As a veteran network marketer and business owner who has walked the trail of tears, I am weary of the lies and deceit that pervades the industry.Too many people join a MLM home based business based on the promise of wealth and fortune alone. They enroll with the simple idea that all they have to do is “sign up three who will get three who get three”. The concept sounds so simple that they jump right in, and after a short period of time, quit because “the system” didn’t work for them.While MLM home based businesses have various compensation plans, the traditional MLM model of “three who get three who get three” is an example I am using here. It is a simple business model that looks easy to do. Simply, it is a business template that a company implements to help the company’s representatives market the company’s products and grow their business. The process of building a MLM home based business requires much more effort and desire to succeed than is seen on the surface.While it’s true that there is potential to make a lot of money in this industry, it is also true that it takes time and effort to envision the opportunity as an ongoing journey. When people join a MLM home based business solely because of the promise of wealth and fortune, it doesn’t take long before they are checking out and are never heard from again. The reason? Greed is not a long-term motivator. Most want to get rich quick and when that doesn’t happen, they quit.A Key to SuccessIn my opinion, a key to succeeding in this industry is having a strong belief and passion for the company and its products or services.It’s interesting that many sales training books don’t elaborate on the need for belief and passion to succeed in business. I believe all of the attributes of a great sales person are backed by a passion of some type. In our case, passion is an intense, extreme, or overpowering feeling for a cause represented by the company’s products or services.The authors of sales books talk about having the right mental attitude – that is, desiring, to succeed, setting goals and achieving them, and becoming a great leader. How do you find the drive to enact these without a passion for the MLM home based business – and its products – you have chosen to build? For example, how can you have a positive mental attitude about your business without having a belief and passion for it?Too many people are brought into a MLM home based business because of the promise of an easy business to do and a ton of money to be made in a short period of time. Oh, the products and services are presented, but the major push is on the big money that can be made.The challenges we all faceWhen beginning a MLM home based business, so many challenges lie ahead. Here are just a few that a new owner may confront:
· Complacency – many new business owners never get started. They are afraid they don’t know enough or don’t know where or how to start
· Anxiety and fear about sharing the business or the products and services to people, including friends and family – becoming a secret agent of the business. What will they think about me?
· Fear of rejection – a “no” for some people is a nail to the heart. They would rather sleep on nails than be told “no”.
· Fear of failing – nobody likes to lose. A few “no’s”, and the very thing that’s feared actually becomes reality.
· Negative self-talk – that inner voice saying, “I told you this wouldn’t work. What were you thinking, joining this business anyway?”
· Lack of strong leadership – another reason many people fail in a home-based business. No leadership and guidance means trying to do something that has never done before and doing it right the first time. That isn’t likely to happen.
· Giving up – it doesn’t take long for the new business partner to say, “Maybe this business isn’t for me. It just didn’t work out.”When a person starts a MLM home based business for the wrong reasons — primarily greed, wealth and fortune, and the desire to get rich quickly — then all of the aforementioned factors will have an adverse affect.When enrolling because of belief in the company, the MLM home business owner often has very positive experiences with the products and services offered and becomes a passionate evangelist for those products and the company. Add to that a strong leadership team that keeps the business owner plugged into the latest news and product information; teaches solid skills training; and consistently gives positive feedback and encouragement, a strong belief and passion slowly will begin to develop. This will go a long way in enabling endurance for the many challenges that lie ahead.Passion will make a differenceLook at what can happen when belief and passion for the products and services are the key reasons for signing up for the MLM home based business opportunity:· Because belief and passion are so high with the products and services, the business owner is compelled to share them with friends and family; thus, no longer operating like a secret agent.
· When belief and passion are the driving forces within the business owner, complacency no longer exists. Likewise, issues that once were barriers to getting started are now banished.
· Knowing that the fundamental purpose in any business is to “show and tell” the company’s products and services, the business owner understands that everyone does not have the same feelings about what is offered; everyone is not the niche prospect. He markets accordingly, letting the prospect be the one to decide if the products and services are right for him, and knowing that a “no” to the offer is not a personal rejection.
· Understanding that the mission of sharing the business and the difference it can make in the life of another person, the business owner discovers that the fear of failure and negative self-talk disappear when leading with passion.
· No matter how slow the start, the business owner understands that quitting is not an option, that owning a business is a long-term mission and there’s no challenge too big to conquer.In all of the years I have been involved in MLM home based businesses, I have yet to see anyone climb to the top of the mountain and stay there for the long-term without a belief and passion. Oh, yes, I have seen people — through the passion of getting rich quickly — climb to the top, but it is built upon greed and not upon sound principles. Their business is built like a house of cards and in a short period of time, many fall apart.It is imperative that anyone desiring to build a MLM home based business for the long run must have a passion for the company and its products and services. That passion will attract others who also want to be a part of the marketing campaign. They, too, will embrace the owner’s passion, and this will drive them to success, too.Check out the top leaders who have been with a company for many years. Their passion for what they do will be evident. It is rare to find anyone at the top for any length of time just because they saw the money.So, it is necessary that a potential home business owner — before signing up with any MLM home based business — must research the company to make sure it is all that is written about it. It is essential to use the products and services for a period of time to make sure that there is a positive experience with them. Check out the leadership and make sure they have the experience and a system that will insure success. And, finally, a potential MLM home business owner must ask himself if this is a business that he can believe in and could eventually have a passion to build.It’s only when the answer is “yes” to these questions that signing up and becoming involved with any MLM home based business opportunity should even be considered.Too many people get into this industry for the wrong reasons and that is why they fail. Joining for the right reasons will make a huge difference in succeeding or failing. Passion is a key reason for successful growth in any business – either a present one or a future one.
Starting A Home Based Business – What to Consider!
When considering starting a home based business, there are several preliminary steps you need to take to ensure you start off for the ‘right’ reasons, in the ‘right’ market for yourself, and with the ‘right’ resources. You’ll begin to understand what’s ‘right’ through the following synopsis of what it truly takes to fully develop a successful home business.You should first be clear as to “Why” you want to start your own home based business (the ‘right’ reason) before you jump right into getting one started. This will be your reasons, your wants, your passions, your dreams. Ask yourself “What is my ‘Why’?”, and keep asking “Why” down to five levels, to get to the real answer. Your initial “Why” will typically be general and superficial and will only satisfy an immediate perceived need. You need to dig deeper and find the long term, life changing reason for starting a home based business. List and define these reasons,and be as specific as you can. It could be that you “want to set your own hours,” “be your own boss,” “have more time with your family,” “write your own paycheck,” maybe you’re “not fulfilled with the current profession you’re in.” These are all superficial, first level “Why’s”. “I want to achieve success in making my own way so I can pass that knowledge and skill down to my children so they, too, can duplicate my success and live the life they want, without all the struggles I had.” This is a more long term and life changing “Why”, perhaps a final fifth level, even.Whatever your “Why”, being successful at starting a home based business depends on your passion for the type of work you wish to delve into. There is, typically, a lot at stake when starting your own home business, and the amount of time and effort you must put into it could be overwhelming and exhausting. It is imperative that you be passionate about your new business endeavor in order to see it through to success. You must next focus on knowing and acknowledging your strengths. Take some time to recognize your talents and skills, and your passion (the ‘right’ reason). It is essential that you understand which type of business is well suited to you and your interests. Everyone can do something, but not anyone can do everything, and particularly well. So, clearly evaluate your strengths in any market. If the market you seek is one in which you have no or little experience, but simply the desire to work in, then you must be mentally and emotionally prepared to deal with a multitude of start-up issues while just learning the skills to manage in that market.Once you have established your “Why” and decided on what type of home based business you want to start according to your talents, skills and passion, you will need to develop what is THE most important aspect of your business, and that is the Business Plan. You’ve probably heard the saying ‘If you fail to plan, you plan to fail’. Your business plan is your guide to development and growth. It will list all of the important factors required to start a new business. Among other things, the plan will list your investment costs and options; financial gain you intend to receive from the business; the amount of time you anticipate developing, building and working your business should also be defined in your plan. It will also need to include any licenses and permits required, technical aspects (hardware, software, websites, etc.), and a Marketing Plan.After your business plan has been developed, the next fundamental requirement to starting a home based business is a plan to profit from it, a business marketing plan. This is your strategy for promoting and selling your product or service.Your marketing plan should specifically consider and consist of four factors: product, pricing, place and promotion. Once you choose the product or service you plan to sell or provide, you’ll need a solid pricing strategy. Too expensive and people won’t buy it; too cheap and people will think of low quality. Place is all about where you are going to market your products or services… local, global, or online. Promotion consists of advertising your home based business, whether marketing on the internet, or offline in print, in the media, etc.As you can clearly see, you must be properly prepared in order to be successful as an entrepreneur. Do your research, and do it right. Be sure you are very clear on your “Why” of wanting your own home based business. Fairly evaluate and determine your passion in order to choose the right home business for yourself. Develop a Business Plan and a Marketing Plan. This, with Promotion and Advertising, is what will bring traffic, i.e. customers, to your website. Customers, of course, are the life blood of your business. If you don’t have customers, you don’t have a business.