For example, let’s say Tom and Sarah plan on getting married and both want to start their Ambit business. Tom enrolls as a consultant and then sponsors Sarah into the business.  Tom and Sarah can then combine their efforts to build their business under Sarah’s account. Once they get married, they will still have two accounts–each getting paid residual income that is generated under Sarah’s account. Tom will need to gather and maintain 20 customer points so that his account is eligible to be paid on all levels of residual income, but the team of consultants will be built under Sarah’s account.

In this example, residual income will be generated over time and will be paid through Sarah’s account. Likewise, residual income will be paid through Tom’s account since he sponsored Sarah into the business, giving Tom and Sarah extra residual income as they work together in their Ambit Energy career.

You can see how this is a much better option than two people building two separate businesses.

The article noted that Ambit has experienced 44 percent revenue growth year over year. The company is expected to reach $1.2 billion in revenue by the end of 2013. With more than 210,000 consultants gathering customers in nine states plus the District of Columbia, Ambit Energy CEO and co-founder Jere Thompson noted that even though the company has expanded and grown so much, there is still a lot of work to be done and market share to gain.

“We’ve had the land rush to expand into other markets,” Thompson says. “Now the hard part is farming — actually penetrating the market and building market share.”

This isn’t the first (or second, or third or fourth… or fifth) third-party recognition Ambit Energy has received. The company currently has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, and in 2010 was named America’s No. 1 fastest-growing private company by Inc. magazine.

With energy deregulation still very new in many parts of the country and with less than 5 percent total market share in current states and markets, there is no cap in sight for Ambit Energy’s potential growth.

Consultants need just 20 customer points to take full advantage of the compensation plan and get paid on all levels. So, consultants spend most of their time helping other consultants. Ambit has built a business model based on helping other people. There’s no way around it. In order to grow a business, consultants must help each other, network and communicate regularly with each other. In order to start growing a business and finding other people to work with, consultants must invite people to look at the business opportunity.

Inviting people is the key. You do not have to be the presenter, you just have to invite people to look at the presentation. This can be a live business presentation meeting, a home presentation showing the presentation video, or having people watch the video on one of the consultant replicated websites. Many new consultants make the mistake of telling people too much about the Ambit Energy business. Instead, focus on a simple invitation to just take a look. Then if the guest has questions or concerns, that is the time to get with an upline leader, such as a Senior Consultant or Executive Consultant to get the questions answered.

Duplication is key is expanding your Ambit Energy career. Not everyone can present the business opportunity. But everyone can invite people to take a look at it. Remember, consultants are inviters and communicators, not presenters or salespeople.

“Our Consultants are producing record sales as they strive to achieve their goals,” said Ambit Co-founder and CMO Chris Chambless. “That consistent dedication has been a key part of our steady success.”

In just seven years in business, Ambit has amassed more than 1 million customers and, as of March 2013, reached a 12-month rolling revenue of $1 billion. Even with just a little more than 3 percent market share within the nine states in which Ambit currently offers service, the company is the fastest-growing retail energy provider in the United States.

Ambit Energy currently offers energy service in Texas, New York, New Jersey, California, Illinois, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Washington D.C. Ambit acquires customers through independent marketing consultants who gather a few personal customers for themselves and help other people gather customers.

There is a scene in the movie Office Space where Peter, the main character, uses a drill to take down a wall in his office cubicle. After doing so, he leans back in his chair, puts his feet up on his desk and relaxes.

Peter is fed up with his job and everything that surrounds it—his “eight bosses,” the bumper-to-bumper commute to and from work, the receptionist with the squeaky voice. He just feels trapped in a mundane and predictable life.

You’ve probably felt like Peter before. You probably feel like Peter today. And you will probably feel like Peter tomorrow.

More and more Americans are altering their traditional perception that corporate America is the safest and smartest career path choice. The sluggish economy has left many people unemployed or underemployed; company benefits, such as 401(k) plans, don’t mean as much when the stock market takes an uppercut to the chin; and with the uncertainty over the future of company-provided health insurance, you can see how the result is a rapidly changing business culture.

Instead of climbing the corporate ladder, many people have slid completely off. Best-selling financial author Robert Kiyosaki says, “The problem with climbing the corporate ladder is that when you look up, you see somebody’s big fat butt above you.”

Kiyosaki’s philosophy: Don’t climb the corporate ladder; own it. Of course, owning your own business isn’t easy, but that hasn’t stopped people from looking for something different—something better.

“Sometimes, we have to get pushed out of the nest in order to fly,” says syndicated radio host and financial expert Dave Ramsey. “There are a lot of eagles out there who haven’t spread their wings in a while. Whether they’re starting a new business or expanding their vision in this new economy, now, all of a sudden, I’m seeing these eagles soar. Their creative juices are flowing again; they’re smiling again; they’re happy again. These are the right kinds of people who see this recession as an opportunity to improve.”

Network marketing is becoming a popular and viable way for people to earn extra income or to replace their full-time income altogether. It’s also a way for people to find the kind of unique freedom that just doesn’t exist in corporate America.

Free to Be Your Own Boss
One of the biggest reasons people choose to build their own business is to get away from having someone else tell you what to do and when to do it. No more asking if you can take a day off or letting everyone know you’ll be in 30 minutes late. Building a successful network marketing business isn’t easy, but when you are working your business because you truly want to, you are free to run things as you see fit.

Having important decisions made for you that can greatly affect your life just doesn’t appeal to many people. Dale Collie, author of Winning Under Fire, lists “lack of control” as the No. 1 work-related stress. Raises, bonuses, health insurance, and just the fear of losing your job—they are out of your hands when you work for someone else. Working for yourself puts these decisions in your hands, allowing you to choose what’s best for you and your family. Plus, you’re never going to fire yourself!

Free to Set Your Own Schedule
People who succeed in network marketing almost always cite “spending more time with family” as one of the top benefits of running their own business. When you’re free to set your own schedule, you decide when to work and when to attend your child’s school play or baseball game. Also, when you work from home, you eliminate the wasted time and expense of a long commute.

Having the ability to set your own schedule can allow you to work more efficiently. Of course, some days may require 10 or more hours of work, but on other days you might determine that you only need to work two or three hours. It’s up to you. For example, some people are more efficient when they can work intensely for two hours and then take a long break. Some people like to work at night. They key is that you are free to grow your business on your terms.

Free to Work with Whom You Want
The nature of network marketing is building relationships. You choose with whom you want to work. Most of us network with people every day, even if we don’t realize it. There are more than 500 million active users on Facebook. And what are they doing? Networking. Have you seen a good movie lately and told someone about it? That’s word-of-mouth marketing. It’s at the core of network marking, and it’s a skill just about everyone has.

As you build your network marketing business, you build new relationships while helping others build their businesses. When they succeed, you succeed. You’re in it together, so you are part of a team that has a common interest in helping everyone succeed. You are not by yourself.

The rise of social media has taken network marketing to a new level. Actually, social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and others are tailor-made for network marketing. It’s all about communication. There have never been more tools for network marketers to find people to build their business with. The power is completely in your hands.

Free to Work from Anywhere
“Work from home” is almost becoming an outdated phrase. Sure, a lot of people run their own businesses, but these days, you often don’t even need to be home to do it. There are more ways to communicate today than ever. Many cellphones today can be essentially an office in the palm of your hand. Talk, text, email, go online, submit a blog—you pretty much can do anything you can do at your home computer.

Keeping in touch with other people in your network is essential to growing a successful business, and that is easier to do than ever. Contact lists can be carried with you, and you can conduct a conference call from the coffee shop down the block.

If you’re considering starting your own network marketing business, the technology and opportunity available today couldn’t be more fitting. Millions of people are enjoying the unique freedoms that network marketing can bring. You can, too.

Note: This article originally appeard in an issue of Success from Home magazine.

Rates can be reviewed at any Ambit Energy consultant’s customer website, such as this one: DreamAgain.joinambit.com. After you enter your zip code and select “residential customer” or “commercial customer” you can select from the available rates and plans in your area. There are 12-month, 6-month, 24-month, variable and even green energy plans available. The current rates will be shown for each plan. If you choose automatic billing with the e-plan, you will save .2 cents per kwr used.

One thing that makes Ambit Energy different is that the company uses what is called a “bundled rate.” This means that the rate given includes the delivery charge (the portion that goes to the local deliver company). Some companies will advertise a much lower rate but overcharge for the delivery service. With Ambit, the rate you see is what you get.

Ambit Energy surpassed 1 million customers in late 2012, and is on track to have annual revenues of $1 billion in 2013. The company currently operates in nine states plus Washington D.C.

Sometimes Ambit will just come up in natural conversation. Everyone uses electricity or natural gas, and everyone is interested in paying less for it. Ambit is the only retail energy provider in America offering a free energy program. Getting  your energy for free is a very enticing opportunity for people. Saving $100-$200 or more every month as a tax-free credit on your bill can make a huge difference for a lot of families.

“What do you do for a living?” is a very common question and conversation-starter in a lot of situations. Being able to say that you own your own energy business or that you help people save money on their energy bill and get paid on that for the rest of your life is sure to spark some intrigue.

“Being trusted by more than 1 million customers is a tremendous milestone of accomplishment for the Ambit team,” said Jere Thompson, Jr., Ambit Energy Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer. “There are hundreds of retail energy providers in America, and only a few have more than one million customers. We are very proud of our dedicated employees and enthusiastic Independent Consultants who have worked hard to help us accomplish this goal.”

In 2012, Ambit introduced service to more than 13 million new potential customers by expanding into Massachusetts, Connecticut and northern California. The company also continued to add new service areas in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Illinois.

“We are excited about our future growth potential,” said Chris Chambless, Ambit Energy Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer. “With more than 200,000 Independent Consultants nationwide, and an aggressive expansion plan in place, we believe Ambit Energy is positioned to penetrate a still largely untapped market by educating people, many of whom are still unaware, about their options to lower their monthly energy expenses.”

For more information about Ambit Energy’s rates and services, or about the opportunity to join the Ambit Energy team, visit www.joinambitiousenergy.com.

A career as an Ambit consultant basically involves the simple concept of gathering a few loyal customers and helping other people do the same thing. That is what consultants are paid to do. Consultants earn bonuses when they gather their own first customers and help other consultants get their first few customers. Bonuses are paid weekly. Consultants also earn long-term residual income on customers energy bills every single month. Building a full-time income based on a service that everyone needs and uses ever day is a no-brainer.

With and Ambit Energy career, you can work the business part-time from your home. There are no products, no inventory, no collections and no deliveries. Switching over as a customer takes just five minutes and can be done completely online through a consultant’s customer site. Many consultants are working the business part-time and generating full-time income.

The key to building an Ambit Energy business is consistency. No matter if you’re working the business 15 minutes a day or 15 hours a day, being consistent over time is what pays off. Plug into the proven system, leverage the people you’re working with, and never quit.

Refer at least 15 customers to Ambit, and Ambit will take the average usage of their bills and credits your bill with that amount. Any month in which you have 15 customer referrals, you qualify for the free energy credit.

For years there have been a six-month time limit “clock” for qualifying for the free energy credit. The 15 customers had to be acquired in six months. But now, the company has done away with the time limit clock. Now, if you refer 15 customers, you qualify for the free energy program no matter how long it takes. Eliminating the time clock incentives those who come close to getting 15 customer referrals to continue referring people to Ambit to qualify for the free energy program.

Getting a free energy credit every month on your bill can make a big difference in your budget. A tax-free credit of, for example, 150 a month means $1,800 per year in money saved. That’s enough for a family vacation, a big-screen HD TV, or to give back to your favorite charity. No other energy provider in America is offering a free energy credit. Ambit Energy is the only company that gives a credit on your bill for referring customers.