Despite the " herd " mentality often seen in our industry and the feeding frenzy that occurs in some brand new "pre-launch" business opportunities, there is a better way to choose a company to affiliate with than simply " following the herd off the cliff ". History absolutely leaves clues and if you look closely at what factors were present in the most successful companies and opportunities, I think you will find the following factors:

1. Experienced management with a clear long-term vision for the future of the company and discipline to make it happen. Just as a side note, it is interesting to note that every billion dollar company had at its helm, a previously successful network marketer. Find out more about his name on Google.

2. A product(s) that delivered on the promise. The products performed as advertised and people would continue to purchase the product(s) without being involved in the business opportunity. The product(s) must be value priced and not artificially priced high to provide additional profits.

3. A compensation plan that allows the first time business owner to get into profit as soon as possible while having a strong enough back-end to attract and retain full-time professional business builders. One of the keys to getting into profit quickly is a strong profit. 100% is not out of the question. Selling retail is not always a good idea when you're new...There's not enough money in it.

4. A systemized approach to distributor (not retail) training providing actual techniques and strategies, based on experience, that will help new distributor build a solid business. The training must be live using telephone conferencing and webinars and be provided on a continuous basis.

All four of these factors must be present to create the best change for successful business building. Be sure that your opportunity offers all four of these factors. Before signing up question what your sponsor thinks about these 4 considerations.

One other thing, be suspect when considering an opportunity where you are not being readily informed about your sponsor of his sponsor's income. Why join anyone whose opportunity has not been successful and prosperous. The group that you select must have a strong successful leader above you. Many times you can research his name on Google.

You almost assuredly will be informed by some "big-hitter", all that matters is a really hot compensation plan or getting in on the "ground floor" and that the product is unimportant and is only a means of creating a check. If you just calmly think this through, you'll see the massive flaw in this scenario. It goes without saying, but it is virtually impossible to create a long-term income without continuing product sales.

It cannot and will not happen.

If you are content to jump from company to company for the rest of your career and you have the rare ability to recruit thousands of distributors on an ongoing basis, you should run, as fast you can, from anyone who espouses the "product isn't important" theory. One opportunity that I like is webucation.

Webucation is an education product using the Internet. Whether you wish to gain a BS Degree from the University of Phoenix or DeVry University you will be receiving an education. The bottom line is any education is about self-improvement whether it's from, a BS degree, a seminar, a conference, CD's or DVD's. You attend via the Internet. What you do have to do is apply yourself by getting to work and finishing the course/s.

The opportunity may present a compensation plan that pays you a small commission over-ride on the efforts of thousands beneath you. This may be viturally impossible for many of us to attain. Attrition is killer, and the efforts to keep everyone trained and supported seems good in theory, but how practical is that. Be sure you understand the compensation plan before joining with any network marketing opportunity.