If you've done a lot of searching, you know that there are several great opportunities that you can become a part of and that will put a little extra cash in your wallet each month. But you probably also know that recruiting is one of the most difficult things to do, and it's the recruiting that keeps a network marketing business afloat. Therefore, for people who don't have any marketing skills, it's almost impossible to get your own leg of the business going, let alone keep your down-line motivated to do the same. That is why when I first got into network marketing, I looked for one that had the qualities I've listed below. Do yourself a favor; save the time I wasted muddling through several opportunities before finding one that met all of these criteria.

1. Company does the recruiting for you. You won't find many of these. If you've tried your hand at recruiting and haven't had success, this is a MUST.

2. Everything is guaranteed! Any money that you spend toward the business will be returned to you if you don't get the results that they promise. (This takes all of the risk and apprehension out of potential prospects.) If a company says there is "no risk" dig a little deeper. If you have to pay for your own advertising outside of the business, you ARE risking something. "No risk" should mean absolutely no risk!

3. Must run on auto-pilot. You don't need to be at home for your business to keep running smoothly. A great business opportunity is one that takes full advantage of today's technology. You could be on your favorite beach while your business is running and making money 24/7.

4. Administration and immediate sponsor are very supportive. They should have an email, phone, or fax number where someone can always be reached. Keep in mind that they may not get back to you right away because of the number of people interested in this type of opportunity, but be patient and persevere. If they aren't back to you or haven't sent you a note that says they'll be getting back to you within 2 days, it might not be the best business to affiliate with.

5. A year ago, I began reading about real estate and residual income .....15.Potential for large income is attainable within 9 months or less. If the program doesn't make a good residual income within 9 months, move on. There are ones that do, and when you are using your own money, this can be a key in being able to continue marketing it.

6. Offers conference calls and forums even if you don't want to participate. Sometimes it's just nice to know that things are happening at headquarters, even if you don't have the time to always participate in them. Just knowing they're there to lean on makes you that much more comfortable about being a part of their organization.

7. Are older than 5 years. Chances are, if they've made it that long on the Internet, they'll continue to make it. That's just my opinion. Most poorly run Internet businesses don't get past the 9th month; and that's if they're lucky.

8. Offer quality products. Right now, the best selling products (and the easiest to deliver) are information products and website business tools. They are hot, hot, hot!

9. Don't make you do your own ad writing. If you aren't a professional ad writer and you're trying to write your own ads, you're probably losing sales. It's as simple as that. I don't care how many e-courses or e-books you've read about being ad writing. If you want the best response, leave it to the professionals. If the company offers this service - take them up on it.

10. Allows test drives. If the company really believes in their opportunity they'll provide you with a way to put your toe in the water before you take the plunge. If they don't have this - well, would you buy a car that you didn't test drive first' This time will also give you a chance to run some checks on the company and do a search on one of the major search engines. If people have been scammed they'll post them there and you'll know about it. Just make sure you do it.

If the next business opportunity that looks good to you, doesn't have these 10 qualities, keep looking. They are out there. If you'd like more information about how you can skip the step where you go through 30 poor business opportunities to get to at least one that really brings you success, I'd be happy to share information with you. That's what networking is all about. As Joan Baez once said, "You don't get to choose how you're going to die, or when. You can only decide how you're going to live now." Choose to live the life of a successful network marketer.