Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn’t

be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn’t

know it so it goes on flying anyway.

–Mary Kay Ash

Humble Beginnings

Can you become the “million-dollar earner?” Don’t sell yourself short just because you’re starting fresh in the multilevel marketing business. History tells us that, in America, many billion-dollar businesses – including MLM – have been started on a shoestring budget in garages and basements. Cases in point: Bill Gates of Microsoft, Phil Knight of Nike shoes, and Steve Jobs of Apple Computer. There are countless inspiring network marketing success stories about individuals whose companies or distributorships had very humble beginnings, such as:

1) The Bathtub?

The co‑founders of Amway, also known as Quixtar, network marketing’s largest multi-billion-dollar company. Rich DeVos and Jay Van Andel mixed their first product, LOC Cleanser, in their bathtubs when they began their business. Starting out as distributors for a vitamin company, Nutrilite, their Amway Corporation later bought Nutrilite, which today is their division for nutritional supplements. Amway has gone on to become the largest seller of dietary supplements in the world with consistent sales in the billions.

2) Door Knocking?

The founder of Avon (a cosmetic conglomerate), David McConnell, wasn’t even in the cosmetics business in 1886. He was selling Bibles door-to-door, and giving away free perfume samples as a way to get into the homes of prospective customers. As it turned out, his customers showed much more interest in the perfume samples than in the bibles. So, he began the California Perfume Company, later renamed Avon.

Today, Avon, trades on the New York Stock Exchange, operates in more than 140 countries with sales in excess of $7 billion, and is one of the largest sellers of cosmetics in the world.

3) Nothing, really?

After a successful career as a top distributor for the direct selling company, Stanley Home Products, Mary Kay Ash started her own small business in 1963, named Mary Kay. She created products with ingredients like hide tanner (used to cure animal hides) and became the most famous face of direct selling and network marketing. Mark Kay lecturing around the world and was even included in a case study at Harvard Business School.

Mary Kay Ash was one of three alumni distributors of Stanley Home Products that established multi-billion dollar companies. Her colleague, Brownie Wise, went on to help establish Tupperware, and Mary Crowley founded Home Interiors.

Clearly, their MLM distributor experiences allowed them to accept and succeed in new challenges that would likewise impact millions of lives and inspire other entrepreneurs to develop successful distributorships and found their own companies today.

4) Liniment?

Consider the origins of Watkins Products back in 1868. Today, Watkins sells a full line of products, from spices to cosmetics, to health care items. In 1868, however, the founder of the company, Joseph R. Watkins, was selling only one product: liniment. From that single product was built, perhaps, the longest-running direct selling success story of the industry.

5) Football?

How improbable! Art Williams was a high school football coach making little more than $10,000 per year when he applied principles of multilevel marketing to the sale of term insurance.

A. L. Williams went on to become the largest seller of term insurance in the U.S., eventually evolving into today’s Primerica, a division of one of America’s largest financial institutions, Citibank. Sales of financial products by Primerica run into the billions of dollars every year. And, all from a football field!

6) Big Dreams!

Modern-day network marketing successes – whether they are companies or individual distributors – all have their own startup story, starting on a shoestring budget. This business was meant to grow from the humble beginnings of one person’s dream. Hand-to-hand marketing is the nature of the direct selling business

And the successes of those that have started billion-dollar companies are paralleled over and over among the millions of network marketing distributors. Look around at the top distributors for major companies today and you will find individuals, who in their prior lives, were teachers, plumbers, lighting salesmen — all with modest employment incomes and equally-modest prospects in life.

What it Takes: A Positive Mindset

This is a mindset business. Your attitude is often a self-fulfilling prophecy. There is some real truth to the veterans’ advice which notes, “If you think you can, you’re right; If you think you can’t, you’re right!”

So, the next time you think you can’t do it, think again! Make sure, however, that you have access to one of the following tools:  a bathtub, a garage, a bible, or a dream.

Do you want more inspiration? Watch these video titles from the 30+ year direct selling industry veteran, Jeff Babener:

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

How Much Does It Cost to Start a MLM Company?

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

Make sure you’re not the last to hear about top headlines in the industry, or to hear about the latest company scam alerts. Our timely news reporting will keep you up-to-date on stories that affect everyone in the multilevel marketing industry.

We will also make sure you receive a “Video of the Week” on industry educational topics, such as legal issues, technology and software, common questions (FAQ), success stories, and MLM startup issues.

Each newsletter features the profile of a direct selling company, like Tupperware, Herbalife, and Mary Kay, or perhaps a startup multilevel marketing company that you haven’t heard about yet! MLM News Global also highlights two featured articles on industry-related topics, such as pyramid schemes, compensation plans, recruiting, lead generation, legal analysis, software, and more.

The MLM News Global Newsletter is presented by industry educator, MLM legal expert, and network marketing business consultant, Attorney Jeff Babener.

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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.

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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.

1)      Be a leader: “Leaders don’t follow the masses. They lead them.”

2)      Be simple: Create one goal per year and stick to it no matter what distractions come your way. “They may sound good at first, but they can derail your goals, your team, your culture, and, ultimately, your sales.”

3)      Be goal-driven: Make one goal, achieve it, and then set another. “Even after achieving $100 million in sales five months early, we didn’t stop making goals or focused decisions – we just started making bigger ones.”

4)      Be an executive: Make decisions for your company based on its culture and cash flow. “Why not make that one decision right now that can take your business to the next level?”

Mr. Pentecost concluded that he wrote this article to make an impact on other MLM executives, stating, “…the one decision that will rally your team behind your mission and put you on the map as an innovative company in direct sales.”

The Direct Selling News article titled “One Decision to $100 Million… and Then Some” can be found at http://directsellingnews.com/index.php/view/one_decision_to_100_million_and_then_some

*MLMLegal.com and its sister websites do not endorse It Works! Global.

www.mlmlegal.com and www.mlmattorney.com offer extensive information on how to achieve success as a direct selling business owner. Our Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Conference is an excellent source of education for startup and existing MLM companies (contact Charity before September 1st to register and receive a discount!). There is also a plethora of information on our blogs, located at http://mlmlegal.com/MLMBlog/ and http://mlmattorney.com/blog/.

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