Network marketing or multilevel marketing is a legitimate income opportunity. Multilevel marketing is a popular way of providing people with products they need and want at a fair price. This is done by independent distributors, who usually work out of their home. The target market for distributors are stay-at-home moms, but all types of people are earning an income with network marketing.

Network marketing is a serious business, and it isnt a get-rich-quick scheme. Success is based on following some basic principles. You create your own team. You manage this team by recruiting, training and motivating them. Your team is given a roadmap, since they look to your success as the model, and then duplicate that method.

In multilevel marketing, you earn a percentage of what your downline sells. Downlines are people you sponsor into the business. Then your sponsors sponsor others, and you have created a compound growth that can lead to hundreds of more people coming into your business.

Now you ask: the difference between a legitimate network marketing business and a pyramid scheme? Pyramids are illegal and are based on taking advantage of people. For someone to make money in a pyramid, someone else has to loose money. A pyramid is strictly a money game and has no basis in real commerce. Normally, there's no product involved at all, just money changing hands. Multilevel companies seek to make money with you. Start-up costs are generally small. These companies want to make it easy and inexpensive for you. Legitimate companies will buy back unsold products if you choose to quit. And the key element: products are sold to consumers. This requires quality products that are competitively priced.

Network marketing is a people-to-people business where you can meet new people from all over. It enables you to have fun, sell a product that you enjoy and stand behind, travel if you like, and enjoy the benefits of an extra income.

About the author: Heidi Phillips is a single mom of two wonderful boys and lives in Northern Nevada. She has been in multilevel marketing for two years now. She would love to share more about the company she represents, and you can reach her at her website at www.smartcandlebiz.com.