In my home business coaching sessions, I have found that many people start their home businesses based on misconceptions, myths, and half truths.
They are being told that they can sign up for a few programs, build a site around those topics, slap the banners and links on their site, then sit back and collect the money - never having to work again.
Wrong.
The truth of the matter is that there are more people who fail at their home businesses, than people who actually succeed.
These people are not told that they will actually have to work twice as hard at their home businesses as they did at their traditional job. They are not told about the hours and hours of marketing time that they will put in. They usually are not even told by the affiliate managers how to market the products or their websites.
They have uplines who are inactive or flat out ignore them. They don't have the first clue as to how to build a downline, much less how to offer support to their downline. They don't understand conversion rates or the concept of PPC (pay per click) programs.
However, they truly believe what they have been told - they believe that they can get rich by doing absolutely nothing. These are otherwise intelligent people. Why would they believe this? They believe because they want to believe. Because they see it everyday, everywhere on the Internet. They are told that it is possible. They not only want to believe it - for their own reasons, they need to believe it.
Unfortunately, it is my job to tell them the truth and then they feel let down. By the time a client comes to me for help, they are already a bit disillusioned. Since initial clients usually begin by paying for one session at a time, I go ahead and burst their bubble during the first session. I don't want them to spend money that they don't have on an idea that won't work.
After the first session, the client is left to make a decision. They either have to do what it takes to make their business a success, toss the idea out the window, or keep doing exactly what they have been doing with the exact same results (or lack of results as the case may be). Less than half are willing to do what it takes to succeed. The rest toss the idea out the window. I've never had a client who decided to keep doing what they had been doing.
I do have a point. My point is that if you are an affiliate manager, or if you have a downline, be honest. Tell your affiliates and downlines the truth. Tell them upfront what will be required of them. Be honest about possible earnings,and be honest about your own earnings. After being honest, "look around" to see who is still interested in your business. I promise, there will still be people interested - people willing to put forth the effort that is required. These are the people that you want to invest your time in.
Once you know who is serious about the business, work with them closely. Offer them all of the support you can possibly offer. Make suggestions to help them improve their site. Put together marketing packages and ideas for them. Start a forum for your downline, and be active in that forum. If you haven't heard from them in a while, send them an email or a card and ask them if everything is okay. The more successful your downline is, the more successful you are.
For those who are affiliates starting a home business, I suggest you research any business that you are contemplating involving yourself in. You need to know exactly what you are getting into.
If you are new to Internet Marketing, you need to take a course to find out what is required of you to be successful. It does not matter what type of business you are starting, if it is online, it must be marketed online, and possibly offline as well. The best course on this subject is Kevin Birdwell's course, Secrets of Success. Kevin takes a personal interest in all of his students. He answers all questions, personally. He is very honest. He will not feed you hype and he will not fill your head with false promises of overnight riches. He is one of the few who will actually tell you the truth - the truth is what you need. You can get more information on his course at: http://all-in-one-business.com/cgi-bin/at.cgi?a=302143

About The Author

Kelly Lowe offers Home Business Coaching, and a variety of other services for home business professionals at affordable rates. Visit her site, All Business Publishing, at http://www.allbusinesspublishing.com
kelly@allbusinesspublishing.com