Barefoot Books MLM Review | Is Barefoot Books A Scam or Legit?

Here is what you will find in my Barefoot Books MLM Review. Every once in a while, someone comes up with an excellent idea.

Then, depending on which side of the MLM fence you sit on, they either spoil that good idea by implementing an MLM business strategy or make a good product better by doing the same thing.

When it comes to learning and books, then it is always a good idea to have as many independent publishers as the market will bear. You get a wide range of information, and your children can be exposed to new ideas safely.

As to the MLM side of the business, you will have to judge that aspect. Some MLM companies are good, and some spoil the MLM business with their underhanded deeds. Just keep reading to find out which side this company falls on.

What Is Barefoot Books?

Barefoot Books is a book publishing company that was started back in 1992 or 93, depending on whom you believe. The founders and current owners were and are Nancy Traversy and Tessa Strickland.

Their hard work has seen the company reach the pinnacle of success for smaller businesses. Their website has had over 4 million downloads and created over 700 books for children.

Then with over 150 million YouTube views and 25 million books in children’s hands, they should be considered an MLM success story. Those books have reached children around the globe even though the company is based in England.

They have been able to diversify their product line from books to various items, including puzzles, CDs, stickers, and a lot more. The books are very colourful and illustrated by professionals to give them a top-quality look that appeals to their young readers.

Their client base targets children and schools, and they have over 30,000 ambassadors marketing their wares wherever they can. Their web page has a complete section of all their product lines, too many to list here. The drop-down menu is easy to navigate.

How Does Barefoot Books Work?

The business plan for Barefoot Book is standard MLM strategies. The good news is you signed up for free. That means you are not out of pocket any money yet, but that good feeling will end soon. If you want to sell what the company calls an ambassador, you need to pony up $159 for the starter kit.

There are two ways you can purchase the products at this company. The first way is the easiest. You go to their website, pick out the books or other items you want, and go through their checkout to make your purchase.

The other way to buy is to find an ambassador in your area and make the purchase through them. The signup page is easy to understand, and it won’t take long to register as an ambassador. But before you go past this page, you have to give them not only your personal details but purchase your starter’s pack.

Then once signed up, you have a variety of methods to sell those books. You can choose to participate in book fairs, sell through your free website, do at-home parties, and many more.

One of the problems with this company is that if you do not meet the sales goal the company has set, you can be kicked out as an ambassador, and it will cost you another $150 to regain access. They do not charge any renewal fees if you meet your sales quotas.

Can You Make Money With Barefoot Books?

Yes and no. It is a good business as parents, especially mothers, always look for good books to read to their children or have them read. If you hit the right market, you may make a lot of sales as your competition is scarce.

With that said, you will face a lot of competition as those same mothers can find cheaper products in their local bookstores and department stores. In addition to that, you are also competing with the company as their website is actively selling to your potential customers.

If you do not meet your quarterly sales quota, you are booted out of the Ambassador’s program into a different group with a different focus. You can rejoin the Ambassadors group at any time if you pay more money to the company.

You have to be a good salesman if you are going to make it in this company. What helps you make your sales quota is that Barefoot Books has a variety of products that may catch the eye of a child who then convinces their mother to buy that item.

You can make some money if you are lucky.

Examples Of How To Make Money With Barefoot Books

The company has laid out a fairly complicated compensation plan that is textbook MLM. You can receive what is called Kickstart bonuses, but those are not paid out in cash. There are 3 different bonuses, but they are time-limited and may not be easy to qualify for.

Next, you will get your regular commission that starts at 10% when you have $300 PQV points in sales EVERY month. If you are lucky enough to make $600 to $999 in sales, you get a whopping 12.5% commission rate. $1,000 and up in sales, you get a raise to 15%.

Then, of course, you get to earn a 4% commission off of the sales your downline or recruits make. Once you sign up, you have 8 levels to be promoted through, and each level adds in more money if you can make those sales.

To reach those levels, though, you have to meet certain requirements. There is one more drawback to this company which may interfere with your sales. To access your business center at the firm, you need to pay $7.50 every month.

This fee is waived for the first 3 months. You can be nickeled and dimed to death if you are not careful.

The Pros & Cons of Barefoot Books MLM

Pros:

• It is a unique product that has a built-in audience
• You can be your own boss and set your own hours
• No signup fee
• Very good books are illustrated very well
• Lots of products to sell
• Long-term business and in it for the long haul
• Easy to sign up and get started
• The company has kept its nose clean for almost 30 years

Cons:

• Its an MLM company
• The complicated compensation plan that takes a lot to earn money
• Pay to play and pay to re-sign up
• Lots of competition from fellow Ambassadors
• Competing with other companies and Barefoot’s website, Phone App and more
• The company does make false claims about earnings potential
• Hard to get people to make a purchase
• Pay all your own expenses
• Competing with e-readers and other electronic outlets
• Sell to family and friends first
• Have to recruit and recruit

Any Negatives? Beware of Lawsuits

As stated earlier in the positive section, this company has avoided getting any lawsuits thrown at them. They have found a way to make sure their MLM business plan does not flaunt or violate the law.

The negatives surrounding this company are not so lucky. One of the negatives is that you may have to work like a dog to get people to sign up as ambassadors to work under you. Plus, you have to work to schedule home parties and other sales efforts.

The amount you get in return may not make an effort worth it. Another negative is that while you are doing all that work, you do not get paid until you make sales and meet your quotas.

The monthly fee you have to pay to access the business center is off-putting enough if you do not have the money every month.

Is Barefoot Books A Scam or Legitimate?

It goes without saying that the company is legitimate. The company is above board with no dark skeletons in the closet and no sign of any underhanded activities. Also, the products they produce are top quality, well designed, and offer the purchaser something good for their money.

Not to mention that they have been in business for almost 30 years. No illegitimate company stays in business that long unless they are fortunate and law enforcement doesn’t catch up to them.

The only black mark against them would be how they pay their Ambassadors. The MLM plan is geared towards the business making money and only sharing the wealth with a few.

That compensation design always rankles a lot of people. Yet the MLM way is a legal way to conduct business, so the company remains legit even though some do not like that style of business.

Final Thoughts

This is an interesting business concept. Marketing books to parents of young children is always a win-win for the company in general. Young parents need new resources to teach their children the right things in life, and this company has found a way to help those parents.

The only doubtful part of this game plan is how the company treats its members. If you can handle working long hours for a little reward through the difficult compensation plan, then you may enjoy marketing these products.

Helping parents with their children’s education can be as rewarding as we see in our Barefoot Books MLM review. However, if you can’t, you should pass on this business opportunity and look for a more traditional employment plan.