Losing those we have touched.

Sad news to report that a friend and business partner passed away 9-14-10. Our young friend, had a wife and 3 young children. What is truly amazing that you don't realize how someone can touch your life, even though you barely knew them. Someone that you had a chance meeting with, or maybe corresponded with via email and telephone can in the blink of an eye be gone.

Another amazing thing is that how this person has come into your life. Our business is an inter-connected network of people. And through those connections of people you can become friends with someone you would have never known if you were not involved with what you are doing. My friend lived in a small town in southeastern Tennessee and was sponsored by someone else. Basically we had a distributor between us and that is how we got to know each other. As a business leader, I contact everyone in our team regardless of who their sponsor is or how far down the line they are. Connections are made, relationships are created. This is how our business works.

Though our friend is gone, he will not be forgotten. We all miss him.

We all know something like this can and does happen every single day. We just never know how or when our time on earth is up and we must leave. Everyday is a time to touch someone in a way that leaves a lasting impression. Give your wife an extra hug and kiss. Tell your children, your mother and your father that you love them. These things seem so insignificant but anyone at anytime could be the last.

With this in mind, it's up to you to take responsibility to prepare yourself and your family to an unfortunate indecent. Setting yourself up with insurance that will help take care of those you care about is essential. Health, and Life insurance is a must. For life insurance I've read that you need at least 10 times your income to be properly insured. For me, my military SGLI insurance covers most of this. There are a lot of people that supplement the $450,000 with even more.

Another area to help take care of your family is to have something that will continue to pay even when you cannot work. This doesn't have to be in the event of your death, but maybe an extended disability or unemployment situation. This is a prime reason to get started now with a home based business that pays residual income. You work on something one time and it will continue to pay you for years to come.

While my friend and business partner was just getting started with his home based business, the ability to build up residual income takes some time and effort. Another friend and mentor passed away several years ago. He was my upline Direct Jobber and we spent countless hours on the phone. He coached me and mentored me when I was first getting started in the business. This encouragement was worth it's weight in gold. Now that he is gone, his family is still receiving compensation from those efforts, training, leadership and mentorship that he provided many years ago.

Get started today, go to sleep at night knowing that if something did happen, your family would be taken care of; both with the insurance as well as the security of a home based business.

Understand the basic fundamentals of working your home business and why it's important to sponsor, train and teach. Mark Yarnell's book "Your First Year in Network Marketing" should be on everyone's top list when you get started in a home-based business. Understanding the basics will allow you to build residual income, help others succeed and allow you the opportunity to be successful right from the git go.

Follow the lessons taught in "Your First Year in Network Marketing" and you will be on track to take care of  your family for years to come, no matter what happens.

Michael Sparks--Entrepreneur.