Is the Watkins Home-Based Business Opportunity for Real?

Like with any business opportunity, I get asked this question a lot — “Is the Watkins home-based business opportunity legitimate?”  or “Is it for real?”  I understand the reason behind this question because I asked it myself before taking the plunge of faith and joining Watkins.  It’s a fair and reasonable question and one I hope every prospect asks me because I enjoy answering the question.  For there’s something about Watkins that makes one proud to be a member of such a fine organization and company, to be able to look someone square in the face and say, “Yes Virginia, there really is indeed a Santa Claus.” 

Every day this website gets its fair share of opportunity seekers.  Many are desperate and looking for what I call the “lottery life,” an instant way to pay off all their debts and live happily ever after.  Watkins is an opportunity to get rich, but not a get rich quick opportunity.  The opportunity is real, the company is fantastic, Watkins products are outstanding, and the Watkins compensation plan is the best in the network marketing business.  But at the end of the day, like all good, honest, legitimate businesses, the Watkins home-based business will require you to lift a finger and work a few hours each week introducing Watkins products to others and introducing others to the business in order to maximize your earnings.

Those that join Watkins and understand they’ll need to build and grow their business over time, build very financially rewarding businesses.  The Watkins opportunity is purposely designed to start as a part-time business, one you will work a few hours on each week until your income reaches full-time income levels for you.  In time, usually 3 to 5 years, and sometimes up to 7 years, those that are persistent and work a few hours each week, can build six-figure income businesses. 

I challenge you to name one business in America that you know about that you can start for as little as $39.95 and work at part-time and earn a six-figure income.  Sure, there are small niches where people are doing this, but are not available to the masses or requires special training, expensive equipment, very special and unique contacts, etc.  Typically, these special niches are tiny niches that will only work for 1 or 2 people in a community of 10,000 or more. 

But Watkins is an outstanding business opportunity with an impeccable 140-year old reputation and excellent brand recognition, that requires no special tools, no expensive training (training is free), and will work in any neighborhood, community or city.  In fact, the only boundary you have for your sales territory is the borders of North America, for you can sell your products to anyone in the United States or Canada.

Before closing, allow me to share with you why the Watkins home-based business opportunity is for real.  Here’s the list I share with everyone who asks me this question.  I tell people, when you’re looking at any business opportunity you should investigate the company and its reputation, its products, its compensation plan, its selling methods, its time in business and whether or not they’re products are needed or wanted.   With that in mind, let’s look at my list.

The Company - Watkins Incorporated was founded in 1868, it is 140 years old and is the oldest network marketing company in the world.  It has a fantastic reputation, offers a money back guarantee on every single product it sales, even on the $39.95 starter kit for new associates.  In fact, our founder, Mr. J.R. Watkins, invented the money back guarantee.  He was the first known salesman to ever use and promote the concept of a money back guarantee.  And now, 140 years later, the company still honors money back guarantees on all products we sell.  And despite having manufactured millions of bottles, cans and boxes of products over the years, Watkins has never had a single product recall in its entire 140 year history.  Now how about that for an impeccable reputation? 

Watkins Products - Watkins manufactures 350 products for home care, home remedies, personal care, health and beauty use.  Every single product, from its huge line of organic kitchen seasonings, extracts and flavorings to its lines of plant-based cleaning products and terrific supplements and beauty products are used regularly and frequently in the home.  All are consumable.  Watkins products like black pepper, laundry detergents, dish washing detergents, room fresheners, toilet bowl cleaners, vitamins, hand creams, body lotions, etc., are products people need, use regularly and use frequently.  So why is this important?  Because if you sell someone you want them to be a customer for life and you want them to buy often.  If you’re selling them (1) something they have to buy somewhere, (2) something they use regularly and (3) something that is competitively prices, then you can build a reliable stream of sales and make a reliable stream of income. 

Too often I see people with fantastic potential join up with the latest and greatest network marketing wonder that only has one line of products, and find himself trying to figure out several months later why they can’t retain customers.   This is particularly true with all the companies selling one juice product and another for $32 per bottle or more.  You and I both know there’s something fishy about a bottle of juice having to sell for $32.  What’s the first thing a consumer is going to cut out of his budget during bad economic times like we have now?  The $32 bottle of juice, right?  But will he stop using black pepper, will she stop washing her clothes or cleaning their toilet bowls?  No.  And this is why Watkins has their competition beat hands down. 

We don’t offer gimmick products, we don’t offer products one can only sell through high-pressure tactics.  We sell products people ask us to order for them.  And that is a huge difference from what you’ll find with most companies you explore.  When I see a potential Watkins customer that doesn’t want to buy one of our products, I’ve got 349 more products for them to consider.  How many companies can make that claim?

The Watkins Compensation Plan — Unlike most companies in the network marketing business that only pay bonuses or commissions on 2, 3 or maybe 4 levels below you, Watkins pays bonuses on as many levels as you have managers below you.  Thus, its possible to be paid bonuses on sales from 5, 10, 15, 20, etc. levels below you.  In fact, I know a Watkins associate that is now earning income from 22 levels below him.  For anyone reading this article that doesn’t understand the concept of network marketing, I’ll simplify this payment concept by stating that anyone you introduce to Watkins that becomes a Watkins associate, is viewed as an associate you sponsor.  Later, they may elect to sponsor a new associate, and so on.  It is in your best interest to invite others to consider the business opportunity because under the Watkins compensation plan, you will have an opportunity to earn bonuses from qualified sales of associates below you.  Thus, the more associates you and your associates and their associates sponsor, and the more they sell, the greater your income with Watkins will become.  Over time, this residual income stream will become far larger than the income you earn from personal sales.  And this, in a nutshell, is how you income with Watkins can grow to six-figures in a few short years if you (1) regularly sell Watkins, and (2) regularly sponsor new associates.

For anyone that might question the strength or viability of the compensation plan or whether it works or now, I’ll simply remind you that (1) Watkins has been in business for 140 years, and (2) Watkins has 50,000 associates that can attest to the fact the company has a great payment plan.

Selling Methods - Here I would like to talk about what Watkins is not, rather than what Watkins is.   Watkins does not use high pressure selling tactics, we do not over-hype our products, we do not make false claims.  We simply introduce products to people that they can use in their everyday lives.  When promoting the business opportunity we’re honest and forthright and tell everyone this is not a “get rich quick” opportunity.  But it is an opportunity, a very unique opportunity, to start a business on a shoestring budget and build an income greater than your current full-time earnings.    You’ll find every Watkins associate you meet to be proud of our company, proud to represent our company and proud of our products — but without the hype and over-hype.  We are not a ra-ra generation of clones that speak of the company and only the company.  Instead, we want to hear about your family, about the issues you struggle with in life and at home. We become friends of our customers for we know we’ll be hearing from them and seeing them often and we know we have products that can solve some of those problems they may be faced with at home, at work or in health.

If you’re interested in learning more about the fantastic home-based business opportunity that Watkins has to offer, go to 123HomeIncome.com now.  To order Watkins products online, click here.

For, as you more than likely already know, most network marketing companies are one-product or one product line

Watkins Dealers Have Reason to be Proud

Watkins DealerWatkins dealers, or associates as Watkins refers to them, are among the most satisfied and happiest network marketers in the network marketing industry. Why is that and why have I have chosen to write about this subject today? Frankly, when I woke up this morning the question was still fresh on my mind from it being posed by a new prospect last night. When he asked me the question it was like playing slowpitch softball with a basketball. I leaped on the question like a duck on a June bug and hit that basketball out of the park. When I was finished, you could see the excitement dancing in his eyes.

As I told my prospective Waktins dealer the answer to his question is both old and new — starting 140 years ago and originating with great products produced by a great American (i.e., J. R. Watkins). I went on to explain that the answer remains as alive today as it was in 1868, because the Watkins company continues to produce fantastic products that people love and adore, helping to make the job of every Watkins dealer even easier through the product testimonials our customers share with their friends and relatives.

I went on to emphasize that although our company’s ownership changed from descendents of the Watkins family in 1978, it is our good fortune to have the ownership in the hands of someone who is one our nation’s most adept business leaders. More importantly, it remains in the hands of someone who truly cares about the company’s customers and its associates (i.e., Watkins dealers). Namely, that someone is Watkins owner and Chairman, Mr. Irwin Jacobs. I honestly don’t feel Mr. Watkins himself ever loved his company any greater than the love for Watkins I see exhibited daily by Mr Jacobs and his son Mark.

Mr. Jacobs is a Minneapolis entrepreneur and owner of numerous businesses other than Watkins, most notably Genmar Holdings Inc., the world’s largest boat manufacturer. Anyone that has come to know Mr. Jacobs has learned that he attributes his success to many years of hard work, love of family, a strict code ethics taught to him by his father that emphasized building relationships and practicing honesty, loyalty and trust with everyone he comes in contact with, to his understanding of people and to all the personal failures he’s experienced in his life. For each failure, he explains, was a necessary lesson in life, a learning experience (if you will), that empowered him with the fortitude and knowledge necessary to overcome future obstacles he would come to face in life and business.

Mr. Jacobs purchased Watkins in 1978 and has remained closely involved with the company ever since. His son, Mark Jacobs, is President and CEO of Watkins. Both of these business leaders have contributed more towards making Watkins the greatest name (and company) in the network marketing industry than any Watkins dealer could have ever imagined 30 years ago. While many network marketers think it takes hype and ra-ra motivation tactics to build a network marketing organization, these two great leaders have built a company based on family values, concern for their customers and concern for dealers — all the while emphasizing to their sales force of Watkins dealers to not sell the Watkins home-based business opportunity as a get rich quick scheme, but to always be forthright and honest in all their marketing efforts.

Watkins truly offers a wonderful opportunity for everyone looking to start a home-based business. From stay-at-home moms looking to earn $500 to $800 per month working a few hours a week, to former corporate executives wanting to escape the rat race and build a six figure income in a few years, the company’s compensation model and product line is more than one could hope for, regardless how much income you might wish to earn.

But like the Jacobs emphasize, the Watkins business opportunity is not a get rich quick plan.  Like any business, it takes drive, dedication, determination and a desire to succeed to make Watkins work for you.  You’ll get out of Watkins what you put into it.  It really doesn’t take a lot of effort, only working a very few hours per week parttime for you to make $500 per month.  But if you’re one of those persons that want to build your Watkins business to a 6-figure annual income, making over $100,000 per year, there are many Watkins dealers who’ve proven this goal can be accomplished in 3 to 4 years – starting it out as a parttime business.  Married couples that have accomplished this goal have done so with one spouse being able to quit their job in 1 or 2 years and the other spouse usually following close behind in another year or two. 

The problem with we American’s is that we’re always looking for shortcuts.  We want to “get from point A to point B without traveling through the obstacle course,” as Watkins owner Irwin Jacobs describes it.  As Mr. Jacobs so smartly points out — “this is not how life works.” 

When I’m telling someone about the Watkins business opportunity and I sense they are only interested in finding a shortcut to “instant wealth”, I ask them one simple question — “How many people do you personally know who’ve achieved wealth overnight?”  I emphasize I’m not talking about movie stars, sports stars and singing sensations, I’m talking about people they can say they know personally.  Their answer is always the same “No one.”  That acknowledgment alone should be their wakeup call.  I point out to them that if they apply themselves Watkins should put them on a shorter path to wealth, but not a shortcut to instant wealth.

I’m in my 50’s and I have earned a six-figure income for many years.  Many people would call me rich.  But I didn’t get to where I am overnight.  There were many bumps in the road along the way.  Still, I’m convinced that if I had joined Watkins 30 years ago the road to success would have been much shorter, with very few bumps along the way.  However, like most people, I chose the hard way to get to where I am today.  Along the way I was naive and looked for the shortcut to wealth at every turn I took.  I chased a hundred “get rich quick” schemes that all turned out to be hype and heartache. 

Fortunately, I had a good education and was always smart enough to not leave my job and pursue these get rich quick ventures fulltime.   At Watkins, we never recommend you begin your Watkins business opportunity full-time.  Instead, from Mr. Jacobs down, we recommend that you start your Watkins business parttime and build it to what it can become — your escape from the rat race.  So when someone asks me, “Why are you so happy to be with Watkins?” I tell them, Watkins offers every dealer or associate the opportunity of a lifetime:  great products, a great reputation, a moneyback guarantee on everything we sell, 140 years of history, 140 years building a stellar reputation, 140 years of product branding, a great management team, an owner you wish you could call Dad because of the value system he teaches and a company that cares about you as an individual - not just what you can bring to the table. 

I had a guy the other night who told me, “Craig, I want to meet the guy who sold you on Watkins.”  When I asked why he said, “Because I want to find out everything about him, what he eats, what he wears, how he lives, when he sleeps, etc.  If I could just copy what he’s doing right I’d have no problems recruiting new Watkins dealers and building a successful downline.”  Once again, I was tossed another basketball to hit out of the park, because I was proud to be able to say — “You’re looking at him, just practice what I do, follow my lead, and together we’ll build a great downline organization.” 

He looked puzzled and perplexed, so I went on to explain — “No one sold me on Watkins.  I sold myself.  True, I’ve known the company and its products for 50 years.  But when I was looking for a home-based business opportunity for myself I took the time to (1) do the due diligence, (2) research the company, (3) find out what I could about Mr. Jacobs and how he managed the comapany, and (4) searched online to determine who I wanted in my upline and decided quickly that to guarantee my personal success with Watkins and become the greatest Watkins dealer I can be, it was essential that I join Watkins under the Summit Group.  That decision led me to David Daisey, Jerry Fochtmann and Steve Bretske.  I’m convinced that this is the most important business decision I’ve ever made in my life, and the best due diligence I’ve ever performed.   Speaking of which, I’m a business consultant, so I do due diligence for a living and trained to spot good companies.

I invite you to explore the wonderful business opportunity that Watkins has in store for you.  Simply go to The Summit Group and take my challenge to escape from the rat race, adding flexibility and freedom to your life.  Don’t be like me and regret not having done this when you were young.  Watkins will always be there waiting for you, but my question in closing for you is, “Why delay the start of your trip to financial freedom another day or minute?  Take my challenge to explore the Watkins home-based business opportunity now!

Buy or Sell Watkins

13 Magic Questions That Will Lead You Straight to Selling Watkins Products

Why You Should Join WatkinsIt never ceases to amaze me how people, old and young alike, are always looking for the next new fad or some revolutionary idea when it comes to making money.  It’s what my Dad refers to as “The next Big Deal.”  The old saying “You can’t see the forest for the trees”  always comes to mind when I see someone pass on the idea of joining Watkins.  They frequently use excuses like . . . ”Watkins has been around far too long, I’m looking for a startup company so I can get in on the ground floor,” . . .  ”I’m looking for something new and hip,” . . . “These are products I can buy at Walmart,” or “if Watkins is such a good deal, how come I’ve never heard about it?”

The thing that people who share this point of view often overlook is that Watkins must be doing something right to remain in business for 140 years.  What I try to point out to new prospects, even those that are skeptical about any company in the network marketing business, is the need to conduct their own due diligence.  After all, I would much rather see you joining Watkins because you became personally convinced Watkins is the right opportunity for you,  rather than relying on a strong sales pitch from me or someone else to convince you.  History has demonstrated over and over again that a person is much more likely to start a new business motivated with a sense of purpose, vigor, drive and determination that will carry them through to success if they were convinced it would work before they ever started.  

If you’re interested in joining a network marketing or direct sales company and are skeptical about representing Watkins or selling Watkins products, I offer you this same challenge.  Simply take the time to properly research and answer 13 simple questions.  I firmly believe that if you conduct the proper due diligence and research, it is virtually impossible for you to join any company other than Watkins.   The 13 questions I recommend you find answers to are as follows:

I can assure you that if you perform this due diligence exercise and answer each of the questions above correctly, you will cease looking for “the next Big Deal.”  You’ll easily conclude that the optimum home-based business choice for you is a Watkins products business, and you’ll gladly accept the opportunity to represent Watkins with tremendous pride and enthusiasm.  To prove this point I will dedicate my next few articles to providing you the correct answers to each of these questions.  Please check in daily for an update that provides more details and answers to each of the questions I’ve listed above.   If you’re in a hurry and want to begin your research now, find answers to all of these questions at http://www.123homeincome.com now.

P.S.  I’ll give you a hint when it comes to speeding up your research effort.  Review the final question in the list and narrow your search down to only companies that DO NOT use these tactics to be successful.  Any company that has to resort to these measures has issues and problems that will eventually take them under.  There is no hype when it comes to Watkins.  It may not be the next Big Deal, but it remains the Real Deal for you and me 140 years after its founding.

Buy or Sell Watkins