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A legacy of lowering barriers to small business ownership

A long-operating, U.S. manufacturer supports what the modern workforce wants. Read the full story on usatoday.com

Fluorescent-lit cubicles and WFH offices. 

Contributing to a company’s success and pursuing a personal passion. 

The experiences — and choices — of U.S. workers are no longer as cut-and-dry as in the past. 

The post-pandemic shifts in the national economy and the changing attitudes about work have highlighted that modern employees, and in particular, young workers, are looking for work experiences that are as varied and unique as they are. 

Flexibility surrounding location and schedule have continued to evolve in workplaces big and small. The ability for people to have multiple sources of income, earning even just a little extra with a side hustle beyond their primary source of income, has also boomed — especially with the rise of at-home, social media marketing. 

What has interested some observers is that employers, ranging from Fortune 100 companies to small local businesses, are reimagining the future of work and what it means to retain productive employees. One of the most surprising insights is where many young Americans are looking for — and more importantly, finding — modern, flexible work opportunities.

Take, for instance, a U.S. manufacturer that has been operating since the 1950s. 

Michigan-based company Amway makes popular health and well-being products, including Nutrilite, XS Sports Nutrition and Artistry Skincare and has long worked to foster a community approach to wellness. 

As a leading direct-selling company, Amway is able to provide flexible and accessible opportunities for Americans looking to build their own businesses and earn a little bit of extra income through hard work. 

“At Amway, we’re seeing firsthand the rising demand for flexible, nontraditional work,” said Andrew Schmidt, managing director of Amway North America, at a recent panel discussion in Washington, D.C. “In the past three months, we’ve had roughly 50,000 people sign up to be an Amway distributor, and a majority of those people are women, a majority of them are 35 or under, and a large percentage speak English as a second language. This pathway to entrepreneurship resonates with a huge cross-section of the American population.” 

Aspiring business owners, including many looking for opportunities to pursue their own passions for community and wellbeing, can join Amway without a registration cost for their first contract year. That means that young entrepreneurs, along with individuals who have decades of work experience but are looking for something new, can explore business ownership with exceptionally low barriers to entry. 

The vast majority of Amway Independent Business Owners (IBOs) are part-time, according to the company. And, speaking to another value often embraced by those seeking nontraditional work, the typical Amway IBO is younger than you might expect. Amway also boasts an impressively diverse array of Americans participating in its model — with almost equal numbers of non-native English speakers and native English speakers.

“Direct selling is one of the most inclusive paths to small business ownership, in the sense that you don’t need to bring thousands of dollars to participate. The United States is rightly viewed as a place of equal opportunity and accessibility, where you are able to advance yourself through hard work and effort. The direct-selling channel is a very accessible medium to that,” said Sandy Jap, a Sarah Beth Brown professor of marketing at Emory University. 

The fresh look that many American workers are giving to opportunities like Amway reflects new research illustrating exactly why a 65-year-old U.S. manufacturer is a match for young people seeking flex-work.

“Direct selling is very appealing to millennials and Gen Z because these generations value multiple sources of income,” said Heather Chastain, founder and CEO of Bridgehead Collective, which has researched attitudes about direct selling. 

“Younger generations are also very interested in monetizing their personal brand, and we see examples of that on our social feeds all the time. Direct selling provides them the infrastructure to do just that, while creating an additional source of income,” Chastain said. 

Of course, research also shows that most small business owners start their businesses to pursue their passions, rather than to crunch numbers. The Amway opportunity meets these needs in two key ways. 

Firstly, Amway provides a compensation plan, products, supply chains, personal online storefronts and education. This means aspiring business owners don’t need to worry about the high barriers traditionally associated with starting a product line from scratch.

Secondly, Amway provides a nationwide community of support for those striking out on a new adventure.

When a new IBO joins Amway, they become part of a community of more than 290,000 business owners who sell directly to customers in their communities, as well as the more than 3,000 U.S. Amway employees who support them. 

While the hard work of business ownership isn’t for everyone, it can be incredibly rewarding. In fact, many will tell you that it isn’t hard work that younger generations worry about — despite memes you might see on social media — it’s finding the right opportunities to get on the path to success.

Read the full story here.