Small Business Blog

Many would-be entrepreneurs find themselves presented with an opportunity to get involved in MLM, or multi-level marketing. The MLM business model, also known as network marketing, tasks you with recruiting a team of motivated entrepreneurs and leading the whole group to success.

Legitimate MLM businesses can be enormously profitable, but there’s a catch: the failure rate is really high. You see, prospective MLM entrepreneurs tend to underestimate the amount of work involved in team-building. While getting involved in a particular MLM business might seem like a no-brainer opportunity to you, your prospective team members (i.e., the targets) probably won’t be as enthusiastic. The unexpected rejection can prompt discouragement, which is the kiss of death for any entrepreneur.

One thing people overlook is that launching an MLM business is like launching any other business. It takes research and planning. You need to research the business model and your personal skill set to determine if the opportunity is even viable. Then you need to create a plan to grow your business, and that plan must include specific strategies and staggered objectives. Building an MLM business is not as easy as talking to your friends and family.

If you aren’t sure where to begin this planning process, you can retain an MLM consultant to help you. An MLM consultant can provide insights that will keep you from getting shot down with unexpected surprises.

One MLM Consultant with pretty extensive experience is LaunchSmart. The company has been working with MLM entrepreneurs for more than 20 years, guiding those business owners to success. What sets LaunchSmart apart is its experience working directly with MLM giants, such as Herbalife, Tupperware, AmeriPlan and Prepaid Legal. You can learn more about LaunchSmart, its client list and its four-step system at www.launchsmart.com.

SmallBusinessNewz published an article today defining the five steps you need to take to make an effective television commercial. The article is accompanied by a video hosted by Jon Bond, Co-Chairman of creative agency Kirshenbaum, Bond, Senecal and Partners. In the video, Bond explains the five steps of commercial-making, four of which are really just questions you need to ask yourself. The answers to those questions will shape the creation and production of your commercial. I would add that small business owners and entrepreneurs should be asking these five questions before producing any kind of advertising.

Who are you talking to?

Who are you?

What is your brand’s personality?

What is the offer?

Make your commercial.

See the full article here.

What’s standing between you and your dream of self-employment? For many would-be entrepreneurs, the largest obstacle is developing a viable business idea. The experts say you’ll find the right idea by looking at your own interests and areas of expertise. But that exercise could still leave you scratching your head…wondering what you could do, that hasn’t been done already.

Before you scratch yourself raw, try these brainstorming techniques to get the creative juices flowing. (continue reading…)