet, Foods, and Energy
- Personal Care Products
This company has many so products that it would be impractical to review every one of them in this article. However, the most common questions that people want to know about these products are whether or not they are good and if you can make any money being a distributor of the products.
If you check out their website and a few reviews online, you will see claims that this company produces world-class products. Most of the products produced by USANA are patented by the company itself.
Additionally, there is the claim that the company is the most highly rated nutritional company in the world, according to an independent study known as the Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements.
Finally, there is the claim that because its products are of such good quality, most star athletes prefer products produced by the company. This is because, with USANA, athletes are assured of the best nutrition, performance, protection, and recovery for their bodies.
Is there any truth to all this, though?
The claim that the company produces “world-class products” is debatable. First of all, what are “world-class” personal care and nutritional supplements? What exactly do they mean by this? I believe it is just fancy sales talk to entice people to buy into their business.
Besides, if the founder of this company really wanted to help people and was not after the money, wouldn’t he have used a different marketing tactic that can reach more people that actually need the help (such as retail), a method that would facilitate mass production, after which he could price his products low and make it affordable to all the people he wants to help?
MLMs are designed to feed the top tier people at the expense of the recruits, and that is exactly the business that Dr. Wentz wanted to get into.
The claim that the company is the highest rated nutritional supplement company in the world is also false. The “independent study” they talk about is not exactly independent. Legit nutritional companies are rated 3 stars or lower in it while USANA is the only 5-star company. Guess who wrote the book? The authors of the book are two doctors who are also USANA representatives. So much for being independent, huh?
As for being the preferred product of “most world-class athletes”, that is also debatable. It is true that USANA has had some celebrity and celebrity athlete endorsements over the years. Even Dr. Oz has endorsed some of their products. Does this mean they are the best in the world?
Well, let’s not dwell on that too much. For argument’s sake, let’s assume that USANA products are legit and high quality. The focus of this article is making money with USANA. Is it possible to do that? Can this company make you rich?
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO JOIN USANA?
You can join USANA in one of two ways:
- Preferred Customer
You can be an USANA Preferred Customer if you are only interested in purchasing products from the company. Preferred Customers can purchase the company’s products at a 10% discount. As a Preferred Customer, you also have the option of setting your purchases to “Auto Order”, where you are given an additional 10% discount, meaning that for every product you purchase, you pay 20% less. When you set your purchase as Auto Order, it means that you will be buying your selected products once a month and the purchases will be automatically processed for you.
- Associate
This is for people who intend to promote the company’s products and make some money on the side. USANA Associates purchase the company’s products at a discounted price. They then sell the products to make a retail profit. In addition, USANA Associates can introduce others to the company to become Associates and they will get to earn commissions when those people make sales.
USANA’S COMPENSATION PLAN
There are two main ways of making money as a member of USANA:
- By selling the company’s discounted products and earning retail profit
- By training your downlines, or the people you have recruited, to recruit more people and sell the company’s products
For each of USANA’s products you and your downlines sell, you are awarded points that will add up to determine how much commission you earn. Yes, like most similar MLMs, this does sound vaguely like a pyramid scheme.
With USANA’s compensation plan, you can create 6 income streams. They include:
Retail Sales
Retail Sales is the most direct way of making money with the company. When you sell USANA’s products, you get to earn profits between the retail price and the preferred price. The products can be sold in any way you deem fit, whether online, in person, in a meeting, or even at a party.
Weekly Commissions
Once you sell products from the company, you are awarded points. The points can then be exchanged for commissions on a weekly basis, hence the name “weekly commissions”. When you get your downlines to recruit more people and to make more sales, your weekly commissions will increase.
Lifetime Matching Bonus
When you help the people you have recruited to hit a particular goal within a certain period, you will then be awarded a new unique rank such as the Premier Pacesetter special rank or Premier Platinum Pacesetter special rank. These ranks will enable you to earn even more commission from your downlines for as long as both you and your downlines qualify for the weekly commissions.
Incentives
USANA holds several contests every year. These incentives have very attractive rewards, including cars, luxury travels, cash, and the most importantly, the recognition and respect you will have earned.
Leadership Bonus
The moment you reach the Gold Director rank or higher, you will be able to receive a weekly bonus from the company. Every week, the company shares 3% of its income with its top associates.
Elite Bonus
The Elite Bonus is reserved for top earners in the company. The company’s top earner earns more commissions than other associates, so the higher you rise through the ranks as an associate with the company, the more money you earn. It is a pretty good incentive, and also explains why most of the company’s commissions are paid to the Associates at the top.
PROS
- Good Products
USANA does put a lot of effort into coming up with its products. The products produced by the company are all aimed at providing your body with the proper nutrition to keep you healthy and looking younger. All these claims are backed by science, making the claims credible. Additionally, the products produced by USANA have been proven to meet the nutritional needs of the body.
- The Products are Trusted by World-Class Athletes
Pro athletes are very cautious about what they put in their bodies. If they can use USANA products, it probably means the products are safe to use.
- The Company offers Comprehensive Training, Support, and Resources
When new members join the company as Associates, they are asked to buy a $29.95 Business Development System, also called the Welcome Kit. This learning kit is equipped with several learning resources that will assist in getting you set up with the company. You will also be provided with learning materials, both online and offline, to help you. You will also have access to a team consisting of the people above you and those below you who will work with you as well as learn together. Additionally, the company also conducts seminars and training sessions to ensure that you are all set for your business.
- Associates do not need any Inventory
As an USANA associate, you will not need to have any inventory when you sell the company’s products. All you have to do is recommend the products to people and then place an order through the company’s system. All ordered products are delivered straight to your customer without further intervention from you.
- The Company has over 25 Years’ Experience
USANA has been in operation since 1992 and is almost celebrating its 30th birthday. Currently, USANA is in operation in over 20 countries, with the numbers expected to continue rising.
CONS
- You have to Pay to Continue Operating your Business
For you to receive a commission that will facilitate the operation of your business, you have to buy a specific number of products monthly to collect enough points. The least number of points you need to accumulate every month is about 100 to 200 points, which translates to about $110-$130 monthly. If you do not hit these points, you will not get any commission. This means you are basically paying them to get paid.
- Costly Investments
The initial investment of $29.95 for the “business development system” is just the start. If you are unable to sell the products you purchased at retail price, you will have to use the products yourself. This is a big issue especially for those with little capital to pump into their businesses and people who are struggling to get by. And this is exactly the kind of people that USANA recruiters target.
- Most Associates Struggle to Make Money with the Company
Most USANA Associates struggle to get a return on their initial investment with the company. This makes it difficult for most associates to earn a living with the company full-time. The only people who seem to benefit from the company are the high-ranking Associates with a lot of money to invest in the business.
VERDICT
USANA is a legitimate company with legitimate products. The company produces products that are actually helpful to people and not just useless snake oil like most MLMs do. This is a huge plus for them.
I don’t want to go all out and say that I don’t recommend it. I think that would be unfair but I want to bring to light that there are a lot of people struggling to earn an income with USANA.
Even though there are some people making money with USANA, there are very few success stories among the Associates of the company. Only the people at the very top are happy with this company. The company’s products may be good but the number of Associates achieving success with the company is very low. And that is extremely sad.
WHAT IS BETTER THAN USANA?
Like many of you, I have been looking for a way to make money online with the hopes to eventually replace my 9 to 5 income and become financially free. There are certainly many ways to achieve this goal. MLM is one of those ways (I don’t recommend it). If you have spent any time at all on my site you will more than likely find one or two ways that appeal to you.
Having said all that, if you do spend any time at all on my site you will see that I am very much in favor of affiliate marketing. I have tried many of the methods that I talk about in this website. I have done MLM, freelancing, FBA, translations……
None come close to the possibilities affiliate marketing in my humble opinion. It is a business model with so much potential and freedom. Basically, you earn commissions for recommending products and services to your audience. These are products and services that you 100% believe in. They are solutions to problems that your readers are experiencing. If they take you up on your recommendation, you get a commission.
It is a model that requires hard work, persistence and patience. But once the money starts coming in, it will snowball to levels you can’t imagine. Every day you put into this business will get you closer to your financial independence goals. Imagine not having to worry about money, your boss, the economy….
While affiliate marketing is not hard, it requires some specialized knowledge. Without it, it can be hard to navigate through the do’s and don’ts. You certainly can learn it as you go, but this trial and error method ca be painful and often leads to people quitting.
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To your success,
Mike Aha
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