So the question is in the title! I am a distributor as well for a company named Yorhealth. They sell supplements. I get the feeling that MLM is a sort of training for a lot of people before actually becoming full blown entrepreneurs. It's hard to go from employee to CEO in one go and MLM is a fantastic way to practice your skills in selling, managing your teams etc... Do you guys think there is some truth in this? And if so what is holding you back from becoming the owner of your own business? Fear? Not sure you'll have the energy? Cowardice?xd Appreciate your responses ^^
From your question and response I think what your asking is why did I become an independent MLM business owner and not create/open my own non-MLM business (correct me if I'm wrong). For me it was a question of resources. I started because I was in debt and didn't (still don't) have the resources to start a conventional business. For one, just getting a business name costs more than it did to purchase my MLM business startup package. Now factor in ongoing costs and the fact that you have to do it all by yourself. Also imagine if you chose to run a brick and mortar store how much the costs could be. Another aspect for me was needing the association with successful people to retrain my thinking. I had and still struggle with the employee mindset where I believed that I had to trade my time for money. Now I know that when I spend time working on my self, my family and my business I am actually investing my time. If I invest my money and time and make sacrifices I may not get rewards immediately or even in the short term (weeks and months), but if I keep investing with specific goals over the long term the rewards will be great. This is the mindset and entrepreneur requires to succeed and living with an employee mindset first needs to be retrained. I need this constantly to keep going. I've tried to create a few online businesses while still in the employee mindset and always ended up quitting and not willing to spend significant money to make it work. I see things differently now and along with my MLM business I am pursuing my online ideas. So in summary for me resources and very important life training were the main reasons I've chosen MLM. Great question
Yes that was the question! Basically you are in need to retrain your mind. Network marketers always say this, they always say that you have to change inside for things to change on the outside.
Exactly. I've heard this from many entrepreneurs and that is why we look up to them and read their books and blogs. We want to emulate them and what it takes to make it.
Mindset can be a double-edged sword sometimes. It can help or hinder, depending on the information at hand, the person and the circumstances. Here are 2 examples to illustrate: 1. Suppose I said, "Would you jump out of a plane without a parachute?" You'd probably say "No way" right off the bat, because you'd assume the plane was in flight. Would your answer be different if you learned that the plane was parked on the tarmac? 2. I place an apple on a table in front of you and ask you to describe its shape. You'd more than likely say it was round. But what if the apple had been cut in half? Getting locked in to a singular mindset about anything can be detrimental sometimes. That's why we ought to be open to new ideas and fresh information. It informs our perspective and allows us to adapt to circumstances more easily. This way we can go with the flow (deliberately) rather than be swept away (kicking and screaming) by it. Hermas
Totally agree Hermas and that is why I strive to match my mentors and continually grow. I believe the entrepreneurial mindset is a process. The process I follow is: Planning Find the best path to your goals and plan the steps to get there Identify your resources and obstacles Gather the information you need to overcome your obstacles Action Carry out the steps you planned Put the information you gathered into practice Evaluate This is the growth phase - after planning and acting you may or may not have found some success. If you've hit an obstacle that knocks you down it's time to get up and go back to planning. An obstacle is just a learning opportunity, once you get over it you'll be a better person Repeat Obviously this is high level and the specifics of each will be different for each person, but I think it's a good framework to follow to keep you continuously growing and improving yourself so you don't get locked into any mindset.
I have always thought CEOs of mlms who know how to build mlms have it bad. Distributorship is way nicer than dealing with all the hassles that come with being a traditional business owner (which is what those CEO owners are). Of course there is a lot of advantages of being CEO - comp plan changes rarely affect your income! lol. I'm a distributor because I am more interested in building organizations I do not need to manage or lead once I have leaders built and going strong. Also, it's more fun. -Gregory
I feel like that, like Robsan40 just said, the mindsets of the two are similar. In my opinion MLM is a good bridge between employers mentality and full blown CEO. I am sure that MLM will change the world with it's business model and also I notice that people know are getting more ambitious in the sense that they don't just want a job they want quality of life, they want the lifestyle. What is the point of earning a lot of money if you don't have time to enjoy it.
Been there, done that, will not do it again. lol It is not as easy as it sounds to start your own MLM, I did several years ago and it is not easy, programming alone cost a fortune, never mind support, so when you look into all that is needed to be legal, you have to have lawyers, trademark, never mind have products, so manufacturing is an issue, or suppliers, there are enough headaches that I wouldn't recommend it, stick with working a good high demand product MLM is my best advice. Success to all,
