This is for all the newbie network marketers out there trying to grow a business on the internet. These are the tools I've used to get organized. What is the advantage of being organized? Isn't it all about buying into an opportunity, getting your turn-key website live and raking in massive amounts of residual cash?

Well, that's what I thought too. Five months later I've discovered that most internet "network" marketers earn their money selling products to people like you and me. The sell to newbie internet network marketers who come into the business wide-eyed and open to learning the best way to make a pile of cash as fast as possible.

Let me tell you about the people who earn piles of cash "overnight." Those people already built a massive list of people that they can market to. I know because I'm on almost every guru's list. I get all the emails about the next hot info product or marketing software must-have.

To be frank, almost none of them were worth a few pennies, let alone the hundreds of dollars I've spent. The more I research, the more I find out that my story is very common. MOST people that start a network marketing business hoping to grow it on the internet wind up spending loads of money on information products.

I'm glad I'm a fast learner, though. I'm putting up these resources in order of importance, relevance and effectiveness. I want to help other newbie marketers get focused and organized so that they know deep inside that they don't have to spend all that money on (predominantly) useless junk that won't help their downline grow.

So, the first thing that is common to ALL network marketing businesses is your 'Why' statement. Why do you want to open a business? What is it you're seeking? Financial freedom? More time with your family? The cars? The vacations? The ability to help lots of people? It's important to state your why as succinctly as possible, but also to have a story associated with it.

Here's mine: I have a burning desire to be of service to those that I care about, and I opened a network marketing business in order to have the resources to do so.

That's my primary why statement. You might think it's overly altruistic, but once you read my story, you might not think so. Here's the story that goes along with my why:

Last year, my boyfriend at the time was diagnosed with AIDS. He spent many nights in the hospital, but had a particularly close call in November of last year. He had just gone on the antiretrovirals (the standard AIDS drugs) and was having a very bad reaction to them - so bad, in fact, that he almost died. I was, and still am, a part-time massage therapy instructor. I wasn't starving, but wasn't rich either, and had no money to "spare". In the course of a very scary month, he was released from the hospital and began seeing an alternative healing practitioner. He had to radically change his diet and purchase many costly supplements. He'd been out of work for several months, and his disability had not kicked in, so he was broke. I found myself in a position where I couldn't help someone I loved and cared about because of money. I felt like it was a ridiculous and stupid reason to be prevented from helping him. When he had to go without supplements he needed very badly because neither one of us had the money, I was propelled onto this path. I made a vow to myself that I would NEVER find myself in that position again.

Now you might understand how urgently I felt I needed to become financially free. It was literally life and death - not my own, but of someone I love. I'm glad to report that he's doing much better now, but I'm still on a mission to achieve the kind of independence that only financial freedom can bring.

Now, what's your 'why'? Of course, it doesn't need to be as dramatic a story as mine, but it does need to fill you with passion and enthusiasm, for without those elements, the path to financial freedom can seem like a struggle.

Did you notice that my story makes me a credible leader? Don't you believe I won't stop until I achieve my goals? People will respond the same way to your story, as long as it's true. There's no need to embellish the story part of your why. People can sense falsehood and won't trust you. It's better to say what is and attract the people who resonate with your story.

My why almost sounds like the mission statement of a business - which is exactly what it is. Don't forget that when you join a network marketing opportunity you are opening a business! Every business needs a mission statement and you 'why' functions well in this capacity.

The first step to getting organized is to develop your 'why' statement. Every network marketing opportunity will have you create one. The reason? To keep your goals and desires right in front of your face as you begin to build your business. If you don't have a reason, why make the effort?