Ch 3. Some Wider Issues

Recap

From my previous posts it's easy to see why so many (most?, 97% of?) work from home businesses fail.  It's also easy to see how to avoid the pitfalls and become one of the 3% who really make it work.

Concept 1

The first trick lies in realising that these are not "get-rich-quick" gambles.  Nor are they schemes relying on recruiting numpties to fill in from the bottom like a Ponzi scheme or a pyramid scam.  Yes, there are many such scams dressed up to look like respectable businesses.  And loads of innocent people do get sucked in because they don't know any better.  That, unfortunately, is never going to change.  But you are now informed enough to differentiate the authentic from the imposters.  Not only will you not get sucked into the scams, but you will also not miss out on genuine opportunities that could change your life and the lives of those around you.

Concept 2

The second trick, based on that understanding, is recognising that there is not a business on the planet that was setup with zero effort and zero investment, and none that produced profit from day one.  Every successful business is so because of the time and money and effort that was ploughed into the ground preparation, followed by feeding and watering the growing plant for months as it grew into a proper fruit-bearing tree. Now you know that, you can create a proper workable plan, and begin a realistic execution.

The greatest thing about this is that, once it's been done, anyone can copy it and do the same for themselves.  If you can do it, then you can show others how to do it.  For me, that's the real joy of this kind of work.  Someone showed me.  I can show you.  You can show others.  There's a huge satisfaction in that, which goes way beyond money.

Wider Issues

And it goes way beyond that, too.

Many parts of the world are mind-numbingly poor.  Some of us were lucky enough to be born in a land of plenty.  Others were not, through no fault of their own.  We are all where we are purely by chance.  But there is zero point in my setting up marketing in these places because no-one there has the means to buy the products shown to them.  Remember, marketing is about placing products where they can be seen, and thus bought, and thus profits made.

But these same people can become Affiliate Marketers, and thus earn a living for themselves and their families.  How is this possible?

Affiliate Marketing, with the right company, is international.  If I promote products in poor areas then I will not make sales and I will not earn profits.  There's no point in my doing it.  But I can recruit affiliates in these areas.  They can then promote the products in wealthier areas and thus earn profits from those sales.  This is obviously of value to them, and I'm pleased that I've been able to cause it to happen.  And it also helps me, because - up to a point - these extra sales are produced - indirectly - by my actions.  So I get a bonus for creating that extra volume of sales.  It's a tiny percentage.  Nothing like what's made on the actual sales.  But it's still worth having.  They are my "team".  I make money on my sales.  My team members make money on their sales.  And I get a bonus on the total team sales.  It's how every sales organisation works, in every civilization, since time began.

Ethics

For me this is totally in harmony with my other core interests, specifically Kiva and LendWithCare.

These organisations are not charities.  The money given to the poor is not a handout.  It is an interest free loan, paid back by regular installments.  The loan is given so as to enable them to set up, or improve, their business venture.  And it is repaid from the profits of that venture.  It's called "micro-finance" because the loans are tiny - way below anything a bank would consider (and the borrower generally has no collateral, so banks would not even talk to them).

Internet marketing is a similar means of fighting world poverty.  Is there a better way?  Possibly.  If there is I'd be the first to join.  But I don't know one that actually works.  Certainly not as well as this.  For a cash-strapped pensioner it's a gift.  For the unemployed, it's a way forward.  For anyone stuck in a dead-end job they hate, it's certainly something to look into.  For anyone in debt, it's a way out.

Keep in mind what's been said before, and look very carefully to see where the money is actually being made, and how viable to company is.  Don't get caught by the cons.

Next time I'll look at products and markets.