To answer this question, it is best to look at the two phases of MLM companies: start up and maturity.

Although many things can go wrong in a startup direct selling company, two factors are repeated with frequency for the failure to launch. The first factor is inability to recruit. MLM is a business based on recruiting a successful sales force to market products. (Obviously, there are many important factors ranging from logistics to personnel to technology to quality control to distribution… and all these can go wrong as well.) It should be noted that the need for capital is in inverse proportion to the ability to recruit. A MLM company that can recruit is often positioned for fast growth and may even become a cash cow. If the company does not have that native ability, it needs sufficient capital to hire the talent to make recruiting happen. And in the absence of the recruitment asset, a company should plan on a much longer trajectory to profitability.

And the recruitment challenge dovetails with the second major reason that companies fail at the onset: lack of adequate capital or funding. Many companies start the business without adequate capital to allow for a one or two year run to become profitable. In fact, many companies assume that they will be profitable within months or that they will not need capital for growth. The lack of buffer capital to survive the early unprofitable days of a company is a prescription for early failure.

As to mature companies – who’ve been around for years and years but find themselves on a downward spiral, the key answer is to continuously innovate and create ways to bond with both distributors and customers. Companies that can’t grow with the market, or maintain loyalty of distributors and customers, will find that sales will plateau and ultimately decline. This is a branding business and a relationship business. Unless a mature company is ready to continually reinvent itself and stay fresh, it may find itself on a slow, or sometimes rapid, road to contraction and failure.

MLM, network marketing, otherwise known as direct selling, is a relationships business. Those that succeed do so because they have a deep relationship with their customers and distributors. To maintain long-term success as a MLM business owner, you too have to make sure that you’re not just running a company, but a business of relationships.

As mentioned, networking is a big part of MLM. Come network with us. If you are interested in attending the Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company conference visit our conference page, view our speaker list, or get more details. All executives/owners of direct selling companies are welcome to attend. Call 800-231-2162 to register. It’s run by the most trusted and knowledgeable man in the business, offering legal services for over 25 years to companies like Avon and Mary Kay, Jeff Babener.

Sign up for the MLM News Global newsletter for top headlines, news stories, scam alerts, videos, articles, and more information on the network marketing industry.

Learn more: Watch the Video. What are the two main reasons for a MLM company’s failure?

Visit us at www.mlmlegal.com to learn more.

Raising capital to fund your network marketing startup company can be tricky. In fact, there is no clear-cut answer to finding funding. However, there are options available to MLM company owners. There are several giant direct sales companies operating today that began with a very limited budget, just like you: in their basements, bathtubs, garages, and space bedrooms. Many of these companies grew organically to the huge size that they are now. You, however, may be in a different situation, where an influx of capital is absolutely necessary to keep your business afloat.

This article will help to provide you with details about how you can get free and trusted information about how to fund your MLM business. Experts generally suggest that it costs around $100-$200 thousand to start up a direct selling company. This article will provide you with some ideas as to where to find startup funding and links to information online, written by experienced MLM industry experts who’ve been asked thousands of times, “Where can I find funding to start and grow my MLM business?”

Here are three of the most common options MLM business owners consider when they are looking to fund their network marketing startup:

1)      Do you have a substantial recruiting background? If you are a seasoned recruiter and are able to attract a strong line of consultants then your need for capital will decrease considerably. Expert MLM Attorney Jeff Babener always says, “Your need for capital is in direct inverse proportion to your ability to recruit.” If you are able to attract a strong sales force then your need to raise capital outside of the company may greatly diminish. Consultants will be the key to your success. If you are not a seasoned recruiter, then you may want to consider hiring someone who does have recruiting experience.

2)      Do you have personal capital? MLM startups often find the capital that they need in their own bank accounts, or the bank accounts of family and friends (often referred to as your ‘warm market’). In some cases, an angel investor will be willing to invest in the company (a wealthy uncle, perhaps?). These sorts of investments are based primarily on the personal relationship, as well as trust and loyalty.

3)      What about public financing? Unfortunately, not many venture capital firms are interested in investing in startup network marketing companies. The startup MLM company has the tendency to be run by inexperienced business owners needing only a few hundred thousand dollars, which isn’t very attractive to large investors. In nearly all cases, investment into the company will come from a close source. Once your business is worth millions, then the investment firms will take notice. You can read about some of the most famous MLM success stories on these pages: Silpada, Herbalife, Pampered Chef, and Visalus.

Another great place to get information on raising capital for your business is at the Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Conference where industry experts will provide you with individual, one-on-one time and attention. Each speaker will sit with you and discuss your personal situation and specific needs. The easiest was for you to attend the conference on a budget is to visit the page of our Innovation Campaign. The October 2015 Innovation Campaign offers network marketing company owners the ability to receive two free tickets to the next Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Conference in Las Vegas (a $345.00 value!). All you have to do is fill out a brief survey at our sister website: www.mlmattorney.com, and we will contact you right away to confirm your free tickets to the event! Attending this event will give you direct access to several MLM industry experts, including capitalization experts and MLM legal expert, Jeff Babener. Visit our Innovation Campaign page for complete information about the conference, including the topics that will be covered, the speaker/expert list, videos, and much more. For additional questions call 800-231-2162.

It won’t be easy raising capital to fund your MLM startup, but we hope that we’ve given you some ideas on where to start. We also hope that you better understand that it is possible to start small and make it big in this industry. For more information on raising capital visit www.mlmlegal.com and www.mlmattorney.com.

If you are interested in attending the Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company conference visit our conference page, view our speaker list, or get more details. All executives/owners of direct selling companies are welcome to attend. Call 800-231-2162 to register.

Our next Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Conference takes place October 22 and 23, 2015 in Las Vegas. View our conference flyer and speaker list online. Participate in our Innovation Campaign for your chance to receive TWO FREE TICKETS to attend our next conference.

If you’re reading this blog post and the conference dates above have passed, check our website for the current conference dates.

Sign up for the MLM News Global newsletter for top headlines, news stories, scam alerts, videos, articles, and more information on the network marketing industry.

Visit us at www.mlmlegal.com to learn more.

Your need for capital is in direct inverse proportion to your ability to recruit.

Raising capital to fund your network marketing startup can be tricky. In fact, there is no clear cut answer to finding funding. However, there are options available to MLM company owners. There are many giant direct sales companies operating today that began with a very limited budget, in their basements and garages. Many of these companies grew to the size that they are now organically. You, however, may be in a different situation where the influx of capital is necessary to keep your business afloat.

This article will provide you with some details of how you can get free and trusted information on how to raise capital for your direct selling business. Experts generally propose that it costs around $100-$200 thousand to start up a network marketing company. This article will provide you with some ideas as to where to find funding and links to online information written by experienced MLM industry experts.

1)      Do you have a substantial recruiting background? If you are a seasoned recruiter and are able to attract a strong lineup of consultants then your need for capital will decrease considerably. Expert MLM Attorney Jeff Babener always says, “Your need for capital is in direct inverse proportion to your ability to recruit.” If you are able to attract a strong sales force then your need to raise capital outside of the company may greatly diminish. Consultants will be the key to your success. If you are unable to recruit, or don’t have a recruiting background, then you may want to consider hiring someone who has recruiting experience.

2)      Do you have personal capital? MLM startups often find the capital that they need in their own bank accounts, or the bank accounts of family and friends. In some cases, an angel investor is willing to invest in the company. These sorts of investments are based primarily on a personal relationship, as well as trust and loyalty.

3)      What about public financing? Unfortunately, not many venture capital firms are interested in investing in startup network marketing companies. The startup MLM company has the tendency to be run by inexperienced business owners needing only a few hundred thousand dollars, which isn’t very attractive to large investors. In nearly all cases, investment into the company will come from a close source. Once your business is worth millions, then the investment firms will take notice. You can read about some of the more famous MLM success stories on these pages: Silpada, Herbalife, Pampered Chef, and Visalus.

Another great place to get information on raising capital for your business is at the Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Conference where industry experts will provide you with individual one-on-one time. The current and easiest way to do this is to visit the page of our Innovation Campaign. The May 15^th & 16^th, 2014 Innovation Campaign enables network marketing company owners the ability to receive two free tickets to our next Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Conference in Las Vegas (a $345.00 value!). All you have to do is fill out a brief survey at our sister website: www.mlmattorney.com, and we will contact you right away to confirm your free tickets to the event. Attending this event will give you direct access to several MLM industry experts, including capitalization experts and MLM legal expert, Jeff Babener. Visit our Innovation Campaign page for complete information about the conference, including the topics that will be covered, the speaker list, videos, testimonials, and much more. For additional questions please call 800-231-2162.

It won’t be easy raising capital to fund your startup, but we believe this article will help give you some ideas and help you to understand that it is possible to start small and make it big. For more information on raising capital visit www.mlmlegal.com and www.mlmattorney.com.

Here are some additional articles on raising capital that you may find helpful:

Are there MLM Companies That Have Achieved Success on a Low Budget?

How Do I Find Top Distributors?

New Video – Executive Interview by the DSWA – “Legal Hotspots for Direct Selling Companies” with Jeff Babener

MLMlegal Releases New Film on the MLM Startup Conference – Produced by Networkingstar.com Video
The MLM Startup Conference in Las Vegas Video

Visit us at www.mlmlegal.com to learn more.

Hi, I’m Jeff Babener of MLMLegal.com and I would like to talk to you today about MLM business experience. Do you possess it already or should you buy it?

Multilevel marketing is not just any business. It is not retailing, franchising, e-commerce, the internet, or .com selling.

Multilevel marketing, under all its names: direct selling, network marketing, direct sales, party plan, and multilevel marketing, is a unique beast. To launch this business you must have a substantial background in direct selling and be well grounded.

There are written and unwritten principles. If you know your product and you have a passion to bring it to the public, but you lack industry experience, then you must buy that experience. You may hire key employees in such positions as CEO, COO, sales, marketing, customer service, and distributor relations, etc. The payroll will add up fast, and unless your capitalization can sustain the ongoing cost, you should seriously consider outsourcing the solutions for this type of expertise.

The first suggestion that I would make is for you to consult with you MLM attorney, who is familiar with the best resources in the business. Such established industry experts in areas of MLM startup implementation, compensation plan design and software selection are often invaluable assets to your business team. Above all, don’t launch your company without in-house or outsourced MLM business experience.

Wishing you the best in your MLM business, I’m Jeff Babener.

For additional information on gaining experience in the MLM industry visit www.mlmlegal.com and www.mlmattorney.com, or visit the following links:

MLM Corporate Startup Essentials: Part II of III

Experience Counts

How Much Does it Cost to Start a MLM Company?

Choosing the Right Product for Your Direct Selling Company

MLM Executives Must Raise Capital in Order to Recruit Key Distributors

MLM Pyramid Schemes – Everything You Need to Know All in One Place

Are you Starting a MLM Company?

Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Conference – May 16th & 17th, 2013

Why You Should Trademark Your MLM Company Name

Creating Clear Agreements Between MLM Company Owners

Recruiting Advice from an Industry Expert – The MLM Fairytale “Network Marketing and Frogs”

Learn What is Needed to Recruit Top-Selling Distributors for Your MLM Company

Make sure to visit our blogs for the latest information on the direct selling industry: MLMLegal Blog Home and MLM Attorney Blog Home. HINT: Chose a category to narrow your search for discussion topics!

Find us on our social networks:

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LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mlmlegal

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BabenerLawFirm

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/mlmlegal

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=696968133

And, as always, visit MLMLegal.com, the best MLM resource on the web. The next Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Conference is quickly approaching! On May 16^th and 17^th, 2013 we are hosting the MLM Conference for the 25^th year! This is now our 64^th annual conference (held almost consistently three times per year over the last 24 years). All executives/owners of MLM, direct selling, network marking, and party plan companies are welcome to attend. This is the original MLM Startup Conference, hosted and perfected by direct selling industry expert, MLM Attorney Jeff Babener. Call 503-226-6600 or 800-231-2162 to register. (Can’t make this event? Keep a look out for the October and February conferences as well! Call our office to register today!)

Visit us at www.mlmlegal.com to learn more.