All this time, joining one "opportunity" after another, you're shelling out money.

But you're also learning. Slowly but surely some of what you read begins to sink in. You realize that some of "opportunities" you joined were only opportunities for whoever started them.

The more I learned, and more products I purchased, I began to see that first, I needed a product of my own; and second, that until I had one, I needed to be an affiliate of products I believed in.

There have been many things written about affiliate marketing (and I won't go into all of them here - maybe another article someday!), but it's been perfect for me.

Not only can I help others by recommending products, but I can earn money while doing it!

So while MLM might work out great for some, it's just not for me.

Don’t mistake these costs for subscription fees you may be required to pay for access to a commission-paying program. If such subscription fees are required make sure this is only cost required and that company furnishes necessary seller web sites and other normal tools you may require to run your business. There is nothing wrong with charging subscription fees as long as each level of MLM upline receives same amount as Company. These subscription fees are considered direct compensation or referral fees rewarding Affiliate's activities in building their sales organization. These fees do not generate business volume for Affiliates nor are commissions paid on them. They are a source of residual income but commissions are paid only on sales of products and services.

Always check out Support Plan and System promised by each MLM. Look at Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Pages, which are part of most MLM Home Web Sites. Do questions asked and responses seem reasonable and make sense or are they just plain old boilerplate responses which can relate to any business?

Check response time by asking a question. See how long it takes to get a response and what type of response do you get.

Look hard for a professional appearance in Web Sites and promotional material. Bad spelling, bad grammar and math mistakes are an indicator of non-professional or ’hurry-up’ type work and nine times out of ten such Web Sites indicate a ’shaky’ proposition and should be avoided. Serious people take time to do things right and portray a professional image. Remember that.

Does all this mean that all MLM's should be avoided? Of course not. The MLM concept is still one of best ideas ever conceived for a home type business and if properly operated can bring significant rewards to those who learn how to run them.

Yes there are some great MLM opportunities out there. Learn to recognize them, but be prepared to work and spend time and money to make them successful. No one gets something for nothing in this world, especially in a business sense, and we must always remember that.

Owning your own business is exciting and can be profitable, so give yourself a chance and learn what you are getting yourself into before you commit yourself. Yes, there are millions of dollars to be made on Internet and working MLM's are a proven way to do it.

Gary Layton is co-owner of Double Eagle Business Center (DEBC). By providing an honest and well thought out MLM Opportunity, DEBC meets all the legal requirements for an online MLM plus offers products and services which can support any online business along with an innovative and a high percentage (75%) commission payout to Affiliates. http://PathTrax.com/x.pl/GL121,2