It’s that time of year!  MLM and Home Party companies are gathering around the country in conferences and conventions.  As summer vacations come to a close, MLM and Home Party reps are once again open for business!

MLM and Home Party businesses have fared well during the recession, and September through November are traditionally peak enrolling and selling months of the year.  It’s also the time of year when people begin to stay home and socialize there, rather than going out and spending more money.  In 2009, retail sales fell around 9 percent, according to DSA’s statistics; direct sales fell as well, but only by 4 percent. In 2010, direct sales actually rose slightly, from $28.33 billion to $28.56 billion.

“During a recession, people are spending money, but they’re spending it a little bit differently,” says Amy Robinson, Vice President of Communications for the Direct Selling Association. “A woman who maybe buys a $200 suit every season may decide to buy a $25 necklace to accessorize what she already has.”

At the height of the recession from 2008 to 2009, the number of direct sellers jumped from 15.1 million to 16.1 million, before adjusting to 15.8 million sellers last year.  It’s still a powerful indicator of the strength of direct selling.  Direct selling companies are always hiring!  Startup kits range anywhere from $19 to $199, and a person can get started immediately when the idea sparks their imagination and dreams.

At LaunchSmart, we have seen a steep increase in the number and frequency of visitors and inquiries at our website.  People want to know what it takes to start a company, bounce their ideas against our executive sounding board, and take advantage of all of our resources that have been created to help them start and successfully operate a MLM or home party / party plan company.

180 days or less to startup?  Can you really start and run a successful MLM company in 180 days or less?  What about all those people saying you need to build a business plan and secure funding first?  What about all those obstacles—the right MLM software / Home Party Software, the right name, the right MLM compensation plan, the right legal entity and registrations, and so forth?

Yes, you can.  You can do this.  And you can do it in 180 days or less.  Here are the two most important reasons why that’s so:

1. The world has changed dramatically in recent years and we all know it.  Today, we can use online tools, information, contacts, and services to do things much faster than was possible just a few years ago.
2. When you look at the core elements of a new MLM business, the actual tasks involved—just the real tasks, not the thinking, training, researching, and long-time deciding—don’t take that much time.  Technically, it takes about an hour to register a name for your business and to become a legal entity.  Setting up a location can take a couple of hours if it’s in your home, and as little as a few days if it’s in an office somewhere near where you live.  Delaying decisions doesn’t make them any better.

It’s true that not all businesses can go straight from the first spark of an idea to the full and complete execution in just 26 weeks.  But many can.  On one hand, you may not get product molds created, initial orders placed, and finished goods delivered from an overseas vendor in this relatively small window, but on the other hand, you just might depending on your experience and shortened learning curves.  Many cannot raise millions of investment dollars in a few months, but then you may not need that much or you might already have the necessary capital.

It’s also true that the essence of a direct selling company is not only its ability to scale and grow, but because it’s typically a cash-up-front business, much of the growth is self-funding.  We put those two facts here because they show that the majority of new direct selling businesses are like the one you want to start, meaning they are manageable, focused, and ready for you to get going.

So, with that in mind, here’s how it works!  The timetables in the LaunchSmart System show how you go from where you are now to operational in just 180 days.  And, our hats are off to our clients who have done it in less time while not cutting corners.  Give us an opportunity to provide you with the Absolute Launch Essentials, an overview of what you really have to do, no matter what, and where you’ll find it in our system.

Fast tracking through launch of your new MLM business demands that you make your list of priorities and work from that list.  Owners and executives of fast-growth MLM companies and successful MLM startups share these priorities in common:

• Get in touch with views and opinions of the leaders in MLM and direct selling
• Learn cutting-edge practices from the front-lines of MLM and direct selling
• Develop startup teams that can meet the challenges of MLM launch and fast growth
• Get access to the resources that shorten learning and implementation curves
• Get personal coaching by the top authorities in starting and running successful MLM and Party Plan businesses
• Receive the latest news and views in MLM and Party Plan issues, opportunities and trends
• Study and apply the distributor service organizational competencies
• Get the resources for training and energizing front-line reps
• Stay informed on best practices