Many new graduates enter the workforce with an idealistic dream of conquering the rat race and climbing to the top of the corporate ladder. Unfortunately, there are only a few positions at the top and many people who want them. Naturally, most people are going to be disappointed. As a new graduate, I often used to wonder why anyone would want the responsibility of having their own business. Some eight years later, I joined the ranks of individuals who seek to start their own business.

After spending some two years dabbling in various opportunities, I have discovered that MLM (Multi-Level Marketing, Network Marketing) is one of the most promising opportunities available. Let’s examine the benefits of a MLM opportunity:

1. A Step-by-Step Plan

Let’s face it. Starting your own business is never easy. Why else are the odds stacked a new business with more than half of them failing within the first five years? And why else would someone purchase a franchise instead of starting their own business when an average franchise business can cost as much as five times the amount of starting your own business? Because the rate of failure for a franchise is lower as it presents a successful working business model upon which to copy.

When chosen carefully, a MLM company can offer an individual a successful working business model at a much more affordable entry cost compared to a franchise. The operative words being “chosen carefully” because there are good MLM companies and then there are the fly-by-night ones which you should avoid like the plague.

A good MLM opportunity can help you start your own business with a step-by-step plan without the high initial costs of starting a conventional business.

2. Money

MLM businesses come at an affordable price with an enormous income generating potential. Just about anyone with the commitment and the desire to succeed can afford to start a MLM business.

3. Time

MLM businesses can be run in your spare time. That means you can keep your day job and work on building up your MLM business after hours. This is ideal if the idea of terminating a steady income from your existing employment in favour of a hypothesized income from your new business seems rather daunting. It also presents a more secure option if you already have four mouths to feed, a mortgage and two cars to pay off.

4. Education

At the end of the day, regardless of whether you succeed or quit, MLM teaches you the basics of running your own business. Legitimate MLM businesses follow the basic principles that any business requires to succeed and it offers this information in a practical, hands-on way with the added bonus of being able make a lot of money at the same time. It is definitely worth more than what you get out of an MBA these days. Even if you earn nothing from your MLM business, you still walk away with a valuable experience, provided you were listening during your training sessions and you follow the steps of working on building your MLM business.

So if you’re thinking about starting your own business but you’re not sure how or where to get the capital for it, think about starting an MLM business.