I hear Channel Managers (CM) mention how easy it is to be a partner. Recently, one CM told me that he was going to start being an Agent part-time.

Someone I met in Vegas was a laid off CM who was discussing how exciting it was to launch her partner business. I hadn't heard from her and just checked on LinkedIn. She is back in the W-2 world of being a carrier channel manager.

Over the years I have met a handful of CMs who had been doing Agent business on the side to build up enough MRC (monthly recurring commissions) to make an easy slide over to the independent side.

There are a couple of executives to made the leap into master agencies by bring a deal in their back pocket big enough to start them off.

It takes a while to find a prospect, ink the deal, get it installed and then get paid. Number porting for anything voice and fiber installation for anything network can push out delivery dates. The other problem is that if you sell a 100MB pipe $995, after waiting 120 days for install and turn up, you get that commission check of $150. That isn't going to go far. You need to be selling deals every week. Not dabbling in it looking for a whale.

So while I understand the side hustle on being a partner, I don't know how anyone can look at it and call it easy.

An Agent is often described as a lifestyle business, too. Sure there is flexibility and monthly recurring commissions help, but you only get to eat what you kill. Time off comes with an opportunity cost.

That lack of a guaranteed check accompanied by those luxurious benefits are usually the deterrent to a switch from CM to partner.