Changing Horses in Mid-Stream

As I was reading chapter 7 of "Think And Grow Rich" today, which is about definite plans, an old phrase popped into my head. Believing as I do in the law of attraction, I knew it wasn't an accident so now I'm writing about it! I am sure you've heard the saying, "don't change horses in mid-stream." Is that always good advice? Two situations occur to me where you might just want or need to change.Napoleon Hill stresses in this chapter that when a plan isn't working, you need a new plan! I see so many people in network marketing sticking to suggestions from their sponsor or upline because they have been told, "the more Nos you get the closer you are to a Yes." Michael Dlouhy, author of "Success In 10 Steps," calls this the biggest lie in MLM! And I believe Mr. Hill would agree, based on what I read. If you keep hitting your head against a brick wall (my idea of hearing "No" hundreds of times) it just might be time to figure out how to target different people, or in a different way? Just thinking...I believe if Edison had not changed strategies a few times we would not have light bulbs today! So if what you are doing to grow your MLM business isn't working, it might be time to try something different.Now, the second situation is more controversial. Many people feel that out of loyalty you should never change companies. Certainly if you change frequently, you will lose respect from people and not get anyone to join you. But I believe certain circumstances warrant a change. Some religions tell you that divorce is out of the question, yet I believe that when any type of mental or physical abuse arises, or when a partner develops dangerous substance abuse problems, it warrants saving yourself. Here are some of the situations which I believe could warrant looking for a new opportunity:
The company goes public
You read your policies and procedures (or they are modified) and discover things which are not in your favor
Your compensation plan changes and it is not in your favor
There is a shake up at the top and you no longer can trust the people running the company
The company files for bankruptcy
You discover that your upline has been lying to you, or has not acted in your best interest
You discover that the company is in any way illegal
You might question the first bullet. My reasoning is that public companies always answer to stock holders first. Of course, there can be unscrupulous people at the top of private companies as well. But at least you can check them out in advance and normally don't need to worry that they'll be "voted out." And you don't need to worry about stockholders causing changes for their profit that are not in your best interest. Remember, as a distributor you are not even an employee; you are an independent contractor.In most business dealings, if you discover that you are likely to lose everything it is considered advisable to cut your losses and move on. I consider the remaining points to fall into this category. Certain clauses in policies and procedures foretell the company terminating you for any reason they want, shutting down, or changing to retail channels. Any of these of course mean your business is gone (maybe overnight!) Compensation plan changes can severely cut your income. Changes at the top can cause policy changes or compensation changes.I also believe you must be able to trust your business partners and that discovery of unethical behaviour is grounds for finding new partners!Remember, you are talking about your future here. If your MLM opportunity is your retirement plan, your intended income for the rest of your life, you need to protect yourself! Look at it with a critical eye and be sure you are in the right place.