One problem with the wellness industry is that there is a lot of hype. Many of the vitamin, minerals, "health foods" on the market have been designed by accountants not scientists. Marketing teams push the envelope on health claims that are not supported by science or anything else. The real problem here is to sort out what's real and what's hype. Hype can look and sound like the real thing because the people promoting it are good at what they do. The amazing part to me is that 1. they get away with it and 2. They don't seem to mind playing with people's health just to make a buck. It is no wonder that many consumers feel that vitamins just don't work. In order for vitamins and such  to work, there has to be something of real value in the pill or the box. As a result of these shady practises, the Canadian and US governments are getting more involved in natural product regulation. This will eventually get rid of the shady characters in the wellness business but it may also stifle the development of future wellness products.

 The drug industry is very much behind this regulation because they fear that this tiny wellness industry threatens their humongous empire. By the way, anytime you see a study in Google about certain vitamins, minerals or health foods that don't work, check around a bit and find out who funded the study and what were the ingredients of the formulation used. I have found that a lot of studies are funded by drug companies and the potency of the product tested is way under effective levels. But who reads the background material? The bottom line is that you the consumer have to be proactive about the wellness products you consider. Do your own research. If the people/institutions/companies doing the research are credible, then the product is probably ok. Just remember, everyone is different and what works for one person may not work for all. Even drugs do not work for everyone--I've heard that some drugs only work for 50% of the people who take them. So when your doctor says "here, try this" That's what he/she  means. He or she doesn't know for sure whether it's going to work for you either. And then there's the side effects. Drug companies have managed to portray themselves as the great health saviours of mankind. The problem is they are not focused on the cure but on treating the symptoms. If you cure someone, you have lost a customer. If you treat the symptoms, you have a customer for life. This improves the bottom line and makes accountants and investors happy.

The bottom line for consumers is pro activity. Don't make your health, someone else's responsibility.  Whether its a drug or a wellness product, do your own due diligence, as best you can, until you are satisfied. Then monitor the results you are getting. It can seem like a fulltime job at times but your health is worth it. Where would you be without it? 

If you are a member of a network marketing company that boasts of having great distributor websites that will generate business for you, think again about their effectiveness. These websites may well bring you business if you personally refer a lot of people to your exact website address but only if your customers spell everything just right. If your customer forgets this address and just types in the name of your host company and your name too--no dice-- your customer may get the company but not you. You could lose him or her right there.

These "distributor websites" are called replicated websites because all distributors have the exact same website except for very minor differences. There's usually not much space for you to get your personalty across or differentiate yourself from others. It's really just like a glorified, very detailed brochure which you hand to people. That means you have to personally hand out this brochure to every single prospect. Sounds just like conventional MLM marketing wrapped up in something of a disguise called the internet. The replicated website idea has it backwards: on the internet, people find you ; if they can't find you, you might as well not exist.

The internet is all about people finding people with solutions for their problems. The new consumer finds you, you don't necessarily find them . The new consumer is being proactive by looking for a new product, new ideas, or perhaps new business concepts. The old consumer watches TV and is told what to buy. Replicated websites are for the old style consumer and the old style salesperson.

In order to be an active player on the internet, you have to learn the new rules. You have to become internet savvy. If you want people to find you on the internet, you will have to bone up on your internet skills. If you plan on being successful in mlm or any small business, the internet needs to be mastered. It's not going away anytime soon so the skills you acquire will always be useful. In such a radically changing environment, the emphasis will always be on learning new skills.

NewWebsite  Immunotec Distributor 

I launched a new website today http://www.immunotecdistributor.com . As an Immunotec distributor, you have your own independant but replicated website that has tone of information on it except nobody can find it while searching google. None of the Immunotec websites for distributors show up. So I created my own website that will show up. I also have a Veretekk system to support the marketing of this website http://immunotecdistributor.veretekk.com  I am sure that within a month my new website will be at the top of the hits list at Google for the keywords immunotec distributor. I also launched a new website last week helping other networkers to the same thing http://www.homebusinessseo.com It is already in the top ten for the keywords chosen. It is supported by Veretekk http://homebusinessseo.veretekk.com 

There are many companies out there on the Internet that promote health products that don't actually work but if you pay some doctors enough, he or she will say something that makes the product sounds like it could work for some people some of the time. Doctors can be very compelling even when they are talking about something they basically know nothing about. In some situations, actors are often paid to act as doctors and do a great job most of the time. Executives from "natural health" companies know the rules which have been pretty loose up until now. It's almost unthinkable what some companies have done to promote worthless products that pray on the hopes and fears of sick people or people who are trying to avoid sickness.

So the golden rule is the old axiom "buyer beware". Check out the company as much as you can. Check the research out by reading it yourself. This can be complex but you will get the gist of it. At least, you should have a idea on whether the research is real or sort of made up, or whether the truth has been stretched a little. Personal testimonies, while inspiring, have to be discounted due to their personal, subjective nature. They also lend themselves to hype. People who are trying to sell something sometimes tell lies. I know that's hard to believe---they were so nice. That's why we think so highly of used car salesmen and the like. Scientific research and peer reviewed published works are by far the best source information to look for in evaluating a product and a company. If the claims are made with no back up documentation, it's kind of like buying a "terrific" used car without seeing the service records.

Evaluating a product and a company are really important in maintaining your state of health and wellness but it's doubly important if you want to build a successful wellness home business. Who wants to see your business go to pot after the real facts immerge about the fraudulent nature of the claims made about a product? If you want to waste a lot of time, lose money and lose credibility that's an excellent route to take. If not, the due diligence you undertake before you really start promoting a product line is time extremely well spent. I guess that's why I'm always a little leary about "fast start"  bonuses and the like. The other very famous phrase is "when the dream is big enough, the facts don't count" Really.  It's a message I read as "don't take the time to really check this out, you might find the out the truth". So do your due diligence and make your decision. Once you've done this properly, go for the gold.

Just a little warning: Once you are satisfied don't be a sucker to your own negative thoughts that mascarade as "facts"  manufactured by you to look highly reasonable. They are nothing but doubts thrown your way to block your progress. It's your own mind setting out to destroy your chances of success.

Business Crediblity

Back in the old days of Amway, you only had to see if your white shirts were whiter and that your

LOC actually cleaned what it was supposed to clean to know that your products worked. Enrich International,

used to sell a fibre and senna combination that left no doubt that they worked for most people.

Public meeting extolling the virtues of having a good bowel movement were good for business.

 (what a way to make a living) Most of the time, it's good to sell and promote products

where the benefits are easily proven by personal observation. However, there are many products, especially,

nutritional products where the efficacy of the product is much more difficult to prove especially in the short term.

Most of these nutritional type products are accompanied by personal testimonies that are heavily discounted  in medical circles.

I have been in many different mlm's and all stated that their products were the best on the market. "On the cutting edge"

is a common phrase. So I started wondering, "how do you know they are the best products?". What research has been done?

Where is the evidence? (Usually no where or highly questionable). Most of these type claims come from the marketing department,

not the research department. (What research department?) . It's unfortunate that many of the natural product/vitamin

industry products areborn in the business office, and formulated by the accounting department and sold to us a

 "natural wonders". Increased regulation in both Canada and the USA should rid of this kind of "rip off"  business practises.

The question remains, how do you know the products actually work. If they work self evidently, great! If they do not, do your

due diligence about the research that went into the formulation and the subsequent clinical studies to prove the products work.

Why waste money on products that don't work when you buy products that do work. The most expensive pair of shoes you

can buy are those you never wear. The most expensive vitamin or food concoction that doesn't benefit you in any way is

the most expensive health product you will ever buy. Finally and most important: do you want to recommend a product

to a friend or customer that does not work? That's why you should always say: "I don't know if it going to work for you or not,

but what if it does?" Doctors' will  give you a prescription and say "try this" (He or she's not sure it's going to work for you either).

'Hype" is often used in network marketing companies to get the troops excited so they can go out and recruit more people.

If the "hype" isn't supported by facts, you can end up featured on Market Place on the CBC TV network or some other

USA investigative TV unit. That's not good for business or your health so its best to check the products and the people

before you invest your time, money and energy in a bogus business relationship.