Three Key Tips for Starting a Home-Based Network Marketing Business

For many people, the thought of running a home-based network marketing business is very attractive: being your own boss, a flexible schedule, residual income…sounds fantastic, right?

I started with a great network marketing company a while ago and must admit, was a little naïve about what it would take to succeed. I love the business I’m involved in but my path has been quite different than I expected. I want to share a few of my key learnings in hopes of helping others who are considering network marketing.

Key Learning #1: Understand and commit to the TIME involved in starting your business

I underestimated the amount of time involved in building a successful network marketing business. I started part-time while still working another job and quickly realized that I needed to set a weekly schedule for myself and STICK TO IT. I learned that it’s important to schedule dedicated time each week for marketing and prospecting activities, follow-up and business planning. When I first started out, I didn’t have a schedule and got frustrated when I had minimal success…but I learned that just like any other business, if you are not proactively doing anything to drive your business, the results simply don’t happen. So whether I had just a few hours each week or more, I scheduled time for my business activities and stuck to it.

Key Learning #2: Have a well-defined marketing strategy for your business

I quickly realized the need for a defined marketing strategy for my business. When I first started out, I tried the traditional method of pitching my business opportunity to my friends and family. Well, that went over like a lead balloon. And once I was done alienating my friends and family with few signups into my business…what next? I did a lot of research and ultimately found a system that taught me how to start marketing my business online. Without learning these methods, I would have run out of friends and family to approach and I didn’t have a backup plan. So it’s important to plan what types of marketing strategies you will use to build your business…and have more than one option to pursue! If you’re approaching friends and family, also consider other avenues – my personal favorite method is marketing online, but if this is not for you then consider other options that will help you develop your business – networking groups, social groups, whatever…just have more than one option to pursue.

Key Learning #3: Be willing to step out of your comfort zone

Lastly, be prepared for rejection and be willing to step out of your comfort zone. This was a hard lesson for me – I’m more of an introvert and it took a lot of courage to approach people about my business. It was tough to hear so many “no’s”. Since I now market almost exclusively online, this has become much less of an issue for me; however, rejection is always a part of any business and it’s important to develop thick skin and be persistent. Unless you have a great system in place for generating high-quality leads, you will most likely be pitching your business opportunity to a general market…so be prepared that not everyone will be as excited as you are about your business.

Building a successful network marketing business takes time and hard work but the benefits are great. If you have a good business strategy in place, a positive attitude and are willing to dedicate the time and energy to grow your business, results WILL happen. I hope these tips have provided some insight for anyone interested in getting started in network marketing.