This is always difficult to answer because this depends on a myriad of factors:

* How much time you have to invest * HOW that time is spent * The kind of marketing system(s) you are using * How you are using phone, if at all * What primary / secondary / etc. programs you are working * The compensation plan (is it fair and equitable?) * The proper mindset * Level of commitment * A sound and effective strategy to combat apathy, frustration, and rejection * Having a business plan * Effective tax planning * Supporting and training for your new partners

While there are people who have done this in a year, that is NOT norm. Yet there are people out there who will make you think it is.

Hogwash.

Your average person might be able to dedicate 10 hours of focused effort on their business. Your average person has about $150 a month to spend on their networking business. Your average person takes about 3 months to bring in their first representative or customer.

Just based on all these averages, it would take an average of 7 to 10 years to build a 10,000 a month income stream. Warning: These are simply averages.

Your average person also quits in less than 10 months. By simply staying with one good, honest program and being consistent, you will build a substantial NMMF. You won't be average. In fact, you will be part of 3% that actually stay with one program longer than one year.

Unless you have a lot of start up capital, are friends with all major Internet Marketers, or have a HUGE opt-in list, your NMMF is going to take TIME and nothing but time to build.

By simply understanding that, adopting a long-term mindset, you WILL forge ahead.

So just like Lawrence and Debbie, there are a lot of Networkers out there that have a flashy website, excellent webcopy, and maybe they really are earning 5 figures a month. They seem to have it all. But because they violate Laws of Business, that income disappears.

You see them starting another "new deal" or promoting "newest, hottest" thing. They have to. They need to. Otherwise they'd go broke.

Just by staying course, you'll be one earning 5 figures a month - permanently.

Or how about Gifting Clubs.

I don't care what they tell you on Website to make you believe it is all legal. I don't care what they say about Gifting being a time honored way of sharing. To do it in a program like this, is illegal. It will get shut down, and most people will again loose money. Only ones who start it will get big pay offs.

I see both types of programs being offered all time. Don't fall for them. If you want to have any kind of reputation DO NOT promote these kind of things.

"But what about ones who get in first… won't they make money?"

They can, but think about this. Think about people who will be asked to join later. Think about money they will be asked to pay. Think about money they are going to loose because all greedy fools who are going to join have joined and they can't find anyone to cover their costs. Think about all people who will be out if thing gets shut down by Law.

Most of these things never get big enough for Legal Authorities to get involved. They just die of their own wait. Are you type of person who can sit back and tell yourself, "It's all right, I got mine."

It's not all right.

You are setting people up to loose money if you join and promote things like this.

But just because someone sets up a Gifting program or a Chain Letter type deal, doesn't make them scammers. They may have best intentions and honestly believe what they are offering is perfectly legal. It isn't, but they may think it is.

In case you haven't noticed, PayPal is coming down hard on a lot of Network Marketing companies. They are not doing this on their own. MasterCard and Visa, are ones who are forcing them to get out of Network Marketing companies. Why? Because Credit Card Companies are getting hit Very hard with Charge Backs, and Fraud. Stolen Credit Cards are being used all over World to join Network Marketing companies. The Thieves clean up, and Credit Card Companies and sometimes honest programs take hit. MasterCard and Visa have both long had clauses in their contracts that people could not use their services for MLM type programs. Now they are enforcing it.

If company you are with has not had these kind of problems, they will and they should be prepared for them. Companies that are going through this, are not all scams. In fact my guess is that if this happened to a scammer, they would just close up shop and move on with whatever money they could. A Real Company, will find a way to work around problem.

So next time you read someone calling this or that company a scam, think. It maybe a perfectly good company that is working through some problems.

A Real Scam is something that is set up just to take your Money and Run. A Real Scam will not try and work through problems. They will just pack up and go on to something else.