Although it's just as important as any contract anyone will sign in their lifetime, many Network Marketers do not read the policies and procedures they sign when starting their business.
Whether it's due to naivety, misplaced trust, or simply not fully appreciating the impact this document can have on their business, their lives, and the lives of their family, the completion of this one act, or lack thereof, can have staggering and far reaching repercussions.
The policies and procedures agreed to as part of starting up an MLM business are not written to protect you, your family, or your heirs.
They are not written to ensure you are paid fairly or treated well.
In fact, they are not written with your best interest in mind at all.
However, they are legally binding, and these legally binding contracts are drawn up by lawyers who are paid by the Network Marketing companies to protect their interests.
With the right education, you can learn how to spot these clauses which can be easily identified by certain buzz words and phrases.
Some of these words and phrases include:

• "On-Going" - (The marketer can never take a break or they are in violation of their contract.
  This means that an extended vacation, retirement, or even the unfortunately falling ill can result in the loss of the marketers business.
  )
• "Increasing" - (The marketer's duties or responsibilities are always growing larger.
  )
• "Reserves the Right" - (The organization retains the right to the final word, just in case they need it.
  )
• "At The Sole Discretion Of" - (The organization's judgment is final.
  )

Is it me or is this starting to sound more like being an employee rather than a business owner?

• "May Elect" - (The organization may decide to change the agreement...
  at their "Sole Discretion")
• "Included But Not Limited To" - (The organization can add on to the agreement at their "Sole Discretion")

These are just a few but I think you get the idea.
And then there is the grand daddy of them all; "Forfeiture Of Your Right To Trial By Jury".
This is covered in a seemingly innocuous statement that starts something like this...
"Any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to the agreement, or the breach thereof between the company and any Network Independent Marketer shall be resolved by arbitration.
" And ends like this...
"...
Independent Marketers waive all rights to trial by jury or to any court.
" Nice, huh? So this means that the marketer has agreed to settle any and all disputes using arbitration with no recourse, regardless of the outcome.
But wait, it gets better.
The statement goes on to say...
"...
Nothing in these Policies and Procedures shall prevent the company from applying to, and obtaining from any court having jurisdiction, a writ of attachment, a temporary injunction, preliminary injunction, permanent injunction, or other relief available to safeguard and protect the company's interest prior to, during, or following the filing of any arbitration or other proceeding...
" In plain English, this means that although you are bound by the decision of the arbitrator, the company is not.
I'm sure you can see how although your compensation plan is important, although you want to represent a product you believe in, although you love your up-line and get all the support you need from them, none of this is important if it can all be taken away in accordance with the agreement you signed.
Now, what about the people in your down line; your friends, family members, and other people who trusted you and joined your business? They are held to these same guidelines.
So not only are you responsible for what happens to your own business, you may feel somewhat responsible to what happens to their businesses.
After all, you did sponsored them into the business.
Or course, the case can be made that your up-line had the same responsibility to you and failed.
And that would be true.
But where does the buck stop? When is someone going to stand up and take responsibility for reading and understanding these documents?