KNOW HOW TO BE EMPLOYED YOURSELF

Ready to take a stab at entrepreneurship?

1. First, you've got to curb your ego
   "You can't build a successful business if you don't have your priorities straight and ego in check," says Gerber.
   
   While entrepreneurs should be confident, if you go overboard you'll get in your own way
   
   .
2. Keep it simple, stupid
   "If your idea is not simple, you're stupid," says Gerber. "Build a business that is nuts and bolts practical and not complex."
   
   "Create a simplified product or service that sells X product to Y customer for Z profit," he says.
3. Always be prepared for the worst-case scenario (because it will happen)
   "Every decision should be thought through; plan for the worst so you're not caught off guard if it happens," says Gerber.
   
   "Come up with three alternatives for every decision so you've taken all outcomes into consideration," he suggests.
4. Be unoriginal
   "Too many people think they need to reinvent the wheel, but if they do, the wheel will run them over," says Gerber. "Instead, focus on bettering an idea that already exists."
   
   Use creativity to market an unoriginal idea. "Think of the guys who started ," says Gerber. "They put a creative spin on a pre-existing idea. At its core, it's just a junk removal business."
5. Make sure your business isn't a bottomless pit
   "Start a business that is efficient with few monetary demands in the beginning," says Gerber.
   
   For entrepreneurs will minimal resources, Gerber says to start a business around the little cash available. "Your ideas, then, need to be focused on making money. When I started out, I didn't have much at all. I just focused on business ideas that could turn a profit quicker and didn't have many startup costs."
6. Become a brilliant cheapskate
   "If you want to start a business, you need to change the way you spend money," says Gerber.
   
   "Know the difference between a frivolous expense and a necessity that can be bartered, bargained for, or partnered on."
7. Don't partner with just anyone
   Assess if a partnership makes sense before you jump into it.
   
   "Your friends might seem like the best partners, but they might end up slacking off and doing nothing. Or someone who seems great might take you through the ringer later on," says Gerber. "Make sure you evaluate what a partner can bring to the table and make sure it's worth it."
8. Toss the old school business plan
   Gerber is a fan of one paragraph startup plans. Anything longer is not necessary. "Stop thinking you have to write a business plan for investors or dense dissertations. You don't need a traditional plan to be a small business owner," Gerber says.
   
   "Business planning isn't a revenue-generating opportunity. Instead, get started on your business so you can make money as soon as possible."
   
   Gerber recommends writing one paragraph in question and answer format in lieu of a 95-page plan that takes six months to put together. "Don't use business plan software, don't listen to experts -- they're nonsense. All you need to do is organize your thoughts in a way that's good for your business."
9. Phones won't ring themselves
   By this, Gerber means to constantly be marketing your company in new, creative ways.
   
   "Put yourself out into the world. Always be selling yourself without being a used car salesman," he says. "Join groups, network regularly, and find different ways to get your business in front of people."
10. Be afraid
    Be afraid to have never failed. In other words, the idea of not trying should scare you.
    
    "Be afraid to wake up 10, 20, 30 years from now and be pointing your finger at the TV saying, that was my idea!" says Gerber. "What you should never be afraid of is to never get a real job."

Finally, stop listening to your parents and thinking you need to validate your college degree
Most people have dreamt of being their own boss, setting their own hours, and having every minute of work be directly beneficial. According to Gerber, whether you're just graduating college or are already in the workforce, this dream is possible.
"College kids should be starting businesses. They are at the point in their lives where they can scale their livelihoods down, and they have extra time to put in hard work," says Gerber.
"Generation Y: Stop listening to your parents and thinking you need to validate your college degree with a 'real' job," he cautions. "Instead, build your own financial future; use your time wisely now so it will pay dividends when you're older."
For people who already have traditional jobs, it's not too late to start a personal endeavor. "Just take a look around and see that [by working for someone else] you're putting all eggs into one basket that you don't own or hold," says Gerber.
"If you want to secure your financial future regardless of the bad economy, you need to be in control of your own life. That doesn't mean that entrepreneurship is easy, but it allows you to make your own destiny. Every hour of work can be for you -- that's a major change from a 9-5 job."
For more from Scott Gerber, check out "

HOW TO SUCCEED IN NETWORKING MARKET

Part 1 of 3: Finding the Right Company

1. 1
   Investigate companies. Choosing the right company is key to your success. Quick and easy internet searches can usually answer many of the questions you may have. Do some research to determine which company is best for you persOnally. Some questions you should ask yourself when researching companies are:
   

   • How old is the company? Is it well-established or is it just starting out?
   • How are the company's sales? Are they rising or falling?
   • What is the general reputation of the company? Reviews and blogs can usually give you a good idea if the company is reputable or suspicious.
2. 2
   Look up CEO's and other company leaders. Keep the same things in mind as when you investigated companies. Is the company leadership reputable and law-abiding? If company leaders have been accused of carrying out scams or have had legal trouble, you may want to avoid this company.
3. 3
   Investigate the products or service the company sells. Since you'll be responsible for pitching and selling this product, make sure it is reputable. Some MLM companies market questionable or dangerous products, and you could face legal action if you take part. You should keep the following in mind when considering a product:
   

   • Is this product safe?
   • Are the product's claims backed up by legitimate research?
   • Would I use this product?
   • Is this product priced fairly?
4. 4
   Question your recruiter. When you've found a company you're interested in, you'll likely meet with a recruiter or another representative. Be skeptical during the recruitment process. Remember that your sponsor makes more money if you sign on, so he may not be as open with you as he could be. Don't get distracted by promises of how much money you'll make and really think about what you're about to do.
   

   • Ask direct and specific questions. If you find the answer too vague, ask for clarification.
   • Ask exactly what the company will expect of you- how much are you expected to sell? How many people are you expected to recruit? Are you required to take part in training programs?
5. 5
   Read your contract carefully. Don't sign anything right away. Take some time to read over and understand the entire contract. You may even want to consult a lawyer or accountant to make sure you're getting a fair deal and that the company is legitimate.
6. 6
   Watch for red flags. According to the Federal Trade Commission, some businesses posing as MLM companies are actually illegal pyramid schemes. Pyramid schemes scam recruits into buying into a company and almost always result in a loss to the recruit. Some things to look out for are:
   

   

   • If a company makes more money selling products to distributors than to the public.
   • If a company makes more money recruiting members than by selling products.
   • If anything seems wrong to you, don't sign a contract.

DIFFERENT TIPS FOR EARNING IN NETWORKING MARKET

You probably have an image firmly planted in your mind of what network marketing (also known as direct sales or multilevel marketing) is all about--housewives buying and selling Tupperware while gossiping and eating finger sandwiches, or a high-pressure salesperson trying to convince you how easily you can become a millionaire if only you and your friends and their friends and so on would buy and sell vitamins with him.
Both of these images couldn't be further from the reality of network marketing. It's neither a hobby nor a get-rich-scheme but an opportunity for you to earn money running your own part- or full-time business.
But what does it take to succeed in this industry? Vincent J. Kellsey, director of member services for the Direct Selling Women's Allianes

an organization that provides a variety of resources to women and men in the direct-selling industry, offers these tips for making it:
Choose wisely. There are six key elements you should be looking for [when selecting an opportunity]. Number one: stability. How old is the company? Number two is excellent products or services that consumers will use and need more of.
Number three is the pay plan--how even and fair and generous overall is the distribution? This is really crucial as the pay plan represents exactly how you'll get paid--or not get paid. There are really only two questions to ask [regarding this]: How many pennies out of each sales dollar get paid back to the distributors each month, and how fair is the distribution of these pennies between the old members and the new members?
Number four is the integrity of the company and the management. As much as possible, [investigate] the experience of the CEO, [their] experience in the networking market industry, and their background. [Have] they been successful in other companies in the industry? Do they have a good reputation?
Number five is momentum and timing. Look at where the company's at, what's going on with the company, and if it's growing.
Number six is support, training and business systems. You may have [chosen] a great company with excellent management, products that make a difference, a pay plan that's uniquely fair and very generous, and momentum and stability, but if you don't have a system in place that works, all of that [doesn't matter]. Most companies will have a transferable training system that they use, and that's where mentorship comes in.
Practice what they teach. [To succeed,] you need to be willing to listen and learn from mentors. The way this industry is structured, it's in the best interests of the [MLM veterans in your company] to help you succeed, so they're willing to teach you the system. Whatever [your mentor] did to become successful, it's very duplicatible, but you have to be willing to listen and be taught and follow those systems.
The higher-ups. It can be called various things, but the general term is the "upline," meaning the people above you. How supportive are they? Do they call you? Do they help you put a plan in place? Are they as committed to your success as they are to their own? You should be able to relate to [the people in your upline] and be able to call them at any time to say "I need some help." How much support there is from the people above you in the company is very important.
Take up the lead with your downline. There's a term in the network marketing industry called "orphans"--when somebody is brought in and then the person who brought them in is just so busy bringing in other people that they don't spend the time to teach and train [the new person]. You should be prepared to spend at least 30 days helping a new person come into the industry--training them, supporting them and holding their hand until they feel confident to be able to go off on their own. You really need to ask yourself, are you willing to do that? Are you able to do that? This is really about long-term relationship building. It's not about just bringing people into the business and just moving forward. It's about working with these people and helping them to develop relationships.
On the net. People are utilizing [the internet] as their main marketing tool. [You can set up your site] with autoresponders so when you capture leads, the autoresponder can follow up with that person. One of the greatest keys to success in this industry is follow-up. Many people will have someone call them who's interested or they'll call the person and say they're interested, but then they don't follow up with it. Automation on the internet has allowed a much more consistent method of following up.
The only drawback with the internet is people who utilize it to spam. If there was one thing I could put forward to say, "Do not do" when utilizing the internet as a marketing tool, it's spamming because that can give a very bad reputation not only to you but also to the company you're working with.
Taking care of business. This is a business, and just like if you were running a franchise or a storefront, you [should have an] accountant. You have all the same write-offs tax-wise that you have with running a [full-time] business, so it's very important to [do your research] prior to getting involved, before you start making money from it. How is that going to affect you tax-wise? What are your write-offs?
It's important to set up a [support] team around you. I'd suggest seeking out lawyers who deal in network marketing, so they're very versed in all the laws and how that affects [your business.]. There are also accountants who specialize in dealing with homebased businesses specifically in the direct-selling industry.
Don't quit your day job...yet. Never leave your full-time position unless you're absolutely certain that the income that's coming in with this company is going to be there. [Be sure that] you've been with the company [for awhile] and that you know it's a stable company, and the income that you're earning is equal to or greater than the income you're earning from your job before quitting.