How do I choose a good Network Marketing company?

How do I choose a good company?

Choosing a good company is not always a simple task. Most importantly, you should check that a company fits the guidelines in question fiveabove. Many people make this mistake, and then get put off NM for life because they had a bad experience. You owe it to yourself to look around and find a company with which you will feel comfortable. You do not owe any allegiance to the person who introduced you to network marketing – if they insist on you joining their business even if you consider it to be inferior, then remember that they may be biased!

Is this an impartial FAQ?

I hope that this site is entirely impartial. I deliberately have not mentioned any specific company names, nor individuals. I have been involved with network marketing, and I love the business model that it presents. However, I accept that most people don’t think this way, and so I have aimed to steer well clear of the unqualified hype that can sometimes surround this subject. I was first introduced to the concept in early 2003. I was initially very sceptical, but intrigued. This inspired me to read up as much as I could on the concept, and on business in general. To the best of my knowledge, everything written on this page is the truth. Though I believe that everyone should have an opportunity to learn about network marketing, I appreciate that it isn’t right for everyone, and an informed decision should definitely be taken. I don’t want people to miss out on an opportunity because they read something negative on a website. But equally, I don’t want people to join an opportunity and realise (too late) that it’s not for them, and then generate negative feelings towards the industry.

How much money can I make?

Theoretically, you can make a phenomenal income from network marketing, though very few people ever do. Many people have used this business model as a springboard for creating personal fortunes of hundreds of millions of dollars, though they are a tiny minority and most people will never earn enough to give up their day job. Theoretically, you could make nothing whatsoever. Actually, if you pay money to join and then do absolutely nothing, you’ll probably losemoney! Some people complain about this, but of course you’re entering a business, and you must expect to do some work in order to get paid! Go down to your local shopping centre and ask some of the merchants there how much money they lose for every day they fail to open their shop. Then ask them how much they paid to set up the shop in the first place. That should help to put things in perspective! Remember that this may be a simple, straightforward business model, but it is still a business, not a hobby. If you want to work it like a hobby then expect to lose money, as you would do on any hobby.Also, bear in mind that most companies are under strict regulations not to claim that very large incomes are easily obtained, so the top earners are rarely found to disclose their exact earnings. In addition, network marketing requires a lot of work to get to a decent income, by the nature of the business model. If you think that someone’s monthly income is low, try multiplying it by twelve months a year for the rest of their life!Finally, by owning your own business you are entitled to write off business expenses against income tax. That means that you can legitimately claim back some of the money spent on travel, equipment, phone bills and attending functions. All this helps to cut the cost of the first few months in the business, even if you make very little from the business itself. It also helps you to make some more money once your business is up and running. Note – don’t form a business purely for the sake of saving tax! This can often be illegal. Please take professional advice from a registered tax adviser in your country.

What are my chances of success?

This is a misleading question. If you do absolutely nothing, then your chances of success are precisely zero! However, if you work hard then you will almost certainly succeed, at least to some degree. I say almostcertainly, because nothing is guaranteed in this world. Also, working hard isn’t worth a penny if you’re working at the wrong thing! Learning how to become an effective networker is a valuable skill, and takes more time for some than others. I’ve met people who were born ready for this sort of opportunity, but I’ve also met people who are completely unable to relate to other human beings and end up offending everyone they speak to. The latter are not going to make a success of this business model unless they learn how to improve their interpersonal skills.Network marketing is not a question of luck. There is a certain fraction of the population of your country looking for a business like this. You just have to find them. Of course some people meet with earlier success because they happen to find more keen people early on, but everything evens out eventually. The difference between a successful networker and an unsuccessful network marketer is nothing to do with luck. There are skills to learn in overcoming objections, and a good networker knows the importance of following a simple, powerful system. There is always, as in any area of life, a huge benefit towards developing courage and persistence.Another vital thing that a successful network marketer will learn is that the only way to get more ‘yes’ results is to get more ‘no’ results. You could focus all your time on half a dozen people and maybe increase your chances of success slightly. Alternatively you could ask a hundred people. Even if your chances of success are small, you will still get far more ‘yes’ results in total – it’s a numbers game! If you ever meet someone who failed at network marketing, just ask them how many people they shared their business with, how much time they spent developing it and how closely they followed an established system. Compare their answers to those of a successful network marketer and you will likely find a substantial difference.

How much time does it take?

Lots of people don’t work on their network marketing businesses in a serious way because they’ve not paid serious money to set it up. They have no boss forcing them to work, Of course, there are no quotas or targets to meet, so you can do nothing whatsoever if you want. Some people quickly go full time in network marketing and put several hours each day in to their businesses. Others just put in an hour or two here and there. Both will get a decent income from their business, but the first type will get there much faster! In the average network marketing company, fewer than 20% of business owners are actually doing any significant level of work. In some cases this is closer to 5%. Lots of people unfortunately join without realising the committment required, and consequently end up very demoralised. Do not be fooled into thinking that a stable income is easy to obtain!Finally, consider how much time you are working on your conventional day job (if you have one). How long do you expect to work at this job before you can retire? And on what salary? Do you need thousands of pounds per month extra, or just a few hundred?

Is this a ‘get rich quick’ scheme?

No! Network marketing is not by any means a get rich quick scheme. If you’re looking for a way to make vast amounts of money in a very short time then you should probably consider crime or gambling, but I wouldn’t advise either! Network marketing requires effort to get it to work. As answered in point tenabove, it usually takes a dedicated effort over the course of several years before anyone starts earning a substantial income. Most people never achieve a substantial income.Network marketing is not a ‘get rich quick’ scheme, but it is a good method to build up an extra stream of income, which is a lot better than most people have right now!

Am I being brainwashed?

Yes, every time you watch a TV commercial, read the news paper or speak to any of your opinionated friends. Your opinions on pretty much everything are the result of brainwashing, some of which is accurate and some is not. The point of this page is that network marketing does not need to rely on such methods to be successful – either it makes sense to you or it doesn’t. Lots of people are worried because they find network marketing extremely exciting, but their friends don’t seem to agree. They have perhaps heard stories of unscrupulous conmen and wonder if they are being conned too. At some point, you have to stand back and look at the situation with logical eyes – just ask yourself who is most qualified to make a valid decision. If you ask negative people why they dislike NM, 9 times out of 10 they will return with an incorrect or illogical reason. I soon realised that theiropinion was probably based on brainwashing, not mine.Having said this, you should be slightly careful with any scheme claiming to be NM which doesn’t conform to the guidelines in question 5 above. Some weak schemes try to dodge issues such as product quality and financial stability with a series of ‘brush away’ comments. You are starting a business – make absolutely sure that the company you’re looking at stands up to every question you can ask. Let’s face it – you’ll have to answer them convincingly when you’re showing your corporate business plan.

Isn’t this exploiting my friends and relatives?

Lots of people worry about this point, despite the fact that they never considered it themselves when they were introduced to the business. When I was introduced to NM, I was grateful for the opportunity to examine the business, and I never once thought that I was being exploited. After all, I was offered exactly the same opportunity as my friend, and it was my choice whether to enter into the business or not. If I did all the work and they did none then I would still get a substantially larger income from my business than they would. In most network marketing organisations, those who do nothing are not elligible for an income just for referring somebody else who works hard. Besides – if there were no upline above me and I was the first person ever to join the organisation, the compensation scheme presented to me would have been exactly the same. The actions of those above me in the organisation were not affecting me, except in a positive way through their encouragement and commitment.Many people have managed to work themselves out of debt using network marketing as a vehicle. Some of these people now live wealthy lives because somebody had the decency to think of them and introduce them to a business that they sincerely believed would help. I wonder if the many NM millionaires complain about being exploited? If somebody introduces me to a business opportunity that allows me potentially to make large amounts of residual income, then I have no problem whatsoever with someone else paying them for doing so!Let’s suggest that you offer to sell your best friend a car. You work for a car dealership, so you arrange to put in a lot of effort selecting the right car for them, showing them brochures, filling in all the details and optional extras. Finally you arrange them a discount price on a special car range that is normally only reserved for the salespeople themselves. In return, your employer pays you some cash as a reward for making a sale. If your friend then told you that they resented you making money out of them, what would you say?As a similar analogy for distributors, let’s say that you worked in a rich city firm which was looking to hire some good people. You suggest one of your close friends might be suitable, and (s)he applies and gets the job. That friend then works really hard, quickly rises through the ranks and enjoys a substantial salary together with all the best bonuses. As a reward for finding somebody good, your boss pays you a nice bonus too – (s)he wants to encourage other workers to do the same and recommend such good potential employees. Now, five years later, your friend has in fact risen above you in the company and is vice president. The company is so glad that it gives you a brand new Porsche. Your friend has a great job and a large salary because you had the foresight to think of them and to put them forward for the job. The company is doing well because your friend has made them lots of money. So, who is losing out? Is this bad for anyone? Of course it isn’t! If only real businesses worked like that!HOWEVER, you should never force friends and relatives into buying your product or joining your organisation with emotional blackmail – that would be immoral. Maybe they just don’t want the product or the business opportunity. Maybe they just don’t understand what it is you’re offering them. Maybe you sell top quality products and they’re on an economy drive. Maybe they just don’t like the smell, look, taste, feel or even the name of your product! You have to accept their opinion and stop pestering them – all you’ll do is irritate a good friend for no reason. See also question 17.

What type of goods are available through network marketing?

Anything you could ever name, from disposable chemicals such as soap and washing powder, vitamins, beauty products etc. right the way to gas, electricity, telephone calls and life insurance.

Isn’t it greedy to make more money than I need?

Many people in today’s society believe that money is a bad thing. This is either for religious reasons, or simply because they see a few examples of multi-millionaires behaving dishonestly and ripping people off. They also see examples of those who embrace poverty and are regarded as great people. This is especially striking amongst religious leaders such as Jesus and Buddha, and also recent examples such as Mother Theresa of Calcutta.So is money a bad thing? Of course not! Money in itself is neither bad nor good – it is simply a tool. What makes people think that money is bad is simply what people dowith it. People think about drugs dealers and dictators and see money being used to fund violence and killing because these are big news items. They don’t tend to see the billions of dollars given by the richest people in the world to alleviate third world suffering, or the many regional grants offered by local government for building community centres and schools, or the refurbishment of some crumbling piece of our national heritage. What was the aim of Live Aid, Live 8, or Band Aid, or any of these huge charity events? To help those in the impoverished parts of this world. How did they plan to do that? By raising money!To those people who claim that it is greedy to own more than one coat – just think if you owned ten, you could give nine away!Money is not the bottom line in life. The most important things to most people are friendship, love, community, personal beliefs, relaxation and health. Now think about how much more time you could spend doing those exact things if you had the money to quit your job and retire. Or even if you could just give up working overtime.Anyone quoting religious reasons for being poor should perhaps reconsider his or her motivation. People with money can do much more good than those without. Christians worried about the teachings about money in the Bible should re-read the story of the good Samaritan, and add up in today’s terms how much money he spent helping the man who had been attacked by thieves. Do you have that much in your wallet to spare right now?

Will these businesses saturate?