If you have been involved in running your own online business you are at least somewhat familiar with the affiliate business.

You have most likely read all the potential of signing up as an affiliate for a merchant, and then receiving commissions from the merchant every time you send him a customer.

What is less known in the online business community, is that the real money is made by the merchant.

Merchants benefit by having affiliates, who are really independent sales people, promoting their products and services at not cost to themselves.

The pressure of marketing the merchant’s products is shifted to the affiliates, who will only earn a commission when they produce a sale.

Merchants will only incur an expense which comes out of their sales, so it is a very lucrative relationship for them, while a tentatively profitable relationship for the affiliate.

So if you really want to be on the winning end of the game you need to create an affiliate program for your affiliate business.

There are many software packages that will track your affiliate sales for you, and will even process transaction reports for you and your affiliates.

Regardless of what you sell you can find affiliates who will be willing to promote your products and services in exchange for a commission.

Since you will only be paying your affiliates out of the sales they produce for you, you can be assured of only sending them money when they are making money for you.