Introduction l Curriculum l Program News l Contact Us l Industry Information

Bethany College’s business department has developed many leaders through our business curriculum. Beginning in spring 2012 for the first time, a new and unique opportunity will be available to learn how to successfully use a refined network marketing business model.

Bethany is the first educational institution to offer network marketing as part of a marketing major. The program will promote integrity, trust, and transparency in network marketing, which is a business model that has been underrepresented in education.

Business Ownership through Network Marketing

Millions of Americans want to start their own businesses, but they’ve never even attempted it. In 1991, MarketWave Inc. conducted a survey of people who had never been business owners. When asked whether, if all obstacles were removed, they would like to their own businesses, 85% said yes. Most wanted to be entrepreneurs instead of employees. So why didn’t they try it? The top reasons the survey uncovered were the following:

• It takes too much money. They didn't have thousands of dollars to invest themselves, and they didn't know anyone else who did.
• It takes too much time. They didn't want to or were not able to work 80 hours per week for the first year or two to get their business going.
• There's too much risk. Over 56% of all businesses fail in the first two years, and they didn’t want to quit their job and lose their safety net in order to devote all their time to the business.
• They didn't know how. They'd never taken any business courses. They had no business experience. They didn’t know anything about taxes, accounting, marketing, and the myriad other skills a good entrepreneur must possess.

A properly executed network marketing business model can successfully overcome these four impediments to entrepreneurship.

About Bethany’s Real-World Curriculum

Classroom lessons teach students ethical business practices, planning requirements, compensation plans, product distribution processes, marketing and advertising methods, industry trends, and leadership skills in the classroom.

Then students practice these skills in real-world experience-based practicums with their own network marketing mentors. Successful network marketing professionals reinforce classroom learning and teach students how to start and manage their own businesses, all while still in school.

Servant Leadership through Network Marketing

The Network Marketing Program has been developed as part of our Center for Servant Leadership and supports Bethany’s core values.

The Bethany College Center for Servant Leadership will promote the awareness, understanding, and practice of servant leadership by individuals and organizations. The program goals and objectives are:

• to merge the knowledge and skills of “service to others” and “leading others” in all participants and graduates regardless of the path they are following,
• to build a more just, caring, and sustainable world with hope and prosperity for future generations,
• to advance the development of a caring, cooperating community, one that emphasizes service and involvement, a balanced approach to life and work, and sharing of responsibility and recognition,
• to develop the servant leadership skills of civic and community organizers, business managers and professionals, and college students, and
• to promote the wealth of trust by creating a sustainable funding source for program activities.