If you were to start a traditional business with a capital of say, US$100,000, what would you do?

You would indeed invest a lot of time and effort just to get it started. Drawing on my own IT System Integration business experience, you would be looking at the issues below, just to name a few:

- business model (retail, wholesale, products or services)

- business name (brainstorm for a relevant name)

- location (do I need walk in customers?)

- sales and marketing (how do I market? through advertisements, word of mouth, exhibitions?)

- accounts (who will keep my accounts and pay salaries?)

- human resources (who to employ and how to employ?)

- expected breakeven period (when do I start making money?)

- expected profit (what profit am I expecting in the long-term?)

You would be take the business very SERIOUSLY! You would prepare to work very hard, even sacrificing your weekends and Public Holidays, for perhaps the next 1 year or even longer, before your business takes off and becomes profitable. In other words, you will OPEN SHOP everyday!

In network marketing, many people do NOT treat their business as a business.

Why do I say that?

That's because they don't plan like they do in a traditional business. They have no goals, no strategies, no plans!

And worst still, they don't take action!! That means, they do NOT open shop much, definitely NOT everyday like they would in a traditional business...

Network marketing is a Word-Of-Mouth referral business. It's been around for more than 50 years!

So, to open shop everyday in network marketing simply means to share with someone everyday, be it your family, friends, business associates, etc. However, many people, after joining a network marketing company, don't do that. They will share only if they feel like or when they happen to come across someone who's interested.

Thus, it boils down to one thing - they do not take their network marketing business as a real business. And no wonder, their business don't grow fast enough...and after a few short weeks or months, they'll proclaim that this business cannot work :-)

Why so? Frankly, I believe that there are many factors that have to do with human psychology. But one reason I can think of is that because they start with such a small sum of money like a few hundred dollars in most opportunities, they can afford to lose it and therefore do not take their business seriously.

And guess what? These same people will move on to the next great opportunity as soon as it appears on the scene! Soon, these network marketing or MLM junkies will soon ruin their own credibility and reputation in their own circle of friends and contacts. Plus, each time they move to the next opportunity which they think is their "magic" pill, they are indeed uprooting all they have planted and then planting a new seed once again.

When you treat your network marketing business seriously, your business will surely grow over time! That's the universal law of sowing and reaping.

Copyright 2006 Roger Loh