As many industries continue to slow down or disappear, and economic circumstances make it difficult for the average employee to find long-term job security, network marketing is a business model whose time has arrived. The DSA reports that almost 200 million new representatives worldwide have become involved in the industry since 2006. As education regarding the business improves, and success stories emerge from every corner of the globe, network marketing appears set to benefit our economy for many years to come.
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A Glimpse Into Tomorrow
It’s difficult to take a close look at the network marketing industry without being excited by its potential. Public acceptance is at an ever-increasing rate as professional training resources and educational opportunities regarding the industry continue to be developed. Entrepreneurs such as Donald Trump, Richard Branson, and Warren Buffett are not only advocates of the industry, but they have in some cases invested heavily in their own network marketing establishments.
Financial authors David Bach and Robert Kiyosaki have urged their readers to look at network marketing as a positive asset toward creating wealth and an exceptional training ground in relation to entrepreneurism and self-employment. An article published in Forbes magazine recently suggested that those who were concerned about financial security in their retirement would do well to look at network marketing as a solution to funding their later years.
These strong recommendations and powerful advocates, coupled with daily stories emerging from everyday people finding success in the industry, have developed the perfect springboard for the next stage in the industry’s development.
Over the next ten to fifteen years you’re going to see a greater surge of professionals, such as accountants, lawyers, and managers, looking to this industry to diversify their incomes. This will in turn create greater interest with many who were once opposed to this industry and are now intrigued as to why their friends have chosen to become involved. In addition, women will emerge as powerful influencers and financial powerhouses, with a large part of their income derived from having created massive worldwide organizations.
The mainstream media will begin to feature many of the products you now see in network marketing. That has already begun, with primetime programs regularly sharing the benefits of products sold via network marketing.
Parents who are looking to bring the family unit together and are tired of late nights in the office will join forces and build something from home that can give them financial security and time freedom. They want to be at home when their children leave in the morning and when they return from school. They want to spend time with them shooting hoops on a Sunday afternoon, without stressing over having to finish the accounting reports that are due at 7 A.M. on Monday morning.
Technology will make building your business both enjoyable and simpler. Applications that make it easier to share information and provide instant answers will be in abundance. State-of-the-art presentations about your opportunity will offer your prospects the full picture, with immediate options available to provide feedback and answers to their questions.
Network marketing companies will continue to be at the forefront of providing every outlet possible for anybody who chooses to partner with them to realize their dreams. Cutting-edge production facilities and products that will create a massive buzz in the marketplace will help reps feel confident and excited about their business.
While you can never truly know what technological advancement or new idea is about to make a splash in the market, we do know that network marketers have often been at the forefront of taking advantage of these innovations and turning them into productive tools that are used toward increasing growth and profit.
The Direct-to-Consumer Distribution Revolution
The Internet has not only given rise to a new information age, it has allowed the resurgence of a distribution model that for many years appeared stagnant. Delivery of products straight to the consumer was a commercial mainstay for many years as catalogs and flashy newspaper and magazine display ads promoted unique items that could be delivered straight to your door.
The retail giants did not wait long in providing a counterpunch. Greater variety and the opportunity to see and sample the goods before you made your purchase were hailed as the keys to a better shopping experience. For millions of consumers, these advantages seemed to outweigh the benefit of having deliveries made straight to their home at a small cost saving. Then the Internet arrived.
Goods that required no need to be handled first, or were well recognized in terms of quality and production, could now be ordered, with direct delivery, at costs that no retail store could reasonably compete with. Books, computers, shoes, and electronic equipment were being purchased with remarkable cost savings, and consumers took to the direct-to-consumer model once again in droves. Today online music, movies, and software have combined to create billions of dollars in sales where a physical product is no longer required. Speed of delivery, improved customer service departments, and consumer watchdogs working to ensure confidence in every transaction have turned direct-to-door purchasing into a convenient option.
Network marketing companies are fully engaged in this model: Distributors are no longer required to pick up their products from a warehouse, and “direct” distributors who would normally receive large quantities and be responsible for organizing their pick-up are no longer burdened with that task.
The Rise of Self-Employment
Millions of people, citing dissatisfaction within the workplace and lack of job security, are choosing to go out on their own and determine their own path to a secure income and happiness in their chosen livelihood. In the United Kingdom, an August 2014 report by the Office of National Statistics confirmed that the number of individuals who are choosing to work for themselves is at its highest level since records began to be kept in the 1970s.
Similar trends are being touted globally, despite new businesses often not meeting the expectations of those who have entered the self-employment arena.
These are just a few of the reasons why many are looking at network marketing and are impressed with the advantages over other potential businesses. While you can work privately out of your home, you also have a large organization behind you with people working toward a common goal while realizing their own personal objectives. The company you will work with provides basic business materials such as advertising, sales brochures, and online resources. People in your upline as well as at the home office are available to guide you through everything from setting up your business to teaching you basic selling, prospecting, and business management skills.
You also have more flexibility than most self-employed people. You don’t have to work fixed hours because most of your customers are easy to reach in the evenings and on weekends. You can combine business with social visits. And eventually, when your downline becomes large enough, you can even decide to stop working altogether and enjoy living off the residual income that you have worked to create.
Network marketing is popular because it is uncomplicated and it gives you control over your life. What other type of business allows you to set your own hours and do exactly what you want to achieve your goals? Other small-business opportunities require you to put in specific hours or file special reports with other people in the business. In virtually every other type of opportunity that allows you to work at home, you are directly reporting to someone else who is in charge of making sure you get your work done.
With network marketing, you are in charge. You decide how hard you will work. You select exactly what work you will do. And you resolve how, when, and where you will get that work done. Nobody is looking over your shoulder forcing you to work instead of going fishing on a beautiful summer morning. No one is hassling you if you don’t reach a quota or making you feel guilty for attending your son’s school play instead of getting more sales made.
The Role of Women in Network Marketing
Women have not only featured prominently in network marketing’s history and very foundation; they are now the driving force in creating a new generation of female entrepreneurs whose values are in line with the benefits available through this business.
A focus on supporting others, the opportunity to earn an income equal to their efforts, and the prospect of working from home around their family have provided women with a complete package when it comes to a venture well suited to their personalities and aspirations.
Women are not only having incredible success when it comes to building organizations; they are leading figures on the corporate side, with female CEOs becoming common within the industry.
It’s estimated that at least 65 million women worldwide are involved in the direct-sales/network marketing industry today, and in the business world generally women are starting businesses at a rate of almost three to one over men in the United States. Many of these women are choosing network marketing as their business of choice, and the results are outstanding. Eight out of every ten women who earn over $100,000 per year are doing it through this business model.
Are all women getting involved in the industry to make that type of money? Absolutely not. Many are looking for a little extra income so they don’t have to go out and get a second job. Others simply love the interaction and social benefits that come with nurturing a team. And many are genuinely passionate about the products they are marketing and want to share the benefits with others. Success in network marketing, whichever way you define your own success, is available to any woman who has a desire to create more out of her life and is willing to put time and effort into the pursuit of her dreams.
In August 2015, industry trainers Eric and Marina Worre, from Network Marketing Pro, hosted the Most Powerful Women in Network Marketing, a three-day convention that featured over twenty influential women in the industry. The thought of having an event like this just five years ago may never have even been considered; today it is seen as a recognition of the increased role women are playing in the profession.
Societal Trends
Network marketing is incredibly flexible when it comes to adapting to environmental changes and society’s expectations. When the compact tape cassette became popular in the early ’70s, recorded music was the prime reason behind its surge. But savvy network marketers and shrewd company owners saw the opportunity to jump on this trend and began to distribute recorded information, which helped promote their company and provided information for both prospecting and motivation.
This helped create a new generation of network marketers who would have previously never discovered the business unless they had attended a home or hotel meeting.
The industry continued to piggyback off trends that developed within both society and technology. With the rise in use of the home computer, the move toward home-based businesses and the growth of the self-employment sector helped create the perfect storm when it came to prospects saying yes to network marketing.
There is almost no innovation that has not been adopted by network marketers that has not helped create a greater awareness of the business and its products. From creating apps that help with recruiting and sharing information to running online prospecting presentations thousands of miles away, technology has helped networkers develop more efficient ways to spread the word and develop organizations around the globe.
The Home-Based Business Trend
The move toward working from home has been a major development that continues to support the growth of the industry. There are many benefits of working a home-based business, and many aspire to do so, yet the options regarding what to do from home can be confusing and difficult to navigate. While business owners are keen to develop something that offers true-time flexibility, even around a family, the opportunities are limited.
Network marketing meets this requirement, by offering an abundance of bonuses that include the opportunity to travel, the ability to choose whom you work with, and the prospect of creating an income equal to or above any full-time income in the conventional workplace.
The Wellness Trend
The focus on health, wellness, and personal development have played an important part in the way we live for many years, and the movement only continues to expand. We not only want to look and feel better, but we’re searching for alternative ways to create peace of mind and enjoyment in our lives. We now have a better understanding of the connection between stress and illness, the role good nutrition plays in our lives, and the need to relax every now and then and just smell the roses. While corporations have slowly adapted to this need in the workforce, the network marketing environment practically issues these lifestyle choices from day one.
If you are involved in a company that produces products in the wellness category, you’ll find support from every avenue in terms of living a healthier and more active lifestyle. And if you are involved in any other form of product or service, you can be sure that living a better quality of life by freeing yourself of financial stress and creating more time freedom are themes you will hear about often and be encouraged to embody. The personal development factor also appeals to many as they get involved in network marketing, as they are inspired by the opportunity to both enhance their personal life and the lives of others.
The Social Media Trend
The rise of social media has created a culture that is more closely connected now than ever. We don’t want to feel alienated or left out of a group; this has always been a part of our nature. But with social media, we can read what our friends are up to on Facebook or follow our favorite celebrities as they Tweet their thoughts. We feel closer to these people than ever before, with the opportunity to interact with public figures and those in the media now a common occurrence.
But we’re also finding comfort in dis- covering new friends and locating many from the past. This feeling of connection and community has shifted from the physical world to cyberspace, where a few passing comments online are enough to keep us feeling we are in the loop.
Where to from Here?
Uncertainty in the economy, favorable trends that support the growth of the industry, and an elevation in society’s view of the network marketing business model has the industry primed to become a major player in this century and beyond. The only question that remains is how you will take advantage of it.
Network marketing offers a very real opportunity for realizing your dreams. It can give you both personal and financial freedom because of its unique attributes. It is a highly regarded, tried-and-true marketing and sales strategy that is going to become more important in the future. As consumers look for ways to simplify their lives and smaller companies look for ways to compete with large international conglomerates, network marketing will take on a greater role in the business world.
In addition, thanks to stronger government and industry-backed measures, consumers and prospective entrepreneurs are gaining greater confidence in network marketing as a valid and well-organized way to either purchase products or start a part-time, home-based business.
What else can be started with such a small investment, allow you unlimited income potential, afford the opportunity to travel, give you significant tax advantages, allow you to work with those you choose to work with, help increase quality time with your family, and be built part-time from home with nothing but a phone and the Internet? What other business would allow anybody, no matter your race, sex, age, education, or business experience, to build a worldwide enterprise that could continue to reward you with ongoing residual income for the rest of your life?
Perhaps the underlying factor in the success of the industry lies in this rare combination of factors. It welcomes its participants not based on where you are today but where you want to be. It opens its arms to anyone who is willing to receive its benefits in their lives. It is a business built on its members with two human qualities that reside in each and every one of us: hope and a dream.
No matter what that dream is for you, no matter how meek or magnificent you see your future, there is a home for you. There’s a world of people who are ready to celebrate your success and encourage you on to greater heights.
As long as men and women continue to pursue a better way to live, where they can attain financial freedom and the lifestyle of their dreams, this industry will continue to prosper. Testimonials continue to pour in day after day, hour by hour, of team members who have achieved their dreams with this business. Now your amazing story is waiting to be told.
Welcome to the world of network marketing.