Food is a topic that stirs up passion and plays a significant role in our lives. Whether it’s discovering new recipes or learning about cooking techniques, the world of food is constantly evolving.
Thanks to social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, it’s evident that people have an enduring fascination with all things related to food. This is what makes the food industry a consistently profitable venture because, let’s face it, people will always need to eat.
In this article, we explore the world of multi-level marketing and introduce you to the top eight MLM food companies.
Table of Contents
1. Tastefully Simple
Overview: Tastefully Simple offers a range of meals, sauces, seasonings, and oils aimed at helping people cook and eat well. Their meal mixes and products claim to avoid artificial ingredients, although this claim lacks specific support. One notable feature is the emphasis on recipes, with a dedicated section on their website and recipe cards included with individual products. Tastefully Simple also offers meal kits designed to feed a family in under 30 minutes, costing less than $3 per serving.
Products: Most reviews suggest that Tastefully Simple products are decent, but not exceptional. They resemble private-label versions of grocery store items, offering convenience but falling short on taste. They may be suitable for individuals lacking cooking skills or in a time crunch, but experienced cooks could likely create better meals with cheaper ingredients.
Commission and Income Potential: Tastefully Simple’s commission structure remains somewhat ambiguous, with a 30% commission rate on sales and undisclosed bonuses. The company focuses on building a team and advancing in ranks, which unlocks additional bonuses.
However, the lack of specifics regarding earnings potential makes it challenging to evaluate the true income prospects. Distributors are required to generate $400 or more in sales every quarter, which is a reasonable target considering it is not a monthly requirement.
2. Pampered Chef
Overview: Pampered Chef focuses on providing a range of cookware, kitchen tools, and related items. While their primary offerings are cookware and tools, they also have a selection of food-related products, with a significant focus on seasoning mixes and rubs. These mixes and rubs receive overwhelmingly positive reviews, with a combination of common and unique flavors available. The affordable price points, mostly under $10, make these consumable items appealing to a wide audience. However, to generate substantial income, it would be necessary to promote sales of the other non-consumable products as well.
Products: Pampered Chef’s cookware and tools tend to be more expensive and receive mixed reviews in terms of quality. While some customers feel they are worth the price, others have reservations. It’s important to carefully evaluate the value and longevity of these products before making a purchase.
Commission and Income Potential: Pampered Chef offers consultants a commission ranging from 20% to 25% on all their sales. The company operates using a catalog-based system, which means consultants don’t need to buy inventory upfront. To stay active and earn commissions, consultants must make at least $150 in personal sales every month, regardless of their team setup.
Pampered Chef’s team structure uses a unilevel model with different ranks to progress through. Advancing to higher ranks involves meeting personal and team sales goals and having a certain number of active consultants on your team. To move up the ranks, consultants also need to help their team members get promoted.
Most sales happen through parties where consultants demonstrate their products and highlight how they make meal preparation easier. Party hosts can earn rewards like discounts and free products to encourage their participation.
3. Homemade Gourmet
Overview: Homemade Gourmet offers a variety of food products, including soup mixes, dips, desserts, breads, and sides. While these products are not complete meals, they provide the necessary seasonings and flavors to enhance dishes. Customers are still required to purchase fresh ingredients and prepare the meals themselves, but the convenience and ease of use make Homemade Gourmet appealing to many.
Products: Homemade Gourmet focuses on fast and easy meal solutions, with many dishes designed to be prepared in 30 minutes or less. This makes their products particularly appealing to busy families and working parents. Reviews for Homemade Gourmet products are generally positive, although there are some negative ones as well, as individual preferences and expectations vary. It is worth noting that some customers mention the presence of processed ingredients in the products.
Commission and Income Potential: Homemade Gourmet primarily emphasizes product sales rather than detailed information about their compensation plan. Commission rates range from 25% to 40%, depending on the distributor’s rank within the company. Sales are predominantly made through in-person parties, and some representatives mention reselling products at fundraisers and craft fairs.
However, the lack of specific details about the compensation plan, team structure, and ongoing requirements is a limitation. It is important to have a conversation with a distributor to gain a better understanding of the specifics. However, keep in mind that distributors may provide biased information.
4. Wildtree
Overview: Wildtree focuses on providing healthy meals made from organic and high-quality ingredients. Their product line includes mixes for meals, as well as sauces, spice blends, and dressings. While their selection of meal-making products is relatively small, Wildtree places a strong emphasis on quality, with an emphasis on organic ingredients and minimal processing. Their attention to detail is evident, even in products like their cornbread, which contains eight carefully selected ingredients.
Products: Wildtree also offers an interesting alternative to traditional parties with their workshop concept. Customers can order meal prep kits from Wildtree, typically priced around $80, and purchase the remaining ingredients separately. These workshops bring people together to prepare meals and have received mixed reviews. While some customers love the experience, others find it expensive and time-consuming. Nevertheless, the workshops offer a unique and distinctive approach compared to the traditional party format.
Commission and Income Potential: Wildtree provides a commission structure where members can earn between 25% and 40% on all sales, without requiring an initial purchase. The company offers bonuses for achieving sales targets, and members can earn an additional 3% from recruits without becoming team leaders. This approach allows for more potential income solely from sales.
Although Wildtree doesn’t provide extensive details about the team-building aspect, members can earn up to 12% on member sales by progressing through the ranks and meeting specific requirements. There is an activity requirement as well, with a minimum total sales (or purchases) of $350 every four months for those focused on sales and first-tier recruits. However, if you aim to build a team, the requirement increases to $350 per month.
5. Do You Bake?
Overview: Do You Bake focuses strongly on the food industry, offering a variety of meal-related products. Their catalog showcases meals such as Apple ‘n’ Grain Flip Flop Flapjacks, Warm Vanilla Sugar Superfood Hot Breakfast Bowl, and Slow Southern Pulled Pork. Additionally, they provide seasoning blends and oil infusions. The company caters to specialized diets, including low-sugar and gluten-free options.
However, it is important to note that Do You Bake does not sell fully prepared meals. Instead, they offer mixes that customers can use to create their own dishes. While the company provides images of finished dishes, there is no guarantee that the end result will be identical.
Products: Do You Bake offers products at various price points, with many items priced under $10. However, some products range from $12.95 to $15.95. Although there are limited product reviews available, the company’s decade-long operation suggests they have been successful in offering quality food items.
Commission and Income Potential: Do You Bake offers its members the opportunity to earn a commission of up to 37%, which is a pretty good deal. However, it’s worth mentioning that the starting commission rate is 20%, which is decent but not extraordinary. To boost your commission rate to 25%, you’ll need to achieve a minimum of $51 in monthly sales.
Earning from your team involves meeting specific requirements and climbing the ranks. Initially, you’ll need three active recruits to start earning from your downline, and you’ll receive a 1% commission on their sales. It’s important to note that advancing through the ranks can be challenging, and the commission percentages earned from your team are relatively lower compared to some other MLM companies.
Selling with Do You Bake can be done online or through parties. There’s a $30 annual fee for the website, but specific monthly spending requirements are not clearly outlined by the company.
6. Jerky Direct
Overview: Jerky Direct focuses solely on selling jerky products. Their product range has become more limited, now offering just three flavors: Original, Spicy, and Peppered & Garlic. The jerky is sold in 3 oz bags, available in packs of 2, 6, 15, or 35. However, the pricing is significantly high, with the largest pack option costing around $7.15 per 3 oz bag and the smallest pack costing around $10.90 per bag.
Products: Reviews for Jerky Direct’s jerky are generally positive. However, the high price point raises concerns about the product’s value for money. With many other options available in the market, selling the jerky could be challenging, as customers may find it difficult to justify the cost.
Commission and Income Potential: Jerky Direct’s commission structure offers a flat rate per sale, rather than a percentage-based commission. The amount earned ranges from $2 to $10 per sale, depending on the pack size. This commission rate is relatively low, considering the retail prices of the jerky packs.
The sales are made through a provided website, eliminating the need for inventory management. However, there appears to be limited training available for driving traffic to the site and generating sales. The company also offers the opportunity to earn commissions from up to six levels below you, with varying percentage rates for each level. Leadership bonuses are also available but come with additional requirements.
The commission scheme is straightforward, without rank systems or strict sales requirements. However, purchasing the Affiliate Promo Pack for $25 every 90 days is necessary to remain active. While this ongoing cost is lower than other MLM companies, it can still be a source of frustration.
7. Well Beyond
Overview: Well Beyond is an MLM program that focuses on health and nutrition rather than food specifically. While some products were previously marketed under the Xocai label, Well Beyond includes a healthy chocolate range. Their dark chocolate products are designed to promote health through various means.
For example, Well Beyond Nuggets are rich in antioxidants and feature flavors like blueberries and acai. XoBiotic Squares contain probiotics, while Xolove Bites include L-arginine and Maca. The company provides details about flavonoid and ORAC levels to suggest the potential health benefits of their products. However, one concern is the low cocoa percentage, as most products don’t specify this, and the Nuggets claim a 70% cocoa content, which is on the lower end for dark chocolate.
Products: The Well Beyond products are expensive. A 120-piece pack of any chocolate square costs $157.95 retail or $118.00 for subscribers. These high prices may deter potential customers, especially considering the small size of the chocolate squares.
Commission and Income Potential: Well Beyond follows a purchase-first model, where distributors buy the products at wholesale prices (around $110 per pack) and sell them at a marked-up rate. Well Beyond recommends selling at $150 per pack, providing a $40 profit per pack. However, the challenge lies in convincing customers to pay such a high price for chocolate, even with potential health benefits.
The compensation plan is complex, involving both a binary and a unilevel system. The binary system creates two teams under the distributor, with earnings based on team performance. Balancing the teams for optimal earnings can be challenging, especially with unpredictable team member behavior.
Rank-based bonuses and earnings from personal enrollment trees add to the complexity. It is difficult to determine the income potential due to the plan’s complexity and lack of information.
8. The Cocoa Exchange
Overview: The Cocoa Exchange is a chocolate-focused MLM program offering three distinct product lines. The Dove Signature line features various luxury chocolates, such as Sea Salt Cocoa Caramels, Mint Chocolate Cookie Bites, and the Dessert Truffle Collection. Prices for these high-quality products vary, with truffle collections typically costing $18 for nine truffles. The Pure Dark line offers a narrower selection, including chocolate nibs and dark chocolate rounds, while the Pod & Bean range features unique food-related chocolate products like White Chocolate Raspberry Honey Mustard and Blackberry Chipotle Sauce.
Products: The Cocoa Exchange’s products are popular and consumable, which is a positive aspect. However, their luxury chocolates come at a higher price point. While some customers are willing to pay for high-quality chocolate, not everyone may be willing to make consistent monthly purchases. The focus on indulgent treats limits the potential for frequent repeat sales.
Commission and Income Potential: Distributors with The Cocoa Exchange can earn between 25% and 40% in commission from sales alone. Achieving the maximum 40% commission requires substantial sales volume, as you need $2,000 in monthly sales. While it’s encouraging that the company allows a sales-focused approach, attaining these targets may not be realistic for most individuals.
The party-based model heavily relied upon by The Cocoa Exchange involves showcasing the chocolates and sauces at events. Party hosts receive discounts and free products as incentives, which can lead to increased sales. However, hosting parties incurs costs for samples and gifts, and the success of each event can vary. Selling through a replicated website is an option, but selling chocolate online without a try-before-you-buy experience can be challenging.
Earnings from your team are also possible, with commission rates between 3% and 5% on the sales of your downline. However, specific details about the team structure and rank requirements are not provided.
Moreover, distributors are required to maintain $600 in sales every six months. While this is not a monthly requirement, it can still be a significant sales target to meet, particularly for those seeking only a part-time income.
Read more: Best MLM Companies
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