Finding a Legitimate Work From Home Business—Key #1

Many of us would like to earn extra money by working at home. After spending several weeks searching online home business opportunities, I've identified 5 requirements that a legitimate work from home business must meet. The #1 key is not the products or services (POS,) but the marketing system. There are hundreds of outstanding POS available.

I've met MLM salespeople and affiliate marketers who claim to be making a gazillion dollars a month. But can I believe them? Maybe some really do make this kind of money. I need more proof. Also, could I do what they do? Do I really want to do whatever it is they do? First off, I despise selling! I probably dislike it so much because I'm not very good at it. I learned early in life that I enjoy doing the things I'm good at. For instance, I enjoyed the practice of medicine because I was good at it. I enjoy helping people. I enjoyed learning about the human body and how it works. I also enjoyed learning how to diagnose a problem and then search out the best solution—a treatment system--to solve that problem. Treatment systems change over time and I even enjoyed the challenge of keeping up with the latest and best ones. For instance, at least one new antibiotic was developed every year or so. New surgical techniques were reported, or new types of diagnostic equipment developed, such as CT scans and MRIs.

So why not use the same principles to find the most effective systems to build a successful business? If my marketing system—my problem-solving treatment system-- doesn't work, then my business can't succeed. I have no desire to re-invent the wheel. I need a proven system that will work right now so I can quickly earn a decent income. I like making money and I’ve earned a great deal of it over the years. I intend to continue. I also don't want to waste time on a business that might not be around in five or ten years. A proven system offers the best chance to succeed quickly and still generate an income that I can depend on down the road.

My family depends upon me. I insist on a work-from-home system that I can depend on as well. People will always buy POS--as long as a system exists to efficiently deliver those POS. Look at Wal-Mart--that's a system. Then look at Internet shopping today--a different system, already bigger than Wal-Mart and growing daily. I say, find the best system first. We can always plug in POS as they improve or as people's desires change.

To save my time, effort, and money, a system needs to be as automated as possible. What good is a system where I must spend endless hours explaining my POS to potential customers? Do Sears or Costco do this? Or what good is a system where I have to spend bucket loads of money to let people know that my business even exists? How can I compete with the “big boys” out there with their huge advertising budgets? Besides, their products are already on the shelves of supermarkets, chain drugstores, or discount stores. Would you buy into a system where you had to spend several hours a day calling people you don’t know and trying to convince them to buy your POS? I wouldn’t, unless it’s the only way I could earn a good living for my family.

So, a good system for me needs to automatically do the following: 1) Target potential customers who are already looking for the exact POS that I offer. 2) Regularly expose my POS--at a reasonable cost--to a sizeable audience of targeted potential customers. 3) Emphasize the benefits of my POS to that audience. 4) Point out the high value they will receive at a fair and reasonable price. 5) Make it fast, easy, and secure for the customer to purchase. 6) Collect and deposit the money into my bank account. 7) Ship the product. 8) Thank my customer for his or her order. 9) Keep accurate records of all transactions. 10) Follow up regularly with my customers to obtain repeat orders. 11) Provide unexpected additional services to my customers. 12) Regularly notify all customers of new and exciting POS.

Okay, if a system can do all this, what’s my job? Simple. My job is: 1) to find a system that suits me, 2) decide what POS I want to offer, 3) set the system into action and 4) monitor it closely to make sure I receive exactly what I want.

Like prescribing an antibiotic for a strep throat, a doctor must check the patient often to make sure the treatment system is working. If their throat is still sore and they have a high fever and high white-cell count, I probably need to change their medicine. Just because I usually prescribe a certain treatment system (antibiotic, aspirin, gargles, etc) doesn’t mean that I can walk away and “hope” it works. My business feeds and supports my family and me. It is designed to “cure” my financial problems. I need to keep a close eye on it until it delivers the results I want.