The Retirement Benefits of Network Marketing

I know every home business is not a network marketing business.  And I believe most adults have experienced being pitched a network marketing opportunity at some point in their lives.  The claims are you can ditch your 9-5 job, be your own boss, make a lot of money, and get rich quick!  All you must do is tell 10 friends to tell 10 friends about your business and boom, you are financially free!  

In grad school, I worked with a network marketing company and although I didn’t get rich, it did help me pay for school and I made some valuable connections that became friends.  After I earned my master’s degree, I decided to start my own business with the satisfaction that I created it from nothing.

But as a business owner of 15 years, I am now feeling burnt out because my business turned out to be a job.  I am self-employed at my own job!  I don’t have a team that can run my business without me.  The truth is, I don’t even want the overhead that comes with staffing a big company.  I wish I had given network marketing just as much time as I invested in my own business!  For an eager entrepreneur, network marketing is a viable business with systems already in place for you including people to encourage you and train you on sales and leadership skills.  It also sets you up for retirement, which my own business has not done!  

In your twenties you can recover from mistakes, as I enter my forties there is no more room for mistakes!  If your retirement savings isn’t enough to take care of you for 20 years and generations after you, it’s not enough!  Even if you have saved over $450,000 in your retirement, it won’t last from 65-100 years old!  The average 50-year-old is estimated to have less than $50,000 in retirement savings!  There is a savings crisis in America for employees and entrepreneurs. 

Since the creation of Social Security in 1935, people have been brainwashed to believe that retirement is all about money.  There are plenty of people who have a lot of retirement money and they are completely miserable.   The transition into retirement has more to do with psychology than money.  Don’t get me wrong, money is critical for retirement but it’s not the only thing that you should think about when you are planning to retire. 

Retirees may not get along with their spouse anymore, they may not have friends outside of work, and some retirees have broken relationships with their children.  When they retire, they struggle to transition.  The average retiree feels tired most of the day, may be moderately depressed, may have health issues, and may only have a couple of friends.  If you eliminate money from retirement, there is so much more to consider. 

Daria M. Brzezinski Ph.D., a practicing psychologist and former marketing director for a network marketing company, echoes these statements.  “Many people don’t realize that network marketing companies are successful because they help people satisfy a number of important human needs, including feeling significant, having connections, learning something new, and making a difference.”

I’m not saying network marketing will solve all your retirement problems, but it is worth considering.  It is a low cost to replace some psychological gaps you can lose if you don’t have a way to develop them on your own.  Retirees often join our company just to meet new friends.  They have a small niche in the business to service friends and family.  They don’t go to all the meetings because they don’t desire to be a top producer, but they enjoy the positive energy.

When you look at the bigger picture of network marketing, you will stop thinking it is a scam.  The bigger picture is it provides a way to enhance many of the personal aspects of retirement that are rarely discussed or planned for, with the added benefit of supplementing a pension or a social security income.

I wouldn’t advise anyone to quit their 9-5 and I certainly wouldn’t tell anyone they can get rich quick in network marketing.  Depending on the goals of individuals who work with me, I tell them to stay at their jobs and start with feasible goals such as making an extra $500 per month.   I also encourage them to give our company 60, 90, 120 days to not only help them achieve an extra income but for them to see that it adds value to their lives and the lives they touch.  I chose a network marketing business that I would be certain could change lives and improve confidence. 

I believe the concept of adding a network marketing business for retirement income will become a trend for people who want to replace a work identity and try something new, who want to stay relevant and connected, and who want to stay mentally fit.  It is certainly a retirement benefit worth considering.

Did my tips help you, email me and let me know at support@helenapaschal.com. 

My blog is for busy entrepreneurs who work from home but are seeking to build a thriving business with more leverage and influence.  As an entrepreneur for over 15 years with 2 businesses under my belt and national recognition as a mentor and trainer, I am confident you will find reading my blogs an impactful contribution to your bottom line!