Apparently, home or Internet based business opportunities occur more commonly in the good old US-of-A than they do in Europe. Of course, the Internet originiated in the US., and the US has lead the market share of Internet users up until very recently. Regardless, the European marketplace is very fast catching up to the US and the phenomenon of home based business and online marketing. There are a number of advantages of a home based business which are evident: often very low initial cost, flexible working hours and tax benefits (depending on where you live), to name but a few. These advantages have been the same for years. Then why is this market suddenly growing so fast? What is the reason so many people start their own home based business right now, and why would network and Internet marketing be for others to consider?

First, there is global economic unrest and uncertainty. Many economies are either facing a recession, a depression or are in the middle of one. Open just about any newspaper and there are literally dozens of articles on companies closing, downsizing or laying off employees by the thousands. Even in times when the economy seems strong, and profits are up. Internet marketing gives people the opportunity to build a part time additional income, as they work their day job. This kind of extra income has proven time and again a savior to many families across the world. Obviously, there are a great many network marketers who make a full time living out of their Internet business opportunities. Some of them have made fortunes. But this level of success, although available to most anyone willing to work hard, is not the case for most people. Honestly, most people don't stick with the business long enough to see it successful, don't work smart at making the business successful, or think that it will be easy, and give up too quickly. Of those that see it through, most network marketers work a small number of hours a week earning them a couple hundred or a couple thousand bucks a month. Certainly not bad, but not what the gurus promise either.

In addition to the economic uncertainty, there is the phenomenon of cocooning, where people tries to shield themself from all sorts of marketing messages. Do-not-call lists are in common, making it harder and harder for companies to get their messages across to the consumer. Network marketing, which is based on moving a service or product to the end consumer based on personal relationships, delivers a strong answer to these challenges. More and more traditional companies have discovered that network marketing is a very cost effective way to reach consumers.

And then of course there is the Internet. This technology has made the world smaller, making it easier to find and disperse information. Network marketing companies have pioneered the internet to inform, train and motivate their independent distributors.

When it comes to initial costs, the cost of home office equipment has decreased considerably. These days you can set up a home office for just a few hundred bucks. Some may even argue that you don't even need that much, although properly equipped, a home business needs a computer and printer, phone, and Internet connection. Any computer with an internet connection and a phone would be enough for most network marketers to operate their business. This makes it affordable for everyone to start a home based business. Compare this to the cost of running a normal business and it becomes clear why more and more people are being attracted to a home based opportunity.

Lastly, there is the growing lack of trust in the corporate world. Not too long ago, people where quite used to having a job for life. Or at least until they decided to quit. Nowadays many people have come to realize that there is no such thing as job security. Most people in the corporate world for more than five years have lost their jobs at least once only to find out that they were nothing but a number to their corporate employer. It's not just the fact that you have to go out to find another job to feed your family. So many jobs are going to third-world countries that it's apparent people are more dispensible than ever before.

Network marketing not only offers people a chance to create some extra income, it also provides them with the opportunity to get some of their dignity back and have the confidence that even if they continue to work a full-time job, they have something to fall back on. It helps them realize that they don't have to depend on their employers paycheck. The support structures that many good network marketing companies offer are a great help to individuals joining this type of business. Not only will they receive the proper training on their company's products and services. They will also be educated on personal development

The advantages of an Internet home based business are evident and we certainly expect see more of it, in fact the number of people going into business for themselves is growing exponentially. Looking at the current trends in the global economy it doesn't take a genius to figure out that the day of huge companies offering jobs for life has come to an end. It's time to have the courage to bet on yourself again and an Internet or home based business is a good way to go. And for those people that decide to take this step, taking a serious look at network marketing is just common sense. Even if you keep the day job, working a few hours a week to set up a recurring income on the side will help your peace of mind. And who knows - someday you might decide you've had enough corporate life, and turn your attention full-time to your "hobby".