DEATH to Old School Home Based Business Practices - Avoiding Being A GUMP

Many people want to believe that the path to success, fame, and fortune is somehow fast, easy, pain free, and risk free. How can you blame them for feeling that way? They cruise around the net, reading website after website of how to make 5 figures per month doing next to nothing. The testimonials all say the same thing ... "I went from rags to riches with this System, Product, etc". Unrealistic expectations are one of the main culprits for failure in the industry. You see, many of these people raving about making 5 figures per month are doing it at the expense of ... "Good Unsuspecting Money People" or Gumps.

Are you a gump? Here's how to find out.

As you look at opportunity after opportunity, do you find yourself feeling like ... "yeah this one is a no-miss, the website really sucked me in", or "I talked to this guy after looking at his website and he said it's so easy to make money in the business", or "yeah they have this killer system that does all of the work for me". Stop right there. If you think any of this stuff, you are a Gump, and you are exactly who these people prey on. Not to worry though, the truth is about to be exposed to you, by someone that knows.

All you have to do is look at the compensation plans and if there is any "passing up of sales", or some tricky price point that is 100% profit because you will be getting re-sale rights to a bunch of "Marketing and Training Tools", that you then can go out an re-sell.

Ever heard of gifting? That's when you receive a letter in the mail, and it says there's this group that just hands money around. You give me money, I give you a few addresses to mail, you get some more, and the letter, and you get people to do the same. I receive these letter now all of the time, as somehow I got on the mailing lists these people circulate around.

Typically these people want you to send cash (as in greenbacks) so there is no trace. Did you also know the average life expectancy of these chain letter type schemes is 2-4 months. So if you get in that game, you are always shopping for the new one.

And did you also know that the whole gifting thing is Illegal, and has been ruled an illegal investment scheme by many governing agencies including the SEC.

So now, on the net you have all of these "business opportunities" that are really the same thing, just the are dressed up like a pig with a skirt and lipstick.

All you have to do to answer the question of is what you are going to get into a Gump or money hunt is the following question ... "Would I buy this product or service, at the asking price, off the shelf at Wal-Mart, or any other retail store?".

You see what you are really looking for to make long term and predictable life changing income is a business that starts by telling the truth, then provides the solutions for mastering those truths. There are a few out there that would fall into this category, and the tell tale sign is ... money back guarantees longer than 72 hours, physical product shipment, and compensation plans that reward you for helping people, not just taking their money.

You see if you get involved with a 1/2/5 up program, once you are finished with your pass up sales, what incentive does your up line have to pick of the phone and help you? Absolutely none.

Yes these types of businesses promise riches yet deliver little or no tangible value, and leave a wake of bones, damaged people, and dashed dreams in their wake. Further damaging the credibility of the industry.

In this author's opinion, any time someone can get into free enterprise, succeed, and leave the life of dependence we all have been so systematically brainwashed to accept (it's called a job), it's a win. Unless ... that prosperity happens at the expense of others who received no value for their money.

The only way to be sure that your prosperity doesn't happen at the expense of others is to get involved with something that rewards you for building a team and community for the long haul; something that offers real products that by themselves provide unique and high value; and you as the leader giving back to your team in the form of mentoring and sharing your secrets.

Not everyone is cut out for free enterprise. In fact most people fail because they never get started. The next group of failures are caused by lack of commitment of the new entrepreneur to learn new skills and grow personally, not putting in the time to make your results happen, and expecting others or a System to do it all for you.

If you start a home based business, mlm, direct sales, or network marketing business, you have to be joining with the complete understanding that building prosperity is a long term endeavor that is centered around helping others achieve results as well as yourself. If you start "just for the money", and that immediate outcome is your only definition of success, then it is more likely than not that you will not get what you want.

If you are getting started, know this truth ... you will have to learn many new things, and be committed long term to creating your own results, and helping others achieve results. Having a great up line and mentor can make this whole process easier, but it's still not easy. If it was, everyone who starts a networking business would be a millionaire.

If you fall for the idea that a System, website, scheme, call center, or any 3rd party is going to make you wealthy, you are exactly the Gump that these businesses thrive on.

There are some legitimate opportunities out there, and more importantly many legitimate people working in these opportunities. You have to be careful though as I am about to show you.

Here is the subject line of an email I received last week (email address removed)

Subject: I refuse to deliver zero value

I checked it out, and went back and forth in debate with this person. She is a top earner in a direct sales program that professes to be creating 100 millionaires in the next 5 years. Here's some excerpts from that email ...

"As for products. Yes, what you get for your money is important. But get real. You're a smart guy. You know exactly what most folks care about in our industry. If a prospect calls me and is a little on the rude side and asks me what products are we selling ... This is what I tell him: "what do you care (originally in all caps shouting)! As long as it's legal and you can make big bucks", what do you care (originally in all caps shouting)!" In other words, if I go to the store looking for a 1/4" drill bit, I could care less about the drill bit. I want a 1/4" hole. That's the same thing about our industry. Probably 99% of the prospects could care less about the drill bit, they want to make the money. If they tell me otherwise, they're lying, plain and simple."

Wow I thought reading that. So here's a big name "top tier model" program, and this is what the top marketers really think of you, the gump. Ultimately making money is what owning a business is all about, yet how you make it and at who's expense goes to who you are going to become, which directly influences your success chances.

Unfortunately, I have encountered this over and over and over. Maybe I'm the idealist. I've only been in home business direct sales for 2 1/2 years, and delivering value was always my top priority; and the key value my clients need is education and support to learn how to make money in the business.

So what do the "new arena" thinkers and doers think and do. They help their new clients to learn the life skills necessary for success. And those people also are positioned in opportunities that create the environment through comp plans, communities, and support that add real value to a product line that is truly legitimate.

You know the old cliche ... "if it sounds too good then it probably is". Success requires mastering certain truths, and it's no walk in the park, ever. Certainly not at first. And if you can find the right thing for you, you can make serious money and help lots of people and sleep at night and look in the mirror and like what you see.

You have choices. Do take action, be cautious, do your due dilligence and choose wisely.