Facts about the Arbonne business opportunity are pretty well-known and can explain some of the pros and cons about this fairly unique business opportunity. Arbonne was started in Switzerland by Petter Morck in 1975 and was moved to the U.S. in 1980. The company is well-known for their high-end products in the cosmetics and skincare niche. The products are formulated in Switzerland and then manufactured in the United States and the company claims that their products are effective and natural so it’s safe to use regardless of your skin type.

Facts about the Arbonne business opportunity reveal that they are a privately held company with corporate headquarters in Irvine, California and have a significant presence not only in the United States but also in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. They use direct sales marketing to distribute their products and have well over a million independent distributors in those countries.

With a line of over 200 products, Arbonne has branched out from its original cosmetics and skincare products and now has a line that also includes weight loss programs, nutritional supplements and essential oils for aroma therapy. Unfortunately, about 90% of Arbonne’s distributors quit within the first 90 days and statistics show that 97% of Arbonne distributors will make less than $10 per week in their business… while a small 3% will become financially independent and enjoy a high level of success.

Ups and Downs

While Arbonne has enjoyed a great deal of growth, they have also experienced some setbacks. In 2010 the company that owned Arbonne’s “Natural Products Group” was forced into filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Many accounts on the internet stated that the Natural Products Group simply was unaware of what was involved in running a network marketing organization of that size and did not handle Arbonne’s resources well.

The Arbonne business opportunity also limits its distributors from using their own personalized websites to sell on the internet. If you want to sell Arbonne products online you must use one of their “one-size-fits-all” company websites. Arbonne officials say that the nature of their business is to sell “face-to-face”, but I know a large number of people who would prefer to do business online.

Another challenge that Arbonne has difficulty in overcoming is their image of being very “female based”… both in products and in customers. Their original product line of high-end cosmetics and skincare products has left that hard-to-shake image and male customers are a little harder to find than with most companies.

Look Before You Leap At Any Business Opportunity

Facts about the Arbonne business opportunity, as with any company, can be misleading at times. Success, or lack of success, can be a confusing endeavor. Be sure you do your “due diligence” when researching a business opportunity that may be right for you.

Here’s a tip that might be helpful. Not long ago, I read of a discussion between a husband and wife about exercise. One mentioned that there was no such thing as a “best” exercise because exercise can be used to accomplish so many different things and people find different exercises that fit them best. The other replied… “Well, I know what the best exercise is. It’s the one you do and don’t quit.”

Whether you’re talking about exercise or a business opportunity, look for “something you do and don’t quit.”