Network marketing (NM) is known as multi-level marketing (MLM). It is written both for those involved in network marketing, and also for those who are simply interested in finding out more.

Network marketing has been around for nearly fifty years. It started in US, and the first major modern network marketing business was formed in 1959.
Network marketing is, in short, a \"business in a box\". For a nominal fee, you can register with a certain company in order to build up an organization based around their products or services.

Some Network Marketing companies encourage you to enter training schemes in order to help you build your business. Companies sell practically everything you could ever think of, but very few of them ever advertise. The word \'referral marketing\' relies on spreading the products. They rely on \'referral marketing\' to spread the word about their products. That is to say, they make sure that they have an exceptionally good product, and then rely on people to spread the word for them.

Network marketing is absolutely legal, and is governed by strict regulations in most countries. In most countries, the network marketing industry is regulated by the Direct Selling Association.

Most network marketing organisations suggest that a successful networker should be putting a minimum of 5-10 hours into their business per week. In the average network marketing company, fewer than 20% of business owners are actually doing any significant level of work. In some cases this is closer to 5%.

Network marketing is not by any means a get rich quick scheme. Network marketing requires effort to get it to work, but it is a good method to build up an extra stream of income. Type of goods are available through network marketing such as soap and washing powder, vitamins, beauty products etc. right the way to gas, electricity, telephone calls and life insurance.

One of the major benefits of a Network Marketing business is that the startup costs are so small, usually less than 200 pounds. In fact, in many countries there are restrictions limiting the size of the maximum signup cost. Network Marketing works well because practically anyone can do it, should they find a sufficiently strong drive. But of course that\'s not just true of network marketing - a substantial franchise, might cost tens of thousands (or even hundreds of thousands) of pounds and will not make a profit for years.