There are a multitude of home based business opportunities and finding the one that works for you is crucial if you are striving for a work/life balance or simply want to be your own boss. A multi level marketing (MLM) business is one of the viable opportunities for a home based business. Making an MLM business work for you as a home based business requires proper planning and research.If you are looking for a get rich quick scheme this is not it. If you are willing to put in time and effort to make your business work, this is one of the ways to go. There are many MLM business opportunities on the internet. Some are scams and some are viable money making opportunities if you are willing to put forth the effort.To make this a viable money making business requires first finding a company to work with that has good products and services and one that has been around for many years and is not a “fly-by-night” company.To succeed in a MLM business requires several steps, some of which are discussed below.1. RecruitmentThis is very important because MLM businesses involve network marketing and made up of downlines and uplines. Uplines are those who recruited you and others whereas downloads are the people that you recruit. Those recruited including you will sell the company’s products and services and well as the business model to others.Commissions are made on the sales or purchases made by others. If you have a significant downline making sales and purchases, your income potential will be immense. To put it simply, you can only succeed if your downline if successful which means that you need to properly manage your team or downline to keep them active and motivated.Uplines and downlines must work together towards a common goal of success. Without the upline or downline, your MLM business will become fruitless and will not function properly.If your do not work to increase your network or downline, you will have no income and shall become ineffective in your MLM home based business. There shall be no marketing of goods and services and no one handling customer needs and desires which will lead to no consumptions of the company’s products and services.2. Maintaining Minimum SalesIf the company provides good products and services, you and your downline should not have a problem marketing the products and services to others. Keep up with the sales and purchases and related expenses on a daily basis to determine whether your business is progressing the way that you want it to.3. Training DownlineReputable MLM companies should provide the tools that you need to enable you to train your downline to become more effective representatives of the company. Since this is network marketing, relationship building is crucial to success. You and your downline need to have the same vision. Effectively training your downline may be the difference between success and failure. In addition, the MLM company should provide tools to help you become more effective in your efforts that you put into the MLM home based business.