Why Consider Direct Selling As A Home-Based Business Opportunity?

I know I'm going out on a limb here by recommending direct selling as a business to consider. I'm doing this because it really can be an excellent source of additional income. To me, what many people see as a downside to direct selling is actually an upside. The fact that most people don't get rich in this industry, but instead "only" make an extra $500 to a $1,000 a month, is exactly what excites me.

As I noted in my last video, the average wage earner in America makes around $36,000 a year. If you're in that range, earning an extra $500 to $1,000 a month amounts to an increase in your income of anywhere from 16% to 33%! Saving just a quarter that could represent the difference between being able to retire and having to work until you drop. And if you're lucky enough to be earning more than the average, the extra income could be what winds up buying you your financial freedom.

13 Reasons To Consider Direct Selling

Reason No. 1: The Moment You Join A Direct Selling Company, You Are In Business
Generally, when you start a new business, the first weeks and months (sometimes years) are spent developing relationships, finding reliable suppliers, testing marketing plans, and the like. Not so in direct selling. Once you find a company that's right for you, it's all there, ready to go. You can start going after customers from day one.

Reason No. 2: You Don't Have To Reinvent The Wheel
The hardest part of becoming your own boss is figuring out what business you're in. What are you selling? Who are your customers? What's the best sales approach? A direct-selling company that's been in business for a while and has a proven track record (which is the only kind to join) has long since figured all this out.

Reason No. 3: You Don't Have To Do It All Yourself
Trust me, as an entrepreneur creating a business from scratch, you will spend tons of time and lots of money going to coaching programs, attending entrepreneur clinics, and taking marketing courses. When you join a top-notch direct-selling company, they provide you with an entire training system that usually includes "learning in a box" along with regular training and motivational seminars.

Reason No. 4: You Will Be Forced To Stretch Yourself
Let's be honest here - you're not going to start a business (any business) at home in your extra hours without massive effort. And you're not going to succeed at direct selling without really working hard.

Reason No. 5:  You Will Find Mentors And Experts
While groups like SCORE can help, the fact is that when you start a business, it's often hard to find experienced mentors with the time and inclination to help guide you to success. This problem does not exist in direct selling. Since the person who introduces you to the business gets paid only if you succeed, he or she has a vested interest in seeing that you succeed. This means you should be very about the person you allow to sign you up, since he or she will become your mentor.

Reason No. 6: You Can Create Passive Income
The hardest dollar you will ever earn is the one you are paid in exchange for your time. Whether you earn $8.25 an hour minimum wage or $500 an hour like my trademark attorney, people who are paid by the hour are trading time for money - and there are only so many hours in a day. The key to being rich, therefore, is getting money to come to you 24 hours a day without your having to be working all the time. In direct selling, as you build a customer base, you not only earn money from your own efforts but, as you get other people to start their own businesses, you begin earning money from their efforts as well. This idea of earning money from other people's efforts - or what is known as passive income - is not unethical, by the way. It's called being a "business owner."

Reason No. 7: You May Make A New Circle Of Friends
Here's something you may not realize: A lot of the people you hang out with today are really about your past. You may have a ton of friends you made 5, 10, maybe 20 years ago who have no desire to do or be more than they are right now. And the moment you tell them what you are doing, whether it's going into direct selling, buying a house, paying yourself first, or simply learning about all of this, they are going to put you down and tell you you're being stupid.
This will hurt and upset you, and you will find yourself tempted to "throw in the towel" in an effort not to alienate your old friends.
The beauty of direct selling is that you join a team of people who have similar interests and dreams to do and be more. As a result, you may find yourself building a whole new world of new friends.

Reason No. 8: You Don't Have To Retire
The beauty of a direct-selling business is that if you are successful and enjoy it, no one can force you to retire from it. You won't get downsized or outsourced into retirement.

Reason No. 9: You Get To Help Other People
Direct selling may be the ultimate "people" business. It's all about helping and being helped by the people you work with - not only your customers buy your colleagues, whom you mentor and who mentor you. Not every line of work gives you the opportunity to do this and to make a good living at the same time.
This aspect of direct selling is one of its greatest strengths. Whether you get involved in direct selling or some other business, what will make you successful is your desire to help other people. If you work from that place with integrity and honest intentions, you will lead a life of significance - and you will be a better person at the end of the day. You will also earn more money.

Reason No. 10: You Make Your Own Hours
Direct selling tends to attract women, couples, and families looking for a way to balance their lives with their need for additional income. Because you decide hard you want to work and how much you want to earn, you can create the life you desire in this business.

Reason No. 11: Tax Incentives!
The tax advantages of owning your own business are huge. It's not just the great retirement accounts business owners qualify for. There's also the fact that many daily activities - such as travel, telephone conversations, entertainment and the like - can turn to be legitimate business expenses that are at least partly tax-deductible. One of the great things about direct selling is that the business is so intertwined in your life that many normal activities become business-related - and, hence, deductible. (For details on what constitutes a legal tax write-off, consult your tax advisor or visit http://www.irs.gov/ and request Publication #535, "Deducting Business Expenses.")


Reason No. 12: Direct Selling Is Less Expensive To Get Into Than Many Other Businesses
As I noted in my last video, some direct-selling companies sell start-up kits for as low as $99; some are even $10 - or free! There are not many other businesses where you can get started on such a small initial investment - especially when you consider that you'll be associating yourself with an established company that will more than likely provide you with a completely automated accounting and billing system, as well as introductory training, access to professional marketing materials, and business and personal development resources.

Reason No. 13: It's A Family Business
While working with your spouse and children might not be tops on your list, a direct-selling business is an excellent way for you and your family to spend time together. Meeting new friends together, sharing products you love with others, and taking the incentive trips many companies reward distributors are just some of the opportunities. And that doesn't include the extra time you can spend with your family once your business has been established. There is no boss to tell you when you have to work.
Often, children can help you in certain aspects of your business, giving you an excellent environment to teach them self-reliance and responsibility. Lastly, many direct-selling companies allow children to either inherit the business you have built or start a business under you, giving them multiple options as they plan their own lives and careers.$