Hey there sea changers, and welcome back to my series of MLM reviews. Today we are going to a take look into a somewhat non-traditional MLM niche with my Discovery Toys MLM Review. Toys is not an area that I have come across very often when it comes to network marketing however that is not to say it is not something that could work here. So, what is the Discovery Toys MLM all about? Let's have a look and find out…
What is MLM?
Multi-level marketing (MLM) programs are the traditional mainstay of the ‘party plan' world of products such as Tupperware, Mary Kay and Amway etc. and, most prominent within the beauty/cosmetics, supplements and essential oils markets. As mentioned above, the toy niche it is not something I have seen as much but as MLMs have become more popular in recent times – mainly as much of the sales can now be managed online – companies in other niches are starting to get in on the action.
That's right! Wealthy Affiliate provided me with all of the tools and training I needed to get this post in front of my audience - a.k.a YOU!
You too can start your very own online business here that can make you money from anywhere in the world!!
The ‘multi level' aspects of MLM come from its hierarchical nature in which you make commissions based not only on those that you sell to, but also the sales of those whom you ‘sign' into membership arrangements as well.
In short, the process works as follows:
- You join the program, either via referral from another person (known as your up line) or directly through their website.
- You promote the products of the company via parties, workshops or online.
- As you make sales, you offer incentives to your customers to sign up as a member of the program (there are different names for this but they all mean the same thing).
- That new member is then placed ‘underneath' you in a hierarchical arrangement (known as your down line).
- You, and a number of levels of your up line, then gain extra commissions for everything they sell as well.
- If they manage to refer their customers into memberships, they also become a member of your down line allowing you to make up line commissions as well.
The number of levels of your up and down lines will vary depending on the program you have joined. Commission rates will also change as your down line grows or contracts and many will also offer other incentives such as total company sales percentages and/or access to membership prizes as your own business grows.
Who are Discovery Toys?
Founded by an early childhood educator called Lane Nemeth, and working to a mission to Teach, Play and Inspire, Discovery Toys has been around for over 40 years specialising in “premium quality, kid-powered learning products for children ranging from newborns to school-aged.” The network marketing side of operations was established after realising their main processes involved “selling to groups of eager parents in the home”.
Discovery Toys is based in Livermore, California in the United States.
What do they Sell?
As the name suggests, Discovery Toys sell, you guessed it, toys! All are designed as “highly engaging learning toys, books, games and music that help parents and others teach learning skills through play” with ranges based on age as follows:
- 0 – 5 months
- 6 – 12 months
- 1 year old
- 2 year old
- 3 – 4 years
- 5 – 7 years
MLM Program outline
The Discovery MLM program calls their Discovery Toys consultant members ‘Play Advisors' (PAs) who are part of what appears to be a very simple and traditional program with a common retail and downline commission structure only. Sales processes appear to focus heavily on the party plan model with hosted sales parties however the starter kit information does mention a personalised DT website so I am assuming that there is the ability to sell online here as well.
I was unable to find much online about their compensation plan however there is a little information on the website and within other Discovery Toys reviews outlining the following (please comment below if any of this information is inaccurate or I have missed anything):
- Base Commission rate: up to 25%
- Down line commission rates: up to 7%
- Minimum monthly spend to qualify for commissions
- The site outlines no sales quotas in order to earn sales
- Payment terms: Monthly.
- Application required?: Yes, Application form on website.
- Purchase requirements to join: Yes
New PAs are given the option of two starter kits as below:
Ongoing purchases are not mandatory however the party plan model does traditionally necessitate the need for further samples for use within parties or pop up events. It can be assumed from that then that some further purchases of samples may be required to ensure demonstration stock is available at all times.
Marketing materials provided: As per starter kit above.
Within most MLM programs, rankings and commissions are determined by the total personal volume (PV) generated by the Stylist and their down line within a calendar month with points assigned to each product. These point allocations can range from 50 to 100% of the retail price of each product (before tax and shipping) and vary from item to item and currency of sale.
In the case of the Discovery MLM program however, there does not appear to be any ranking structure or mention of points on products in any way. So again, based on my assumptions it would appear that commissions are paid here on the actual sales price only (minus tax and shipping).
That's right! Wealthy Affiliate provided me with all of the tools and training I needed to get this post in front of my audience - a.k.a YOU! You too can start your very own online business here that can make you money from anywhere in the world!!
How can I get paid?
Ok, so from what I can garner from the website, there are only 2 ways in which PA's can make money when they promote and sell Discovery Toys. These are outlined as follows:
1. Personal Sales Commission
These are the base commissions earned by the general day to day retail sales that PAs can generate via parties, popups, social media or online via their personalized website. Sales commissions start at 25% and can reach 34% (not sure of criteria for this however).
2. Downline Commissions
Downline Commissions appear to be the Discovery Toys version of the traditional unilevel commission structures prevalent within many MLM programs. Within the Discovery Toys MLM program commission are paid at 7% of downline sales.
Party Host Bonuses
I mentioned earlier that one of the roles of a PA is to run hosted parties in order to sell Discovery Toys products. These are known as a PoP Party (Purpose of Play) parties and although hosts do not earn commissions, they are rewarded with discounts and free product for their hosting troubles. These are outlined as follows:
Ranking structure
Most MLM programs uses ranking structures on which to base commission payments and other bonuses upon. However, again, it does not appear that this is utilised within the Discovery Toys MLM program.
What is good about it?
So, after a good look around the site and looking at all the options I could find, I do like the following:
- Commission rates for entry level sales are good.
- Commissions can be earned without the need to meet sales targets.
- Commissions appear to be earnable without rank influences.
What is no so good about it?
There are also some things to be aware of including:
- Some information is not clear or easily found.
- Whilst not mandatory, ongoing demonstration purchases may be required.
- No extra bonuses or commissions found in most other MLM programs
How much can you make?
Discovery Toys does not appear to provide an income disclosure statement on its website however as with most MLM programs, it has to be assumed that the percentage of members earning a living from the sales of these products is very low (usually less than 1%).
My final thoughts
Look, MLM is not an easy platform to make money in and although this program removes the need for meeting sales targets and achieving higher ranks, there is not much that I have seen here to put it above the many others I have seen. However, the program is pretty straight forward with good base sales commission arrangements and the ability to make sales online or via hosted parties. So if you are passionate about these products with a large customer list at your disposal (or you have access to a lot of mother's groups etc.) and the ability to generate good sales via online processes, then the 25% base commission rates might just appeal here.
Once you have joined, there are not the usual financial pressures of needing to make minimum personal purchases in order to qualify for commissions. Although from what I can see, I think if you are going to succeed within this MLM program, you will need to have a good array of demonstration stock on hand.
I was unable to locate any negative reviews in terms of non-payment etc. although there were some negative comments (not as many as most others however) about the quality of customer service and the MLM program itself – although it was not really anything that is uncommon in regards to MLM programs or products within this niche.
Conclusion
So there you have it, my honest review and appraisal of the Discovery Toys MLM program. I hope it has been of assistance but as usual, if you have any questions or experience with this program please do not hesitate to reach out by commenting below – especially if any of my information is inaccurate.
Are there any other programs you have been looking at but want to know more about? If so, please comment below and I will do my best to get some details for you.
Do you want further assistance with any of the above or need help to build your own toy or children's education based website?
Are you looking for a comprehensive training platform that can give you step by step training, 24/7 support, tools to develop and host your very own website, ongoing assistance with SEO and social media and access to some of the best affiliate marketing minds on the planet, then click on the following link to read more about Wealthy Affiliate.
Until next time
Have fun
Paul
Note: If you make a purchase from this page, there is a very good chance that I make a commission from it – these commissions do not increase your sale price. This may include sales made via Wealthy Affiliate.
Introducing Wealthy Affiliate, My #1 Recommendation for Setting Up Your Own Online Business
When I started, I knew I wanted to work online, but had absolutely no idea where to begin! You see I had watched friends of mine run a sales party to sell essential oils and someone asked if they could just sell them online?
Then, as I sat on the bus heading into my office job, I started to wonder if I could do just that, sell essential oils online.
Anything to stop having to catch this bus to and from work every day right!
The trouble was, as I mentioned above, I had no idea how to even start.
So of course I started to look around online and found all these courses! They all promised me riches then took my money but left me with no riches!
Then I stumbled across the program that didn’t promise me riches, but told me it could help me get started even with no experience!
So I did that, joined Wealthy Affiliate that was it, and the rest as they say, is history!
But it doesn’t come without work!
That is the key here! I began on their starter membership and did the training! I then joined as a member and did some more training!
Each night after work, I would do a little more, then a little more.
And to cut a long story short, after 10 months I realized I didn’t really like writing about essential oils, so I sold the site for about $2000. But I had learned so much that I started another – about fishing and camping!
Then, after 18 months (by which time it had earned me close to $10k), I was offered $17k for the site, so I sold it too.
Now, through my travel blog, I’ve been able to fund my passion for travel and explore different places around the world.
In the past few months, I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to some amazing destinations, including Bali, Los Angeles, Dallas, Vancouver and Las Vegas.
The success of my travel blog has allowed me to fully fund my travels and explore new destinations with my family.
Try the Wealthy Affiliate as a Starter Member and Build your First Hub!
As you start your journey, Wealthy Affiliate is there for you with the most comprehensive training package I have ever seen – And as I have mentioned, I have used a few in my professional career trust me.
To get you started, Wealthy Affiliate has recently introduced the Hub.
The Hub
The hub is an AI based niche and website creation tool that will get you up and running with the foundation of your OWN business in just a few minutes. This includes:
- Your website – hosted and inclusive of a WordPress editor
- Your brand
- Your ‘done-for-you’ research
- Your blueprint
- A task list that is going to help you drive the creation and growth of your business moving forward.
The hub makes the website creation process simple which allows you to get started on the training with a solid base and understanding of the processes.
All you need to do is choose your subject – which is known as your ‘niche’ – and follow the steps on the screen.
Oh, and as you run through the training below you may realize that what you created above is not exactly what you want. That’s ok, you can just create a new hub!
Wealthy Affiliate Training
Then as you continue your journey, the Wealthy Affiliate Hub is there for you with the most comprehensive training package I have ever seen – And I have used a few in my professional career trust me.
Above we discussed the use of the Hub to set up a website. Once you have done this, you will be able to access the “Step-by-Step Core Training”.
This is available to all members including starter members and will give you everything you need to know to continue to create your online business.
Member Training
There are also Live weekly classes taught by REAL industry experts on a range of topics like artificial intelligence (AI), SEO, YouTube, WordPress, PPC marketing and more.
Great, What Else Does Wealthy Affiliate Have To Help You?
So, let’s keep this short, Wealthy Affiliate is a one-stop-shop platform that provides:
- The Hub – this is the starting point and uses AI processes to assist you in determining your niche and creating your brand.
- Complete training programs to assist with the development of your own affiliate marketing website in your own niche.
- Website creation and publishing tools including access to WordPress editors and themes.
- AI Content article design and content creation
- Domain name purchasing (you get a free domain when you upgrade to the Premium membership).
- Website hosting, security and backup.
- Online help and chat forums.
- Weekly live training events.
- 24/7 support.
- Keyword access tools.
- SEO assistance.
The platform has been active for over 15 years with the original developers and owners, Kyle and Carson, still extremely active in its day to day operations – especially as they rollout their AI capabilities.
You Can Try it Yourself For Free
Now of course I can tell you all about how Wealthy Affiliate works (because it does) until I am blue in the face. But every other program out there – including the shams and scams – will tell you the same thing!
So how about you just try it for free yourself. The Wealthy Affiliate Starter membership is free to join and gives you access to everything you need to get started – all without the need to spend a cent!
With the starter membership, you get:
- 1 Limited Business Hub
- 1,500 AI Word Credits
- Try the AI Author Platform (BETA)
- 1 Practice Website
- Jaaxy Starter
- Limited Help & Support
- Core Niche Training (8 Classes)
And of course I will be there to help you every step of the way as well!
Look, in the interest of transparency, whilst Wealthy Affiliate does offer a free starter membership, this is designed to give you a look around, have a practice and see if it is worthwhile for you – which is a really great option.
However, as with all new businesses, you will need to make some investment so if you are serious about making money online , you will need to upgrade to a premium membership as this will give you access to all the tools you need in the one spot to succeed!
Afterall, every business needs tools to grow!
So How Much Does This Really Cost?
Wealthy Affiliate does not use upsells once you join – but as I mentioned in the video, to succeed here you will need to invest in a membership. There are a couple of options that provide access to all the tools, training and assistance that you could need – and a free domain as well.
Wealthy Affiliate offers a trio of membership tiers, as detailed on their pricing page.
You can opt for the Starter membership at no cost, the Premium membership for $49 per month or the Premium Plus+ membership for $99 per month. That’s the full extent of it – and you can absolutely build your website without having to spend another cent.
You won’t encounter any unexpected additional charges or covert fees and as a Premium member, you’re equipped with all the essentials to initiate, develop and expand a thriving online enterprise.
Those who opt for the Premium membership are provided with
- Hosting for their websites
- A complimentary domain name
- Access to hundreds of hours of current expert tutorials
- Various marketing and research tools
- Personal guidance from seasoned professionals in the field
- And much much more
And for those of you who want to make a serious investment into your future, there are some yearly options as well below to give you peace of mind that you have a whole year ahead of you to get stuff done!
And Don’t Forget the Personal Coaching
Once you join, not only do you get plenty of assistance from me, but you also have access to expert coaching, support and mentorship from real industry experts.
I mean, you can have access to all of the top-tier affiliate marketing training in the world, but inevitably, questions arise, particularly during the initial stages.
With an exceptionally dynamic and engaged community that boasts over 2.7 million members, Wealthy Affiliate offers an environment where you, as a member, can fully immerse and leverage this network.
You’re never alone; you have the collective wisdom of an entire community at your fingertips, ready to assist at any moment.
Plus, there’s always-on, rapid-response website support to handle any technical queries you may encounter.
Wealthy Affiliate Works: Real Results From Real People
As I have mentioned a number of times, Wealthy Affiliate has helped me make real money online though its training and tools.
I have made money each month as well as a sale for $17,000.
But again, those promoting other programs will tell you the same thing!
So let’s get away from me and see what others are saying:
To start with, Wealthy Affiliate has a 4.9 out of 5 Star TrustPilot rating, which is a remarkable accomplishment in any industry, let alone the online business industry.
And here are some of those reviews:
And this is what people are saying within Wealthy Affiliate as well:
So, Let’s Make a Decision!
Let’s be frank, you have read this far so why not go all in, click on the button below to get started on the way to your very online business.
And once you are in and have had a play around with the hub, look for the little envelope on the top right and there will be a message from me. It is of course automated so respond to let me know you are there and we can start this journey together.
(oh, and the profile is mine so you can find me that way as well)
See you there
Paul
