Business Opportunities and Internet Marketing Systems that Don't Work |
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Business "Systems"I believe in business systems. They weren't originally called "systems", they were called "franchises", and franchising is a valid business concept which helps insure consistent results in facilities that are not under direct control of the principle manager.Business systems took a good concept, and corrupted it. In the process of corrupting it, they lost the ability to get them to actually WORK. See, with a franchise, the original business owner develops a process by which a product is created or sold (or both). They document the important steps that produce a distinctive and predictable result - a key requirement for success. They then package the information, and sell it to a franchisee. But they don't just sell it to ANYONE, they make sure the purchaser is qualified. They do this by requiring the franchise owner to attend training classes. They make sure that the franchise owner knows the steps to creating a consistent result. Otherwise, McDonald's, Arby's, and Pizza Hut's names would be stamped all over any number of varieties of hamburgers, roast beef sandwiches, and pizzas which bore no relation to the original product. Business system producers left out the vital step of training and qualifying owners. They just turn them loose with a system that purports to have "everything you need". But there is no quality control, no support offered, and the claims that "anybody can do it" are utterly false. The bad ones are always sold with promises that you don't need to do anything except follow their instructions, and that you don't need any special skills to do it. Systems really CAN help to streamline things, and to make a business more successful. But they can rarely work without personal training, and some oversight or support offered. And not everyone can do it - each business type requires specific interests, skills, and conceptual understandings on the part of the owner. You have to either HAVE them, or GET them, and people who sell business systems ALWAYS promise you that anyone can do it! Their deception means that anyone who purchases it will quickly fail - who is going to spend hours and hours learning something that they had been promised was easy? Most people won't because such a setup makes them feel like THEY are worthless. Nobody likes to feel like that, so they quit, and try something else instead. MLM and Distributorships fall somewhere in between business systems and franchises. Training is provided by upline, and screening should be too - usually nobody screens potential purchasers, they just want to get the signups. Training may occur well, or it may not. It depends on who your upline is, and how they function. Some people treat them like a bad business system, other people treat them like a franchise, and the end result often reflects exactly which one they chose. In a typical franchise, corporate retains some control over each individual franchise - if they are going to let you use their brand, they want to insure that you do it honorably. With a business system, nobody cares what you with it after it is yours, nor do they care HOW you do with it. You bought, and that is all they wanted. After that, you're on your own. If you buy a system from someone who gives you no support, no help after the sale, and has no way to contact them that will get an answer, then HOW can you expect them to sell you a good product? They don't plan on being there when you encounter problems with it! If you buy into an MLM or Distributorship company, then check out the company, AND your upline before you buy in - make sure they want to help you, and that they can answer your questions now. If they cannot, then find another upline member who can. Don't get caught by the myth that "anybody can do it because this system is so good". No system is that good, because circumstances vary so widely. When a system DOES work, it TAKES work. Plan to learn how to make it work, and plan to learn how to operate a business in a smart manner. Otherwise you are doomed to failure. Written by Laura Wheeler, MicroBusiness Website Developer, and founder of the MicroWebmasters Alliance |
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