Will Network Marketing Last?

Network Marketing: The beginning or the end?

For those us who have not yet joined the Network Marketing craze that has been sweeping our nation for the last twenty years, the questions remain "Can I really make any money working from home? And, If I didn't get in on the bandwagon in the beginning, is it too late?" The answer is a resounding yes - you can make money working from home and no, it's definitely not too late.

There are currently over half a million people in the United States that are millionaires. Over 20% of them have made their fortunes in the Network Marketing Industry. It is becoming more and more apparent that this phenomenon is not only here to stay but it's getting better and stronger every day. Multilevel or network marketing is one of the only businesses available that allows a person with potentially no resources to start their own business with absolutely no limit on their financial success. In the old days, many of us viewed network marketing as a scam and unfortunately many schemes lived up to that title. There are always bad apples in the bushel and this industry was no exception. The negative side to this business, however, was two-fold.

Obviously the worst scenario was the unsavory chap who decided to jump on the gravy train and easily took thousands of dollars away from well-meaning folks who just didn't do their research. If the equation is correct, every person that got taken in on a get rich scheme told ten other people about their unfortunate experience. Let's face it, we all know somebody got stuck with hundreds of dollars of worthless products and watched their dreams of financial success go right down the drain. Any thoughts we may have been entertaining about taking a chance on finding financial freedom working from home went right out the window.

The other group responsible for solidifying the unsavory reputation of network marketing were the folks who truly believed that network marketing required nothing more of them than filling out the initial membership agreement. Hundreds of thousands of people were led to believe that all they really had to do was join and then sit back and watch their downlines and their paychecks grow. Seriously though, as a society, we have a great difficulty taking responsibility for our own actions.

Consequently many of these folks blamed their failure, not on their own lack of commitment but on the industry itself. This is a business that has to be taken seriously and worked as such. If you're planning to sit on your couch and collect the money from your mailbox, odds are you're not going to be successful. As more and more professionals become frustrated with corporate America, however, the industry will begin to benefit and continue to grow.

Network marketing of today is not a get rich quick scheme. To be successful in this industry, you have to be willing to work and work hard in the beginning. To its credit, network marketing has been able to overcome most of its lack of credibility and has regained its respectability in the eyes of the consumer. Courses on this growing trend are actually being taught in some of our most prestigious colleges and universities. Advancing technology has made it easier for potential network marketers to research legitimate opportunities and the introduction of the internet in this industry has helped the reputable companies move to the forefront.

The actual beauty of this industry lies in the concept of relationship selling. In our high tech world, consumers are tired of the lack of personal service and crave the opportunity to form one-on-one relationships with the purveyors of the goods they purchase. Who better to buy from than our friends, the people we trust and see on a regular basis? It only stands to reason then; that as the advancements in technology continue and consumers continue to be alienated from the personal touch they require the network marketing industry will grow exponentially.