Going Wide vs Deep in Builiding Your Empire

One of the most interesting things I’ve found in network marketing is how many business owners strategically build their downlines within their own families. Instead of front-lining everyone they recruit, they place new business partners under their spouse or children (if they can), creating a structure that keeps the business and income within the household.

This approach naturally raises an important question: If you have control over placement, is it better to go wide—front-lining as many people as possible—or go deep by building under existing business partners, especially family members?

The Case for Going Wide

Going wide means personally enrolling as many people as possible. The benefits of this strategy include:

• Higher Immediate Income: Front-lining more people means more direct commissions from their sales and activity.
• Diverse Team Strength: With a broad team, you’re more likely to find strong business builders who will push their own organizations forward.
• Personal Control: You retain direct relationships with more business partners, which can make training and mentoring more efficient.

However, managing a large front line requires significant time and effort. It also means you may not be maximizing the structural benefits of your compensation plan.

The Case for Going Deep (Especially with Family)

Going deep involves strategically placing new recruits under your existing team—often under a spouse or children in family-run businesses. This creates layers of duplication and structure, leading to:

• Stronger Long-Term Residuals: Instead of earning primarily from direct sales, you benefit from team bonuses and overrides as your downline grows.
• Concentrated Growth: Placing new members under your existing business partners helps build momentum and depth, creating stability.
• Keeping Income in the Family: By structuring the business within the household, all earned commissions stay within the family unit, creating a shared financial benefit.

This method ensures that your closest business partners (your family) have thriving, successful positions within the organization, but it also requires strong leadership and proper training to ensure real duplication happens.

An Example of Going Deep

Let’s say you have 10 front-line business partners, two of whom are your son and daughter. If you begin focusing on building under them rather than directly under yourself, you’re setting them up with residual income that you also benefit from.

In our business, you get paid $4 for every person beneath you in a monthly Matrix check. You also receive 10% of the Matrix checks of your front-line partners. So, if you set your son and daughter up to be One-Star Directors with organizations of 100 people beneath each of them, they each collect $400 a month. Meanwhile, you’re collecting at least $800 a month because you’re also earning $4 for each of those same people. On top of that, you’re receiving 10% of their checks—another $80 for you.

Versus, if you had front-lined all those business partners instead of placing them under your son and daughter, you’d still be making the same amount in $4 Matrix checks. However, you might not have the override 10% from their organizations, and you wouldn’t have secured their income. By building under them, you’re ensuring they have stable earnings while also maximizing your own long-term income potential.

By strategically placing and supporting your family members, you’re creating a structure where everyone wins. Your children earn a solid monthly income, and you continue to benefit from their success.

Striking the Right Balance

So, which strategy is better? The reality is that success in network marketing often comes from balancing both approaches.

• If you are just starting out, going wide helps you identify strong builders who are committed to growing with you.
• Once you have key leaders (especially family members) in place, shifting to depth by strategically placing new members can create stronger, more sustainable income streams.

Ultimately, network marketing is not just about how many people you can personally enroll—it’s about how effectively you can help your team succeed. Whether you choose to go wide or deep, the key is creating a structure that supports long-term duplication and financial growth.

Final Thoughts

If you have the ability to place business partners strategically, consider how structuring within your family could work to your advantage. Some prefer the control and direct commissions of front-lining, while others see the long-term benefits of stacking within their household.

What’s your take? Do you believe in keeping business positions within the family, or do you think a wide approach is more effective? Let’s talk about it!