Building a profitable business is not an easy endeavour, but by investing in the first-hand experience by selling, marketing, and delivering a certain product, your chances of building wealth in the future will significantly grow.
In today’s review, we will delve on a course/business venture that promises to help people jumpstart their career. Ultimately we will try to answer the question:
Is Southwestern Advantage a scam, or is it the best side gig of the year? 🤔
No matter what your age is, most of us have always been drawn to the idea of managing our own business at one point in our lives.
You know, the kind of where you can just sit back and relax in front of the beachfront as you let money flow into your account. ⛱️ 🍹
I remember vividly that I had that same spirit when I was about 10 years old. 😊
At an early age, I tried many different businesses (with the guidance and approval of my parents) from selling out my skills to do chores, tutoring other kids, offering car wash services, to even helping out in garage sales.
I have tried it all.
And I know from that very moment that this is the kind of life that I want – a life where I can be my own boss and take the consequences and responsibility for my actions.
Fast forward to today, here I am with my blog financing the life that I want to live. As for you, I know that you have thought about it too. The only question at the back of your mind now is on how to start.
With the dawn of technology, I can see a lot of people investing in online courses that promise to provide enough information about entrepreneurship in general.
And to be honest, some are good while some are just complete trash – monotonous online lectures to courses that rely purely on e-books and handouts!
Don’t get me wrong. I know how important it is to learn the foundational information, but for me, nothing beats experience.
In our post today, I am very excited to discuss with you this interesting platform that goes by the name Southwestern Advantage.
What makes this one special is that it allows people to earn and at the same time, trains aspiring entrepreneurs about sales and leadership.
By the word “train,” I do not mean some sketchy e-book or website that contains the do’s and don’ts of the business.
What I mean is real training where students (the target market of this company) get to develop their skills by learning theories, joining coaching sessions, and actually testing out their entrepreneurial skill by selling the products of the company.
If that is something, you think your son or daughter should experience, then hop on the train and strap in for the ride.
But before we start, let me just say that I am not in any way connected to the company or any of its partner companies.
With this being said, this Southwestern Advantage review that I will share here will show only my honest opinion and reviews about the services to help you form a balanced decision.
Now that that is out of the way – buckle up and off we go! 🏎️ 🏁
What is Southwestern Advantage all about?
While a lot of things have definitely changed over the years, the demand for educational materials and products stays the same. In fact, it is even growing and has become more accessible to us because of the internet.
From printable materials to e-books and immersive novels, the chances of finding informative resources is very much possible, and who knows, it may be just a knock away.
History states that Southwestern Advantage has been around for such a long time, which says a lot about the values and legitimacy of the company.
It was founded in 1855 by Reverend J.R Graves but have only included its “Sales School” in 1868. In a nutshell, Southwestern Advantage can be described as two things:
- A door-to-door distributor of educational products ✓
- An entrepreneurship program for university students ✓
In this sense, the student is expected to earn and at the same time, learn from actual real-life experience and the training.
What I personally applaud about the program is that it does not guarantee that the students will earn a certain amount.
Rather, they capitalize on giving relevant tools and rigorous training with the hopes that it will help the students make their own strategies on how they will sell the products.
This means that at the end of the day, the chances of earning bigtime will depend on how hard and focused the student will be in applying what they have learned in a real-time setting.
As I have pointed above, the company is somewhat traditional by nature as reflected by its door-to-door marketing plan.
From the way I see it, this technique is not just a marketing or sales move. It is actually beneficial for the students since it allows them to get out of their comfort zones during face to face communications.
Additionally, I can see that door to door sales is the perfect opportunity for them to hone their skills in the real world problem solving, organizational ability, interpersonal skills, and strategic planning.
And that’s exactly what big companies and employers are looking for nowadays. 👍
The Southwestern Advantage Program
To put it simply, the program asks you to be the seller of their educational products.
Unfortunately, not everyone will be given a chance to become distributors since you have to pass the interview and finish the “sales school” course first.
Unlike other programs like Cutco and World Wide Dream Builders, where you are just given a day or two for learning, Southwestern Advantage actually gives more than just a week-long sales and leadership training.
However, do note that these are not just taught online. The discussions are actually held in over 240 campuses around the world.
So, throw away the thought that this program will be easy because, in reality, it is actually quite hard but very fulfilling.
It is hard not in the sense that you will flunk the quizzes or so, but what makes it hard is the fact that your knowledge will be tested in real-life situations.
You see, once you join the program, you will be moving into your sales locality where you will be accountable in how you grow and establish your educational business.
Does that sound intimidating? It shouldn’t be. 🙂
This is because before you move, the Sales School will thoroughly prepare you by running different simulations and possible situations that you may face while running your business.
The Southwestern Advantage Products
Southwestern Advantage holds several educational materials under its platform. You see, from the basic books for preschool students to even software and applications for high school students, the company has it all.
When joining a direct sales company, I usually advise people to first look into the services and products that the company offers.
For me, your chances of succeeding in this kind of opportunity depend not on your connection but on how good the product is.
For the case of Southwestern Advantage, they primarily have pre-kinder to grade 12 materials which are perfect, especially for those families who have children who can share the educational material.
The company started by selling books and DVD products, but recently they have also included software and immersive mobile applications.
See all Southwestern Advantage products here!
How does Southwestern Advantage work?
Joining the company is free, which is a good thing since students will be able to learn and experience the field of business on their own without having to worry about next month’s membership fee.
However, the cost of living with the host and travel expenses will be shouldered by the student.
Making money with Southwestern Advantage through commissions is easy as long as the student applies the theories from the training.
However, this is not a get-rich-quick scheme, okay? 😁
This is just like any business where there will be days in which the student may not make any sales at all.
But for me, I don’t find it discouraging at all since I found out that by the end of the program, the students can just simply return the books that were not sold.
You know what, let’s just dig deep what the program holds. 👇
From the way I understand it, there are about 6 phases to this program which include the selection proper, the actual training, the sales experience, and the after-sales part.
Here are the bits about these phases:
1. Information session and Selection process ✔
As I have noted above, not everyone is a good fit for this type of business.
You see, after the information session (45 minutes) , the aspirants will be scheduled for a 3-day interview process where the coaches will determine if the student has the potential to succeed in the program.
And you have to take note that the interview is actually quite tough since you will need to do your own research first.
Based on my investigating, I found out that the questions really vary from situational ones to quiz-like types.
For instance, the interviewer may ask you what the company’s current ratings are in BBB, Indeed, and even Glassdoor! They will also review your skills and goals during and after the program.
2. Campus meeting (for students) & Parent Coffee ☕ ✔
Once you are chosen, you will be invited to a campus meeting while your guardians will be joining the Parent Coffee session.
During the campus meeting, you will be grouped based on your sales area and at the same time, be given an overview of what to expect from the sales school.
For the case of the parents, there will be a discussion about what the company is all about and what they should expect from the program.
Basically, this is the part where they give consent that they allow their kids to join the Southwestern Advantage.
3. Sales School 👨🎓 ✔
This will be a weeklong training at the headquarters in Nashville.
In here, you will be facing a range of topics such as business fundamentals, communication 101, money management, coaching, product knowledge, and safety training (for females).
What I love about this is the part where they role-play situations that can help them prepare for what to expect and the possible challenges.
4. Actual sales experience ✔
After the sales school, the students will be moving into their host family from their assigned sales area. Each house will have at least 2 to 4 students who will also be their business buddy throughout the whole summer.
5. Check out ✔
This is the time where they will go back to Nashville to return the unsold items and also get the check holding their commissions. 💸
Speaking of commissions, the plan is actually quite simple: they get 40% per item purchased from them. This means that the amount can actually be pretty big if the students did a great job.
6. Recognition banquet and the sizzler trip ✔
These two events are pretty optional. During the banquet, the top sellers will be recognized and will be given special prizes and awards. At the same time, the sizzler trip is considered as the break time where they get to party after a month’s worth of work. 🥳 🎉
Is Southwestern Advantage a scam?
Let me answer this one right away with a resounding NO – Southwestern Advantage is not a scam.
However, please take note the only way by which you can make money from this program is by selling their educational stuff.
They provide good training as reflected by the great set of reviews from actual students that you can find online.
This is a fresh thing for me, especially since most of the direct selling companies extend minimal effort in training their distributors and most often than not force them to pay a significant start-up fee.
But here in Southwestern Advantage, they do not have to pay a dime. ✓
Additionally, the products under the company are legitimate and have good reviews as you can see from their Amazon page.
But let me keep you grounded on one thing. You see, educational products door-to-door selling is not really as profitable as it used to be.
Since we have the internet today, most of the resources that are free of charge are just within a few clicks. So for me, I’ll only recommend this for those who want to learn about sales and leadership.
But if you plan to make a living out of it, there are other far better ways to do it. 💯
Also, I know I said that the Southwestern Advantage entrepreneurial program is not a scam, nor a pyramid scheme, but I want to share with you some bitter complains that I came across online.
Apparently, some people disagree, and I was hoping you could read what they have to say. As I said, I am in no way affiliated with this company, so I don’t want you to feel like I’m luring you to go through their sign-up process.
These complains prove that the course is far from perfect, and they might be the reason why you decide to look the other way and search for something else instead.
- You won’t earn $8000 with Southwestern Advantage
- Southwestern Advantage is a pyramid scheme
- They dropped me off in a ghetto
How I make a living online (and how you too can)
I get it. Not all of us are thrilled about the idea of selling educational products to other people. I mean, there’s profit in that, but why settle working in a niche you are not passionate about?
Trust me, your profits from that will not be enough to oil the gears, which is why I would like to recommend a business model where you have the liberty to work on a product/service that you are really wrapped up in.
It doesn’t matter if your fondness revolves around art, music, digital courses, horses, Japanese gardens, or even fitness! As long as your passion lies there, you can earn for whatever it is.
And when I say earn, I don’t mean just a few cents per sale. 😀
Instead, I’m talking about an unlimited earning potential depending on how fueled and invested you are in this big online opportunity.
You’re probably saying to yourself – “This guy is trying to sell me on something.“, and that can’t be further from the truth.
As a matter of fact, I’m not too fond of overly-persistent salesmen myself, and because I don’t want to come out too pushy, I thought that it would be better to show you than to tell you.
Some of my friends were able to achieve a passive income of five figures in just a few months, and just like yourself, they were beginners who were seriously looking for ways to get out of the rat race and make a name for themselves.
The business model I’m referring to goes by the name of affiliate marketing, and it’s the same model of business that allowed me, my friends, and many other affiliates to live life on our terms. 
It gave us the freedom to finance the life that we want to live by allowing us to establish our very own source of passive income online through the creation of digital properties, or as some like to call them – websites.
Whether you are a techie person or not, you do not have to worry since starting up your business can be smooth with the support of a professional team and other helping affiliate marketers.
You see, the very essence of affiliate marketing is quite straightforward. 🙂
All you have to do as an affiliate is build a website, promote products or services under your chosen niche, and earn, and earn, and earn more whenever someone decides to click through one of your affiliate links and buy the thing you’re recommending.
Just like with Southwestern Advantage, I got to have all the pieces of training and resources that helped me to stand on my feet, but what is even better is that with affiliate marketing I get to:
- Learn from the experiences of other affiliate marketers ✓
- Establish my business with a low start-up cost ✓
- Continue earning anywhere and anytime ✓
- Earn money while asleep (literally) ✓
Unlike selling educational products, your pacing for earning unlimited income depends highly on how much time you want to focus on your site through online marketing.
While the term “marketing” may seem intimidating, I can assure you that with the proper guidance and the right tools, you can get this one done in an instant.
It doesn’t take a seasoned informational technology or computer science expert to get this to function as it should, you know!
To tell you the truth, I am not a tech guru myself, but the site you’re on now is my brainchild, and although it looks simple, I can assure you that it’s quite informative, efficient, and unquestionably gets the job done.
But why am I telling you all of this? 🤓
Because I would love nothing more than to invite you to join me, and many other likeminded individuals inside the same platform that gave me all the training, tools, and support to innovate and flourish in this loony online world.
The platform I’m speaking of is called Wealthy Affiliate, and it represents a community that’s dedicated to helping and educating newcomers like yourself in the field of affiliate marketing.
I am very transparent in recommending this platform because I know how hard it is to find reliable online institutions right now.
This community is unlike any other as it is true to its promises, and I can personally vouch for the legitimacy of this platform. But hey, who am I to say what’s right and what’s wrong? 😬
Their freemium membership model speaks for itself, and it attests to how honest, genuine, and useful this platform is.
Their training and blueprint for online success are unlike anything you’ve seen before, and they’re allowing you to hop in for a test drive without the worries of getting scammed.
As I end my review, I hope that I was able to shed light and answer the question, “is Southwestern Advantage a scam?”
If you have enjoyed this article, please feel free to send it out to your colleagues and friends or share it via social media to help spread the news on scams and all things financial.
For your daily dose of truth about online opportunities, stay tuned for my next posts, and know that I wish you the best of luck wherever your journey takes you. 👋 🤗
Hi and thanks for sharing this. Clearly, Southwestern Advantage is not a scam. It does seem to be very much aimed exclusively at school-age kids since the agreement of parent/guardian is required.
And it sounds like this is a school that runs over a summer break.
So I would think that if someone of school-age knows themselves and what they want to do well enough, and knows that they want to go into sales, then this would be an excellent program.
I guess there will be some kids who do fall into that category. I know that I didn’t. So I guess you could say this is a senior summer camp for those with entrepreneurial ambitions.
Just hope nobody drops your kid off in a ghetto, or at least if they do that he or she has the street smarts to deal with it. Great review! Thanks and best regards, Andy
Yup, Southwestern Advantage is a summer school, and it’s geared towards entrepreneurial kiddos, but I’m sure that not every one of them has ambitions for sales.
Some of these kids are forced into signing up to such a school just to make their parents look like they’re doing their job right, and that to me is utterly stupid and completely unnecessary.
The platform that I recommend gives you the freedom to express your creativity through the establishment of digital properties, and that alone speaks for itself. It’s far from a summer job, and it’s only for those who are serious about making a living online.
And you’re absolutely right, Andy. Street smarts come first!