Welcome to my Touchstone Essentials review!
A family member or friend might have introduced the products of Touchstone to you.
In their sales pitch, you hear them saying how amazing their products—or even life-changing.
And then, they eventually mentioned the business opportunity as the presentation goes by. It’s a common strategy among MLM representatives.
How they presented the business opportunity might have aroused your curiosity but want to do your own investigation.
If this is the case, then you have come to the right place!
In this review, I will provide you an analysis of their compensation plan. And then help you determine whether Touchstone is a good investment or should you search for other income opportunities.
So without further delays, let’s begin…
Touchstone Essentials Review
- Name: Touchstone Essentials
- Website: thegoodinside.com
- Founder: Eddie Stone
- Price: Membership fee is $19.95 + Packages worth from $129.95to $659
- Recommended?: Nope!
What is Touchstone Essentials?
Touchstone Essentials is an MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) that specializes in selling health and wellness products.
Photo Credits: Direct Selling News website
It was founded by Eddie Stone and incorporated on October 31, 2011, according to its BBB profile. They are currently headquartered in North Carolina, the United States.
The company sells a wide array of nutritional and detox supplements.
Some of their flagships include the Super Green Juice, Essentials, Green Energy, Pure Body, etc.
I have also reviewed MLMs engaged in the health and wellness niche in the past. You can check them out if you like—Usana, Bonvera, American Dream Nutrition, and Rain International, just to name a few.
Or you can check the full list by clicking here.
I won’t be discussing the product of Touchstone any further since our main focus here is their business opportunity.
Let’s continue…
The Touchstone business opportunity
The hallmark of Multi-Level Marketing is their complex and almost incomprehensible compensation plan.
It is very convoluted that it seems like you’d need an expert finance person to decipher the whole business opportunity.
And the compensation plan offered by Touchstone is no different—they are complicated and hard to understand.
When dealing with MLMs, all you have to bear in mind is two things—
- Retail Commissions – it is the income that is based on the sale of retail merchandise.
- Recruitment – it is where the bonuses and commissions of MLMs are based from. I will explain more about this in the following sections of this review.
Touchstone offers nine ways to earn income through their business opportunity, namely—
- Retail Bonus
- Referral Bonus
- Advanced Referral Bonus
- Rank Advancement Bonus
- Team Builder Bonus
- Star Bonus Program
- Residual Bonus
- Royalty Bonus
- Infinity Bonus
In the following section, I have simplified their compensation plan so that you can better understand them. But if you want to check out their compensation plan in full, then you can view them here.
Touchstone also currently rewards ten rankings that include—
Let’s continue and discuss more of Touchstones’ compensation plan and whether it’s a reliable source of income…
What are its income streams?
Retail Bonus
This form of incentive is what distinguishes them from a traditional pyramid scheme.
Unlike them, MLMs also functions as a direct selling company. Such a feature allows members to earn income through sales of retail merchandise offered by the company.
Referral Bonus
Touchstone offers a special type of bonus to newly recruited representatives that are based on sales volume generated from either recruits or newly enrolled retail customers.
It allows the new representative to earn a bonus of up to three levels deep for advantage visionary business owners. And then, it only provides a bonus for the first level if it’s a non-advantage visionary business owner.
However, take note that this bonus is only applicable for the first 90 days.
The summary of this bonus is as follows—
- First level – 25% (advantage visionary business owner) and 25% (non-advantage visionary business owner)
- Second level – 10% referral bonus
- Third level – 5% referral bonus
Advanced Referral Bonus
Touchstone rewards representatives who have at least ten lower networks that are generating 50 personal volumes each.
If the representative is qualified for this bonus, then they could earn a commission rate of as high as 15%.
Rank Advancement Bonus
Unlike other MLMs, it appears that Touchstone only provides a one-time incentive to representatives that advance in the ranks of Regional Manager, National Manager, and Director.
The summary of the bonus is as follows—
- Regional Manager ranks - $150 rank advancement bonus
- National Manager ranks - $300 rank advancement bonus
- Director ranks - $600 rank advancement bonus
However, the representative has to maintain the position for two straight months to qualify.
In addition, they also need to maintain at least a personal volume of 100.
Team Builder Bonus
The representative earns a matching bonus every time that their personally recruited lower network advance in rankings.
Also, they have to be in the ranks Regional Manager, National Manager, and Director to become eligible for this bonus.
The summary of the bonus is as follows—
- Regional Manager - $150 team builder bonus
- National Manager - $300 team builder bonus
- Director - $600 team builder bonus
The representative also needs to meet an additional qualification, such as they have to be equal or higher than their personally recruited member.
Star Bonus Program
This form of bonus is actually the extension of the advancements bonus for the top ranks or the stars in the network.
The summary of the bonus is as follows—
- National Director - $500 star bonus
- Director - $ 750-star bonus plus a tablet device
- Regional Director - $3,000 star bonus
- National Director - $10,000 star bonus
- Executive - $25,000 star bonus
- Regional Executive - $50,000 star bonus
- National Executive - $75,000 star bonus
- Ambassador – they earn a star bonus in the form a Tesla Model S
Does this all sound dandy?
Does it excite you?
Well, you shouldn’t be because, according to the FTC, only 1% of people who join MLMs succeed. I will explain more about this in the following sections.
But if you’re looking for a better source income, one that’s risk-free and more stable, then you have to check out my best work-at-home recommendation.
Residual Bonus
Recruitment is the bread and butter of MLMs.
Earning significant income in MLMs has nothing to do with the company products. It’s all about selling the business opportunity and recruiting more people in the organization.
Also, how much the representative earns depends on their rankings. The bonus is applicable up to ten generations deep, which is also based on their status.
The summary if the bonus is as follows—
Royalty Bonus
This bonus is based on the residual bonus earned by your lower network up to five levels deep.
Below is a summary of the bonus—
- First level – 20% royalty bonus
- Second level – 10% royalty bonus
- Third up to the fifth level – 5% royalty bonus
Infinity Bonus
To qualify for the infinity bonus, the representative must be in the ranks of Ambassador.
They earn an additional 1% to 2% based on the sales volume generated by their lower network.
How much will it cost me to join?
The membership fee for Touchstone is $19.95, which is paid yearly.
In addition, they may also have to avail membership packs—
- Detox Super Package – it costs $129.95, which yields 100 commissionable volume.
- Transform Package – it costs $149, which yield 100 commissionable volume.
- Advantage Package – it costs $659, which yield 500 commissionable volume.
If the representative chooses the Advantage Package, the first year membership fee is waived.
If you want a better alternative to MLM, then you have to check out the following description—
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Is it a reliable source of income?
Success in Multi-Level Marketing is extremely low. Just asks the Federal Trade Commission about it!
According to a study conducted by the FTC, they found out that 99% of people who join MLMs are more likely to incur losses than gain any sort of profits.
This was elaborately discussed in Dr. Jon Taylor’s book, “Multi-Level Marketing Unmasked.”
It was further added that MLMs fail to meet expectations because of two factors—
Capitalization
Have you heard of the term of Garage Qualified?
It is a special term used to describe MLM representatives that tend to over-purchase company products for the sake of maintaining or reaching a certain level of personal volume.
Although the annual fee of Touchstone is relatively cheap, and the required personal volume is only 100, it can still become problematic, especially if the representative isn’t earning anything and still have to maintain their status.
Such instance happens if the people at the bottom of the network are not bringing in new representatives into the network.
I will explain this in the following section…
Recruitment
As mentioned earlier, recruitment is the bread and butter, or put a more accurate term, the lifeblood of MLMs. This is so because the entire structure will collapse without it.
Recruitment is also the reason why such a business model is flawed.
Imagine this—if the representatives at the very bottom of the structure weren’t able to recruit sufficient people under them, it means that they won’t earn anything.
Remember that your commissions and bonuses are based on your lower network and their performance.
In addition, they have to maintain their status, which would make no sense, especially if they aren’t earning.
This may eventually lead to them becoming inactive and quitting the business altogether.
And then, this cycle will repeat in the next bottom level and then the next. It will continue up until the entire structure finally collapses.
The business model of MLMs is flawed that the risk of losses is much greater than profits.
If you’re looking for a more stable source of income, then you have to check out the following description—
Here Is My Best Work At Home Recommendation For Newbies!
Is Touchstone Essentials a scam?
I did not find any reason to believe that Touchstone is a scam or pyramid scheme.
They are a legitimate company that specializes in selling health and wellness products.
However, some of you might argue that MLMs are essentially a pyramid scheme that is disguised as a direct selling company.
Although I agree to some extent, they technically different based on legality.
Multi-Level Marketing is technically legitimate because they also function as a direct selling company aside from the network marketing aspect.
They provide something of value in return for the investment provided by the potential recruit. And this value is in the form of retail merchandise which they can sell for profits.
On the other hand, a pyramid scheme only involves money, and the investor doesn’t get anything in return. What they get instead is a promise of high returns.
This makes them high risk. And it is among the reasons why such a business model is considered illegal and banned in many countries around the world.
What I Don't Like About Touchstone Essentials
Success is recruitment-based
Your success is not dependent on selling the company’s products, but in selling the business opportunity.
Low-income potential
As the FTC has suggested, the success rate in doing MLMs is very low.
What I Like About Touchstone Essentials
Positive BBB rating
The Better Business Bureau or simply the BBB is one way most people do to check the credibility of a company.
However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that a business is entirely legitimate if they have a positive overall rating.
There are cases when a company obtains an A+ rating despite having a background of malpractices. Have you had of the company AdvoCare?
Also, this instance was detailed in an online portal published by CNN, “Slammed by the Government, A-rated by the Better Business Bureau.”
But I am not saying that Touchstone is the same as those companies. What I am implying is that you shouldn’t entirely depend on the BBB and that you still have to do your assignment and research more.
You can view for yourself their BBB rating here.
In the business for several years now
Touchstone is in business for eight years. And being in this business for that long says something about their credibility.
Final thoughts
I hope my Touchstone review has provided you sufficient information in helping you decide whether to invest in their business opportunity or not.
Although the company is technically legitimate, I still don’t recommend them or any MLMs for the matter.
It is still a high risk as far as I am concerned, and the success rate is extremely low, according to the Federal Trade Commissions.
Continue to the next section and discover how you can achieve financial freedom online…
Why I choose Affiliate Marketing over Multi-Level Marketing
Affiliate Marketing is a better option than Multi-Level Marketing for few apparent reasons—
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Yes, what you’ll basically be doing is to promote a brand using an affiliate link through your online site.
And then, you earn commissions anytime someone uses the affiliate link and purchases the products or services offered on the landing page of the brand you’re promoting.
Of course, the success of this endeavor relies on the quality of traffic being driven into your online site.
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Well, I guess that’s just about it!
Thank you for taking time off and reading my Touchstone Essential review!
I hope to see you next time!
Peace!
