One of the most controversial topics in the home business industry is what is called “multi-streaming”; which is representing more than one Network Marketing company at the same time.

This topic comes up for discussion often. Opinions are a little like belly-buttons. We’ve all got one – but,  they’re all different.

The two extremes of opinions find those who believe only a fool would attempt to operate more than one opportunity at a time….and, there are those who believe that any one who doesn’t is foolish.

Obviously, they can’t both be correct. In fact, I am of the opinion that they are both wrong. In several decades of doing consulting it has been my experience that everyone who leans either far left or far right on just about any topic is usually just too stubborn to listen to the truth.

No, I am not knocking those who are passionate – I am knocking those who are so stubborn that they are doomed to always be passionately wrong. Those who won’t fairly consider alternative view points are denying themselves some of the key elements of truth that are scattered throughout those alternative view points.

Most people are smart enough to know that the wisdom for trying to operate more than one income opportunity at the same time depends on the individual business owner’s unique circumstances.

If I were to cover this topic completely it would take a book, but that isn’t practical for you or for me. So, I am going to do my best to hit the highlights. Hopefully, my suggested guidelines will at least serve to provide some common sense guideposts.

The wise thing for me to do on this controversial topic would be to take the politician’s approach, by saying, “some of my friends are against multi-streaming; and some of my friends are for it – and, I stand with my friends”. But, I won’t do that to you.

I have written several articles on this topic over the years. And, my “general rule”, is that it is rarely wise to attempt to operate more than one business at the same time.

Point #1. Most folks don’t have enough time, or money, or business experience to effectively operate more than one business at a time. If that describes you, then multi-streaming would hurt you.

Point #2. Even if you do have adequate time, money and business experience, if you try to share more than one opportunity with each person you recruit you will be hurting the majority of the people you recruit, because of Point #1.

Point #3. All too often, due to ignorance, or just plain old greed, multi-streamers will be guilty of what is called cross-lining. Companies hate this and will terminate people for doing it. This is where a distributor for opportunities A & B decides to share opportunity B with a distributor from opportunity A who was NOT personally recruited by them into opportunity A.

This is like a cancer in the home business industry. If you enrolled a distributor into your opportunity and they meet another distributor from your company, do you want that distributor trying to pull your distributor away from your business by exposing them to some other opportunity? Of course not! However, it happens all the time and it is one of the primary reasons some are so negative about multi-streaming.

Let’s suppose you are one of those rare people who has adequate time, money and business experience to potentially handle multiple opportunities. Here are a few situations where it might be wise.

1. You have an unusually large number of prospects, and many of them will reject your primary opportunity.

2. Perhaps you have access to an unusual number of excellent prospects in the United Kingdom, for example, but your primary opportunity is not available in the UK.

3. Suppose you have a passion for and perhaps some expertise in a couple of different industries, but no one opportunity provides you a way to promote both interests.

4. Suppose you had already built a substantial business with one opportunity and for security sake felt the need to diversify your business interests in case the unforeseen happened to your primary company.

Those are just a few examples of when I believe it would be wise to consider operating more than one business. Those are not the only examples, but enough to establish that there are some credible reasons for certain individuals to be involved with more than one opportunity.

However, if you can come up with one or more credible reasons for you to get involved with more than one opportunity, you still need to honorably represent each company you choose to work with.

In this age of the Internet it is virtually impossible to keep your secondary business secret. So, always be prepared to explain why you are involved in business #2 when asked. AND NEVER agree to enroll anyone in your secondary business who is involved in your primary business unless they meet these two standards:

1. NEVER NEVER NEVER, unless you personally enrolled them into your primary business.
2. You personally believe they also have a credible reason for operating a secondary business. NINETY NINE PERCENT OF THE TIME THEY WILL NOT.
3. NEVER NEVER NEVER agree to enroll someone who meets standards 1 & 2, unless you are convinced they will also abide by 1 &2.

Frankly,  #3 above is the “Joker” – you are in total control of #1 & #2, but you have zero control over how they will handle 1& 2.  In other words, the only safe harbor is just to not ever share your secondary business with anyone in your primary business. And, if they do find out and ask you about it then explain your “credible” reasons, but refuse to enroll them in your secondary business.

It might help to also keep in mind that we are very much self-employed entrepreneurs. We are not stockholders of the company or companies we represent. We are not employees. We don’t receive employee benefits. We have no retirement benefits. The companies in the home business industry have chosen, for their own benefit, to legally make us “independent” contractors, independent affiliates, independent representatives, etc.

Consequently, though we must always conduct ourselves with integrity, we must  also remember that WE are responsible for choosing what is best for our own families.

The vast majority of men and women just need to find one quality business that fits them well and then stick with it. However, this article is intended to present a fair and balanced perspective that also allows room for a few wise exceptions to that general rule.

In the final analysis this article is intended to encourage all of us to be more aware of the potential consequences of our decisions. In other words: what is fair and reasonable for the company or companies you represent; what is best for those you have recruited into your businesses; and, finally what is wise for you and your family.

In the rare situations where multi-streaming is appropriate, even then, it only works well if our choices treat all parties fairly and honorably. There are thousands of nuances to this complex and controversial topic. Hopefully this article has been helpful in spite of its limited scope.