How to Choose a Home-Based Internet Business: 5 Simple Steps

Are you overwhelmed with the massive amounts of information you are getting on the Internet about money-making opportunities? Maybe I can help you simplify things because I’ve already slogged through ALL of it in my own search.

Step One: Pick Your Category

Basically, there are three major categories of legitimate home-based Internet business opportunities you can plug into…

Affiliate Marketing: In a nutshell you will have a website that will sell various products directly to the end user for you. Your only involvement is a) setting up your marketing website, b) choosing your products, c) registering as an affiliate, and d) driving MASSIVE traffic to your site. Once you have your site all set up, your job is to become an EXPERT marketer IF you want to make any money. This type of opportunity requires the least interaction between yourself and your customers. Your website and your online marketing tools do all the selling for you. Can you make any serious money? Some people do. It depends upon how great of a marketer you become. IF you do become great at it AND make some serious money – well, you’ve just qualified yourself as a guru and now you have credibility. Time to consider rolling out some “how to” information products of your own!

Consider Affiliate Marketing if you don’t have much money to get started and don’t have time or don’t want to talk to people.

Multi-Level or Network Marketing: These would be your traditional home-based business companies such as Amway, Melaleuca, Herbal Life, Prepaid Legal and Usana that are promoting themselves on the Internet but are not necessarily Internet businesses but become Internet business when they are marketed primarily over the Internet. MLM companies require you to a) sign up as a distributor, usually for a fee that includes a package of start-up materials, b) begin placing monthly orders for products, and c) enroll large amounts of other distributors to do the same through expert marketing. Can you make any real income with MLM? A few become fantastically wealthy, the vast majority of folks spend far more than they ever make. You will have to develop yourself into a true leader and have a lot of patience to pull this off.

Consider MLM if you are looking to build residual income steadily over time, have some money to get started (usually under $500 plus marketing costs), want to consume products on a monthly basis, and are willing to talk to large numbers of people and develop yourself into a leader.

Top Tier Companies: Top tier companies are the newest kid on the block and there are really only about five of them to consider. They are called Top Tier because they market high end products to people who can afford to buy them and to entrepreneurs with the resources to invest in their business. 

Coastal Vacations and Global Resorts Network are travel companies; Liberty League International and LifePath Unlimited are self-development companies, and Wealth Masters International sells financial products. To get involved with a top tier company you would a) enroll as a distributor, b) purchase one or more of the high end products, and c) start direct selling the products to others, keeping a huge commission for yourself with each sale, with exceptional marketing strategies. There is usually an incentive to purchase ALL of the high end products up front but this is not necessary. You can start by purchasing the entry level product and “earn your way” to your purchasing the next product.

Consider top tier companies if you want to make executive level income in the next 90 days or so, have a budget of at least a few grand to get started, and are willing to talk to like-minded people and develop yourself into a leader.

If you are leaning towards a top tier company, and want more information about which top tier company to choose, try www.CitizenCorps.com.

Step Two: Pick the Best Company FOR YOU Within Your Category

Once you’ve decide which category or type of business is going to work best for you, you need to figure out which company within that category is going to be your best fit. How? 

Make a list of all the companies in the category you chose that are attractive to you. Are you health conscious? Choose a company with nutritional products? Like to travel? Find a travel MLM. Want to help people with the medical expenses? Take a look at Ameriplan. Want to help people with legal services? Consider Prepaid Legal.

If you have chosen Affiliate Marketing, you need to decide whose products you are going to sell. This is best done by deciding who you want your target market to be – who do you want your site to sell to? Now choose the affiliate company or companies with the best products for your target market.

Step Three: Choose the Team with the Most Effective Marketing System

Marketing is the key to success on the Internet, outside of your own personal development. You can have the best product and the most awesome comp plan, but if you don’t have an effective marketing system, you are going to go nowhere fast. If the team you are considering does not have a proven and powerful system for generating leads for your business already up and running that you can plug right into, run away.

So, compare marketing systems that are being used by the various teams or organizations within the company you like best. If the marketing system drew you in as a prospect, it will probably work well for you. If possible, show your top choices to some of your friends and get their opinions. Or, join some forums and ask around.

Also, what are they using for lead generation? Are they generating their own leads with their own lead co-op (best) or do you purchase generic biz opp leads and cold call them or put them into your autoresponder (works, but not optimal).

And, finally, will this team teach YOU how to become an effective marketer so you can generate your own leads?

Step Four: Choose Your Mentor and Sponsor

Once you’ve chosen your particular company, and the team with the marketing system you like best – you now have to choose WHO you are going to sign up with. This is particularly important with MLM or Top Tier companies. Your mentor should a) be accessible, b) be committed, and c) be a leader or developing into one.

They need to be accessible because you want someone who will answer the phone when you call, or call you right back, so you can get your questions answered quickly so you can keep moving forward. Aspiring entrepreneurs are naturally attracted to mentors who have established themselves as leaders but it could be a mistake to flock directly to the biggest, most prominent one. Why? Because they are so successful that they probably won’t have much personal time for you – they tend to do their training on a mass level. Find someone on the guru’s team closer to your own level, who has time for you, but still knows the ropes so to speak.

They need to be committed because you don’t want your mentor jumping ship before you have gained confidence in yourself. Nor will it be good for your business if your mentor jumps ship or quits because some of your team might get discouraged or decide to follow them. In fact, there are some unscrupulous MLM leaders who make a regular practice of cashing in by jumping ship on a regular basis and taking their group of followers with them. So beware!

And finally, your mentor needs to be a leader – someone who can confidently handle 3-way calls to your prospects for you and can answer your questions. If your direct sponsor isn’t quite the leader you want them to be yet, find out if you have direct and immediate access to their upline. Talk to their upline. Ask them if they could mentor you while your immediate sponsor works on developing into a leader. Either way will work: your direct sponsor or your direct sponsor’s upline needs to be able to provide you with the one-on-one support and training you need to build your business.

Step Five: Get Started!

What are you waiting for? You will never achieve your goals if you don’t take action. If you simply know you want to do something but don’t know which Internet business to choose yet, perhaps start by learning and developing yourself into a marketer. You are going to have to market no matter what – so start learning everything you can about marketing. You will have a HUGE head start when you do find the perfect opportunity.