Okay - you've decided to take the plunge and get involved in network marketing. One of the key criteria that you will need to evaluate is the product that you will be marketing.

First of all - and this is not as blindingly obvious as it may seem - there should definitely be a genuine product. It should be possible to become a customer without joining as an affiliate/distributor. If there is no product, or if the "product" is only available to those entering the business, then the "opportunity" might well be a pyramid scheme.

Having established that there is a genuine product, the next question you need to ask is whether or not there is likely to be a genuine demand for it. Part of that answer will be decided by the price of the product. It need not be the cheapest on the market but it should certainly offer value for money when considering the specified features in comparison with similar competing items.

The acid test is to ask yourself "Would I buy this if I weren't a distributor?". Then ask "Who else would buy this?".

Assuming that you've achieved positive answers thus far, you now need to consider some of the more practical aspects associated with your potential product. For example, how is it delivered? Ideally, you are not going to be involved in the delivery process. This is a waste of your time - and it might limit you to a geographical area or cost you money in postage that could be better spent on advertising.

There are plenty of products which can be downloaded direct from a website. Many others can be shipped by mail or courier direct from the parent company to the customer - no need for you to get involved.

Finally, in an ideal world, the product should be consumable or disposable. It should have a finite lifespan which necessitates the customer to reorder if they wish to continue to enjoy the benefits. If the reorder process is by an automatic weekly or monthly subscription then so much the better.

Think about it - most people don't enjoy selling. Even some professional sales people regard it as a necessary evil rather than as an enjoyable experience. So it makes sense that, having stepped outside your comfort zone to make a sale, you benefit from this not just once but on an ongoing basis.

This is genuine residual income - and it's very nice. If you have a suitable product, reordered on a regular basis, then you can have a good idea of what your minimum income is likely to be each month. Any extra sales that you make are a bonus and mean that your business is growing - but you have a base level to build upon.

Some genuine residual income products and services are listed below:

• Telephone calls and line rental.
• Mobile phone supply, line rental and calls.
• Electricity supply.
• Web hosting supply.
• Autoresponder supply.
• Supply of any software which is rented or leased.
• Property rental.

This is not an exhaustive list - I'm sure that you can think of a few more additions. Virtually any product or service which is supplied on a weekly or monthly lease/rental basis would qualify.

Here are the key attributes that you should consider when selecting your perfect product:

Hamish Hayward
http://www.selfstarters.co.uk/