"The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals." ~ Melody Beattie

How significant is it to let the people who know, like, and trust us in on our new business venture?   If someone were opening a new restaurant, book store, tanning salon or any other traditional business would they keep it a secret from all their friends and family until they were having success and making money?  


Just imagine a new restaurateur who invest a lot of money and time in getting their new restaurant ready to open and then they sit and wait to have success before they decide to open the door for business?   This would be ludacrious wouldn't it?  If they did they'd be out of business before they even opened their doors.   In fact, they would most likely have a grand opening, ribbon cutting ceremony to announce their new business to not only their friends and family but to the entire community.

What's so different about starting a Network Marketing business?  Why keep it a secret from the people we know and who know us?   It's usually because of a mindset or stigma that a person has towards this particular business model.    In fact, many people when starting their network marketing business really do not treat it like a real business so in their mind it's not a real business and they may be embarrassed to share it with their friends and family for fear of rejection or what they may think of them for being in one of those pyramid schemes, when in fact, we know Network Marketing is a legitimate business model that's been going strong for 60 years.  Why else would business experts like Robert Kiyosaki, Donald Trump and Warren Buffet highly recommend the Network Marketing/Direct Sells industry and in fact, the latter two actually own this type of business.

It's also a good idea to send an announcement out to family, friends and community inviting them to a business grand opening with absolutely no pressure at all to buy products or sign up in a business.  Be sure to never ambush friends and family by inviting them over for a bar-be-que only to see a display of products set up while you pull out a DVD all of a sudden for them to watch a presentation on Network Marketing.  Let them know ahead of time that this is a new business grand opening and you'd like their help in spreading the word and would appreciate their referrals.   You might offer them free product for their referrals and better yet, company's like mine offer free products anytime we refer someone and they buy product. 

The World Wide Web has made connecting with people much easier too.  Now with technology and tools like Skype, which allow us to speak with people all over the world, and Facebook, those connections are at right our fingertips.   The Internet has made it possible to build a national and an international business right from the comfort of our home or from a laptop at the beach.  Network Marketing is a portable business with no geographic limitations.  A person can be in business with a computer and a telephone.

In a 21st Century home business a lot more people can be reached effectively through using the Internet as a valuable marketing tool combined with the telephone to sift and sort through people swiftly and affordably.   

Combine the Internet with local marketing and hit a home run! 


Sue is a Network Marketing professional and business owner who has been networking, connecting and building relationships online since 1996.  She has created a full time career in Network Marketing and lives at Lake Travis in Austin Texas with her husband and two sons.  Co-author of the Direct Selling Women's Alliance book ?Build It Big' - 101 Insider Secrets from Top Direct Selling Experts & trainer on their Mentored by the Master Series CD and contributing writer for The Network Marketing Business Journal, Home Business Magazine and TheNetworkMarketingMagazine.com.  She is passionate about helping others to achieve success in their business and interested in health/wellness/fitness and living a gluten free lifestyle.  Visit Sue at - http://www.sueseward.com