Medical Malpractice

When I started in the home business industry, I was a young mother with a single objective: stay home with my baby boy. I was appalled at the idea of someone else raising my child while I slaved in a cubicle. It drove me crazy but I did not have a choice: too many bills and too much ego.

Richard was 3 months old when I started in my new career. He will turn 3 in a couple of months and yes, I still have a job and he is still in daycare. I know what you must be thinking: Isn't this a waste of time and money, this quest for financial independence?

I know... I've heard it a dozen times and said it to myself a thousand. But wait! There's an actual logic to my madness.

At the peak of my despair, I decided to do some research to see if I've just gone made or just grown too impatient.

My dad is an astute business man in a country with very limited resources: barely any phone service, limited postal service, the works. He started with a few dollars in his pockets, knowledge between his ears and passion in his heart. Over the years, he made a name and a small little fortune for himself by working hard and smart.

I was really frustrated that day and I started the conversation with one objective: get an answer that would justify my giving up what seemed a hopeless and doomed business venture.
Of everything we talked about that day, this one thing blew me away: I asked him how long it took for his business to take off and turn a profit. I was shocked by his answer: 5 years!

It took 5 years of him working a full time job, spending his free time on his business and funding it out of his own pockets before seeing a profit. Unlike a home business, a traditional business requires quite a bit of overhead: retail space (i.e. rent), employees (i.e. salaries), inventory (we're not talking about the measly $100 auto-ship) and so much more. I later found out that studies revealed 5 years to be the average incubation period for most businesses. So is it unreasonable to work 3 years in a home business and not see a profit? Actually my home business started to sound like a pretty good deal.

Now, I don't want to lead you down the wrong track, thinking that on the 5 year mark your business will magically take off. During those incubation years, you must work on yourself as much as you work on your business. In other words, you need to develop your skills. Your income will follow your personal development.

To most, this is heresy: "What?! I have to spend more money? Isn't my company supposed to provide me with everything? I paid over $500 for this distributor kit!"

The misconception in network marketing (fueled by mainstream advertising) is that it's quick and easy money. No skills required: "a dog with a note in his mouth can do it." That probably explains why we have such a turnover in this industry: we are selling an expensive lottery ticket to people, not a business. So after 3 months, they are still not better off then when they started, so they quit!

It is your responsibility as a leader to equip your people for success, most people are not looking for a handout, they can handle the truth and the truth is you need to develop skills to succeed in this business and it's going to take time.

My brother is a medical student. He spent 9 years studying, sweating over books and cold cadavers. 9 years with no pay! By the time he is completely done, it will be about 12 years or so.

But what is the payoff? A six-figure salary. Has he earned it? You bet! Was it worth it? I hope so.

Now, let me give you some insights about the medical profession. Did you know that most doctors graduate with over $200,000 in student loans? When they start working, they must pay for malpractice insurance out of their own pockets and depending on their specialty, that's another $50,000 or more per year. Do they have a practice? Slap on some additional costs: office rent and equipment, staff salary and benefits, so on and so forth. Doctors make a pretty bundle and hopefully they find their career rewarding. At what cost? 12 years and a whole lot of student loans!

Friends, as it is, network marketing already sounds too good to be true. There is no need to inflate the income claims.

What other business or career can you start with a few thousands dollars or less, work it on a part-time schedule, incur little to no overhead and have a reasonable expectation of generating a six-figure income within 2 to 5 years?

What other business or opportunity on this planet? I haven't found one yet.

I don't know about you, all I know is that I'm sticking to my home business until I make it. Frankly, what else better do I have going on?