Online Business Myth 4 "We have everything you need to be successful in this business RIGHT HERE…"

This one is a biggie from a mindset and personal development perspective.

Online Business Myth 4

All MLM and Network Marketing companies will obviously put their best foot forward in their bid to sign you up. And to be honest, it would be a spectacularly stupid marketing tactic to point out all their short comings before you handed over your credit card and signed on the dotted line. They want you to believe that you cannot fail if you join them, and the “secret ingredient” to your success or otherwise, is what they have to offer.

To be absolutely fair, there are some companies (very very few, I hasten to add) that do indeed give you a comprehensive home based business “tool kit” to help you get up and running. The better companies even teach you how to use the tools they have provided, and do indeed run “in house” marketing training programs for new members (bear in mind that the vast majority of these will be “old school” strategies, and as such, are not so useful to you at all in the Internet marketing age). Read more

But to my mind, the entire claim that the company has everything you need to succeed is very shaky. And this is another reason why so many people struggle and ultimately fail in this industry.

What is the difference between the person who makes $50,000 per month working from home, and the person who maxes out their credit card and eventually gives up? How can that be so if they both sell the same product, have the same compensation plan, and access to the same training?

There is a reason why some people do well in this business, and others do not, and it has nothing to do with the comp plan, products or training.

The fact is that the “secret ingredient” to your success in this or any business is… YOU.

If you are desperately looking for a business opportunity because you want out of a job that you loathe, or you are in a tight spot financially and it is causing you distress, be aware that you are in a highly emotionally charged place.

Now, all buying behavior is essentially emotional. But you are not buying a pair of shoes to make you feel better because you are having a “bad hair day”, or a flat-screen TV so you can feel proud and impress your friends when football season rolls around.

You are making a decision that will have an enormous impact on the way your life plays out from the moment you hand over your money. If you are serious about going into business for yourself and working from home, take a deep breath, put your credit card away, and ask yourself these questions.

1. Do I have the commitment to learn, implement and master a new skill set?
We all have to go through a steep learning curve when we enter a new profession, and there is a generally acknowledged rule of thumb that it requires 10,000 hours to hit “tipping point” – or the point at which you have mastered your new skills.

Few people have the personal discipline, focus and patience to go through this learning process. Do you think you have this type of discipline? Too many people are so busy trying to “get rich quick” that they forgo the hard work necessary to make money in any environment.

2. Do I have a realistic idea of what it takes to be self-employed, specifically in Network Marketing? And if not, who can I talk to, to find out?

3. How much time do I have to commit to my new business?

4. How much working capital do I have available to get my business started?

5. Am I receptive to new ideas?
This is VERY important. The more you learn, the more you grow, and if you are really smart, the more you will understand how little you know. Being open to new ideas, and ready to change some long-held beliefs will be critical to your success. The people who fail first and fastest are those who cannot or will not be taught anything new.

If you are looking at a business opportunity as a way of ‘saving’ you from a situation that is causing you pain, understand that your search needs to start inwardly first. If you answered the questions above in the affirmative honestly, and you have a burning desire to be in control of your own financial future, it may well be that self-employment is a positive first step to making this happen. But ultimately you will make this happen. Not a company, a product or a killer compensation plan.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. If it sounds too good to be true…it is.