Online Business Myth 7 "You can make money in this business with next to no money down…"

Ever heard the saying “You get what you pay for?”

Online Business Myth 7

Never a truer word was spoken. It applies in this context as well.

Now, certainly, if you are planning to build a business working from home, you have far fewer capital outlays than someone in a brick and mortar business or even a franchise. In either of those business environments, you will typically have expenses like a lease on a building and equipment, stock and wages. If you are a franchisee, in addition to all of those costs, you will also have paid for the ‘privilege’ of doing business under someone else’s name. Forking out money for any of these running costs is by no means a guarantee that you will make any money. There are many brick and mortar business people and franchisees who go out of business every day, despite having great products and services on offer. Read more (more…)

Online Business Myth 6 "You can make money working as little as seven hours a week…"

Ahhh…another clever marketing ploy to appeal to the “get rich quick”, “time poor”, and just plain lazy prospect.

Online Business Myth 6

Now this is simply a bald faced lie. Again, think about this logically. Every person who steps into this industry for the first time (especially if they have no previous business experience of any kind), is faced with an enormous learning curve. We are not exaggerating, it is huge. Less a curve, and more of a Mt Everest in fact.

There is only one way to learn, apply and master new skills, and that is with time. And unless you are an exceptionally fast learner, you will need to be prepared to devote lots of it. Now, don’t get me wrong, you can definitely start learning how to run your business in as little as seven hours a week, and if you have a very strong desire to start your own business, and that is all the time you have available to you, then you have to start where you are at. Read more (more…)

Online Business Myth 5 "We hold your hand and guide you every step of the way…"

This particular myth is twofold in its deception.

Online Business Myth 5

Try and remember for a moment what it is that you are doing here. Business. And in business, as much as people in the same industry might network with each other and discuss what is going on in their particular market, do you really think that people who are in direct competition, in the same market place, are going to share all their secrets?

It would not be the savviest business strategy in the world, would it? Now, you may put this proposition to a seasoned MLM or Network Marketer, and they will insist that this business model is different. Because “If you make money, your sponsor makes money. It is in your sponsor’s interest to help you do well”. Read more (more…)

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 (more…)

Online Business Myth 3 "There is NO selling involved in this business…"

Seems like a ridiculous thing to even say, but there it is…

Online Business Myth 3

MLM companies know that most people hate the thought of selling anything, and the reason why this is so, is because their consultants are not taught how to sell effectively and professionally.
But use your head for just a moment. What is a business? Any business?

A business is an environment where goods, services or information are exchanged for money. Yes?

And there is nothing wrong with this process. There is nothing terrible or shameful about accepting money in exchange for quality products or services. I’ll digress for a moment and say that if you have a problem with this concept, I would suggest that you possibly have a little work to do on your mindset about money (this is terribly important – money issues will hold you back in your business if left unaddressed).

The fact is, all business is about selling. There is nothing wrong with that.

But consider this. People hate to be sold. They do however, like to buy stuff.

Now, if MLM and Network Marketing companies were even remotely interested in the success of their consultants, they would be teaching effective sales techniques. Mostly new consultants are taught to “share” their products and opportunities with everyone they know. This sets them up to fail from the start. Read more (more…)

Online Business Myth 2 "These products are so incredible and life changing, they virtually sell themselves…"

So we have arrived at Online Business Myth 2

And this one is a beauty. In fact, I think this is the most dangerous myth of them all. It ties in perfectly with Myth 3 (which I will get to next).

If you have been involved in MLM before, or if you have made inquiries into a company, you are highly likely to have been told something like this. “These products change people’s lives. Imagine how many people will want to buy these products from you when they see what they can do for them“.

I’ll never forget the ‘sales training’ I received in my last MLM. It was never actually called ‘sales training’. For some reason (that is now fairly obvious to me), the truth of what the business involves is skirted around, and never called what it really is. Companies seem to think that if they dress the sales training up as something less ‘offensive’ consultants will be happy to do it. Read more (more…)

Online Business Myth 1 "This business is so easy ANYONE can do it…"

And so to “Online Business Myth 1”.

Sorry to burst your bubble so early in the piece, but such a business simply does not exist.

If you have been involved in the home business industry in an MLM or Network Marketing before, no doubt this was almost the first thing your ‘sponsor to be’ said to you. By the way, usually, this person is quite new to the industry themselves (they tend not to hang around too long before they discover that they too have been misled, or they have maxed out their credit card – whichever comes first).

This is how it all begins. You will be shown the product range. You will be told that the products are “revolutionary”, “life-changing” and “so powerful that everyone will be knocking down your door to get their hands on them”. You will be told that even with absolutely no previous experience of any type in business it is possible for virtually anyone to build a residual income by “sharing” these products with anyone and everyone you come into daily contact with. But I’m getting ahead of myself here, more of MLM style “marketing strategies” in Online Business Myth #2. Read more (more…)