In Business Since: 1993

Financial Strength: Very strong. Annual revenue for 1998 was over $100 million dollars with a dramatic increase predicted for 1999 and 2000. Rated as #22 in the INC 500's fastest growing privately held companies.

Management: Dynamic management with strong backgrounds in MLM. The fact that ACN has been in business since 1993 and is rated as #22 in the INC. 500 fastest growing privately held companies, is a good indicator of just how capable the ACN management team is. Further, after watching ACN for many, many months now, and attending their meetings and regional trainings, we witnessed a team that knows what it truly takes to build an organization and keep it growing.

Management Rating: 5 Stars

Online Training & Support: Excellent online support with 4 websites: one for the business opportunity, one for their internet service, one for their utilities division, and one for their newly added global mall. More comprehensive support is available through their representative's only area where reps can access the latest corporate news, current events, important documents, as well as order products and marketing tools, and view genealogy reports. Recently added is an online sign-up system that can be used by anyone with internet access.

Field Training & Support: This is where ACN really shines. In addition to annual conventions, quarterly regional training events are held all over the country. Through these regionals, reps are trained to gather customers by utilizing a simple and very effective technique, as well as duplicatable techniques for prospecting and recruiting. Quick Start trainings are also provided at weekly business briefings held by Regional Vice Presidents, in addition to their business opportunity presentations.

Motivational Support: Available via ACN corporate websites, monthly newsletters, online discussion groups, weekly meetings, regionals, and national conventions.

Overall Training & Support Rating: 5 Stars

Products/Services: Long Distance, Paging, Internet, Global Mall, Electricity, Gas

Product Quality/Effectiveness Rating: 5 Stars

Product Market Rating: 5 Stars

Business Opportunity Market Rating: 5 Stars

Compensation Plan: 7 Level Unilevel with 1/2% infinity bonus below the 7th level for reps who reach RVP, the top position in the comp plan. Lucrative customer acquisiton bonuses creates substantial front end income as well as long term residual. What we would like to see from ACN's comp plan are coding bonuses, but perhaps we are nitpicking. On the other hand, maybe not. What we would also like to see is an infinity bonus added to the 7 level plan prior to reps reaching the RVP position. In any case, this compensation plan is already very lucrative just the way it is, and combined with the mass market potential of ACN services and highly competitive pricing puts this program in a league that is out of reach by many companies.

Compensation Plan Rating: 4 Stars

Overall Rating: 4.83 Stars

Advantages: 6 Year track record of success, strong financially, simple but very lucrative compensation plan, utilities.

Disadvantages: $499 startup cost can be too much for some, but customer acquisition bonuses are worth it. Also attracts more professionals and more committed representatives.

Comments: We strongly recommend ACN as one of the best opportunities in network marketing due to their track record of success, very knowledgeable and dynamic management team, financial strength, and the fact that they are the only MLM company that we know of with Electricity and Gas. Further, ACN is still a groundfloor opportunity, but without the risk associated with start-up companies.