There are many opportunities for entrepreneurs to start their own business. With the high costs associated with typical brick and mortar businesses, or the insurance and managing of staff for even small businesses such a carpet cleaning, house keeping, etc., the network marketing industry is a viable option.
Considering the network marketing industry and looking at various home base business ideas, you may find that getting started in business is not as difficult as in times past. Today, legitimate home based business opportunities are not only cost effective, but there’s tremendous help and resources to support your endeavor both in terms of training platforms and individual network marketing coaching.
The icing on the cake is that you can pursue your entrepreneurial dreams, be creative as you desire, create your own products and it would allow you to run a business from your home.
It’s really more of a “lifestyle” if you will.
In this article, I will address some basics for those considering legitimate home based business opportunities and how one would get started. This is just an overview, nothing really in depth, but you can see there will be some similiarities that one would need with a brick and mortar business.
Getting started in business isn’t complicated for the network marketer when they have a roadmap.
Here’s a list of basics:
1) Desire, commitment and resolve
2) A winning attitude
3) A servant heart
4) A product
5) Tools that make your business go
6) Resources to help yourself and others
7) Website traffic
8) A good follow up system
9) customer service/support
DESIRE, COMMITMENT AND RESOLVE
Having a business is serious business if you plan to make money. There are learning curves and extended hours to put into developing your ideas and getting started in business. For the most part, it’s not hard, it just takes some time establishing your foundation and getting going. Depending on your time, skillsets and budget, a person can be “in business” within a few days or a few weeks. The key here is to press through any skillsets and make sure you are fully committed to seeing your business get off the ground before you jump in.
In the network marketing industry, many people “think” they want to have a business so they jump in expecting overnight success, but at the first obstacle or bump, they quit. There was no real desire, commitment and resolve when it came to their business.
Often what people want are the results of a successful home based business, but they aren’t willing to do what it takes to achieve that.
A WINNING ATTITUDE
95% of your success will stem from your attitude and belief system. If you think you can . . . you can. If you think you can’t . . . you can’t. Our thoughts dictate our success.
Entrepreneurs are a different breed of people from those who are completely happy to work the 9-5 for someone else all their lives. Don’t get me wrong. All people have great worth and all people are called to their destiny in what they pursue. However, the entrepreneur has a totally different mindset in terms of seeing the possibilities of having, and doing and being more than they ever thought possible. Their belief system tells them they deserve more, can have more, and do what it takes to achieve that. They are able to accomplish that with a positive, no hesitation, joyful outlook.
They look at failure not as failure, but as success because they now know what not to do. It’s all good for them. It really boils down to their winning attitude. If you’re going to tackle a business, tackle the attitude, make sure it’s where it needs to be and you’ll do fine.
HAVING A SERVANT HEART
In the network marketing industry, the competition is fierce. One way you can set yourself a part from others is to lead with serving others. Always ask yourself, how can I help someone? What needs does my niche have? What are they looking for? Then set out to help them and answer their questions. Some call this ‘paying it forward’. Give of yourself and your knowledge to help your fellow entrepreneur. There’s a newer term for this kind of marketing and it’s called ATTRACTION MARKETING.
The concept is when you become a solutions provider and help people solve their problems, give them tools, resources, coaching and mentoring and help them to have what they want, you become a magnet. People will become attracted to you in such a way that they want to follow you, be on your mailing list, buy your products and maybe even partner with you in a primary income stream and network marketing opportunity.
A PRODUCT
Of course to be in business you need a product. Legitimate home based business opportunties will have a product. Getting started in business with a network marketing company will be different based on the one you choose, however, any more these days, it generally doesn’t require you to stock product and turn your garage into a warehouse. Just because you run a business from your home doesn’t mean your business has to overtake your home.
There are several home base business ideas, products and companies to pull from. Make sure of a couple of things as you prepare your research.
1) No overpriced product. Product should have more value than what the consumer is being asked to pay.
2) Company to deliver directly to the consumer.
3) Generous commissions and leveraged payplan.
4) Good customer service and support.
5) Know who your upline/sponsor will be before you join and make sure you resonate with him/her. They will be your business partner.
6) Your product is in demand and people would be it even if it were on a shelf at the supermarket without being sold.
In network marketing, you will also have several affiliate products that you offer as part of your menu of services for which you will receive income from. The idea of being an entrepreneur is more than just being an affiliate or representative for one company. It’s become your own entity as a solutions provider.
TOOLS THAT MAKE YOUR BUSINESS GO
There’s just a few tools you will use on a daily basis to run a business from your home in network marketing. My guess is you have everything except 2 or 3 items. Weight that against starting a brick and mortar business. Huge difference!
1) Phone with unlimited long distance capability
2) Computer
3) Website software
4) Autoresponder (This is the center where all your
leads are stored and all your automated emails are
kept and triggered for delivery to your list, 24/7/365.
5) Video camera (video is key component in today’s marketing)
6) Video editing software (free stuff online you can use)
You can run your business with just these. From here, there are add ons you
RESOURCES TO HELP YOURSELF AND OTHERS
Again, you don’t need but a handful of great resources that have real content and help. In my opinion, there’s an absolute resource when getting started in business especially, and then there are highly recommended resources. As part of being an entrepreneur in the network marketing industry, you will become a solutions provider and will be therefore recommending these resources as well. Make sure a resource is valuable before recommending it.
What I have found in coaching true entrepreneurs who are getting started in business in the network marketing industry, is that they have the desire, they are willing to put in the time to learn, they are certainly not afraid to implement marketing pieces, but reading a manual and trying to interupt instructions on how to do something is just not feasible for everyone. Most people are visual learners. What happens is that early frustration can rare it’s head and a slow down or even coming to a stop in their progression sets in.
For that reason, the absolute resource, in my opinion, is a training platform that provides video click by click, step by step instructions on how to put all their marketing pieces together and get them out on the internet.
Other resources are products that teach attraction marketing, driving traffic to websites, helping entrepreneurs know what to say to prospects, how to handle objections, utilizing pay per click strategies (paid advertising with Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc.) and so forth. There are about a dozen on the market that are excellent, several come from Mike Dillard and Ann Sieg. You can find them through my Resource Library on this blog.
WEBSITE TRAFFIC
Every business needs customers coming through their doors, yes? It’s no different online and it’s no different just because you run a business from your home rather than a brick and mortar. The difference is one is on the street corner and the other is in cyberspace. Cyberspace is a crowded area with many stores. How are people going to find yours (your website) and what you have to offer?
Well, just like any business, you have to advertise. You don’t get a free pass because you’ve decided to have a home business. But your store front is your website. Your billboards will be your “content”.
Content is information people find that you have put out in cyberspace (on the internet) that answers the questions they were looking for. Your content will lead them to your website and to you.
Content can be articles, videos, blogs, press releases, banner ads, paid advertising on Google, etc. Mastering the art of driving traffic (customers), or placing the right content online, is a huge part in determining whether a little or lot of people will come by your store.
Your training platform will show you step by step how to put your content online.
A GOOD FOLLOW UP SYSTEM
When someone comes to your store and opts in to be on your customer list, you want to make sure you have a good follow up system in place. This is where your autoresponder comes in. You may have some free gifts or samples for them. You may have some tips and strategies for building their own business, it depends on what your product is and what their interest is.
If, for example, your product is nutrition related, your follow up correspondence may be healthy recipes, cooking tips, vitamin information. So, it will be tailored to your product.
If your niche is finding business developers who want to have their own network marketing business, then your follow up will include the “how to’s” of that.
But whatever you’re promoting, give them good value and information and they will want to stay on your list, listen to what you have to say and purchase your products.
GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SUPPORT
This should go without saying, however, I’m always amazed when I continue to get phone calls from people who are not getting the support they need in their business. When people contact you, return the call, answer the email. Treat people how you want to be treated.
As you can see, there’s not a lot of differences between owing a brick and mortar store or getting started in business through a legitimate home based business opportunity. The biggest difference is the cost and time factor which is much greater in your tradition brick and mortar.
Tags: getting started in business, How Do I Start My Own Business, legitimate home based business opportunities, run a business from your home
