In Business Since: January 1998

Financial Strength: The Free Network is a privately held company with 1999 sales figures at almost $16 million dollars. TFN was recently welcomed into UniDial's founding agent program for becoming their biggest agent within a year. Under this agreement, TFN will receive a multiple of their 3rd quarter 1999 average billings, which was $1,700,000, upon the acquisition of UniDial or an initial public offering. And a portion of the money will be dispersed among top TFN representatives who have reached the positions of NMD and IMD. Also as I mentioned in my last review of the company in 1999, TFN acquired the long distance customer base of another network marketing company for a quarter of a million dollars, which demonstrated their financial strength and the owners' commitment to the company's long term success.

Management: There have been some recent changes in management, and we are in the process of gathering accurate infomation, including their business/MLM experience and backgrounds.(9/15/00)

Management Rating: N/A

Online Training & Support: Available via the TFN corporate website with a very well put together business presentation. Personalized websites are available for representatives for online prospecting and recruiting. A redesign of their current online marketing strategy, however, can greatly change the dynamics of this opportunity from a very good network marketing company to a major internet success story.

Field Training & Support: Excellent. Regularly held trainings are available nationwide via The Free Network's own Mindware training program, which includes "Stairsteps To Success" and "Leadership Training".

Motivational Support: Available via corporate website with personal testimonials from top TFN independent representatives, nationwide trainings and business opportunity meetings, etc.

Overall Training & Support Rating: 4.75 Stars (Possible 5 stars when online enrollment is made available in July)

Products/Services: Services include long distance provided by Unidial, Nationwide Paging Service through Arch paging, Nationwide Sprint PCS service with Encore, and a competitively priced internet service. An internet portal and shopping mall is planned for July, and I predict local telephone service and deregulated utilities, such as electricity, in the not too distant future.

Product Quality/Effectiveness Rating: 5 Stars

Product Market Rating: 4.5 stars

Business Opportunity Market Rating: 4.5 stars

Compensation Plan: TFN's unilevel compensation plan provides the best residual commissions on telecommunications services that we've seen so far. Also, in my last review of TFN, I pointed out the comp plan's lack of front end commissions such as "customer acquisition bonuses" (CAB). Well, that has since changed. They now have CAB's that can give TFN reps significant front end commission checks. And it's still free to become a representative. This is a major advantage for TFN representatives and places the TFN compensation plan in a league all on its own.

Compensation Plan Rating: 4.75 Stars

Overall Rating: N/A

Advantages: No cost to join means higher sign-up rate of reps and ultimately, customers. Just over 2 years old, TFN is still a groundfloor opportunity. No sign-up fee and no products to handle also makes this an excellent online business. TFN is also one of only a few companies who are keeping their eyes on the deregulation of utilities and local telephone services. When the company goes into those markets, representatives who build an organization now will see their incomes double and triple. What really sets TFN apart is the frontend commissions that are available to representatives... and these commissions can be earned with no financial investment from reps and/or customers.

Disadvantages: With the announcement of "customer acquisition bonuses", their disadvantage is no longer the compensation plan, but the look and functionality of their website. Lack of online enrollment capabilities is definitely a disadvantage, however, online enrollment is expected to be released in July of this year along with self-replicating websites. When this takes place, you'll see a very fast growing internet company.

Comments: I highly recommend The Free Network for 5 reasons: Free sign up, hypergrowth internet and telecommunications industry, upfront cash bonuses, a residual compensation plan that pays deep, and groundfloor without the start-up risk.