You Just THINK You Own Your Own Business

Affiliate vs. Solutions Provider
 How to Incorporate Multiple Streams of Income Into Your Business

Having a funded proposal is about becoming a true entrepreneur and truly owning your own business.  There is no security in a "one company" home based business.  I recommend considering the "solutions provider" home based business where you lead people through a system, picking up your tools, resources, various business opportunities along the way.  It's a funded proposal at it's best.
 
Let's talk about the funded proposal as a Solutions Provider.
 
A Solutions Provider offers a menu of products and services. Because I offer a menu of products and services, it generates multiple streams of income for me. 
 
Even if you don’t have a typical primary home based business, having income coming in from various sources is a smart business move as is evidenced by our current economy. You don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket. 
 
There are multiple ways to create income online without being in the traditional home business arena where you participate in a business opportunity. I know people who just market the ‘picks and shovels’ that business owners need to run their day to day operations and they provide coaching services. Having said that however, I strongly recommend having a traditional home based business opportunity (or two or three) on your menu because people are looking to be a part of one. 
So, why shouldn’t they join a business opportunity with you if they are already trusting you for their tools and resources? Make sense?
 
You Don’t Own Your Own Business if You’re Just an Affiliate.

When you join a home business opportunity, you do not own your own business as you may think. You are simply an affiliate for the company. The owner of the company owns the business. What the owner gives you is a license (permission) to promote the company’s product(s) and opportunity and you receive a cut of the action. Basically, you’re a commissioned salesperson.
 
You may be given the title of Affiliate, Representative, Distributor or something else. Whatever your title, you don’t have any ownership, authority, rights, or say-so with the company. 
 
Most people joining a home based business opportunity never give this a thought. I didn’t when I first started. There’s a lot of discussion about how a home based business offers time freedom and financial security and well it does. But, it must be your own business and not by simply being an affiliate. Sometimes things happen we have no control over, like businesses going out of business. 
 
Let’s break this down together.
 
Affiliates, Representatives and Distributors have no assets.  

• They don’t own the list of affiliates, representatives or distributors
• They don’t own the products
• They don’t own the logos
• They don’t own the company name
• They don’t own the research
• They don’t own the staff
• They don’t own the equipment

• They have no say-so in how the company operates

  Nothing. Zero. Nada.

It can be taken from them in a heartbeat. 
 
Imagine having worked for several years to build your ‘one company’ nest egg. Your residual income was providing you the luxury and time freedom you deserve. You wake up one morning while you’re on yet another vacation in Hawaii only to find that your company has closed its doors. 
 
Where does that leave you now? 
 
Where is your next checking coming from? There’s no product being shipped, no applications being taken, no customer service answering the phone, no checks being written. It’s just gone. Does this happen often? No, thank goodness. But, can it happen? You bet.
 
So, where is the security in a ‘one company’ business model?
 
1)    The company can take away your affiliate status if they feel you have violated their rules and regulations at any time.  
2)    They can go out of business without warning and you are left on the streets
3)    They can get into legal trouble and again, you are left on the streets
4)    Or, flip of the coin . . . the company may make changes to their product, pay plan or policies that you can’t go along with so you leave.
 
An entrepreneur would never let one company put them out of business .
 
And, I don’t say this to scare people from becoming affiliates or distributors with these home based business opportunities, I’m just saying that nobody can make guarantees about how long a company will be in business. Look what happened with some of America’s biggest and oldest companies? Who’d of thought they would ever be in trouble or go out of business?
 
Life Happens. You want to position yourself to be in the best situation should one of your companies go under. Or, they make bad policy changes and you want to leave. That happens also.
 
A True Entrepreneur Owns Their Own Business

• They have multiple streams of income.
• They are always looking to add to their menu of services. 
• They are looking for ways to do things better, make things easier for people.
• They use their creative skills and develop their own products.
• They are not afraid to take risks.
• They make quick decisions.
• They are quick to implement.
• They understand that building their list IS their business.
• They strive to service as many people as possible and take care of their customers
• They brand the YOU, Inc. model
• They use attraction marketing strategies.

As an entrepreneur, you build your own assets. 
Create wealth that nobody can take away. 
Put yourself in a position to not be hurt financially if one of your programs calls it quits.  

Set up your funded proposal from the start of your business or revisit your blueprint if you're already involved.  But I recommend including your best value based products and services be offered and promoted as part of your marketing so your basket is full of eggs.