Is it really Online MLM business or a pyramid scheme. For many beginners at online MLM business, the difference between a legitimate online MLM business and a pyramid scheme may be confused. Before venturing out into online MLM business, do a good research. They are dangerously similar. Pyramid scheme is illegal. Being involved in one could cost you far more than it is worth. While a valid online business could offer very good benefits and a good income earner. To spot the difference though, what you invest in a legitimate online MLM business is proportionate to the product or service you are selling.

Validation. Make a good research and solicit independent and good advice. Just like any other type of business, evaluate each online MLM business opportunity that is offered. Do not simply take the word of those who have done the business themselves. The process of research and evaluation is now easier than it used to be because of the information that can virtually be gathered through the Internet and other sources. Get as much information as you can to make a very well informed decision.

Historicals. Gather and make a study of the online MLM business you plan to join. It will help very much if aside from its programs, products and endorsements, you can find:
- Finances
- History
- Its president and officers
- Management and its staff
- Its investors from the top levels of the company to its down line.

There are a lot of online MLM business that focuses only in selling and endorsement. There are however the good ones who turns its people out to be good marketers. Know how their system works. Marketing is the key to be successful in this business. Marketing is the tool that creates wealth. The system therefore is just as important if not more important than the product. If the outfit therefore that you are trying to join don't teach you how to market and worse restricts you from utilizing individual marketing strategies, drop them. If they do not focus on servicing, think again.

Benefits and resources. Ensuring yourself that you are joining a good team at the start of your business, gives you a very good chance at succeeding in the industry.

Without a solid team to back you up, your online MLM business cannot succeed. Before joining any team, check out the benefits and resources that are offered to further increase your chances at succeeding in your online MLM business right from its inception. These are some of the things you would want to look out for:

- One on one support
- Training Website
- Free customized website
- Training on marketing strategies.
- Complete lead generating system that you can just plug in and use
- Offers methods of generating your own lead instead of buying leads.

One of the better safeguards for beginners who intend to have an online MLM business is joining top marketers and earners.

Article written by Joseph Then
Joseph Then operates an MLM Website offering great products for his users. Check it out at http://www.TheSecretOfMLMSuccess.com and http://www.TrafficForLess.com

Let's start with the bright side, the future that lies before us in Network Marketing. The stage is set, the seats are filling, the lighting is flawless, and the characters all know their lines! Or do they?

Network Marketing, that once scandalous industry that brought shame and ridicule on many otherwise fine, upstanding citizens, has finally come of age. Just about every main stream business publication including The Wall Street Journal, Success Magazine, Fortune, Forbes, Inc, USA Today, Smart Money and more have written about our industry. And, many of the articles are glowing!

We've made the breakthrough. We've become legitimate. We have books on the New York Times Bestseller list. Rumors report even Donald Trump is telling talk show hosts that if he started over, he would make his fortune through Network Marketing and former presidents are speaking at our conventions.

Yes, the future certainly does look bright enough to send me in search of sunglasses. So, "what is the problem?" you ask. Why am I in a state of alarm? Three emerging trends threaten the core of our industry.

First, every day, a small, but very visible group of overzealous, under-educated and less than truthful representatives of our industry tarnish our name and hard fought integrity by telling others how they "went from welfare to millionaire overnight!" Or, how about this one, "I get paid for doing nothing." And, the granddaddy of them all, "Just sign up! You don't have to do anything, we'll build it for you!"

It's downright disgusting. And, if that weren't bad enough, we also have some representatives out there blasting every company that isn't their own. Some are actually using this as a platform for building their business. It's the old "my dad is stronger than your dad" syndrome. Only this isn't happening on the school playground. It happens in coffee shops, in large hotel presentations and on the Internet.

And lastly, some of us have developed a self-righteous, holier-than-thou attitude directed at those who decline our opportunity. I have read posts on message boards and heard recounts on company voice mail about would-be sponsors who piously tell the prospect who says no thank you, "Well, I'll need someone to wash my car and mow my grass someday."

I actually read a message thread posted on the Internet over the course of two weeks between two feuding reps from the same company, name calling and slamming each other. It was a shameful display of the dark side of the MLM industry, and it was out there for everyone to read on the Internet.

Oh, the Internet. The things I have seen on the Internet. Everything else actually pales in comparison. The excessive littering and spamming of Newsgroups message boards and email lists has left our industry bruised and battered. Some boards and newsgroups have actually shut down because they are nothing more than a SPAM feeding frenzy for wayward Network Marketers.

Now, don't misinterpret my words. I love the Internet and I love "shopping" my opportunity on the Internet — the right way. This means only posting to boards and groups that are designed for advertising business opportunities. I don't believe in broadcasting to the masses through unsolicited e-mails, either.

These practices, harmless though they may seem at the time, threaten the integrity and viability of our industry. They undermine all of the blood, sweat and tears that many veterans have shed fighting to legitimize and mainstream our industry.

So, I have a challenge for all of you either in Network Marketing, regardless of length of time, and for all of you considering joining our wonderful industry. And my challenge is this:

Be a Leader….

Look before you leap; think before you speak; evaluate every action that you take publicly that represents Network Marketing.

What do I mean by this?
Each time you represent your opportunity to someone, either in person, via the phone, on the Internet or whatever, think about the actions you are taking.

Are you being honest and up front with people about the reality of the time and energy commitment involved in building a successful business? Do you make them aware that our business is one of consistency and persistence, or are you painting a picture of a get-rich-quick scheme?

Are you acting with courtesy and integrity toward the individual and also the industry, leaving them with a positive feeling about you and the company and industry that you represent?

Are you operating with an abundance mentality, realizing that of the billions of people on the planet, you will find partners to join you? Or, are you operating from a scarcity mentality, believing that you have to coerce the person you're prospecting into "your deal?"

If the person you are dealing with has already been approached about your opportunity are you encouraging him or her to get back with that person and re-evaluate their options? Or are you giving them 50 reasons why signing up with you is the only way to be successful?

Are you involved in email "spamming", filling the email boxes of hundreds of thousands of unsuspecting, uninterested parties with uninvited information?

When a prospect says no do you act with dignity, courtesy and grace, leaving the door open in the future, or do you berate him or her for choosing not to join you?

When you use the Internet to shop your business, are you engaging people as a warm, living, breathing human being, or coming at them as a robot only interested in what each person in cyberspace can do for you and your business?

Every time you work toward building your business, think carefully about the words you say, the body language you use and the way that you leave each encounter. Would your mother be proud of you and your actions? If you can say yes, tremendous! If the answer is no, you have some reflecting to do.

If each of us would use the "seventh generation theory" when building our business (meaning that each move we make affects seven generations after us) our industry will continue to thrive, build momentum and further credibility as we move into this new millennium, filled with hope and promise.

What is the legacy you will leave behind in Network Marketing? What words will be spoken about you at local, regional and national company events?

So, again, my challenge to you is to build a successful, respected business for yourself, your company and your industry via the high road, avoiding the low road at all cost. We need your commitment to uphold the integrity of our industry, now more than ever.

I'm committed to the Challenge of Leadership….

Are you…?

— Jackie Ulmer TGN .comUnity Lifetime Member

It's easy to break agreements. It is especially easy to blow off agreements when you feel overwhelmed and overworked.

After all:

You have way more work to do than time to do it in.

You keep putting off important tasks in order to put out fires.

You don't have the information you need to complete the task at hand.

You have a large stack of business cards you collected while networking.

You have no idea how to prioritize the multiple tasks you face every day.

One form of self-discipline to solve this common dilemma is to commit to ONLY MAKE AGREEMENTS THAT YOU ARE WILLING AND INTEND TO KEEP!

Just doing this can keep you out of lots of trouble.

1. It means you must stop automatically agreeing to do things.

2. Instead, you must take time to think through any agreement you make.

3. Don't say "yes," say "MAYBE." Then say, "I will let you know in (15 minutes, 24 hours, or ??) after I check (the availability, my schedule, etc.) This time agreement is one you must keep.

4. Think about your priorities and resources, including time, energy, and money, before you decide whether to make the agreement.

5. Make your decision. It should be yes, no or an alternate proposition that takes what you need into account.

6. Communicate your decision within the agreed time period.

7. Now, make an agreement you are definitely willing to keep.

8. Keep whatever agreement you make.

9. If you encounter something that makes it impossible to keep your agreement, don't wait. Communicate about the need to change your agreement at the earliest possible opportunity.

10. Renegotiate a new agreement, repeating your original decision-making process.

When you think through your agreements BEFORE you make them, it becomes much easier to stay on target, follow through and achieve success.

Article written by Laurie Weiss, Ph.D.
********************************
Laurie Weiss, Ph.D., author of "Dare To Say It!," is an internationally known executive coach, psychotherapist, and author. For more simple secrets for turning difficult conversations into amazing opportunities for cooperation and success, visit
http://www.DareToSayIt.com or email: feedback@laurieweiss.com

There are some essentials you will need (assuming that if you are reading this that you already have an email account and internet access) but you really can start out at the ground level with nothing but an idea and build your internet business up from there. You can start your business on a shoestring budget of just $10 a year. If you are ready for the fast track then you can start with as little as $10 month. If you are aiming for the penthouse then you can up your monthly budget to $30.

What are the essentials?

Ground level approach:
Create a blog account at one of the free blogging sites available online (we used to use Blogger.com but there are many other good options). This will serve as your internet base. It really is the cheapest and easiest way to get online today. Yes, you could create a free web site at one of the many available but blogs are more attractive to the search engines. Plus they offer you the ability to personalize it but most of your energy will be spent on content which is the king of the internet and the real reason you want an internet presence.

Now sign up for a free ClickBank affiliate acccount which will give you immediate access to something to sell –and the added advantage that many products also come with some handy content you can use to fill out your new blog. Sign up for a contextual or pay-per-click advertiser such as Google's Adsense or Chikita and you'll start earning from visitors as well as customers.

That's it! You are now in business. Keep filling your blog and promoting it as well and you will soon start earning!

Shoestring approach:
This method is similar to the previous approach with one crucial difference — you purchase your own domain name. A domain name will cost you between $5 and $10 a year depending on whether you go .com or .info (or one of the many other options available). You don't need to find a web host or create a site. Simply point the domain at your blog for now and continue with the development and promotion of your blog. The advantage of owning your own domain name is simply that later when you have the money, time, and knowledge to develop your web site that domain name will already exist and have filtered through the search engines. It also offers some marketing advantages that a free blog cannot.

Fast-track approach:
You host your own domain and offer your blog either as the site or as an addition to the site. You should be able to do this for between $10 and $20 a month with a reputable host that offers all the tools and utilities you might need for your current site. Maybe down the line you'll need to upgrade but by then you'll know your income and your needs.

Penthouse approach:
You add one final tool that will make your internet business complete — a mailing list tool. You can do this for just $20 a month and it will be worth every penny for sales, customer service, and promotional tool.

That's it for just $90 you can have every tool you need to make hundreds or even thousands from your internet business and you can actually get by with a lot less than that for your initial startup.

Two final notes.

First, I did not include any budget in here for advertising because there are a lot of free ways you can get started advertising and promoting your site and I would recommend exhausting those options before you begin looking into spending money on advertising. By that time you may well have started to earn a profit from your internet venture and so you can have a better idea of the size of your advertising budget.

Second, if you plan to sell products yourself then you will need a payment processor. You can sign up for free with PayPal so that is no additional expenditure (you pay a percentage of each sale so it is self-funding) or you can sign up for vendor account with ClickBank which will cost you a one-time fee of $50 plus a percentage of each sale. I would not lay out a lot of money for a shopping cart program or one of the other programs that charges a monthly fee. I have done business with PayPal and ClickBank as my exclusive payment processors since 1999. Every so often I will investigate my other options and every time I stick with these simple, effective programs.

Good luck with your new internet venture!

About The Author…
Deanna Mascle is happy to offer advice about Starting Your Own Business as well as advice about Ecommerce. Internet marketers can also subscribe to her internet marketing newsletter Establish Your Epresence for advice and tips about promoting and growing their business.

Small business owners have the option of filing their own tax returns or they can hire the help of a professional. Professional tax help can come from a certified public accountant (CPA) or professional tax preparer. Each individual is likely to accurately prepare a small business tax return; however, many business owners prefer working with a certified public accountant (CPA). In addition to a filing a federal or state small business tax return, a certified public accountant is experienced in keeping all financial records in order. Having all financial records in order may allow business owners to claim additional tax deductions or tax credits.

Read more about Small Business Taxes

What could be better than exceeding your personal sales goals for a given month or year? How about doubling, tripling or even more of you sales goal for the month? This is exactly what affiliates can do for you. The amount of growth potential through affiliates is unlimited; the more affiliates you have the more money you can make, after all, if Sam Walton tried to run every Wal-Mart store, he obviously wouldn’t be very successful. You must realize that for maximum growth you cannot do it alone. Think of the success of companies such as Avon or Home Interiors. Their success is based on two things; a great product and excellent affiliate programs.

To attract affiliates to your company you should make it worth their time. Offering one percent of sales, is not an attractive offer, the higher the commission that you are able to offer your affiliates the more affiliates will be tempted to join your team. You should also provide your affiliates with the tools that they will need to successfully market your product such as banner ads, articles, and anything else that will help them to better market the product. You should provide the affiliates with updated product information through newsletters, new promotional campaigns and other things to motivate and inform the affiliates.

You can choose to run your affiliate program in a few different ways, both of which are beneficial to your business. A one-tier affiliate program allows you to generally offer a larger commission and pays on one level. The affiliate will receive a predetermined amount for each sale. Using a two-tier affiliate program, affiliates are paid on two different levels. This is done by allowing the affiliates to recruit others to sell under them. In this situation, the top level affiliate would receive a slightly larger commission than the recruit or second level affiliate. For example if the top level seller makes 20% of the sale, then she/he would make 15% giving the second level affiliate the 5%.

Setting up the affiliate program can also be done in two different ways. One way is to do it yourself through an affiliate tracking software. This software will provide you with a way to track affiliate sales as well as allow the affiliates to view their progress. The downside to this option is that you are responsible for making payments. You can also choose to hire an affiliate tracking company to do all the work for you. These companies will allow the use of credit cards and completely run the affiliate program from billing customers, paying affiliates, and also pay you. This is a great option for the busy business owner or the beginning business owner and it is affordable as most affiliate tracking companies charge a small one time fee. However you choose to run your affiliate program it is sure to increase profits for your business.

A niche market is, very simply, a group of people that have a common interest. People with a common interest will find a way to come together through websites, forums, chat rooms, newsgroups, blogs, etc.

Read more about Niche Marketing

• You are your own boss. YOU set the rules and the pace of your income growth!!
• Work on your computer out of the comfort of your own home - so you can spend more time with your family or doing the things that are important to you.
• NO commute time. NO rush-hour traffic!
• Income is residual and recurs YEAR after YEAR!! This income can even continue after you retire or quit the business.
• NO previous experience necessary (all the training and support you need is provided - allowing you to "earn as you learn").

In addition to all these important reasons for owning your own home-based business, you'll NEVER have to deal with the fears of being downsized or "LET GO" after many years with a company! While you're spending time NOW on the internet anyway, you MIGHT as well be earning income!

From the person who spends a few hours on their home computer to the serious entrepreneur like myself, the fact is … on-line home businesses are WORKING!

Can you afford to get let this PASS YOU BY??

Take a few minutes and learn about your options.

Visit Follow Our Lead Team

MAKE today the start of SOMETHING WONDERFUL!

When you come to expect instant gratification, how much real, substantial value do you simply walk on past every day, just because it cannot be had immediately?

The longer an effort is applied, the more powerful the results will be. Things of value take time to achieve. That's part of what gives them so much value.

Plant seeds of achievement each day (obtain leads), and also nurture seeds you planted on the days before (follow up). Time will surely pass. As it does those seeds will grow, those efforts will bear fruit.

Live in the moment, and invest your efforts in the future.

Make time your friend by respecting its power.

Small positive efforts today will grow to provide value and substance as time goes steadily forward. Move on past the need for fleeting instant results and find real value in the things which take some time.

One problem women entrepreneurs often encounter is where to find funding for their business venture. Check out the following list for a few ideas.

Job Revenue: That's right. Don't quit that day job just yet. Many women start their home business part time while still working at a full time outside job.

Personal Savings: Many women home business owners look to finance their venture with personal bank account. Or other personal resources such as savings bonds, stock, etc.

Credit Cards: More women than you might think fund their startup with their credit cards. This is risky, but a quick way to fund your business.

Friends and Family: Many women entrepreneurs look to friends and family when starting a new business. Often, money is loaned interestfree, which is to the business owners best advantage.

Banks, Credit Unions: Prepare a good business proposal. The bank or credit union might consider you a good loan prospect and fund yourbusiness. This might be a long shot because many of these institutions will not consider the business owner unless they have a proven track record or an established business.

Garage Sales: Start spring cleaning. Clear out those attics, basements, closets, of all unwanted items. Garage sale profits might easily fund your complete startup cost.

Ebay Profits: Register with Ebay, the online auction site. Your trash could easily be someone's treasure. Heh, you might even consider starting a business selling items on Ebay!

More Resources For Funding Your Home Business!

Free Money and Help for Women Entrepreneurs Over 5,000 Government Sources Of Grants, Loans, Venture Capital, Management, Technical Assistance and Marketing Help.
http://www.smallbizbitsnews.com/advert2.html

————————————————-

Join SmallBizBits News. We give you what you need to start a successful business with great articles, tips, business ideas, free ebooks, downloads, plus more in each issue of the newsletter. subscribe:46401-subscribe@zinester.com

Article written by BB Lee
BB Lee is a freelance writer and the editor of SmallBizBits News. A free newsletter packed with important advice on starting or managing a home based business.