Jobs, jobs, jobs. That's (almost) all we hear these days as candidates campaign for jobs of their own. Where are the jobs? How do we create jobs? Why aren't we creating jobs? Who is it that creates jobs, anyway? These are vital questions for the United States' economy, as millions of people are currently un- or under-employed. We must find a way to get these people earning incomes to support themselves and their families, and to lessen the strain on the government's safety net programs. But by focusing solely on jobs, we, as a society, are missing the boat on a solution that can bring everybody who jumps on board (and puts forth the necessary effort, of course) the income they need and boost the nation's economy. Regular readers of this blog will already know what this overlooked solution is: Direct Sales.
Before I get into how direct sales can solve the country's (and the world's?) economic shortfalls, let me first give you a thumbnail sketch of how the model works.
Companies that produce a product or service can go the "traditional" sales route, spending large sums of money on advertising and employing a team of salespeople to find customers. Or they can opt for direct sales (a.k.a. "Network Marketing", a.k.a. "Multi-Level Marketing", or MLM) and attract a sales force of independent representatives (IRs) who want to build their own businesses and live life on their own terms, without being beholden to a traditional job. These IRs then do the work of finding customers and additional IRs.
When an independent representative brings in a new IR into the network, that new IR takes a spot "below" her in the network structure, becoming part of her team, or "downline". He is part of what is known as her "first level". And as the newbie finds new members for his own downline, they also become a part of hers as well, on her "second level". As this process continues, the IR's team builds multiple levels, hence the Multi-Level Marketing moniker.
Each independent representative earns commissions for the sales she makes, as well as from the sales made by her downline. The larger and more successful her downline, the more she will earn in commissions. So it is well in her interest to encourage and assist her downline in building their businesses. That's one thing that makes the direct sales business model so much better than "normal" jobs"--everybody is energized by helping each other build their businesses, especially when they are promoting a product or service that they really believe in.
By the way, the commissions you earn from sales made by your downline are what is known as "passive income", the best kind of income there is. You did the hard work once to build your team, and you now earn income every week or month from your downline's sales without having to put the hard effort into it. You will, of course, have to do some work to keep everyone motivated and replace lost IRs and customers, but not as much as the first push to build your team.
So that's how the direct sales model works. But how can it help save the economy and the people most adversely affected by it? I hope by reading the paragraphs above that the answer is obvious. If everyone (adults 18 and over) were to:
- Drop any fears and misconceptions they have about direct sales,
- Join a direct sales network of a product or service they love,
- Build and foster a team of their own,
- Buy products and services from their friends and relatives who have their own direct sales businesses for other products, and
- Promote the direct sales business model to everyone they meet,
imagine the possibilities. I did a little of that in a previous posting, Imagine. I'll wait while you click over and read that...
...OK, I see you're back. To continue, beyond the financial help to the individual, the national economy will improve as more and more people have more and more income at their disposal and fewer and fewer people need government assistance.
Of course, we have hurdles to overcome to get direct sales going to the level I envision (and promote) here. The biggest ones in my estimation are:
- Current misconceptions about the industry, and
- How to bring in people who may not have money on hand to cover the modest costs required to start in most MLMs.
I see a place for the government in helping out with these issues, since it is in the nation's interest for its citizens to be generating income that they can: a. pay taxes on, and b. spend. I can see a national campaign, backed by the government, to promote the industry as what it is, a terrific, low-cost way to own your own business. I can also see the Small Business Administration offering loans to cover the start-up costs. Since you can join many--if not most--MLMs for less than $1000, such loans would not be much of a blip on the nation's budget.
So that's how we fix the economy. It saddens me that so many people are focused on jobs as their sole means for putting food on their table--and even getting a table to put food on--when another, better solution is so readily available. What do you think?
Hey there! It's been a while (again) since I last composed something for you to read here. I have to chalk that up (mostly) to my day job keeping me too busy. But I've taken some steps with the Convoy these last couple of days that I want to keep you up to date with. And, as you know, I have two purposes with this blog:
1. to instruct and inspire you to pursue business ownership in order to build your financial future, and
2. to report on how my efforts to build my business are going.
So here's what's new.
I've finally started taking the steps to make the Prosperity Convoy an official business. That means I've submitted the Articles of Organization to the state of Michigan for Prosperity Convoy, LLC. I've also obtained a federal EIN (Employer ID Number) for the company. I tried to open a business bank account as well, but that has to wait until the state has completed the registration process.
The impetus for taking these steps now is the possibility of a good sale of the product of which I'm an independent distributor to my current employer. Now, I'm not using this forum to promote my business directly, so I'll just explain that my product is something that can--no, WILL--save a trucking company the size of my employer literally millions of dollars per year. And that means continuing sales. So if I'm going to enter a long-term vendor-customer relationship with them, I'd better have a real company in place to do that.
Anyway, that's the Prosperity Convoy's current status. Remember, I do want to bring some co-travellers along on the road to financial freedom. In fact, as many as possible. In fact, I want to bring YOU along. I believe I've found a winning formula, and I want to share it with you. There's plenty of wealth to go around.
Thanks for reading my brief update today. I hope I'm fulfilling my two purposes with this blog. Let me know what you think, and I look forward to seeing you in the Convoy.
Happy New Year! You have my sincere wishes for a prosperous 2012, and I hope that some tidbit I may impart in these pages may help you on the road to financial security. So let's get right to it.
Have you ever watched a top-flight athlete and marveled at their skill? They make what is so difficult when you and I try it seem effortless. But have you ever compared their form as they perform their skill against that of the average shlub? What is the most evident difference between them and us? I've watched closely, and found the answer. It's full extension.
When Justin Verlander hurls the pill, his arm is fully extended as he reaches the point in his delivery when he releases the ball.
When Tiger Woods smacks one of his booming drives, both of his elbows are dead-straight at the point of contact. He even looks like he's trying to get on his tippy-toes to get his body extended as much as possible.
Champion divers and gymnasts alike become champions by pointing their toes and extending their arms as far as they can when they're in mid-flight.
World-class runners also achieve much greater angles between their upper legs in mid-stride than we slower folk.
Of course, full extension is not the only reason the elite athletes are elite; they've also been blessed with God-given abilities of coordination and power. But given those gifts, they've only become the superstars they are by refining their athletic motions to include the full extension.
In a similar fashion, people who find success in other realms also use full extension to their benefit. You've heard the term "pushing the envelope" to describe artists and business people who go beyond what their predecessors in their chosen field have achieved. That is their form of full extension. They bravely go where none before them have dared go, and are willing to risk the failure that may lurk there in order to find the success that may also be there. But how does all this relate to the Prosperity Convoy?
As I've mentioned before in this blog, you've got to be a business owner to build your own personal wealth. And taking the leap from employee to business owner is where you will find full extension in your efforts to secure your financial future. Working a J-O-B for someone else is the work-life equivalent of us mere mortal athletes using "alligator arms" (elbows bent, shoulders all scrunched in close) during a golf swing.
Now, you may argue that you're giving all you've got--full extension--to do the best you can at your job. That is all well and good, but it's not full extension in terms of building your own personal wealth. That's full extension for building wealth for the company that employs you and its shareholders. Let's just hope that they appreciate your efforts as you make them rich.
To be sure, once you become a business owner, your full extension has just started. You must make sure you're giving maximum effort in that business as well. Do whatever it takes (as long as it's legal and ethical, of course) to get your business' name out there. Happily spend the extra time it's going to take to get--and keep--the ball rolling. Learn as much as you can about all aspects of the business so you become the expert you need to be to make your company a success.
There. That doesn't seem so hard, does it? Make it your resolution this year to make sure you're reaching full extension in everything you do, especially in building a secure financial future for yourself and your family. That is what I wish for you.
Thanks for reading this today. Please leave me some comments about this post and the entire blog. Let me know if I'm inspiring you--or infuriating you. I again wish you a very happy, joyous, and prosperous new year, and hope to see you on the road to prosperity.
