When I set out to write this Buskins Leggings Review I thought they would be another high-cost clothing MLM with a focus on recruiting people into a pyramid type business… but I was wrong. The Buskins opportunity is unique (which I'll get into), and they have a diverse clothing line that goes beyond leggings.
Disclaimer:
Please note, I am not a member or an affiliate for Buskins Leggings. This review has been researched with information and/or testimonials that are available online in the public domain. Any recommendations and/or conclusions are strictly opinions and may not to apply to, or agree with, all persons or situations. See full disclaimer for more info
Buskins Leggings Review
Buskins (pronounced Boo-skins) Leggings is a direct sales MLM type business with a twist. Although there is a multi-level element to the business, it’s nothing like the pyramid schemes you may be familiar with.
In fact, the money you earn from your downline only extends to your 2nd tier of recruits (if you belong to the Master Affiliate Program). The regular affiliate program only pays a commission on 1st tier referrals.
So, although you may find that a pyramid of distributors develops below you… that's not what your success is built upon.
If you don’t like recruiting and the thought of another multi-level-marketing program does not appeal to you, Buskins may be the opportunity you’re looking for.
Started in December of 2014, they are relatively new which brings into question their tagline… Your LEGENDARY Leggings Shop. Legendary, in my mind, means you’ve been around for more than a few years, but to be honest, I like their bold confidence and what may be tongue-in-cheek humor.
Also, with 11,000 affiliates worldwide and 1.5 million in gross sales their first year, Buskins is off to what may eventually become a legendary brand.
And… if you're interested, they currently ship out of their warehouse on Corydon Road in Lake Elsinore CA.
How Does It Work?
Buskins uses an affiliate marketing model. This is an online sales strategy that makes use of a personalized (and identifiable) link that takes people to the Buskins website. When someone buys something, that purchase is coded to your link and you earn a commission.
And… for a physical product (clothing) I can tell you the commissions are exceptional.
You earn a 25% commission on each sale. Percentages like that are usually only on things like digital products (such as software and courses), or services like document preparation for example.
Physical products typically pay 10% or less, so there is some real potential for you to earn a decent income here. That doesn't mean it will be easy though. There's a common misconception in affiliate marketing that all you do is post your link online (Facebook for example) and people will buy from you.
Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. However, I will get into some of the strategies you can use to build your business below.
Also, when you refer a new affiliate to Buskins, you earn $5.00 plus five percent (5%) of their personal sales. This is the multi-level part.
Finally, as a Buskins affiliate you are eligible for a 30% discount on your own personal purchases.
That’s how it works for members of the regular plan. To summarize, you earn…
- 25% on each sale made through your personalized affiliate link.
- $5 for every referral that signs up to become a Buskins affiliate.
- 5% commission on your referral’s sales.
- 30% discount on personal purchases.
The Master Affiliate Program
Buskins also has an upgraded program for those looking to become a Master Affiliate.
For $14.95/month you can qualify for an additional 1% commission on all of your 2nd tier sales (in addition to the commissions mentioned above for the regular plan). That means you not only earn 5% on the sales made by your referrals, but you also earn 1% on the sales made by their referrals.
As a Master Affiliate you also have access to a Buskin’s replica website with your contact information, a trunk show scheduler, order tracker and paid rewards.
There are business tools provided as well such as a tracker for your team’s activity and whenever you accept cash or credit cards at trunk shows, you can keep your commissions instead of waiting to be paid at a later date.
The Leggings
None of the above matters if the product is no good. And to be honest, the reviews are limited and mixed. There is a ton of competition out there, everyone from Lululemon to Walmart and a dozen legging MLM’s in between.
Buskins may not be the absolute best out there, but they're not the worst either. According to reviews (and your opinion may be different), they are a good, mid-priced legging, made from a polyester and spandex blend. They also have lightweight fleece and even fur-lined items for winter.
And, being that they are inexpensive, it’s easy to order a pair and try them out before you commit to selling them yourself.
While some of the more negative reviews were customer service or shipping related, I did find some positive reviews about the leggings.
Buying clothes online can often mean a little trial and error. Buskins does offer a 14-day money back guarantee, as well as a 30-day exchange policy if you find the size chart (below) to be inaccurate.
More Than Just Leggings
In addition to leggings, Buskins have a clothing line that includes tops, capris, joggers, active wear, headbands, boot cuffs, and socks.
They even have a “Mommy and Me” collection which is a must have if you have little girls at home, as well as a small selection of clothes for men.
Is Buskins Leggings a Scam?
There are a few negative reviews on the Better Business Bureau website from some people claiming they haven’t been paid, or their account had been cancelled.
Giving Buskins the benefit of the doubt here, every company has its glitches… particularly ones that are new and growing at a fast rate. Also, people who have a complaint (legitimate or not) are more likely to write a review than those who have good experiences so the ratio of good to bad isn’t always fair.
In addition, Buskins has responded (on the BBB website) to those negative complaints.
That doesn’t mean that they should be let off the hook. But it also doesn't mean they are scam. There are many good reviews online as well complimenting them on their service. And, you don’t acquire 11,000 affiliates (and survive for long) if you’re a fraud.
So, I can confidently say that, although they may not be perfect… they are not a scam.
Getting Started and The Cost
The enrolment packages to join Buskins are very affordable. You can sign up for as little as $9.99. Compare that to Buskins competition such as LuLaRoe and Agnes and Dora which can cost $3500 all the way up to several thousand to get started… and Buskins is in a different universe.
The big difference here is that you don’t need to stock inventory. Buskins will ship direct to your customer and you never have to deal with invoicing, returns, and boxes full of clothes that may or may not sell.
The cheapest way to get started is with the…
Buskins Bands Enrollment Package. ($9.99)
Buskins Bands are headbands made of the same material as the leggings.
Enrollment Package – 1 Sample Leggings ($18.99)
With this package, you don’t get to choose the style or size of your leggings. However, the purpose is not to wear them, but to demonstrate the material and quality to others.
Enrollment Package – 2 Sample Leggings ($24.99)
Again, these leggings are to be used as sales tools, not worn. Buskins will ship a predetermined style and size.
Enrollment Package – 4 Sample Leggings ($46.99)
If you decide to go with this enrollment package, you will have style and size options to choose from.
The BIG BANG Affiliate Enrollment Package ($99.99)
This package includes 9 sample leggings, a package of Buskins Bands plus one seasonal item.
How Do You Sell Buskins Clothing?
Once you’ve joined their affiliate program and purchased one of the packages above, you’ll need a strategy to sell or promote the Buskins clothing line.
YouTube and Facebook Live
One of the most popular ways to sell things online today is with video. The two most common channels for video marketing are currently YouTube and Facebook Live. But, unless you already have an established affiliate marketing business, or following, you might not have anyone to watch your videos.
YouTube for example is full of videos with only a few dozen views or less. That’s not enough to earn a living from Buskins.
How to build a large following on YouTube or Facebook is beyond the scope of this Buskins review, but one place you can get some free training is through a company called ClickFunnels.
Their free training, called ClickFunnels AFFILIATE BOOTCAMP focuses on marketing the ClickFunnels software, but the same strategies can be used to market any business including Buskins.
You can also check out my top online marketing recommendations for more strategies to build your Buskins organization.
But what if you don’t like being on camera?
Start Your Own Blog
Although video marketing is a popular trend today, most people are uncomfortable on camera.
An alternative is to start a blog (just like the one you’re reading now).
I use a company called Wealthy Affiliate to build my websites and if you’re just getting started, they also have free training… along with two FREE websites that are perfect for starting a Buskins affiliate business. I also offer personal help and support to those who join using my link… you can learn more [HERE].
Social Media Advertising
Another simple way to get stared is to use social media such as Facebook, Twitter etc. If this is the online method you choose, my recommendation is to only focus on one or two platforms. A common mistake people make is trying to be everywhere at once. Start with one and get good at it before spreading your time across multiple social platforms.
A word of caution here though! When you use social media to build an online business, you are at the mercy of those platforms.
Some people have spent years building their audience and have been wiped out overnight by an algorithmic change (Facebook no longer showing your page in people’s newsfeeds for example), getting their accounts shut down for a policy violation, or having the platform itself shut down completely or loose it’s popularity (MySpace and Friendster are two examples).
The best online marketers only use social media as a tool to drive traffic to their personal blogs/websites.
Friends and Family
Affiliate marketing is an online business, but you may find that your Buskins business does best with face to face selling. Through home parties, trunk shows and even partnering with local business such as dance and yoga studios, gyms etc.
What I Like About Buskins
- The low cost of getting started is impossible to overlook. It’s accessible to just about anyone who wants to get started.
- There are no quotas, no plans to follow and you don’t have to stock inventory.
- Free Shipping to the US and Canada (They use DHL epacket for international orders), as well as 14-day money back guarantee and 30-day exchange policy.
- As an affiliate business, you can diversify. With an MLM on the other hand, you're usually bound to that one company. Buskins makes it easy for you to either add their product line to an existing affiliate business, or to eventually branch out if you're just starting.
- From what I could find, there was no over the top sales pitch or “dream lifestyle” presentation. You can earn an income at home with Buskins Leggings, but there are no Bahama and BMW promises. It's nice to imagine a luxury lifestyle, but starting a business on false hope is not good either.
- High commission rates for a physical product and your customers can purchase directly from their website.
What I Don't Like
- As I researched Buskins I did find some negative reviews. It’s a relatively inexpensive product so you can try them yourself without using reviews to guide your decision… but those reviews do plant seeds of doubt.
- Not having a specific plan is a positive in my opinion, but new people might be a little confused as to how they should get started. If you want to combine your Buskins business with a proven marketing strategy you can check out my #1 recommendation which is free to get started.
Final thoughts
If you’re thinking of starting a clothing business but don’t want to spend (or don’t have) thousands of dollars for inventory, clothing racks, etc. then the Buskins Leggings opportunity is one should consider.
I also like that recruiting and building a large pyramid type business is not the focus here.
As someone who doesn’t like selling (even though I spent 10+ years in sales), I recommend that your marketing strategy be online. I’m also biased towards leveraging search traffic and a blog (since that's what I do 😀 ).
As mentioned, if you want to learn the exact strategy I use to build my affiliate marketing businesses (and to work with me personally by following one of my links) you can learn more HERE.
I hope this Buskins Leggings review was helpful and if you have any questions, comments, or even a review of your own… please share your experience below. Your insight will be helpful for others.
Also, if you found this review informative and think it might be useful for others, please share.
Kindest Regards,Jay
PS – Buskins provides a good opportunity if you're interested in starting an online business, but it doesn't have to be Buskins. You can get started online with anything you're interested in (or passionate about). Click Here to learn the exact strategies I've used to build my online business and turn passion into profit.
