Kwa kuwa lengo la JF ni kuelimishana, kipande kifuatacho hapo chini kinaeleza tofauti ya Pyramid Scheme na Network Marketing.
Pyramid Scheme (illegal scam)
A pyramid scheme can be defined as a fraudulent money-making scheme that is based on a non-sustainable business model that involves the exchange of money primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme without a legitimate product or service being delivered. Eventually the number of new recruits fails to sustain the payment structure and the scheme collapses with most people losing the money they paid in.
In a more practical sense, probably the easiest way to identify pyramid schemes is firstly there is no legitimate product or service involved (ie you do not get a legitimate product in return for your initial investment). The second way to identify pyramid schemes is that you do not get a financial return unless you have successfully introduced a number of new recruits into the pyramid. Basically, pyramid schemes concentrate on the money that you could earn by recruiting new people into the pyramid and generally ignore the marketing and selling of any products or services.
Mfano: DECI, Dollar Jet etc.
Network Marketing (legitimate, legal business model)
The concept behind network marketing is a distribution model that allows a company to sell their products directly to the consumer. Choosing to use a word of mouth approach (networking) instead of advertising through traditional streams (eg media). Therefore instead of paying the media for advertising, network marketing companies are structured to reward distributors through commission in return for selling their products and finding new customers. Therefore the main focus of a network marketing company is product distribution. In fact, in a legitimate network marketing company, distributors are not required to recruit new distributors in order to earn a commission, they can earn money purely by selling the companys product.
Although distributors can choose to sell the companys products to earn their commissions, not everybody wants to be a sales person and therefore choose to recruit more distributors into their organisation as a means to build their referral base. Not only does this create a group of loyal customers, it also allows you to leverage the efforts of others to create a residual stream of income.
Mfano: GNLD, Forever Living, Amway, 4Life etc.
Kulingana na maelezo ya hapo juu, Forever Living Products inaangukia katika Network Marketing kwa kuwa kamisheni zao zinapatikana kwa njia zote, moja kwa kuuza bidhaa na pili kwa kuingiza watu wapya katika biashara. Na kwa kuwa lengo la msingi la biashara ni kuuza bidhaa, ili ufanikiwe kupata kamisheni/bonus ni lazima ununue bidhaa hizo kwa kiwango kadhaa kila mwezi kama ilivyoelezwa katika sera za kampuni. Kwa hiyo kimsingi, network marketing ni biashara halali inayotambuliwa na mamlaka husika na serikali.
(i.e. Forever Living ipo katika nchi zaidi ya 150 duniani)
Kujiunga na biashara ya mtandao.
Katika biashara yoyote kuna kampuni kubwa na ndogo, kuna wenye uzoefu wa muda mrefu na mfupi, walio na mtaji mkubwa na mdogo as well as matapeli na waaminifu. Cha msingi kabla ya kujiunga na kampuni yoyote ni lazima ujiridhishe kwa kufanya uhakiki (due diligence) ili kujiridhisha kuwa haupo katika biashara ya utapeli au kupoteza pesa zako.
Kwenye biashara ya mtandao, kuna mambo kadhaa ya kuangalia kwenye kampuni yeyote kabla ya kujiunga. Soma kipande hichi hapa chini kwa maelezo ya kina (nitatumia Forever kama case example):-
Be aware of hype and ground floor opportunities
Although some people might claim you earn more money if you get in first, this is never the case and these are companies that normally fold within the first couple of years. It is much safer to join a company with a proven track record.
(Forever Living ipo kwenye biashara tangu mwaka 1978 mpaka sasa).
Does the company have a proven track record?
If the company has been around for a few years then there is a fair chance that governing bodies that police pyramid schemes have already pulled the business model apart and given them the ok. Publicly traded companies are normally your best bet.
(Ukifuatilia bidhaa za Forever Living utagundua zimethibitishwa na bodi mbalimbali duniani za ubora wa bidhaa. Pia kibiashara, business model ya kampuni imepitishwa baada ya kukaguliwa na mamlaka ya serikali mbalimbali i.e. Hungary, Phillipines).
Will the company buy back any unsold product?
Most network marketing companies have a money back guarantee which means that if you are unhappy with the products you can send them back for a refund. Given that the majority of your start up kit was product, if youre not happy with the business you should be able to send back any leftover product to refund most of your start up costs. Try network marketing and potentially become very wealthy, or if its not working for you send your product back for a refund, its a win-win! Naturally a pyramid scheme is not going to refund your money.
(Forever Living ina sera ya kununua bidhaa zao kutoka kwa wateja kama hawataridhika nazo).
Is this a get rich quick scheme?
Although there is a lot of potential to earn very good money in network marketing very few have made it quick, most make their millions through consistent effort. So if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.
(Kwa ushahidi wa hili ni wale waliofanikiwa au kutofanikiwa katika biashara ya Forever Living Products hapa Tanzania, wanapatikana na wanajulikana).
Shop around
If you are looking into the industry for the first time dont be scared to look at other business models and products, particularly if you dont know which company to join.
(Fuatilia pia kampuni zingine hapa Tanzania zinafanyaje biashara. Cha msingi hapa ni kuangalia Marketing Plan na Bonus structure across industry. Baadhi ya kampuni zingine za mfumo huu zilizopo Tanzania ni 4Life, GNLD, Dynapharm na Oriflame ).
What training do they provide?
A good company has a solid training system
(Forever Living wameweza kuwa na madarasa mbalimbali ya kufundisha wateja wapya, waliopo na wale wanaopenda kujiunga. Mojawapo ni Millenium Towers (DSM), pia wana madarasa Mwanza, Arusha na Mbeya. Kimsingi elimu itolewayo inafaa si tu kwa biashara ya mtandao hata kwa biashara nyingine yeyote yenye malengo).
Kwa kifupi, biashara ya mtandao ni aina biashara mpya katika karne ya 21 ingawa ilianza zamani. Lakini ndiyo aina ya biashara inayokubalika sana na mabilionea wakubwa duniani kutokana na muundo wake kumuwezesha mtu yeyote (mwenye malengo ya kueleweka) kuanza kwa mtaji mdogo (compared to other businesses) na kuweza kuukuza na kuwa biashara kubwa bila kuingia katika gharama nyingi ambazo zipo associated na traditional business.