How Do I Choose the Right Network Marketing Opportunity for Me

I would like to start off by discussing network marketing in general. Does it make sense for you to start your home based business in the network marketing field? The answer to that is yes. Most of us are looking for a way to replace our current income so we don’t have to get up every morning and go to job we don’t like. Others are looking for financial security and early retirement. And there are those that just want a little extra cash every month. Network Marketing provides us with a business that we can start with a small investment, work part time or full time, offers great on the job training and we can work from home.

Ok, so how do you pick the right one out of ten’s of thousands of network marketing companies out there? That is a very good question. Hopefully I will provide you with a few tips on how to analyze these companies.

Before you get caught up in the hype of any one company you need to understand how these companies are marketed. Most network marketing companies have a video presentation either online or on DVD which is shared person to person. These videos are created by professional marketing companies and include a lot of hype and excitement. Many may make you feel that if you don’t join "NOW" you will be missing out on a lot of money. Don’t let the hype tempt you into joining a company that may not be right for you. Here I will show you exactly what to look for so you know precisely what you are getting into. Always remember you are looking for a long term business that will provide you with a residual income for the rest of your life. Whether you signup today or next month it should not make a difference.

First thing you want to look at is how long the company has been in business. You may hear terms like "ground floor opportunity" or "start-up". All this means is that the company is relatively brand new. Statistics show that over 90% of all new companies fail within their first five years. If you are ok with joining a new company in hopes that it will still be around after five years and you are one of the few that "got in early" then this should not be a problem for you. It is however a gamble. I prefer not to take a gamble. If I am going to work hard for my future I would like the best chance for that company to still be around. I personally like a company to have at least a five year track record. At least you know that they have lasted beyond their first five years.

Secondly, you should try and learn as much as possible about the company itself. If you can, try to talk to people that are currently involved with the company. Ask the person that is presenting the business opportunity to you to let you talk to some other members, preferably members not in their team and listen to their stories about their experience with the company. This should not be a problem. If it is, it should raise a concern. Also check to see if the company is a member of the Better Business Bureau or other business organizations. In the Network Marketing and Direct Sales industry there is an organization called the Direct Selling Association or DSA (http://www.DSA.org). Out of the thousands of companies in this industry only about 200 companies are members of the DSA. The reason for that is that they require their member companies to abide by a high level of strict business ethics. Requiring that the business you join be a member of the DSA may limit your choices of companies to evaluate. But, it also eliminates any possible scams. If you can’t find a company that suites your needs within the about 200 DSA member companies then maybe you are being extremely picky.

The third thing you should analyze is the product or products you will be marketing. It is extremely important that you give careful thought to this part of your evaluation. You must completely and undoubtedly be committed to and believe in your product. If you don’t, you will never find success. Ask yourself if it’s something you can use. Then ask if you think others can use it to. Is there a benefit to others? Is there value to the end consumer? Is it unique? I recommend you spend a lot of time evaluating the product because it’s a very big part of your overall assessment of the company.

Next we will get into one of my favorite parts to analyze when looking at a network marketing company. This is the part that shows you how you get paid. It’s called the Compensation Plan. Compensation plans come in all shapes and sizes. Some are extremely complex and others are very simple. Personally I prefer simple. If the comp plan is too complex how are you supposed to know how much effort will be required for a certain level of pay. In my opinion the best type of comp plan is a binary with a twist. Now that probably doesn’t mean much to you and realistically this is a complex subject even when explaining a simple comp plan. So I will try to make this as simple as possible. Stay away from any comp plans that let you go wide. That means that you can sign up as many people as you like on your first level. The reason I say this is because the only person that benefits from your first level is you. This business is all about helping others attain their goals and dreams and your goals and dreams will happen. You want a comp plan that helps as many people as possible. You also want to stay away from comp plans that "cut off" at a certain level. Again if they cut off at a certain level that means you can build wide on your first level. Simply look for a plan that makes you build deep not wide. That is why I say that a binary plan is best. It requires you to build deep. Now most binary plans obligate you to build both sides evenly. That is where the twist comes in. There are modified binary plans that allow you to be compensated even if your business is not built evenly. If you have never been part of a network marketing business this is going to sound alien to you. I recommend that you study various compensation plans so you can compare and get a feel for them. The best way to look at a comp plan is through the eyes of a person you sign-up. Ask yourself this, does my helping this new person succeed help me succeed? If the answer is yes then it’s probably a good plan.

Another part to the compensation plan is the monthly purchase requirement. This is an obligation the company puts in place that requires that you purchase a certain amount of product every month. Usually that amount falls somewhere between $100 and $500 per month. Be very careful with this because the presentation doesn’t always come out and say what that monthly purchase requirement is. This is a sneaky way for companies to hook you with a small initial membership fee and then hit you over the head with a $300 per month bill. Taking $300 per month as an example gives you a $3,600 yearly expense just in products that you may not use. This one issue has left many people with a bad taste in their mouth about the network marketing industry. Do your homework! I personally dislike monthly purchase requirements. I prefer a company that let’s me buy what I want, when I want.

The next part to consider is training and support. You want the training and support to be company wide. Basically that means you want the company to be involved in your training and for them to have some sort of training system. You don’t want your training to come solely from your up-line sponsor. The reason for this is that your sponsor may not be a good trainer. You want to make sure you get trained well and understand the system the company uses. That brings me to the next issue which is the system the company uses to market and promote their products. Not all companies have a system in place. Some let you do whatever you want in marketing their products and others are very strict on what you can and cannot do. Try and look for a company that has a proven simple duplicatable system that all members use. This makes it very easy for you to learn and teach to others. Duplication is the best way you can help others help themselves.