Many people join businesses online with little understanding of what they are joining. Some are excellent opportunities that will build lasting residual income for many years to come. Others are just jobs that look like true network marketing opportunities, but are not. Then there are the affiliate programs that can be very lucrative, but require lots of up-front money and know-how to make them work successfully.
Personally, I don’t want to work forever. I want to build a business that will produce residual income even when I decide to retire or take an extended vacation. I want a business that I can operate from anywhere in the world with a laptop and mobile phone. I want a business that I can do just a few hours a day and then spend time doing other things important to me. I don’t want a boss. I have had it with others telling me what to, when to do it, and how to do it.
I will not address affiliate marketing in this post. Rather, I would like to discuss true network marketing opportunities that are built through people. Network marketing is a people helping people business. It is rewarding on many levels. You can become financially independent while helping others to do the same. If you mean business about YOUR business, you will grow personally in the process.
So what should you look for in a network marketing opportunity? Here is a list of things I think are important:
Reputation—The company, and it’s leaders, have to be reputable. They should have a history as network marketers themselves. They should not have skeleton’s in their closets as so many company leaders have these days. It’s easy to find out, just Google their name and put the word “scam” after it. Don’t stop at the first few pages. You will have to dig a little. However it is worth it, especially since you are putting your money and reputation on the line.
Timing—How long has the company been in existence? Is it a start-up or prelaunch? Does it have a track record? It is a fleeting fad? So many people get an idea and automatically think it is a network marketing opportunity. They start out with little understanding of the industry and are out-of-business in two years or less taking unsuspecting, hardworking people with them. Don’t join the “new thing.” It’s not worth it. Give it a couple of years before you jump in because most of these “start-up” fail within that time.
Pricing of Products—Are the products more expensive than the average “Joe” can get at GNC or any local establishment with similar products? If you have to join the company to get discounts, don’t do it. You can’t build a big business counting on affiliates alone. You need customers and customers won’t purchase products that are over-priced. Would you buy a 30-day vitamin pack for $75.00? I know I would not. Would you purchase them for under $40.00? That is more reasonable, don’t you think?
Products that People Want—The products you promote should be what the masses are already using. I am in a nutritional company. There is a demand for our products. For example: How many people do you know that have a weight problem? How many people do you know that drinks energy drinks? How many people do you know that are diabetic? Just from these three categories I bet you know plenty of people in such a situation. Shoot, energy drinks alone are a $10 Billion industry! So, look for a company that promotes products that are already used by the masses and you will be far ahead of the curve.
Streamline Business Model—Is the company heavily invested in buildings, call centers, corporate jets and the like? If so, run baby run! Guess who is paying for all that stuff? If you say the “company,” you are sadly mistaken. It is the affiliates that bear the burden of those cost through less compensation for the hard work that they perform. The company’s main responsibility is to provide product and ship product. If they can do that with the least overhead possible, that is money in YOUR pocket.
Don’t be awed by all the “assets” of a company. Don’t be awed by celebrity endorsements (Guess who is paying for those endorsements?). They are costing YOU, not the company. Look for a company that puts the affiliate first, for they understand that that is the way to build a huge business.
Also, don’t fall for a company that is publically traded. Guess who gets preferential treatment? It is the stock holders. Stockholders are taking money out of your pocket. They call the shots and don’t even understand the business. They only understand money.
Compensation Plan—There are a ton of them out there. Look for a plan that allows you unlimited width and depth. Stair-Steep break-away plans, matrixes, and binaries are not the best. They all have limitations and appeal to specific personality types. Most of these plans drive me nuts! I like my plan, its’ simple. All you have to do is figure out how much you want to make and you will know how many affiliates or customers that you will need to make that kind of money. With my company, if I want to make $10,000 a month in residual income, I will need to have 500 (or less) people in my organization (customers or affiliates). Some people have done this with as little as 300 users in their organization!
A Duplicatable System with Team Support—If you have to go it alone, you will fail. You need a system that you can plug into to help insure your success. You also need a system that you can plug others into to accomplish the same. It has to be simple. So many tell you they will be there for you, but they are so busy helping others they couldn’t help you if they wanted to. If there is a system in place, that system will do all the training one would ever need to succeed. What a relief!
Again, this is if you are looking for a network marketing company with residual income that will be there when you stop doing the business. Other opportunities are available, but they are just jobs, trading time for money. That is if they don’t produce the residual income.
Affiliate programs are great as well, but they need larger amounts of capital for advertising and knowledge on how to advertise effectively. For example, don’t attempt using an Ad-word campaign without proper training. You could go broke in a hurry! To me, it is worth getting into a pay-program to learn how to do affiliate marketing effectively, if that is the way you want to go.
Please, if you have any questions, contact me. I am here to help.
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