Pennsylvania Title Affiliations

AFFILIATIONS - (Mind Over Matter) By Ed Faust How many Times in the last few months have you been asked to become an Affiliate of a particular organization ? If you are a frequent visitor to E-Mails, and Internet, etc., then I would venture a guess that it is probably more than you would like. There does not seem to be an end to the massive amount of Affiliations available to just about anyone who has a computer. Maybe I should add - even if you don't have a computer. Many say they can set you up in business without a computer although one would think there would be great limitations on your earnings. Some programs state that you are Affiliates, yet others are Associates, etc, etc, all coming from the same mold. Usually there are levels to be attained to produce larger incomes. Levels can be basic, tiered, multi-tiered, etc. and promising larger commissions because of the previous mentioned layers. Joe sells or sponsors Bill and Tim who in turn sells Carl, Rita and Jim - all of these people providing Joe with more commission. You get the idea, sort of like a pyramid, mlm, etc. They will often state that the Organizational Sales team will promote the Products and Services you would be selling. Be assured that you are the main cog and without a large effort on your part, little or no selling will take place. Some will do well. However; you can bet that the vast majority of Affiliations out there will probably not make you enough money to break even. Sure; they will promise you the moon but deliver far less. I will not attempt to name any companies since this would not be ethical. Many of these organizations will tell you that the secret is promoting this opportunity to others. You are told that bringing in more people under you will make you more money. Well; yes and no. The only way you are going to realize more capital in your pocket is if these people actually purchase something and that means products or services. If these recruits do not purchase, it is highly unlikely you will see any revenue from them. You also will no doubt somewhere along the way hear about how many affiliates earn six figure incomes. Let me tell you that very few will ever come close to this figure. Speaking of purchases, if you can use the products (or services) offered, then this is a plus for you since you probably would make this same purchase elsewhere so why not make it someplace where it could make you a commission. That is if it is not an inflated price whereas you still might come out on the short end. Another interesting area is the Testimonials section. I have always been intrigued by these people. My first thoughts are "Who are these people"? Are they paying them to say these things? You hear many words such as Exciting-Fabulous-Incredible-Unbelievable and so on. Understand that many of these people have only been with this company for only a month or less. What kind of money could they be making and what would they know about the business in this short of time? Very little on both counts for sure but maybe they have their sites set high. When you are new and have high hopes, the adrenalin is flowing so this could be one reason. I hope so because they will need all the help they can get and then some. It is hard to believe all of the people who want to start a home business, etc. and have no money to start with (or very little), no idea what it takes to run a business on the web (or anyplace else) and expect to see the money rolling in within a few months. The first objective for these type people would be to read as much as possible on startups for online and offline business strategies. Another area of concern is that many of the signees have little or no knowledge about advertising. Unless they have some experience with Search Engines, Directories, Newsletters, etc; problems will be forthcoming. Just setting up your account with the various SE's, etc. takes a fair amount of time and patience but since many of us had to trek down that road, we know that with a little fortitude, desire, understanding, (and good attitude) it can be done. Most Affiliations offer you a Website and a full product list to choose from. The main problem with this is you make such a small amount of commission from these products that it will not even pay your advertising costs and the costs for Search Engines, etc are a major item. Sure; if you are lucky enough to have a high Page Rank site with lots of visitors, then you could do much better. The problem with most people who sign in as Affiliates are usually that they are new to or just starting out on the Internet and probably have a site with PR of 2 or less or in many cases, no site at all. This is by no means directed at the Affiliate Programs that are well organized and actually give the affiliates a chance at making some good money. The only problem is that these particular programs are in the vast minority and good luck to the people that find them. I have found a couple over the years but given the amount of affiliations contacted, this is a very small percentage. In closing; I would like to say that anyone who is serious about joining as an affiliate to some organization should certainly check out the company, check out the track record, ask for names, addresses, telephone numbers, etc. of people who have recently joined and also long time employees. Ask if they are satisfied and what type of rating they would give the company. If you are satisfied with everything and grades are good, you can go for it but beware of companies that ask for money up front. There are scams out there but if you do your homework, you should not worry about them.