It seems that every week I am learning about the closure of another direct selling company. While to most people, it may not seem like a big deal, I know firsthand what it is like to put your heart, your soul, your goals and your dreams into a home based endeavour.
When I joined my first direct selling company a few years ago, I was in the process of completing my Master’s degree in Education. While I never planned to make a career out of selling products for that particular company, my eyes were opened to a world of entrepreneurship and freedom that I had never experienced before. Soon, I became pregnant with my first child and within months I was officially a graduate school drop out. I’ve never looked back.
I was one of the fortunate ones. Thankfully my work-at-home career has been relatively stable. I joined two strong companies and was able to make a good income with both of them.
I often wonder how I would have felt about my at-home dreams had one of my companies shut down suddenly. Would I have felt differently? Considering that I had quite literally given up everything for my company including my education, my time, my goals and my career…a sudden closure would have felt like my own personal apocalypse.
Here are some tips to prevent your world from crashing down, if (heaven forbid) your company closes its doors…
Have a backup plan. My second direct selling company was in the launch stage. I literally joined the company before I even saw a catalog. I had no idea if it was going to last or not. Therefore, my husband and I developed a “safety net” of sorts which included putting three months of salary in an untouchable savings account…just in case.
Don’t quit your day job. Okay, I need to be fair on this one. I did quit my day job, but not until I felt confident that I was earning enough to siphon a portion of my earnings into our savings account. Again…just in case.
Be realistic. Every direct selling company has a pitch of some sort. Most will tell you that they are the “next big thing”. Some will even tell you that you can earn thousands of dollars in your sleep. Unless you are quite literally earning thousands of dollars while snoozing comfortably in your fleece pajamas, don’t buy into the hype.
Have your dreams been shattered by the closure of a company that you’ve represented? Do you have any “safety net” tips to share with our readers? Post them in the comments section.
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