Garrett Cheen/AP There's no getting around it: Too many older Americans just haven't saved enough for the retirement lifestyle they hope to enjoy. They add up their anticipated Social Security payments, their investment income, pensions and other sources, compare that sum to their expected expenses and -- there's a gap. You can fill that gap by continuing to work, of course, but retirement isn't really "retirement" if you're still cranking away for a hovering boss. But there are alternatives, and one that is gaining popularity among those looking to pad their retirements is joining a direct sales enterprise. These businesses are also called network marketing, multilevel marketing, networking, direct sales and the not-so-flattering pyramid scheme. In essence, you sell a product line or group of services to your "affinity groups" -- in other words friends, friends of friends, family, and colleagues, past or present. You get a straightforward commission on your sales, and you can also invite people you know to sell the products as well -- and you earn commissions on their sales. These sales structures can -- and often do -- go on for quite a few levels. Hence, the name multilevel marketing. "In the United States, approximately 16 million people are involved in direct selling, accounting for almost $30 billion in annual sales," the Direct Selling Association says. That averages out to $1,875 per person a year. How It Works Some people believe that since the people at the top of the distribution chain make the bulk of the money, that the term "pyramid" is appropriate. I'd respond to that by encouraging you to look at any large corporation; they all pay their top people significantly more money than their lower-level employees. Yes, it's true: The company you work for is probably also one of those dreaded "pyramids." Multilevel marketing is merely a different way to promote and distribute products and services. Instead of spending large amounts of money on traditional marketing and advertising, it uses that money to pay commissions to its distributors or agents. Distributors get to tie into an existing product line, and it takes minimal capital to get started. The key is to represent a product or service that you believe in, and one that has a good, true story of how it is helping people. Let's say a certain brand of weight management products has been a huge help to you. Why not tell other people who have similar goals and earn a commission if they try the product? Before You Get Involved
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