Your first year in network marketing can take quite a toll:  spending more than you’re making, the 500-pound telephone, cold calling, being belittled  by those closest to you, a seemingly vertical learning curve, and more.  And yet, if you survive, you will have built the skills and mind set that will unswervingly lead you to success .

How then to survive that first year?

Your Business Finances

Do not expect to cover the expenses from your enterprise for at least the first six months .  That means you need a budget for your business that will let you meet all of your other financial responsibilities for at least that long.  Planning  for a four quarters is even more prudent.

You can substantiallyreduce your negative cash flow and even reduce your time to positive cash flow by incorporating a funded proposal into your marketing system.  Working with a company with higher initial commissions ($500 or more) will also help.

However you chose to structure your business , it is critical not to be extravagent if you are going to make it through your first year in network marketing.

Become a Sponge for Learning

Consider the first year to be focused on on-the-job training.  Done right, you’ll more than break even during this period.  But even if your income is minimal there are talents you’ll need to learn.  And be sure to spend some time on personal development .

Have a Goal

You probably already have a dream about what having your own company will let you do that you can’t do now.  As your business increases, so must your goal.

Most people start with a vision that primarily focuses on only them and their family.  As your business expands, your goal will also have to increase to include the visions of everyone in your organization.

Mental Perspective 

Beyond your dream, it is important to have a positive outlook.  In part, that’s where the personal improvement stuff comes in.  But it also means you have to have a good idea about your business and what it takes to be a success .

Maybe second only to running out of money, the thing that forces most people to quit during their first year is the monumental rejection that can come from normal offline marketing techniques.  Trying to grow a business by cold calling strangers is hard and you have to be just as hard to make it.

Most people can’t pull that off and still keep a positive .  Thus, many turn to prospecting  on the Internet and attraction marketing.  That can be a good choice, but it also means another set of skills that have to be learned.

In summary , if you are able to develop a realisticfinancial plan, invest in yourself through education and personal development, stay focused on your dream, and maintain a positive perspective, there is no reason that you can’t survive , maybe even flourish, during your first year in network marketing. After that, it only gets  better …