In Network Marketing, When Is Enough, Enough?

In Network Marketing, When Is Enough, Enough?

- by Andy Acciaioli

Over the years I have seen many team members spend excessive amounts of money (that they did not have) on their network marketing businesses. They would hold onto the theory that you have to spend money to make money.

In any business model, you establish a budget and operate according to – and constrained by – this budget. Most of we MLMers will shoot from the hip when it comes to spending and anticipate big returns. Unfortunately even a modest return rarely happens in our business. The figure that is kicked around is that 90% of us will make less than $10 a week in profit from our business in spite of the energy and hours we put into it.

If you are in it for the social aspect of meeting with other of your team members, maybe it’s worth it.

However if you are in it to build a business to provide an option for you (and your family), perhaps you should consider other alternatives or even (hate to rattle any cages here, friends) a change in network marketing companies.

When exactly is the right time to pull the plug? When do you decide enough is enough?

The simple answer would be after you have exhausted all efforts to get your business going and it is not working for you. I know that I am not giving you a template as to when you should stay in or get out but that is exactly how it is in this business…nothing is in black and white, we deal in mostly gray areas.

If you have lost faith in your company’s products, services or comp plan and you cannot get re-energized, even after seeking help upline, then maybe that is when you should reconsider. I absolutely am the world’s worse person to get involved with any kind of “lotion or potion” opportunity. Have I ever gotten involved with these networking businesses? Yup. Did I fail miserably at them? Yup. Did I end up emptying 4 cases of juice down the drain because I could not sell them? Yup. Do I know people who are very, very successful at building large “lotion and potion” network marketing organizations? Yup.

I know I am not alone in being involved with some mlm opportunities that I should not have been. As a matter of fact, someone commented on one of my articles that I posted on LinkedIn that he had been a failure at all the network marketing businesses he attempted over a twenty year period…but he went on to promote this new venture he was involved with. At first I was upset at the fact that he was spamming his opportunity in a comment to my article but then a comment by Pete Zdanis appeared under this guy’s comment. Here’s what Pete had to say: “20 years of failure? Hmmm… have you detected any sort of pattern yet?” Good one, Pete. Hysterical but true.

20 years of failure in network marketing? I think that would qualify you to be in the enough is enough column.