I don't know about you but I've always steered clear of direct selling opportunities and multi level marketing.  There is nothing I dislike more than getting a call from a friend telling me she has "an opportunity of a lifetime," and then after I listen to her sales pitch, she won't take "No" for an answer.  

But after careful consideration, I've decided to change my tune.  The truth of the matter is that in spite of my skepticism, I've slowly come around to seeing the value of direct sales opportunities.  

What changed my mind?  Several things:

1) Success Stories- Direct selling is a $30 billion dollar industry and many of the people sharing in that money are women.  In recent years, I've met Moms who are making excellent work-from-home incomes in direct sales.  They are genuinely enthused about their jobs and clearly have found a good answer to their work-life balance needs.

2) Direct Sales Companies Provide Structure - Many women want to work from home, but they don't want to create their own companies.  Direct Sales Companies provide infrastructure, support and training -- thereby eliminating many of the stumbling blocks involved with starting your own business.

3) Variety of Opportunities - Gone are the days when direct selling only involved selling for a handful of companies like Avon or Tupperware.  In today's economy, there are a wide variety of products and services that are being sold through direct selling channels.  

Articles

The Direct Sales Education Foundation has two excellent articles online to help you better understand the warning signs of a questionable company:

• Promises: Check ‘em Out!  Business Opportunity Fraud  

• Pyramid Schemes: Not What They Seem!