So, where do you start when you are trying to find and/or build a home-based business? There are lots of companies to represent. There are lots of advertisements and claims...blah, blah, blah.

Regardless of what you may have heard, network marketing is thriving. A lot of people are making good incomes with their businesses. Of course, a lot aren't doing so well, but why is that?

There are many myths about network marketing and MLM (multi-level marketing). Please keep in mind that many people fail because they didn't start. I was one of those. With my first MLM company, I paid the fees, read the materials, tried marketing it the way they said, then promptly put all the stuff in the closet and forgot about it.

Needless to say, I didn't make much money with that business.

The message boards at Work At Home Moms is one of my favorite places to see what real people are doing in home-based businesses. It's real people asking real questions and getting answers from others already in business.

Another place to find excellent research material about a home based business is the Direct Sales Association. The DSA is the national trade association of firms that manufacture and distribute goods and services sold directly to consumers.

Some of the most successful people in business today speak highly of network marketing. Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki both have stated that people should be financially self-sufficient. Both have also stated that owning a business and investing in real estate is essential to one's own financial success and well-being.

The key to a successful network marketing business is having an effective marketing system to generate leads for you. It's too time consuming to chase leads yourself. An automated system of attracting prospects and following up with them is ideal.

I highly recommend you download and read the free e-book The 7 Great Lies of Network Marketing by Ann Sieg.

This book takes an insider's look at what works and what doesn't work in the network marketing MLM industry. This is information that you need to know if you are to succeed in this business.

Marketing your business on line requires a little knowledge and persistence. Putting up a website and just waiting for a check won't be very rewarding. It takes time to do it properly. It takes a plan and it requires consistency in your marketing efforts.

Using Web 2.0 marketing techniques, you can generate your own leads. Generating leads for your business is almost a natural by-product of the current trend of information marketing.

If you would like to see how this all fits together in one complete marketing system, I suggest The Renegade Network Marketer. It is a fairly inexpensive ebook and I believe it has a complete picture of how to operate a successful internet network marketing business.

The Renegade System includes all of the resources you need for your business included in the price of the ebook. In other words, the book is the training manual. It is a goldmine of information, training and resources. It is designed to help you in every area of your business.