Network Marketing – Why is it so great?

If you’ve ever heard of Network Marketing, you’ve probably heard it said that it is essentially a people’s business. Some have also labeled it a people’s franchise because of the similarities between the business models of network marketing and franchising. Advocates of the industry name it as the ultimate people’s business and say there is nothing quite like it. People that are in network marketing will immediately respond positively to this.

One of the unique characteristics of the network marketing type of business is that every individual distributor is in business for themselves but never by themselves. They will always be part of a larger organization and the compensation models are designed in such a way that every person can count on some form of support from their upline.

It is no secret that fortunes can be made in this type of business and many have done just that. Of course this is not the majority of network marketers, but every individual distributor does have the same chances. Success or failure in network marketing is not dictated by politics, race, age, background or gender, but always by results. In that respect it is probably also the fairest business model in the world.

For many people however the true value of their home based business is not directly in the financial return. The lessons a person can learn while building his or her own network marketing business are truly priceless. Many people are totally transformed through the personal growth they experience as a direct result of their challenges in their MLM businesses. It forced them to get out of their comfort zones, grow, and in many cases become a better person.
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7 Ways to Manage Breaks As A Home-Based Business Owner

This week during a coaching session, one of my clients shared her ongoing struggle with managing “breaks” throughout the day. Whenever she felt the need to get up from her desk and stretch her legs, she found herself in the kitchen.

As a result of this habit, she is now 20 pounds heavier, very uncomfortable and extremely unhappy with herself.

Unfortunately this phenomenon is all too common among entrepreneurs who transition from the outside work world to working from home.

Home business presents challenges not normally experienced while working in the corporate or “outside” world and managing breaks is a big one.

When you work outside of the home, a break might be spent by a water cooler, in a lunchroom, or outside on a bench chatting with a co-worker. When you do spend your break in the company lunchroom, you seldom find a fully stocked fridge and cupboards chock full of food at your disposal.

When you work from home, your break locations aren’t quite as extensive and because it’s very unlikely you would spend this time sitting in a bedroom or talking to yourself in the bathroom mirror, the kitchen is the most logical destination.

How you spend your breaks at home requires a little creativity and A LOT of discipline. By giving yourself options, setting limits, and creating healthy habits, it won’t take long for you to re-direct yourself when you find yourself drifting towards the kitchen.

Here are 7 simple options to get you started:

1. Grab your remote telephone, head outside for a lawn chair and call a friend. This not only addresses the “break” issue but also combats the feelings of isolation that often affect home-based business owners. The important thing to remember here is set limits for yourself. Institute a 15-minute break rule and enforce it, otherwise you can lose an entire afternoon.

2. Pick up your mail. Whether the mailbox is at the end of your driveway or just down the street, this is the perfect opportunity for you to stretch your legs and get some fresh air.
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7 Steps to a Purpose Driven Home Based Business: The Winning Combination of Passion and Profit

Have you been thinking about leaving your job and starting a work at home enterprise? If you have mentioned your desire to anyone other than another entrepreneur you may have been discouraged. For many people it is hard to understand why anyone would want to leave “the safety and security” of a job and “risk their lively hood.” But if you have ever been hit by an entrepreneurial seizure there is something that happens which is unexplainable.

If you are willing to respond to this deep emotion you will never be happy living your life by a job description. You want more. A cubicle will feel like a prison and until you create something you can call your own you will feel like each day a part of you is making a deal with the devil.

For most people starting a business is a scary proposition. So how do you create an environment that pulls you towards success? What can you do to inspire yourself to take your life back and build wealth from home? Creating a purpose driven home based business is the winning combination that blends living your passion and profiting from it.

Here are 7 seven steps you can take towards a purpose driven work at home career:

1. You can create a vision and mission for your home based enterprise that inspires you. Life is too short. When you make the decision to leave the rat race you don’t want to create a business that’s simply another job. So why are you taking this journey? What do you want your business to look like?

For example, I am clear that my home based venture is as much about lifestyle as it is profit. When ever I work on my business I look at my mission that includes income developed through passive income and working no more than 25 hours a week.

Why? Because after 15+ years in Corporate America I learned that what are important to me are my personal relationships. I no longer wanted to trade my time for money. At the end of my life I don’t want to remember how many hours I worked for someone else or the sacrifices I made for a company. As a result, my vision is to create a lifestyle that allows me to enjoy life with the people I care about.

What is your vision for your business? Try to include all of your senses. What will it look like when you get there? How will you feel? Who will be there to celebrate with you? With you smell the breeze of the ocean water or the pungent fragrance of swaying honeysuckle? The more you connect with your vision the more you will be inspired.

2. Create your business based around something you are passionate about. There is something magical that happens when you are operating in something you love to do and are uniquely good at. Have you ever had a job you hated? How did you feel? You will never live a life of purpose doing something you don’t like. Discover your passion and give it all you’ve got.

For years I worked in jobs that I was good at but hated. However, when I struck out on my own I wanted to have a life I loved. I uncovered my unique talents and went to work. And what happened for me can happen for you.

When you start to live the life you were born to do the universe makes all of the resources available to you that you need to be successful. So what are you passionate about? What skills and talents do you have you can create a life and business around? Write down two or three skills have that would be utilized in your purpose driven business.

3. Make your business a business that is bigger than you. What would it feel like to know that your business was directly responsible for impacting the world in some way? How would you feel to know that when you passed on people from around the world would thank you for the part you played in creating something of value that was important to them?

At first, this line of thinking can be overwhelming. However, not when you start to think of what is at the core of any business. Your goal is to find a solution to your customers’ problems. And in exchange they are willing to pay you for it. To the extent that you get to know their hopes, desires, dreams and pains and you help to successfully maneuver the maze of life they will be forever grateful.

So how can your venture make its mark in the world? My goal is to help people discover their passion, monetize it and live a life they love. I personally want to help 1000 people in the next 3 years take their life back and build wealth from home. The very thought that I could play a small part in helping someone else do this gives my business a purpose much bigger than me.

Write down one goal that you have for your business that is bigger than you. Make sure you keep the goal in front of you where you can see it everyday.

4. Develop a business plan that supports your values and beliefs. Whenever you are working to accomplish something great you must have a plan. The creation of your business plan is the map that you will use to guide you through your journey. One of the keys to a successful plan is to make sure everything you do is consistent with your values and beliefs.
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7 Poor reasons to get involved in MLM

Network marketing, or “MLM” can be a great way to earn everything from a small additional income to a generous full time living.

However, many people join mlm type opportunities without really knowing what they are getting themselves in to. This is probably one of the biggest reasons for the fact that some people have very low thoughts about this type of business.

Mlm works if you do it right. Period. That said, here are seven really poor reasons for enrolling in a network marketing opportunity:

1) Earning “easy money”

I know – the mlm-companies are very good a promoting their business as a simple 1-2-3 process that anyone can do and become an instant millionaire. Especially online it has almost become a standard to use super long and totally over hyped sales letters.

This is the equivalent of claiming that anyone who can open a can of beans can be a master chef.

Don’t get me wrong, I do think most people CAN make it in mlm if they put their minds to it. But you must be prepared to learn many new things and you WILL have to work for it. Make no mistake about that!

2) Expecting that “spill over” will do all the work

Many mlm opportunities are built on what’s called a “forced matrix”. For example, in a 3×9 matrix, when you have sponsored your three first new members, the fourth will be placed under the first person you sponsored. This person has thus gained one person in HIS downline, without any effort on his part.

Now, some companies would have you believe that their top recruiters are so effective that the spill over from their marketing will automatically make you, who are joining at the very bottom right now, an instant success.

This is simply a pipe dream – it will never happen. Yes, you probably will get a few people spilled over into your downline, but nowhere near enough to guarantee your success. The sheer width of the matrix on your level, means that there is an enormous amount of representatives that will have to shear any amount of spill over.

And who says the top recruiters are as active as they once where anyway? Worst case scenario, they are now working on something else entirely, because their income in this particular opportunity is already secured.
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