What Is Juice Plus?
One of AvertScams visitors asked me to write a review of Juice Plus last month. The comments was posted on one of the most popular reviews of an MLM company called Kyani.
If you are a health and wellness enthusiast, then you have certainly heard of Juice Plus which was introduced by National Safety Associates (NSA) in 1993. Founded by Jay Martin in 1970, the Tennessee-based Company has since grown into a multimillion dollar empire operating in over 20 countries through its more than 40,000 distributors.
Juice Plus is a whole food-based dietary supplement which combines 30 different fruits, vegetables and grains fortified with key vitamins and antioxidants, and is said to boost your nutrients intake. The supplements come in the convenient form of capsules and shakes. The product contains orange, apple, papaya, beet, cranberry, peach, beta carotene, pineapple, carrot, cabbage, garlic, spinach, tomato, folic acid, kale and broccoli among others.
The products can either be purchased from the official website, or from distributors. The Juice PLUS+ Franchise business model is in form of franchising, direct sales and network marketing. The owners claim that it gives distributors a chance to earn additional income while offering healthy lifestyle solutions.
Juice Plus products are marketed by individual distributors who receive sales commissions ranging from 6% to 14%.
Juice Plus Products.
While my reviews focus of business models, it is imperative that l should briefly mention some of the products offered by each company reviewed. Unlike most supplement based MLMs, some of juice plus results are well documented although they are inconclusive. Research is also based on specific products rather than referencing random research outcomes based on ingredients. The only challenge is supplements unlike medicaments are not strictly regulated and the said ingredients may only be on the label. Reports that some of the supplements contain fillers such as sawdust are not surprising.
Unfortunately, most of the research was sponsored by NSA which raises serious issues when it comes to conflict of interest. Most testimonials on the efficacy of using the supplements are posted by distributors and must be taken with a pinch of salt. The products are also expensive when compared to juice plus alternatives because of high mark ups on products to cover costs of incentives.
JP Complete Shake – This meal-replacement shake is made from low processed soy protein, digestive enzymes, soy fiber, chickpea powder and pea protein, and is available in French Vanilla and Dutch Chocolate flavors. It blends with liquids and can be used to make smoothies for breakfast or taken as an energy drink.
Some people have complained that the shakes taste bad. However, the cholate flavor seems to be more popular. There are reports of increased energy levels by consumers which is difficult to quantify.
Juice Plus Chewables – These fruity gummies consist of vitamin A, C, E and folate. They are available in Orchard Blend which is fruit-based and Garden Blend which is vegetable-based. The two types of chewable vitamins are mostly sold together in a two-month pack The recommended daily dosage for children under 13 is 2 gummies of each blend, and 4 gummies of each blend for those above 13 years.
While the fruit is said to have a yummy taste, the same cannot be said about the vegetable based gum.
JP Capsules – They are said to contain nutrients and antioxidants fortified with pure β-carotene, folic acid, vitamin E and ascorbic acid. This is done to ensure uniformity and restore the micronutrients lost during processing. They are available in Orchard Blend which is fruit-based and Garden Blend which is vegetable-based. The two types of capsules are mostly sold together in a four-month pack. Juice plus capsules are also available in Vineyard Blend which consists of extracts from various berries and grapes.
How so many ingredients can be squeezed into a capsule in useful quantities, no-one knows.
Juice Plus+ Complete Nutritional Bars – These are made from low processed soy protein, chickpea powder and pea protein, and are available in raisin, cranberries, apple and wholesome grain flavors. They contain low glycemic and are non-dairy and gluten free.
What l liked about Juice Plus.
- The company has got a reasonable amount of ‘real products’ in its inventory which separates it from other MLMs such as Saivian in which people promote membership to newbies.
- Some of the products are ‘made of’ ingredients such folic acid or vitamin C which have been independently shown to be beneficial to health.
- Products are said not to contain cholesterol and/or saturated fats.
- It comes in an assortment of flavors, although some of the flavors are not pleasant.
- Juice Plus products are made of natural fruits, veggies and grains, and they are gluten free.
- Juice Plus has been around since 1993 which may be a sign of stability and popularity of the company’s products.
- You get to use in promoting your business such as a replicated website and some marketing training.
- The entry level is very low and you don’t need to purchase inventory inadvance.
What I Didn’t Like About Juice Plus.
- Research on the efficacy of taking the supplements was sponsored by National Safety Associates which raises eye brows.
- Products are costly but they do not contain all the important nutrients in sufficient quantities such as omega 3, calcium and magnesium.
- Promoting Juice Plus products using distributors may lead to either malnutrition or an excess of nutritional requirements in some consumers as they push products to earn commissions.
- There is break neck competition in the weight loss niche which makes it difficult for people new to marketing extremely difficult to penetrate.
- Replicated websites do not rank in search engines which is a source of free target leads. You may end up annoying your loved ones who are not interested in JP products and the opportunity.
- Distributors complain about their ‘recruits’ being ‘stolen’ by others. If this is true, then it is not worth the effort.
How To Become A Juice Plus Distributor.
You can become a Juice Plus Independent Distributor by following these steps;
- Sign up on juiceplus.com to become a Juice Plus+ Preferred Customer. This will arm you with knowledge of the range of products offered by the company.
- Contact Juice Plus Virtual Franchise, or your local Juice Plus+ representative to let them know of your intention to become an independent distributor. They will furnish you with information on the benefits, answer your questions before you submit your application. Application processing fee will cost you $50.
- Get product knowledge and insight by completing the training materials availed to you and attending on-site training in your area. Upon completion, you will be given a Juice Plus+ distributor account.
- Your distributor account will enable you to place orders and receive payments.
You can start with a minimum of $50! You will then receive a starter kit comprising of DVDs, product literature and your own Juice Plus virtual office which you can access using your password. You will also be provided with your own personal website i.e. Juice Plus, or Tower Garden. The website is free for the first 60 days, and $5 per month afterwards.
Juice Plus Compensation Plan.
As a Juice Plus+ distributor, you can earn from at least 6% to 22% based on your leadership level, size of your team as well as personal and group volume generations. Selling Juice Plus+ enables you to earn income through the following ways:-
- Retail Sale Profit– Depending on whether you have sold the product at a discount or retail cost, you can expect to earn approximately $21 per set of capsules.
- Commissions – This is paid by the NSA based on the number of preferred customers recruited in a month and the leadership level of the distributor. Earnings range from 6% to 22% for initial orders placed by the preferred customers and $20 per month for reordering.
- Bonuses – These are based on personal and team sales volumes. Distributors from the level of Virtual Franchise can earn promote out bonus, performance bonus and business incentive bonus.
- Benefits – National Marketing Directors benefit from life insurance, comprehensive medical insurance, a family tuition program, holiday bonus, year-end bonus and expense allowance among others.
There are 7 leadership levels in the compensation plan:-
- Distributor – They earn approximately $21 per item by buying products at a discount and reselling them to consumers at a retail price.
- Direct Distributor (DD) – They have the same benefits as the distributors, but they can also earn commissions for enrolling preferred customers, and when those customers reorder. They earn a flat commission of 6% and are required to enroll a minimum of 5 preferred customers in the first initial month.
- Virtual Franchisee (VF) – They have similar benefits to Direct Distributors, but they can also earn a 5% performance bonus on the sales generations of their team members. They earn a flat commission of 14% for purchases and reorders of every preferred customer, and are required to sell a minimum of $2000 per product volume in the initial two months to in order to be considered in the fast track success list.
- Sales Coordinator (SC) – They earn a 5% performance bonus on retail sales, but they also earn Promote Out bonuses of 4% of the bonus amount. They earn a flat rate of 22% after enrolling purchases and reorders of every preferred customer.
- Senior Sales Coordinator (SSC) – They have similar earnings to Sales Coordinators, but they can also earn a business incentive of 20% with a monthly overall reward of $500.
- Qualifying National Marketing Director (QNMD) – Their earnings are the same as the Senior Sales Coordinators, but they can also earn a monthly Business Incentive Bonus amount of $1000 as well as attend Q schools.
- National Marketing Director (NMD) – As full time associates, they enjoy the same rewards as the Qualifying National Marketing Director, but they can also earn a monthly Business Incentive Bonus amount of $3000. They are also entitled to all the exclusive benefit packages.
Is juice Plus A Scam, Pyramid Scheme or Legit MLM?
As said before, most of the research on whether juice plus good for you or not where sponsored by the company which promotes the supplements. One must take the results with a pinch of salt and exercise due diligence when purchasing such products.
While some people claim that Juice Plus is a scam, it is mainly because of the Multi-Level Marketing that the company uses to promote the products. This business model ensures that those at the top or are good at recruiting new people will make most of the money while more than 90% of distributors fail.
No one knows if Juice Plus is a pyramid scheme or not. Most uninformed people think that any company selling a ‘product’ is not a pyramid scheme as defined by Wikipedia. Unfortunately, legally a company that sells more than 50% of its products to distributors can be labeled a ‘pyramid scheme’ as in the case of an MLM called Vemma. The company had various products in its inventory yet it was closed by the courts for operating an illegal pyramid scheme after being sued by the Federal Trade Commission. In other words l cannot call any MLM a pyramid scheme unless l am privy to the sales figures. For now, Juice Plus is a legit MLM.
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