Many people go into a business opportunity without doing proper research or really knowing what it takes to be successful. The internet has made it easy to spread information and websites claiming amazing success stories of money being made at the click of a mouse abound. There are also thousands of MLM companies out there, all claiming to be the best. What is the reality, and how can you be successful?

The truth of the matter is that most people who get involved in an MLM or home based business opportunity do not succeed. There are also many who succeed in a very big way—but they are in the minority. So what does it take to be successful?

The first thing to consider is you. Are you suited to working for yourself? Here are just a few questions to ask yourself:

• Do I have a very strong drive and determination to succeed?
• Am I persistent, and won’t quit until I succeed?
• Am I willing and able to learn new skills?
• What is my relationship to money? (Many of us have subconscious blocks to financial abundance.)
• Do I have the self-discipline to work on my own?
• How much do I need to invest in my business?
• Will working at home disrupt my personal and family lifestyle patterns?
• Will I have enough interaction with others to be satisfying?
• Will I be able to balance family and business needs?

OK, so let’s say you answer all those questions, and you want to move forward in a home based business. What will you have to do to be successful? What is it that nobody ever seems to tell you about being in business for yourself?

The short and simple answer is MARKETING… in order to succeed, you need to market! In other words, you need to make people aware of your business and give them the information they need. Regardless of the product or the service you are offering, you are going to have to market! Pick a company, product or service that resonates with you, that you can believe in, and then start marketing! There are two broad categories for marketing an MLM or home based business…

1. You can network with people you know, or find other people to network with. This is the “old school” method of network marketing—and it still works—if you have the personality for it. You need to really enjoy connecting with people, talking on the phone, and perhaps doing meetings. You also need to be able to accept a fair amount of rejection, since not 100% of those you show your business to will be interested.
2. You can put your information “out there” and let people come to you. This is what marketing on the internet is all about, and this also works—if you have the personality for it.

Both of these marketing methods require knowledge and skill—so a question to ask yourself is, “Do I have the knowledge and skills necessary?” The answer is probably “No” if you have not done this before. So is that the end of it? This is where it’s important to be honest with yourself about the answer to the questions above.

You will need drive and determination, persistence, the willingness to learn new skills, self-discipline, etc., etc.—but HOW will you learn what you need to know? That is the 64,000 dollar question.

Can you find a system that you can plug into that will automate many of the marketing tasks you need to have in place? Can you find the training that will teach you the skills you need to market online? Can you find mentors who can teach you confidence and leadership? The answer is “Yes.” There are systems out there available, and training available, and mentors available. The best option is if you can find all three in one place, and that it won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

I’ve plugged myself into such a system, and I plan on staying plugged in. This gives me a huge leg up since there is so much in place for me already that I don’t have to start from scratch. It’s also a huge help as far as helping others get started, since I can offer them so much without having to personally hold their hands for each and every little thing since they can plug into the same system. It’s a win-win.

See the system I use: Exclusive Self-Funded System

I finished my 90 day challenge. Actually, that’s not true. I reached day 90 of my 90 day challenge. And now I’ve started a new 90 day challenge. Really, a challenge can never truly be finished. A challenge is just a step to the next challenge. I decided that it’s a good idea to always be challenged. A large part of being successful is being responsible, and that means holding yourself accountable.

A part of my challenge is letting go of the need to be perfect. So one of the things I’ve learned is that I don’t have to finish perfectly, I just have to keep moving forward. It doesn’t even mean I have to move forward in big steps (though that’s nice to do) as long as I just keep moving.

I highly recommend initiating your own 90 day challenge. And after you reach 90 days, start a new challenge. Enjoy the challenge. Here is my Day 90 video:

I’d love your comments!

If you’ve decided you want to be your own boss, start your own business, strike out on your own to be in charge of your own destiny, get rid of your boss, and call your own shots… there are many options for the type of business you might start. I’ve created a series of videos which will give you some of the things to consider in various types of businesses. Assuming you want to have the maximum success, it’s very important to find the type of business that will work best for you–so do your research carefully.

Here is the first video of the series on being an entrepreneur:

This video is the introduction to the series and in it I discuss Robert Kiyosaki’s The Cash Flow Quadrant, and how moving from the employee and self-employed quadrants to the business owner and investor quadrants is the only way to gain true leverage in order to create a life of financial freedom. In each of the rest of the videos in the series I will discuss one type of business. The second video discusses the traditional “brick and mortar” business.

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Financial Freedom–Creating Your Life By Design