John Passmore (Utility Warehouse Discount Club)

The Utility Warehouse Discount Club is a true phenomenon. Launched in 1997 offering cheap telephone calls, it is now a lifestyle choice for more than 350,000 families and businesses who are serious about saving money.

By using a partnership with 37 leading retailers including M&S, Sainsburys, Boots and B&Q, the average family can shrink their household bills by 20% . Literally, they get those big stores to pay a proportion of their electricity bill, their gas bill, their phone, mobile and broadband bills every month. On top of that they also save money when they shop online with more than 1,500 other retailers ranging from Tesco to EasyJet.

And when they tell their friends about this, they save even more - typically ten friends who join the club will push those savings up to 40% every month!

Since the other utility suppliers would have to fund such savings out of their profits, they have no hope of competing. The Utility Warehouse discounts are funded by the High Street stores - which means the club is growing fast... very fast. It is confidently predicted that the company will double in size in the next 2-3 years and then double in size again. Within five years it is expected to be in the FTSE 100 index and a household name with a £billion turnover..

What this means is that people will be hearing a lot about the Utility Warehouse in the coming months and years - so it makes sense for them to join now rather than later.

Also, hearing about the company at this early stage means they are perfectly placed to benefit from this explosive growth. The club offers the opportunity for people from any walk of life to become Authorised Distributors and earn a second income by introducing other people to the benefits of being a member.

Many of these people already have successful businesses such as financial advisors, will writers, accountants and IT consultants. But they recognise that offering the additional benefit of £900 a year savings to their clients not only enhances their standing but increases customer loyalty.

As we say: Everyone needs to save money or make money. Which would you prefer?

To see how this works in practice from the point of view of a Utility Warehouse distributor. See my blog at www.networkmarketingblog.org.uk.

For 25 years I was a newspaper reporter - ending up as Chief Correspondent for the London Evening Standard. Then I gave it all up and, with my wife, set out to live the simple life on a small boat while writing a column for the Daily Telegraph. Five years and two children later we moved ashore - and five years and another two children after that I ran out of money.

Nobody wanted to give me a job and I couldn't afford to start a conventional business. In desperation we started doing Bed & Breakfast (www.debenhouse.co.uk) but that was never going to support a whole family. Then at a craft fair in our local community hall, somebody showed me network marketing. It was described as a home-based business that would provide a second income for anyone who wanted to work from home.

I was sceptical. There were claims of high earnings and something called a "residual income". But what if it did work? And besides, what alternative did I have? So I threw myself into it wholeheartedly (which is the only way to succeed at anything).

I'm not saying it's easy or that there were never moments of doubt but I found that if I was prepared to learn and determined never to give up, then there was a statistical certainty that I would succeed.

I started in April 2005. I was broke and embarrassed. Today I have no money worries whatsoever.

The reason for this is largely because the company now has a partnership with some of the biggest names on the high street including M&S, Sainsburys and Boots.When I offer people the opportunity to get those companies to pay their bills, they tend to join!