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We've all seen folks with rooms full of antique artwork, cars, toys, coins, clocks and what have you. Antique barber chairs however, aren't as common as the other collectibles. It's not that the chairs are only for those involved in the barber shop or salon business. Sure, they are more likely to collect them, but these antique pieces are generally for anyone who can sit on a chair. They can be used as display pieces in a spa or in tattoo shops. They can also serve as leisure seats during idle moments. For savvy investors, they could be worthy investments. Whatever the purpose, these chairs are certainly worth talking about.

Barber chairs began in Rome in 296 B.C. Back then, barber shops were places for gossip. A variety of information have been exchanged in these establishments. Want to know the latest trend? Having second thoughts on a certain politician? There's only one place to find answers. If one needed to know the talk of the town, there was no better place to go but a barber shop. Apparently, barber shops were like taxi drivers in modern times. They are good sources of information.

During the Roman times, these chairs were designed luxuriously as if the one sitting on them was a member of royalty. These days, barber chairs are more tailored to functionality rather than design. We now have styles with adjustable footrests and removable headrests for comfort. We also have models with reclining back rests and powered by hydraulics for convenience.

Koken chairs are one of the most popular antique barber chairs among collectors. The Koken Barber's Supply Co. based in St. Louis manufactured them during the late 1800's, and they were regarded as groundbreaking at that time due to their hydraulic design. German-born Ernest Koken was the owner of the business and is also the inventor the design. The company went out of business in the fifties and was acquired by its competitor, Takara Belmont roughly ten years later. Kokens are highly sought after because of their elegant design and exceptional quality. It's no wonder that they've made it through the years. Depending on the condition, a restored piece can sell for several thousand dollars.

The barber's chair has since become a unique piece that we see in shops, spas and salons today. It is often used as a display in museums, specialty shops, pawn shops and in homes of private collectors. Then again, it is a great conversation piece. They have become a symbol of comfort and chatter.

One of the ways I know I need to change is when I find myself thinking thoughts in a certain way for an extended time, or I think pretty much the same types of thoughts over and over, but none of this thought activity moves me forward or causes me to feel the way I desire to. This is especially true when it involves another person's behaviors that I feel a challenge, contrast, or conflict with, and wish they'd change so I could feel better. What about you? What do you do that leads you to see the most obvious and first change to make is in you?

One of the first things we could, should, or would change is our thoughts; and fortunately for us, since we're the only ones who have them, we can address them. That random thoughts will happen spontaneously is a given. Trying to control or stop this fact is a waste of time. But you can transmute thoughts, that is redirect them, once they happen, which takes practice.

However, it's important that you distinguish between thought contemplation based in a genuine desire to solve, resolve, or improve and negatively dwelling on or harping on a matter, the latter being a thought activity that will never get you to where you want to be: peaceful, no matter what.

You're going to interact with, or live with, people whose behaviors could be improved; and others will feel the same about you. When someone's behavior triggers you out of your serenity and joy, your quickest way back to those feelings is to change something in or about you, starting with your attitude, mindset, or perspective, and followed by constructive or productive words and/or actions, or even appropriate silence and inaction at times.

You could say a good goal is to stay in peace and in trust in the Universe (though, this is more than a mere goal, it's a desirable way to be); but the words "stay in" puts you on the spot: Who can stay in that mindset all the time? However, as I said a moment ago about thoughts, you can transmute and redirect negative energies that surface in you, which will take practice. And this is a worthy practice because your peace and trust in the Universe are the fastest pathways for the Universe to rebalance what you perceive as having gone off-center in you and your life, in accordance with how Law of Attraction is designed to work, and does.

It's not always necessarily a simple matter to return to peace and trust once triggered by someone or an event, but it is doable. What is also doable is to practice peace and trust in the Universe before you're triggered. It's like that old saying, "A stitch in time saves nine." If you practice on smaller annoyances, you begin to fine-tune yourself for if or when larger ones come along. None of this means you deny, suppress, or never share what you feel; it's about what you do with and about your emotions that surface as a result of your feelings, and your beliefs.

When you think about seeking or having peace, you may think of a quiet place like an isolated beach or an ashram, or a walk in nature, or eliminating every annoying person or matter from your life. However, there are other ways to seek and create peace that we may not as readily think about: assessing and modifying some of our behaviors. Here are some general behaviors some may want to look at:

-Any of your behaviors that consistently trigger or annoy someone or a number of others in a not-good way.

-What you say and/or do in a consistent manner that doesn't cause you to feel good or better about yourself, others, and any aspect of your life or life in general.

-You're always, nearly always, or far too often for your own good, in a negative mood or mindset.

-You consider yourself superior to all or certain others, which always results in your mistreatment of them, and their subsequent mistreatment of you.

-You expect and wait for anyone or anything to change, to please your ego-based needs and desires, before you feel good or happy. Note: I'm addressing ego-based needs here, not realistic or practical needs, or behavior anomalies that require real internal or external adjustment for the well-being of those involved.

-You consistently practice negative levels of gossip or complaining (which is not the same as productive venting to an appropriate listener).

-You're free with criticism and opinions, whether or not you're asked for these, and deliver them in ways that are non-supportive and don't encourage the understanding, illumination, or improvement you desire.

-You get angry fast and often, and "go in with gloves on" rather than pick your battles, and pick a more appropriate time to address them.

-You practice payback or revenge.

-You practice unusual, non-productive, or harmful levels of self-condemnation.

-You base your self-worth on anyone or anything external to you, and forget or ignore that you are an expression of the Universe.

-You believe you have to do everything about or in your life, and don't include the Universe as your partner.

What you see in the above list are behaviors or practices that, if we changed or adjusted enough to not do them or not do them the same way or as often as we do, we would experience more peace. There are two ways to seek peace: where you receive (like sitting on a quiet beach or having a serene hour alone or getting a massage) and where you give yourself and others a more pleasant, peaceful experience by modifying your own behaviors that don't serve you (or them) in a good way. These are changes you can assess the need for then follow through on with practice.

We all deal with the need or necessity of change differently, especially when it's a change in us that's needed. Here are some very generalized descriptions of how five behavior types may approach a need for change.

1. Aggressive types will use coercion, force, verbal abuse, and/or physical abuse against others. But, they won't necessarily recognize their aggressions as such; or if they do recognize them, they may decide they are justified. They may think this is the way to get things done the way they want them to be done: the end justifies the means. They believe little to nothing needs to change about them.

2. Passive-Aggressive types will resist doing what they need to do or what others need or ask them to do, especially if the request is demanding or authoritative. They may toss out "zinger" statements to make someone feel guilty because they are uncomfortable speaking their truth in a better way. They believe guilt will show (or force) others the errors of their ways; and they'll mope and sulk until the change they desire is obvious and consistent. They control others, or attempt to, by making them feel at fault for how unhappy they feel.

3. Passive types will fold their energy up like a telescope, and offer no resistance. They suppress the bad feelings they have, but they have them in spades. Passivity, though, lasts for only so long before the person opts for another behavior to release the pressure that's built up. This is because they are not actually easy-going (a very different mindset), but one of the other types above in disguise.

4. Assertive types look for ways to collaborate or compromise. They speak out and they listen to what others have to say. They're ready to take needed action, and take it. As long as they don't cross over into aggressive behaviors, they stay in the "assertive" zone. They do what they can to accomplish what they set out to do, and often feel confident about decision-making. They tend to encourage, guide, or mentor others.

5. Spiritual types observe what's going on. They ask themselves and/or the Universe for right questions then seek and ask right questions of others. They ask and trust the Universe to show others, as well as themselves, adjustments that need to be or could be made, rather than charging into battle about matters. Their mantra for more complicated circumstances (and life) is, "I may not know how or when this will be taken care of, but I know the Universe is working on it." They pay attention to signals from the Universe about how and when they should take certain actions. They mostly stay in, or return to, peace and trust more easily, based on experience and lots of practice. They tend to be more easy-going than other types because of this.

The first three types above are examples of unskillful behaviors, which can be transmuted into skillful ones with guidance and practice. And all five types have "shades," as well as "flavors" of skilled and unskilled aspects. Also, under certain circumstances, any of us might display behaviors from the five types: we may desire to be skillful at all times, but find this isn't always the case. But with practice, we can always improve our ratio of skillful-to-unskillful behaviors.

When we don't observe our own behaviors through the appropriate lens, we miss opportunities to choose ways to have and be the feelings we desire most. Look back at the list of behaviors to consider, and perhaps add your own. Look back at the five behavior types and see which one is your current predominant style and which one you'd prefer to be your predominant style. Be honest, and kind, with yourself as you do this. Always aim at making choices that keep you in integrity and encourage you to do your best and feel your best in any given moment, even if you slip or trip up first. It's a good practice, one you'll appreciate.

Practice makes progress.

© Joyce Shafer

You are welcome to use this article in your newsletter or on your blog/website as long as you use my complete bio with it.

If you have spent much time thumbing through the newspaper you will find that "AP" is tagged on almost every photo or on every story. The AP refers to the pool of information and photos that has morphed "the world's largest newsgathering" known as the Associated Press. If you understand the Associated Press, you realize the value of getting your information publicized by them and placed in their collection of information. We will look at the value in Associated Press distribution by way of encouraging you to pursue seeking publication with the AP.

1. The world has access to you. You and your business are worth knowing about, right? What better place to advertise for you than the world's largest gathering of journalists and photographers? The Associated Press has a worldwide presence and to have your news published by them is hitting the public relations jackpot.

2. Rapidly elevating publicity. Not only does the world have access to you but the AP elevates that access quickly. If your news release is seen as significant and the Associated Press seeks to publish your news, you have just tapped into 1,400 different news agencies. Can you feel the gravity of that publicity? You have bridged networks that could take lifetimes to accomplish independently and you have bridged them in hours, days or months. If you release news and that news is published through Associated Press distribution, you will have a streamlined flow of publicity for your company that reaches the corners of the earth.

3. It is free! There are no charges to submit a news release to the Associated Press. In fact, there are even local regions that you can submit your information through and have it elevated by the AP all for free. The only thing you need to do is determine which regional desk to send it to and fire away (check the "Contact Us" page of ap.org).

4. It is an honor to have your work displayed by the AP. For those whose field of work involves videography or photography, having a piece of their portfolio published by the AP can be advantageous for your career.

It is not a coincidence that Pulitzer Prize winners have been AP photographers and journalists. The world senses that what the AP reports is accurate and real. To have your work endorsed by the AP gives you their stamp of approval and consequently a piece of their legacy.

5. Credibility. To have your news published with the AP is to have a level of credibility added to your work. If you are a small business, there is an added sense of legitimacy. If you are a big business, there is an added sense of accountability and transparency.

The AP takes seriously its reporting and is not in the business of entertaining the latest gossip and rumor mill. It is a historic society of people who value accuracy in world events and have no time for fallacious and inflated stories. Therefore, to have the AP publish your news is to have them grant you the credibility your business will appreciate.

There are probably another two-dozen ways in which the Associated Press Distribution would benefit your business but the intent it to get you thinking in that direction. If you are seeking to get the publicity you desire and the credibility you demand, diligently seek to release your news to the AP, your business can only benefit from AP distribution.

Social media marketing is a specialised field, but that does not mean that the principles and common sense used in a good marketing strategy need to fly out of the window. Although a social media marketing campaign can appear to be low or no-cost apart from the time involved, this is not the case. Using the wrong platforms, getting the tone of the campaign wrong or attracting the wrong sort of content can all cause costly damage to the brand.

There is a lot to consider - here are some ideas and examples of how customers might use the social sites.

Which sites should be targeted?

Eschewing the obvious answer 'as many as possible' - consider what happens on social sites, who uses them and how they come and go.

Social media sites can grow rapidly - and drop out of fashion just as rapidly. The old 'usenet' groups now have very few users, but fifteen years ago when they were the only practical method of online discussion and communication they were extremely popular. The newer social networking sites have also waxed and waned. Myspace.com is a good example - down from fifty million users to twenty million in the space of one year (December 2010 - December 2011). Meanwhile Tumblr and Pinterest are growing - the rate of increase is slower than the drop shown by other sites, but steady. Pinterest has been described as 'Facebook without the complaining' and could well be the next 'go-to' social site. It allows images, videos, blogs, 'likes' and links to the other social networks, and is attracting attention for this 'one-stop shop' capability.

Consider also the time spent by users on social sites, rather than the number of individual visits. A short visit may count towards the access statistics, but is of less use to the brand than a longer visit where the consumer is far more likely to be reading the content, engaging with it and (hopefully) planning to spend some money.

For 'time per visit' Facebook is currently well ahead of the others. As most Facebook users will know, it can be addictive, leading users around their friends and to the sites that their friends have 'liked', and it is a good place to make hours disappear! However as Pinterest and Instagram grow in volume, and become more integrated, the time spent on these sites per visit is also rising.

For sheer volume, Twitter is the leader with billions of Tweets. Of course volume is not all - analysis of the contents of tweets produces the statistic that well over 45% are what was uncharitably categorised as 'pointless babble' - items such as 'what do I have for dinner?', 'just fell over' or 'very drunk now'. However Twitter has moved rapidly into everyday life and language, and the short hashtags and ease of use makes it ideal for an audience on the move.

How does your target audience use the social media sites?

Think for a moment about how you use the various social sites, and how the people that you know use them. There are an infinite number of possible profiles, and gathering information about how your customers see you is one of the key inputs to your social media marketing plan.

Here are some examples of varying online behaviors among a small group.

1) Someone aged 35-45 with a job in engineering or government IT. This person keeps their personal and professional lives separate, and limits their online presence due to concerns about security. They may not be using social media on a mobile device. Their usage pattern might be:

- Facebook for friends and family, for chatter, for keeping in touch

- LinkedIn for professional contacts, current resumé and job hunting

- Flickr for sharing photos

2) Someone in the 25-30 age bracket with a job in new media. This person uses mobile devices, likes to be constantly in touch and frequently updates their profile and information. They use:

- LinkedIn for job hunting

- YouTube to showcase their work, and to comment on the work of others

- Twitter for frequent tweets and following other users

- Facebook - for posts, photographs

- A blog on WordPress, linked to their other profiles

3) A 22 year old just starting up their own business, for example in cake decorating or fashion. This person does not have many 'real world' contacts yet, and so is leveraging a large network of 'online friends' to try to kickstart the business. They will be a frequent mobile user and will be relying on images to attract customers. They use:

- A Facebook group for advertising to friends and contacts, plus their own personal page

- An active Pinterest page, showcasing the cakes or fashion items

- Postings on Instagram

- Twitter for spare time, celebrity gossip and news

These are just a few permutations - but even this small sample shows that a social media marketing campaign needs to be carefully tailored for the target group. For instance, they all use Facebook but they will check it with different frequencies and for different times. In addition, some may screen out or be irritated by advertising, while others will follow it.

What should be considered for multi-site updates?

The social media sites provide useful tools to link up profiles, lessening the work required to have a presence on several sites, but updates still need to be tailored. For example, the short posting needed for Twitter will seem too abrupt on Facebook, and Pinterest needs an attractive, eye-catching image as well as text.

The tone of the postings or tweets will also need to be tailored to the audience. While there is no need for 'txt-speak', mirroring the language and concepts used by the target audience is always a way for a brand to build friends. For an international site, the use of American or British English will be relevant - many such sites offer a choice after detecting the location of the user. Sites aimed at non-English speakers should also offer multilingual postings.

How can I measure results?

There are many tools available to monitor social media marketing. Just like the sites themselves the tools come and go, but the current leader among the free tools is Google Analytics.Web traffic analysis and monitoring has come a long way since the early days of simple visitor counts. It is now possible to track exact paths through the site, time on each page, conversion rates, use of mobile platforms and dozens of other metrics. Your main problem may be making sense of the data - this is where you will need to acquire or hire in some social media marketing experience.

I got an email from a old colleague yesterday. He said, "Hanging in cubes doing finance must seem like ages ago!"

It took me back. The days when I used to walk hallways with manila folders, attend board meetings, and participate in office gossip and politics. The days of being told that rather than be myself, my behaviors needed to match and fit into the company's "values" and "traits". The days of in-house faulty reporting systems, emailing with financial assistants in India, and term sheet reading for the commute home.

I remember one day talking with another young women colleague outside her cubicle - we were working on a deal that was financing a cosmetic company. The company was started by a young women about our age and her company was now asking for hundreds of millions in funding to expand the business.

Both of us were like - Why didn't we go that route? Do something fun and creative and live a prosperous life?

Instead, we were stuck in cubicles pushing papers for the big players in life.

Deep down there was a part of me that always felt I was supposed to play big. But the voice in my head would say "Who am I?" Who am I to do something different, creative, make a difference, live an abundant lifestyle?

My parents after all came from country farms in Ireland. They immigrated to the States for more opportunity and to be able to provide us with greater education and ultimately, better job opportunities.

In the most loving way, the opportunities they dreamed for us looked like stable, secure, well-paying jobs with benefits and pensions.

Who was I to shoot for something more?

Throughout the years in the deepest part of me, I knew I had the ability to do something BIG. Have a big impact. Change the world somehow. Call me a dreamer, but it's always been in me.

This year my visions got even bigger. More money, more love, more travel, more students, more readers.

Yes, the last few years I've had a pretty big amazing life - Traveling around the world, completely changing my life's work, living abroad - it's not something everyone gets to do, or even wants to do. Some people just want the simple, secure, traditional path. That's awesome. There's nothing wrong with that. But it's not me.

I'm talking about stepping it up a notch. Listening deep down to the message you have to share with the world. Starting a blog. Or your own biz. Traveling to a country you've never been and staying awhile. Having the most wild romantic love affair that lasts. Actually believing you can make (and deserve to make) as much money as you wish to have.

If you're anything like me there's doubt. Almost always. I'm not immune. I have to work at it. There is still a voice in my head that says that I have to financially struggle. That life is tough. It's hard to find a good man and true love. That writing a book is daunting. That I can't write. And who am I to write a book anyway?

But these are all mental patterns that keep us stuck playing small. Notice them. Challenge them.

So, I digress. Back to the old colleague and his email to me - He said he resigns to his passions in his free time in the burbs. He said even though he's stayed in the traditional job path he's always had the feeling that there had to be more.

He's right. There is more. For some people, the traditional job is good enough. But for many of us, probably you who is still reading, you know there's more. More opportunity for adventure, love, happiness, wealth, and purpose. So, what are you waiting for?

It's time.

Step in.

Play big.

2013 is a year of harsh change for the tech industry. We have just experienced 5 years of rapid, untidy and troublesome innovation, and mobile phones and tables aren't the future any more -- they are the present.

Effective mobile products linked to broadband-speed cell systems are actually a day to day reality, and it will take bigger screen or faster processor to create an effect this year. Consider 2013 as the year of refinement and reckoning.

Listed here are five large developments to keep close track of:

1. The outlook of Microsoft

Microsoft continues to be very candid about "missing an generation" of mobile innovation after Apple introduced the apple iPhone, and 2012 involved a furious catch-up effort: the company released the completely rethought Home windows 8 for Computers, Home windows RT for tablets and Home windows Phone 8 for mobile phones. Boss Steve Ballmer also repositioned Microsoft as Bing a "products and services" company and he introduced the Surface Tablets, both created by Microsoft itself to contend with traditional PC companies for example Dell and Sony.

That's lots of bold bets, and everyone has to repay in 2013. Laptop Computer era has ended, and Microsoft needs to show customers it's something to provide inside a world centered by tablets and mobile phones. Home windows 8 and Surface sales have been slow to date, so we'll observe how the company does. There's one all-but-guaranteed bright spot though: a brand new Xbox 360 will be introduced this year.

2. Can Apple get its software mojo back?

Apple found success this year by presenting an apple iPhone having a bigger screen as well as an iPad having a more compact screen, but it has to pay attention to software in 2013 to stand above its competition.

Apple Boss Tim Prepare has released two apple iPhones since overtaking for Jobs, and each of them have include buggy, incomplete flagship software features -- the apple iPhone 4S released using the charming-but-not-so-helpful Siri voice assistant, and also the apple iPhone 5 released having a homegrown Maps application so buggy that Tim had to apologize to clients.

Meanwhile, archival Google has started shipping the best apple iPhone applications around -- I have changed the majority of Apple's applications on my small apple iPhone homescreen with Google-built substitutes for example Gmail, Google Maps, Chrome and YouTube. The majority of my peers in the market did exactly the same. That's a bad sign.

Cook just fired Scott Forstall, the questionable mind of iOS development who presided over Siri and Maps. Designer Jony Ive has become responsible for both software and hardware, so we'll find out if the organization can restore its status for condition-of-the-art software design using the next apple iPhone and iPad.

3. Will Amazon go face to face with Apple and Google?

Amazon Boss Shaun Bezos was very blunt as he introduced the brand new Amazon Kindle Fire HD in September -- he introduced it as the "best tablet available on the market. Which was an apparent shot at Apple and also the iPad, but Amazon's real competitor may be Google, especially as the marketplace for books, music and films moves entirely online.

There is no way Amazon wants people searching on Google to locate content and items from multiple sources. Amazon really wants to build an ecosystem so robust you won't ever wish to leave. Think about what Apple did for music using the iPod device and iTunes and}imagine Amazon doing that for everything.

However the Amazon Kindle Fire items aren't sufficiently good enough to contend with the iPad yet, and Amazon does not have the help it must contend with Google either. It must offer e-mail services and a social experience wouldn't hurt either. That is a big undertaking, but Amazon is among the couple of companies using the scale, infrastructure and assets to get it done. The gossips are becoming even louder. We'll decide if Amazon considers a large relocate 2013.

4. Can Facebook develop?

2013 will be Facebook's first year as a public company, also it needs to prove that it's really a stable, reliable investment. That's very difficult task: Facebook determined how to earn money selling advertisements on its website just as the majority of its customers switched to smartphone and tablet applications.

Selling advertisements on mobile is not as easy, and Facebook needs to learn how to display relevant advertisements to smartphone customers without crossing the privacy line -- a line about which customers are progressively worried. But Boss Mark Zuckerberg needs to response to his traders now, and also the pressure cross that line increases every single day that Facebook is not earning enough money.

5. Can Google take Android back from Samsung and also wireless service providers?

Here's the brutal truth from the smart phone market: the only real firms that make anything are Apple and Samsung. Almost every other company, from HTC to Sony to Google's own Motorola, is battling. And that is a massive problem for Google.

Apple clearly creates its very own software for the apple iPhone, but Samsung's phones all operate a personalized form of Google's open-source Android, and Samsung is so dominant that it could split off and begin building its very own operating system, just like Amazon did using the Amazon Kindle Fire. That might be an enormous blow to Google.

Google also needs to try to limit the influence of wireless service providers on Android. Companies for example AT&T and Verizon are too pleased to stock up Android products with unnecessary crapware and bloatware that it ruin the consumer experience while stalling important software updates.

The bitterness between Google and also the service providers has become so deep that Google's new Nexus 4 flagship device does not come with an LTE radio the service providers simply wouldn't cooperate.

That's in stark contrast towards the apple iPhone experience, which is pristine and controlled by Apple from the beginning. This is the control that irritates many customers but offers a feeling of support and security towards the relaxation of Apple's countless clients. There is a happy balance between your two extremes, and Google must think it is before Android starts to slide away entirely.

These are merely five of many items to consider in 2013, from the way forward for TV towards the rise of wearable computing. After many years of rapid change, we have all got computer systems within our pockets. The following couple of years is going to be by what we all do together to create our way of life better.

Thursday, January 3 by Joseph Reina

What is Network Marketing

Network Marketing is often called Direct Selling, Affiliate Marketing, or Multi-Level-Marketing(MLM). It is an honest, viable business structure. It is designed to build a marketing and sales force by compensating not only sales made by the individual but also the sales made by the people that individual has introduced to the company. This structure effectively moves the task of building and supporting a sales force away from the company and onto the individual. The company benefits from this because it can focus on the product instead of building a sales force and the individual benefits because it can hire others and make overrides on their efforts in addition to their own. A company can use the structure to create a sales force quicker and easier than traditional means. That may be critical to the company's success, particularly if the company has a new hot product.

What Network Marketing Is Not

Network Marketing is not a pyramid scheme. It is not a scam. A pyramid scheme is illegal, Network Marketing is not. A pyramid scheme is a business setup where the primary and many times the only way to be compensated is to recruit others into the business. In a pyramid scheme, there is essentially no product. Instead you simply sell "nothing" to others in order to get them to join. While con artists will attempt to use the structure as a guise for their pyramid schemes, it doesn't mean all companies that use Network Marketing as a sales structure are themselves a pyramid scheme. In fact, it is fast becoming a recognized structure among business leaders today, including Donald Trump. It has also been used in part by respected companies such as PayPal, AT&T Wireless, Wachovia, and Vonage. It is also not a get rich quick scheme. As with any business, no matter the structure they choose to employ, you have to work to be paid. The same is true of Network Marketing. However, even though it doesn't offer instant riches, it does offer some unique advantages over traditional employment opportunities.

Why Network Marketing

Network Marketing is a not a get rich program but instead a real business opportunity and one that requires real work. That being said, the unique advantages offered by Network Marketing are incredible compared with what's available in the traditional job market. First, you get to set your own hours. You are effectively your own boss. So if you do not feel like working one day then you do not have to. Of course it goes without saying that just because you can doesn't mean you should. But it is nice to know that you could if you wanted to. Another way to look at setting your own hours means that you can literally work as much as you want. You set your business hours and can operate whenever you want. This provides the potential to increase your earnings simply by working harder.

The second great benefit is the ability to work from home. We all hear about the work-from-home scams that are posted on those little signs on telephone poles along the roads. Well, unlike most other work-from-home offers, it truly allows you to work from home, provided you have the bare essentials to do business. By bare essentials, I mean a phone line and a computer if you need one. But you should consider that while working from home sounds great, it does require a certain level of self discipline to keep focused and get some work done.

Finally, the single greatest thing is the truly amazing opportunity that exists when they first begin. Imagine being there when Bill Gates decided to start Microsoft or when Google was first starting up and actually having a chance to join. Network Marketing provides that same kind of opportunity. Of course joining a Network Marketing company can be beneficial at any time but it is exponentially true when the company is just starting out. The expression of get in on the ground floor has a certain truth to it when regarding Network Marketing companies. This is mostly due to the fact that the earlier you get in, the more people you will have under you. That isn't to say that you shouldn't join a company that is well-established and been around for a while. For example, Mary Kay is still a viable business and you can make some money in that company. However, you have to consider that to get into the company you will be going underneath someone and that person is underneath someone else and so on. Imagine being that first person way up the chain that has thousands of people below them. That is the opportunity that exists by getting in early with a company.

Examples of Network Marketing Gone Wrong

Networking Marketing companies, like any other business out there, can be fraudulent, unethical, and in certain cases just plain scams. However, when a single business is caught in a scam, say an investment banker, it looks bad for the investment banker but not necessarily for investment banking as a whole. The same is not true of Network Marketing. When one Network Marketing company is caught in a scam people take the assumption that this one bad company represents all Network Marketing. We have all heard of people getting scammed by Network Marketing companies that go out of business, never end up paying out, or simply prove too hard to make a profit in. I'd rather not point fingers but a certain MLM comes to mind. This particular company recently boasted in a national magazine that they had sales of over $2 billion dollars a year. Right below this they said they had over 1 million distributors. For those who can divide, that's only $2,000 per year per distributor. That's assuming all distributors were performing the same. In reality, the top 5-10% made decent money while the rest made pocket change or even lost money. In an Independent Business Owner Compensation Plan released by the company itself, it stated that the average distributor earned $115 per month or $1,380 per year BEFORE taxes. Folks, that comes out to about $.69 cents per hour for an average 40 hour a week job. And these people paid to join the program! The good news is that not all Network Marketing companies are bad. There are indeed some very good, honest, and reputable Network Marketing companies out there. Many of which can earn you a decent living with some work. The key to avoiding these kind of Network Marketing disasters is to do some diligent research, run the numbers, use your head (too good to be true and it probably is) and make a sound decision before signing up with any company.

Examples of Real Network Marketing Success Stories

Like I said, not all Network Marketing is good, but not all is bad either. You can find several examples of successful Network Marketing companies out there. The key difference with a successful company is that it has a real product to sell. For the company to be successful with the Network Marketing structure, it must focus on the product. One such example is Mary Kay. Mary Kay started in 1963 and has since grown to a trusted global name in skin care, makeup & body care. It is an impressive organization in terms of volume and size. Mary Kay serves as one the few examples of a successful self-consumption company. In my opinion that is because they have a solid product that there is a demand for. Mary Kay offers some unique compensation to its beauty consultants including the very original pink Cadillac. Of course to earn the Cadillac requires you to achieve a certain level of success within the company. However, General Motor's estimates that they have built over 100,000 pink Cadillacs for Mark Kay.

Another great success story is that of Art Williams and his A.L. Williams company which later came to be known as Primerica. Art Williams was a football coach from Georgia. He happened across the idea of replacing old whole-life insurance with term life insurance (which is cheaper) and investing the amount you saved from switching. On a coaches salary, Art had very little chance of getting a company started with traditional means. He instead adopted the MLM or Network Marketing model. This allowed him to hire and train additional part and full-time individuals to help market his product. Using the power of Network Marketing, Art Williams went on to sell billions of dollars worth of insurance surpassing the top two insurance companies combined. Today the company has over 100,000 independent representatives and Art himself has a net worth of $1.4 billion. I have several people who I know that have made millions with the A.L. Williams company. You'll hear more about them later. For now, just know that A.L. Williams is the perfect example of how a company with a great product can use Network Marketing to become hugely successful.

How to Choose the Right Network Marketing Company

One of the first things you should do when entertaining the idea of joining a Network Marketing company is research. Find out about the company and what it is offering. As with all real businesses, the product is the key. The company has to have a great product that people are willing to pay for. If the product is not great than neither is the opportunity. Try to put yourself in the customers shoes, would you buy the product? If so, is it affordable compared with the current market? Take the time to research and fully understand the product. Test the product if you can. At the very least try to get some real life feedback from existing customers who have bought the product. Doing so will put you in a position to make an educated decision about joining.

As a general rule, there are certain types of Network Marketing companies that you should avoid. The key among those are businesses without a product. That is, you make a majority of the money from recruiting. These are shady MLM companies that are closer to a pyramid scheme than a real Network Marketing company. The second and perhaps more important to avoid is the self-consumption companies. These types of companies depend on you to buy their product as well as sell it. Do NOT invest in these types of companies unless you absolutely love the product and can afford it. Otherwise, you will eventually run out of "friends" and family to market to and will end up with a garage full of "product" and no one to sell it to.

Even with a great product a company still finds that a capable management team is essential to long-term success. Before joining a company, do some research on the founders. This is particularly true of new companies. Find out who is behind the curtain and if they have a reputation, good or bad. You are looking for people with a proven track record and lots of experience to make this company work. Another consideration is if the management team has a plan to manage growth. I've seen several Network Marketing companies with a great product, build a sales force just to collapse under its own success. The company should be upfront and honest about what plans it has to prevent this from happening. These should be real concrete plans and systems that are in place not just a "we have it covered". Funding is very important as well. While it is true that Network Marketing companies are easier to start they do take funding to keep going and maintain. Particularly in the beginning when sales are slow and people are just coming on board. And as history shows us, there may well be times when the company needs more money to operate than it is making. Having a management team with access to capital is crucial for long-term success of the company. Most of the companies you hear about going out of business were founded by people without sufficient capital. The last and also one of the most important parts of picking the right company is to evaluate the compensation plan. That's what Network Marketing is all about right? Making money and hopefully lots of it. So you have to make sure the compensation plan is viable, realistic, and still profitable. Never join any Network Marketing company that isn't up front and honest about their compensation plan. Always demand to see it and demand that any point systems be fully explained with realistic examples.

Can you make money without recruiting people. That is a key question to ask yourself whenever you are introduced to a new compensation plan. Even though you are (or should be) planning to build a sales team, it's important to know that you can make decent money without doing so. For this to work, the commissions offered by the company have to be sufficient. Depending on the price of the product and the amount of volume you expect to be able to sell the commission will differ. As a rule, you should be very wary of any compensation plan offering commissions less than 20%. Obviously, the higher the commission the better. Almost as important as the initial commission itself is the idea of a residual. Does the compensation plan allow for residuals? It effectively allows you to stack your work. In other words, you can sell something once and continually be paid on that sell every time the client renews. Residuals allow you to build true wealth by earning money on work you already did. That's exactly how the guys at A.L. Williams got rich. To this day they continue to receive checks on policies they sold more than 10 years ago.

The final question related to the compensation plan is how does team building work. It's important to have a full understanding of the mechanics used in the system. If they use points you need to grasp exactly how points are earned and how they convert into cash. If they use a binary or front line system, you need to understand the rules of both. Again, the company should be very upfront about how their team building works and how you are compensated for it. I'm not usually too interested in the team building because, as a sales man, I usually go after selling the product and consider the team building to be just an added bonus. However, if you are a big networker or well connected, the team building can earn you more money. By hiring and training the right sales people, you can build a very profitable team and earn more money than you could possibly earn just selling yourself.

Do Your Research, But Hurry!

As I said, you can have success by joining a well-established company. However, if you can manage to find that rare company with a solid product and good management that is just getting started then you should research quickly and jump on it. One key to easy success in any company is getting in early. As the company grows, super stars and rock star marketer will take notice and be recruited into the system. If you can get into the system before them they will be working for you and that can mean a lot of money. The longer you wait the more saturated the market will become and the harder it will be to make money. Time is money no matter what business you are in but it is particularly true in MLM. Once you join an MLM you should within two weeks recruit two other people and sell the product at least once. This is absolutely essential to your long term success with the company. Something about getting that first sell and hiring those first two people just makes it so much easier. Trust me, if you do this you will find the rest seems to just fall into place.