It’s funny how all my network marketing friends are touting what a great time it is to be in the industry. From personal experience, I have found that network marketing does much worse in bad economic times, but usually only early on (within the first year of a recession). I’m basing this on when I first started in the industry in 2004 my worst years in the industry were from 2008 to around the beginning of 2010 (the worst and longest recession since the Great Depression). Here is why I believe it is not a good time to get involved in the industry at least not from an opportunity perspective. When you have high unemployment and especially a worldwide government shutdown (something none of us has experienced in our lifetimes) you lose the backbone of network marketing (the 9 to 5 folks who are dependent on a paycheck who fuel the industry). They are the ones paying your monthly auto ships and allowing you to make most of your money from the commissions of sales of your product/services. I think that it will be a much better time to join and get started in 3 to 6 months following all the government shutdowns from the coronavirus when people realize that we are not all going to die.
You would think because more people are available to join at the moment, that business would be booming, but if people don’t have accessible money to participate it eliminates people joining and staying in your business. You wouldn’t open a business without being properly funded no matter how much it costs? Everyone thinking of joining a network marketing company must-have enough disposable money to pay for their product/service, and on-going marketing expenses (this is not employment or a job). Think of it more like being a realtor, you will need money to live on and support your business while you are building the business (no different if you were a realtor with Century21, Harcourts, or Remax Realty Companies). You need to really understand that this is a business and not a job. If you need immediate cash flow, you will be much better off doing instacart, Door Dash, Wag, Uber, or selling items in your home on eBay or any of the other gig type jobs that pay out daily or weekly. So look at your bank account. If you don’t have at least enough money in the bank to build your business for 90 days (products, services, and income coming in to pay your living expenses) you’re not in a position to do network marketing or really any business for that matter unless you want to gamble and take out a loan (highly don’t recommend and unless you have successful previous experience). Also, you will struggle in network marketing if you don’t already have previous sales, marketing or business experience. You get paid to only really do 2 things in network marketing – sell products, services, and recruit others to duplicate you as a distributor which will require the ability to be persuasive when you talk to others.
I’m not saying it’s not possible to do network marketing in the middle of a worldwide pandemic and pending recession – it’s probably just not the best time to get started. Honestly, having never built a network marketing company in the middle of a pandemic and government shutdown – I’m not even sure if it’s possible. If you don’t have any of the above-mentioned skills or you are new to the business you might be better served by just becoming a customer with a company with products you love and slowly in your spare time begin referring others to your business as you begin to have a good experience with the products/services.
With that being said I think network marketing will always be a good option for certain types of individuals and it’s still one of the best ways I have ever found over the years to create passive residual income, but unfortunately, it’s not as easy as it appears and sometimes timing the launch of your business will be pivotal to your success.
If you would like to partner and work with someone who has been in the industry and been at the top of more than a few companies feel free to reach out to me. I pretty much just tell it like it is john@johnlowery.biz
A viewpoint that seems to go out into the ocean outside Angra do Heroísmo, most of the Monte Brasil peninsula has been designated as a natural reserve. The remains of a long-extinct volcano, the peninsula are covered in a thick forest that’s full of flowers in spring and has a hiking trail that leads to the summit and viewpoint. You can also drive there if it’s muddy underfoot, or you didn’t pack your walking shoes.
– Probably one of the biggest highlights of our trip was walking inside the 
One of the oldest cities in The Azores it’s the capital and probably where most of the tourists base themselves as there are many wonderful hotels and places to stay. The town center 
– Inside the city of Angra do Heroísmo there is a beautiful botanical garden with lots of trees and plants from all over the world. If you’re tired from walking in the city this may be a nice resting place as there are many park benches. You will also find many frogs in the ponds and birds cohabiting this place – definitely a serene place to spend an hour during your holiday.
This museum is amazing. Honestly, I didn’t expect much as it was only $2 Euros per person to enter, but boy was I wrong. We went on a rainy day towards the end of our trip and I would recommend that you save this towards the end as it will be more captivating for you and make more sense. There are 3 levels of the museum and you get to go inside a church that was built in the 1600s (See Picture).
Surprising for an island chain in the middle of the Atlantic. This is located just a few miles (about 10 to 15-minute drive) North from Angra. They have a pretty good local wine scene on The Azores due to its fertile rocky volcanic soil and mild year-round temperatures. They are mostly known for their white wines as I didn’t encounter any red wines from The Azores at least on Terceira. But be sure to visit the Wine Museum as it is a family run vineyard that has been run by multiple generations since its beginning in 1900. The tours typically take around 25 minutes and at the end, you can sample some of their wines and maybe even purchase a bottle or two to enjoy on your vacation.
The island is pretty small and I would highly recommend you take a road trip around the island and visit some of the small towns like Boscoitos, São Sebastião, Port Martin, and attractions like The Lighthouses, parks, and swim holes along the way. Depending on how many times you stop you can probably do the entire island in a few hours in a rental car. If you don’t have a car I’m pretty certain they have a tour bus that will take you around.
. Unfortunately, just like Serra de Santa Bárbara your experience will depend on the weather. Luckily, it was pretty clear the day we went up there. I would recommend doing it on a partly cloudy or sunny day vs. a rainy one.
Terceira offers many excellent hikes and if you are in pretty good shape like myself I highly recommend that you do the 9KM hike at Rocha do Chombra. If you are going alone as we did, be sure to bring some good hiking shoes, a camera, and even some walking sticks. It says on Google that it takes around 2 hours in 30 minutes to complete, but it took us around 3 hours. If you are not an experienced hiker you can get a guide to take you on this amazing trek. You really don’t want to miss this one either.
These are the top 10 things I did while I was on the island, but there are many more things that I did and even took in a music gig at a local restaurant A Minha Casa that I highly recommend visiting. Also be sure to visit the 2nd largest city on the island Prainha da Praia da Vitória where there are many great hotels, restaurants, beaches and a movie theater with $1 popcorn.
