Because Health and Financial Freedom Matter

When I got started many people around me either told me, or warned me about this. I still decided to go ahead...to pursue my dream using MLM as the vehicle and I haven't had any regrets. The reality of this question, is that more often than not, this is suggested by people who never tried it or, at best, failed themselves. Again, I found this video from Tim Sales to provide a great perspective on this question.

Well, let me ask you this. Do you have a better alternative that provides an opportunity similar to what an MLM business can provide? Here my Top Five reasons (in no particular order) as to why I believe you should consider it:

1) Flexibility.

It is not a requirement for you to be an expert in any particular area before you can start an MLM business. This combined with the number of companies and/or products to choose from, it really is your decision which one to go with.

Personally, I prefer getting up when I am done sleeping and to work when, where and how long  I want to. Some days I simply prefer to play a round of golf with my friends...or to take my kids to school. It is completely MY decisions as to when I do what.

We currently reside in Canada, but my business is spread across multiple countries –it doesn’t matter where I live for my business.

2) Minimal investment.

The investment required to start your network marketing business ranges from a few hundred dollars to thousands. Don’t make the mistake to think that the cost is your enrollment fee. That only gets you “in”. In order to start your business you will also need promotional materials (e.g. brochures, videos, cds, etc.), maybe some training materials, as well as product. Remember, you are in a legal MLM business so your objective is to sell products.

Enrollment fees vary from less than $50 to $5,000 or more. How much you spend on promotional materials really is up to you, but count on a minimum of $100. As far as product is concerned, I like to have some extra product at hand so I can give some away. Depending on your business, this could represent a few hundred or a few thousand dollars.

Be prepared to spend at least $150-$200 in your first month in addition to your enrollment fee. This is AWESOME! I don’t know of any other way to go in business for myself for just a couple of hundred dollars. Do you?

3) Personal development.

On of the best quotes I’ve heard since I started my MLM business, is that network marketing is personal development disguised as a business, and what a true statement it is.

There are a lot of things I’ve learned about myself, about business, and about an industry I was not familiar with at all. I have become a better and healthier person.

Finally, know that like in any other business there are “good days” and “not-so-good days” and you will have to deal with it. In a good MLM company you will have the support from your upline which is a critical, and this can provide you the staying power.

4) Money. Yes Money!

The first thing I want to do here, is to set some expectations and give a warning. Do NOT expect that you will be making thousands of dollars per week overnight. Yes, the earning potential is there and arguably it is possible, BUT it doesn’t come for free. You WILL have to work for it. If you are new to network marketing it will take time… be patient and persistent. Remember “Quitters never win, and winners never quit”.

What is so exciting about the MLM business, is that there is no cap on how much money you can generate. In most if not all corporate jobs, the big limitation is that your income is tied to a "market standard" for someone with your skills… regardless how hard you work. This in and by itself is a great reason to start a MLM business.

It is true though, that you get out what you put it. What I mean with that, is that if you start a network marketing business and you stay on the couch, watching TV you will NOT make money in MLM (or any other business for that matter). Chances are that you will become one of the people who say that MLM earning claims are a fraud. If, however, you work at it (YES WORK!!!) you have a great opportunity to succeed.

If you don’t quit, you have the opportunity to dramatically change not only YOUR financial situation but also that of your children...and theirs. The reason for this is that you will be earning residual income, just like recording artists and their families get royalties from the songs they recorded, you can continue to earn commissions from the work you’ve done ONCE.

5) Helping others (and yourself)

Regardless of which company or product you choose, MLM is a people business. I’ve found a big motivator is the desire to help people. I know I have changed the life of people in a good way. Whether it is because my product has helped improved their health, or the introduction of network marketing to them has set them on the path of financial independence.

Pretty much everyday you can hear or read in the news that xyz company has announced lay-offs. This is not something that only affects small companies. In December 2008 alone, over 524,000 people lost their jobs in the US. Recently, a large manufacturer announced 12,500 lay-off’s and one of the largest and known software companies in the world announced 5,000 lay-offs.

Unfortunately still very few people have diversified their income, so most of these people lost their income… I’m sure you can imagine the ripple effect this has in those families. MLM provides a FANTASTIC opportunity for diversification of income on a part-time basis. So, not only does MLM provide the opportunity for you to help others, but you can also help yourself.

Finally, although I know I said “Top Five Reasons”, you don’t have to worry about employees, recruiting, retention, payroll, etc. Consider this one a bonus reason.

This is a very common misconception, and very often used as an excuse/reason by those who quit. I find that this video from Tim Sales provides some interesting perspective. Following a career in the military, Tim created  in 5 years a 25 million dollar business in MLM spread across 13 countries. Today he still has that business and recurring income from it, although, it’s now in 30+ countries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Commonly MLM is confused with pyramids simply because people don’t know how to distinguish one from the other. This makes sense because most people we know haven’t been educated on this topic.

One of the key differentiators of a LEGAL MLM business and an ILLEGAL pyramid, is that a pyramid involves the exchange of money primarily for enrolling other people. Typically there is NO product or service being delivered. This can be a bit tricky as their may APPEAR to be a product, but this is only for the purpose of making the pyramid APPEAR as a legal business.

Pyramids all share one overriding characteristic. They promise consumers or investors large profits based primarily on RECRUITING OTHERS to join their program, not based on profits from any real investment or real sale of goods to the public. In other words, in pyramids commissions are based on the number of distributors recruited.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC—http://www.ftc.gov) defines a fine line between legal MLM and illegal pyramid schemes, is the exchange of a “real” product. There are two tell-tale signs that a product is simply being used to disguise a pyramid scheme:

1) Inventory loading. Inventory loading occurs when a company's incentive program forces recruits to buy more products than they could ever sell, often at inflated prices.

2) Lack of retail sales. Many pyramid schemes will claim that their product is selling like hot cakes. However, on closer examination, the sales occur only between people inside the pyramid structure or to new recruits joining the structure, not to consumers out in the general public.

More importantly, MLM's actually sell their product to members of the general public, without requiring these consumers to pay anything extra or to join the MLM system. MLM's may pay commissions to a long string of distributors, but these commission are paid for real retail sales, not for new recruits. Then there is the “70% rule”. This means that each distributor is required to sell at wholesale or retail at least 70 percent of its purchased inventory each month -- a policy known as the 70% rule.

Just as an FYI, the Commission is an independent government agency that Congress established in 1914. The  core function is to ensure that free markets work.

Isn’t this a Pyramid Scheme?

Isn’t it true that only the people at the top make all the money?

Why should you consider MLM?

Don’t most people fail?