Full Time or Part Time Business?
CNN recently did an article on the Direct Selling industry (an industry which would include MyWirelessRep). According to Amy Robinson of the Direct Selling Association (DSA):
“Direct selling isn’t a full-time job,….It gives you extra money to go on vacation, get the refrigerator fixed or buy Christmas gifts. It’s about getting some extra money in the pocket.” (Full story Here)
The DSA is supposed to be an industry trade group which means they are supposed to be in touch with what’s going on in the world of direct selling. I am not sure what to make of that statement. It’s clearly not how I see direct selling. First of all, I don’t see MyWirelessRep as a ‘job’ at all – it’s home based business as are most direct selling opportunities. To say it’s a job is not even taking the right mindset. Secondly I look at it as a full time business, not part time. Although, the nice thing about home business oppportunities like MyWirelessRep is that they can be worked on a part time basis.
But if you want to truly be free and independant of the ‘job’ mindset, you will want to think of your direct selling as a business not a vocation. I personally don’t see my business as some way to pay for home repairs, rather I see it on a much larger scale. Maybe the DSA statement reflects the reality of most network marketers today and might account for the high failure rate in network marketing and direct selling.
Can you tell me who did your layout? I’ve been looking for one kind of like yours. Thank you.
I commend you on your decision to pursue direct selling full time – you are one of less than 10% of all US direct sellers to view their business this way. However, be careful about analyzing too closely the nuances of quotes in news articles. For instance, the statement you mention should have been preceded by the phrase “For most,” but editors have a way of cutting out “extraneous” clauses like that. Even given that omission, it is quite accurate that most people look to direct selling for supplemental income. It is important to recognize that fact because otherwise it’s easy for people to get the wrong idea about how much they can expect to earn based on a minimal time commitment they are likely planning to put toward their business. If one plans to dedicate 40+ hours per week to direct selling, a full-time equivalent income is certainly possible, but is never a guarantee regardless of the time one dedicates.
I’d also point out that the article quotes $2,400 per year as being an average, when in fact it is a median (50% make more, 50% make less). The average income is actually higher, but also not nearly as representative of what most people hope to earn in direct selling.
As you point out, DSA is an industry trade group, and educating the public about direct selling is a key part of our mission. The reality of the direct selling landscape is that for most, direct selling represents supplemental income.
I wish you much success in your endeavors.
Thank you Amy for visiting my Blog, I appreciate your input and I especially appreciate what you have to add to this view.
Ben you can click the Link at the very bottom of the page to get the Wordpress theme that I use (your blog must be Wordpress).
Working a homebased business fulltime would be difficult for most. The beauty of network marketing, it must be mentioned, is leverage. My working 4 hours a day and 20 of my team working 2 hours a day is way over a 40 hour week. And the hours logged are growing exponentially. A 400+ hour week is possible in this construct. My Lightyear business would only be an hour for dollar trade without my “network” trying to make themselves a residual income. Tony Bacon http://wiremore.net