Today, I’d like to educate you about when to join a network marketing company.
You have lots of options in our industry. There are currently more than 1,000 different MLM Companies to choose from. Some are good, others are okay, and a few are exceptional.
What company you choose and when to join a network marketing company are personal decisions. What works for one person might not work for someone else. It’s important to find a company that aligns with your goals, personality, values, and risk level.
You can make money (or lose money) in any MLM Company, whether it is ground floor, relatively new, or older and stable.
No matter what type of company you join, or when you do it, your success will require a burning desire, special skills, hard work, perseverance, and a lasting commitment. There is no “EASY” company to build or shortcut to success. Trust me, I’ve looked.
In the paragraphs below, I will discuss your different options and discuss when to join a network marketing company.
As a quick disclaimer, this is just my opinion. We can agree to disagree.
When to Join a Network Marketing Company
Before I tell you when to join a network marketing company, remember this. You need to find a company you love. You want a product line that excites you. You want a company with a good reputation, sound company leadership, a fair and balanced compensation plan, and systems and training in place. If the products don’t make sense, neither does the business!
I recommend you pick the TYPE of product line you want to promote and then look for a company based on the information I share in the next few paragraphs.
The Biggest Opportunity: Ground Floor Opportunities
The biggest opportunity is ALWAYS with a ground floor opportunity. Get in early, real early, before anyone else knows about it. Be one of the first 10,000 to 20,000 members.
Of course, it’s not just about getting in early. You still must do the work, retail products, recruit distributors, and build your team.
While the opportunity is HUGE, the risk is also HUGE. Most new businesses of any kind fail within the first few years. Our industry is no different. The likelihood that the new “ground floor” opportunity you are promoting will still be around in five years is quite slim. It’s possible, but highly unlikely.
There are always MLM Companies going out of business and new ones popping up. Day after day after day….
Yes, you can make millions in a ground floor opportunity, but you are also betting on a company with an unproven track record. If you can accept the “HIGH RISK” of potentially having your company shut down a few years from now, after you’ve put in the work and built a big team, I’d say go for it.
If that scares you, you have other options.
The Safest Best: Established MLM Companies
The safest best is to join an established MLM Company that has been around 20+ years and has proven it is here to stay. There are anywhere from 50 to 100 companies in our industry that fit this bill, maybe even a few more.
What’s good about established MLM Companies is you know there is a high likelihood the company will not go out of business anytime soon. It’s proven and stable.
The drawback is that the opportunity is saturated. Most people know about the company and have preconceived notions about the company. Plus, the company is normally past its momentum and critical growth phases.
In most cases, the top earners are the people who joined the company BEFORE or during the momentum phase, with few exceptions.
Partnering with an established MLM Company might be a slower build than a ground floor opportunity, but it is stable and less risky.
If you join an established MLM Company, you can sleep well at night knowing your company is here to stay!
The Middle Ground: Young Companies
The middle ground, for someone who doesn’t like high risk, or something that is a household name, is to join a company that is five to ten years old and is doing $30 to $50 million per year in annual sales. These companies are normally in the growth phase but are not saturated yet.
They have good leadership, a good track record, but are still young and relatively unknown.
These companies aren’t sexy like ground floor opportunities, but they are still lucrative. They’ve worked out the kinks, have a great leadership team in place, are a proven concept, and have an infrastructure to support future growth.
My Choice
In my own experience, I believe the best time to join a MLM Company is when it is at least two to three years old and is doing $30 million or less per year in sales.
That way the company survived the early stages, has had some proven growth, and is moving in the right direction.
It’s not in momentum yet, but the company has proven itself and survived the first few years.
What Others Are Saying
With 100s of network marketing companies to choose from, it is really important that you take the time to do your research. Not all network marketing companies will succeed or even stick around for you to have a stable, growing business. A whopping 90% of companies actually fail within the first 2 years (The Balances MB).
So it is definitely worth looking at how long the company has been around for, ensuring they have a good reputation and are a trusted company. You also need to consider what they are selling and whether these are high-quality products.
Whatever product a network marketing company has to offer needs to be consumable. Simply put, this just means that once your products are used, your customers will buy them again. For example, say you sell shampoo. Your customers use the shampoo to wash their hair and once it runs out, they will need to buy it from you again.
Is there a need for the products you are selling?
This is a pretty important point to consider. A network marketing company will collapse if people do not have a need for the products they are selling. Using the above example, everyone who has hair needs shampoo to wash and maintain hygiene. So there will be a continuous market to sell this product to.
Though not quite as important, but I think worth mentioning, you need to consider how BIG you want to grow your business.
Is the company just based within your home country or are their opportunities to grow your business on a global level? Many successful companies have grown substantially and have launched into countries around the world. This then enables network marketers to grow their own business globally within these countries.
For example, if your company is in America, the UK and Australia, you would be able to build your business with customers and clients within all three of these countries. With the growth of social media and easy access to the internet, many network marketers are doing just that, growing their business globally through social media. ~ Caiteelizabeth.com
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, these are my thoughts about when to join a network marketing company. I’d love to hear from you. When do you think is the right time to join a network marketing company? Leave a comment below to let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing from you.
Suggested Reading
- Join My Team
- How to Evaluate a MLM Company
- Should You Join a Ground Floor Opportunity?
- Top MLM Trainers of All Time
You should check out these two books on Amazon. Building an Empire by Brian Carruthers and Go Pro by Eric Worre. These books will teach you the skills you need to succeed in our industry, regardless of which company you choose.
Chuck Holmes
20+ Year Network Marketing Professional
Top Earner & Top Recruiter
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
P.S. Learn how to grow a successful network marketing business. Secret tips, training, and practical ideas. Free training delivered by email.
I have been in a handful of MLM companies over the last 18 years. I have joined them at every time you spoke about. My current company I joined when they were barely 3 years in. So far it has been the best MLM I have been a part of. I have personally seen the most success, and have some of the best leadership, and mentors I have ever experienced. While my current company had been great for me, obviously if someone is interested in a certain category of products, they should go where they will feel the best about what they are doing.
I’m glad you are having success with your current company, Jessica. Yes, it’s important to find a company that resonates with you, and a product line you are passionate about.