To begin, let's discuss some of the major reasons why MLM is viewed skeptically.

• Dishonest claims - If you have ever heard a MLM pitch from a friend that "wanted to come over to discuss a business opportunity," you know that the diagrams of wealth and huge organizations look really easy--at least on paper.  In reality, MLM is anything but easy.  Only certain people have the skills and drive to be successful using conventional MLM philosophy.  By the time most MLM distributors have discerned the tremendous odds they face in order to be successful, their new business has failed, and all they have left is a rather sour taste in their mouth. 
• Emphasis on wealth and lifestyle - MLM is often sold as a  "get-rich-quick" scheme instead of a honest business built on hard work. While money itself is amoral, certain attitudes toward money are immoral, and unfortunately, those attitudes are abundant in MLM. 
• Money over relationships - Many people find it distasteful that their own friends and relatives will lie or mislead them about the wealth and prosperity of MLM just to make a little money for themselves.  If, in the past, you have been misled by someone close to you regarding an MLM opportunity, you probably felt a little betrayed when you discovered the truth. 
• Worthless or overpriced products - In many cases, products have proved to be worthless or fraudulent, and in some cases, they have even been found to be dangerous (especially in the health industry).  Some MLM companies put much more focus on building an huge organization than selling products.  Such companies are actually running a pyramid scheme instead of a legitimate business.   
• Dishonest companies - MLM companies are notorious for engaging in illegal activities such as price-fixing, false claims, and not paying their distributors.  Many people are victims of the practice of front-loading, which means that distributors are encouraged to make very large purchases when they join even though they have no realistic way to sell the products they buy.

In actuality, all of the above practices are as prevalent in non-MLM businesses as in MLM businesses.  But because MLM often influences relationships between friends, relatives, church members, and neighbors, the resulting problems often affect people on a personal basis.

Regardless of its problems, the concept of MLM is perfectly valid in itself.  A large part of the cost of any successful product is its advertising.  If you have ever been to a timeshare presentation, you might be interested to know that 60-80% of the cost of the timeshare is marketing costs.  In MLM, between 40-60% of the cost of the product is its marketing cost.  A traditional company could choose to spend its advertising dollars with television ads, but a MLM company chooses to spend its dollars on commissions for its distributors.  Of course, either option is perfectly legitimate.

Likewise, the ownership of your own small business is a worthy goal.  Our country is blessed with thousands of small business owners that contribute to our overall financial prosperity.  Some people do not like the restrictions of working for large companies, and certainly, they are free to pursue working for themselves.

So how can you enjoy the benefits of MLM without sacrificing your integrity, conscience, and relationships?  The answer is simple.  You can simply choose to make the right decisions related to the way you run your business.  After all, it is your business.

This is my formula for keeping your conscience clear.  First, choose only a company with solid, legitimate products that will actually help people.  Market those products (more so than the business opportunity) to the cold market.  Then, as your customers fall in love with the products, sign them up as distributors so that they can get better prices for themselves.  Then, just play the numbers game. 

By referring to the numbers game, I mean just play the percentages.  Only a small percentage of your downline will actually ever produce much volume.  Identify these people and work with them to develop their own organizations.  Do not try to sell the idea to the others that they can have a private jet in three years if they start working harder.  After all, you know better, and telling your downline lies is the wrong thing to do.  Because of the large number of distributors you can sign up over the Internet, you will have always have plenty of other quality prospects to work with.