This is a tough time for network marketing companies. Networkers, even newbie networkers, are a savvy bunch these days. We’ve learned all about attraction marketing. We know we don’t need to build a names list, pester our family, hand out fliers in the mall or make cold calls.

We know all about funded proposals and affiliate marketing. Income streams are all around us on the internet. The question is… Do we need Network Marketing?

Why would we include a business in our income mix that ties our hands when it comes to advertising on the internet by not allowing us to use the company name in so much as a product or company review?

Why would we partner with a company that forces us to use them as our sole source of income?

Why would we even consider building a business around a company that will not let us sell OUR business if we decide that is in our best interest?

Many network marketing companies are hanging around the necks of their distributors like anchor, dragging them down with all their antiquated marketing practices and exclusivity rules. These companies had better shape up or ship out as others develop or remake themselves to meet the changing needs of their new internet savvy distributors.

Will network marketing survive? Are the glory days of MLM over? With all the other ways to monetize online, do we even need network marketing?

"Is Network Marketing Dead?" Why don’t you head on over and see what folks are saying?

The overwhelming consensus seems to be that Network Marketing is here to stay but that the industry is evolving.

That is to say the distributors are FINALLY learning correct marketing methods, such as attraction marketing. Stuff the rest of the business world has understood seemingly Forever...

And top network marketing companies see the writing on the wall. The best of them are adapting and rewriting their policies to meet the changing needs of their sales force and customers.

It really is sink or swim time for many network marketing companies out there today. With all the options available to us they either meet our needs or we move on.

As I said before, because of the internet and forums such as this one, we networkers are a much more savvy group than we were only 5 years ago. We now know what we need and have the ability to not only seek it out but to demand it from the companies we choose to partner with.

It will be interesting to see which companies adapt and which ones fail... but that's a discussion for another day LOL.

Shelly Begarowicz, The Rat Race Rebel, is an internet marketing consultant. She helps internet network marketers and other small business owners to use Web 2.0 Tools and Attraction Marketing techniques to build their internet business on a shoestring budget.

For advice and tips on starting and running an internet marketing business subscribe Shelly's Rat Race Rebel News Today!