Do you think you might start a Network Marketing
business? You could indeed be on the right track.
Fortune
magazine called direct selling (of which network marketing is the
largest segment) "the best kept secret in the business world." It has
experienced 91-percent growth in the last 10 years with annual sales
in excess of $30 billion in the United States, and $100 billion
worldwide. Financial experts say it's a "recession proof" industry.
Billionaire Warren Buffet, after purchasing a network marketing
company, called it the
best investment he'd ever made. Tom Peters, author of In Search of Excellence, calls it the first
truly revolutionary shift in marketing in the last 50
years.
Wow. And here we are. Mr. and Ms.
Nobody. And we can become part of this incredible business
revolution as well.
So. Where do we start?
First, and yes most importantly,
figure out what you are passionate about.
Not only is there no sense in having a business you don't enjoy, but you
won't make much money either.
Next, find a web host that will help
your business succeed. You are
welcome to use mine, or find your
own.
| Then, block out all the fancy Get Rich Quick
Guru stuff that shouts at you. Truly, you won't make money
with them. They make money from you. Period. The
GRQ schemes only get the guru
wealthy. |
Now you are ready to settle down to
business.
Then there are some internet skills you will need
to know. If your web host doesn't have this built in (and mine
does), then look for other providers that will provide them.
EMAIL SERVICE.
You will need to respond to mail as YourName@YourSite.com .
Everything else looks really amateurish.
NEWSLETTERS.
Building your newsletter list is the single most important task you
will have. This is how you communicate with potential buyers and
associates.
SITE BUILDING.
You need to know how to build a basic website, one that can provide
lots of information with minimal upkeep. Identifying and
capturing strong keywords for your site is essential.
A MINI FORUM.
Give your guests a chance to put in their two cents worth. If
your site is one that features images, there should be a capacity for
having your guests send in images as well.
BACKGROUND SERVICES.
There are all kinds of things, like submitting your pages to
search engines and blogging, that a good web host will attend
to. You shouldn't have to worry too much about these
things. Just make sure they are happening.
SITE PROMOTION.
Learning about using articles and links to enhance your website is a
tremendously important component in getting
visitors.
You may already know a lot of this already.
That's great. What you don't know, see what you can learn from
your web host, then go out searching for the rest.
When you start a Network Marketing business, you
are making a commitment much like a brick and mortar business. You
are announcing to the world, "This is MY business. Please
come."
You might note that I said nothing about
incorporation or formal documentation. In truth, you probably
don't need it when you first start a Network Marketing business.
You may need it later as your business starts to grow, so keep it in
mind.
So How Much Money Do I Need to
Start A Network Marketing Business?
I
hate this question. There is just no "right" answer.
The simple answer is that all you need
is
- a computer
- a wide band internet connection (and you will
need that)
- subscription to a web host (mine is $299 a
year)
- a few miscellaneous programs, etc. Maybe
$200 worth.
This begs the issue of "Time". Your
time.
If you are planning to start a Network Marketing
business as a full time endeavor, you need to have enough in reserve to
take you through the planning and initial growth stages. And,
gosh, no, I don't know what that time is. I don't even know if an
"average" time exists. There are huge variables -- how quickly you
build your site, how rapidly you promote your site, how many visitors
you really need to be successful, AND how long it takes the search
engines to find you.
I
do know that it is a lot safer to start a Network Marketing business as
a part time business. Get your feet wet. Figure out what you know,
and what you don't know. Fill in the gaps. When the business
will support you full time, you will know it.
If the Network Marketing is a component of an
existing brick and mortar business, then everything you earn online is a
plus. You're home free with your first few dollars.
It is an exciting adventure. I don't regret
one moment that I've spent as a Network Marketer. I've spent years
honing my craft, and will spend many more learning everything that I
want to know.
And in the meantime I've made some pretty decent
money. I wish the same for you.
