Do you need some extra money to help pay the bills?
Are you looking at going back to work, but need flexible hours?
Is there talk in your work-place of redundancies & lay-offs?
Stampin' Up! offers a great opportunity for you to earn money during these tough times.
You can find out more about the Stampin' Up! opportunity here.
I would love to have you on my team :o)
Here is an article that has appeared in many US newspapers over the weekend, it highlights how Direct Selling can help you through times when money is tight...
NASHVILLE, Tenn. –
Armies of new Avon ladies, Mary Kay reps and Tupperware sellers are
advancing on living rooms across the country, their ranks full of
professionals forced to take a second job amid the recession.
Becke Alexander, sales manager for New York-based Avon Products Inc.,
hears each week from laid-off bankers and stay-at-home moms, but also
gainfully employed people worried how long they'll stay that way. All
of them are willing to knock on doors, host parties or do whatever else
it takes to peddle some makeup.
"'I need money.' That's what I've been hearing since about November,"
Alexander said. "There are no hobby seekers coming here. It's people
with a legitimate need."
Job cuts, shrinking bonuses and scaled-back hours have pushed more
people than ever to become direct sales representatives, a phenomenon
industry experts say they've seen before.
In the 1990-1991 recession, the number of direct sellers increased 8
percent to 5.1 million Americans. In the 2001 recession, the work force
increased to 12.2 million.
And while 2008 figures are not yet available, in 2007 an estimated 15
million people nationwide were in direct sales. Some 58 percent of
became reps as a second job, according to the Direct Selling
Association, a trade group that represents 200 U.S. companies.
When money began getting tight in Nicole Robinson's household in
Garland, Texas, the full-time pharmaceutical sales rep signed up to
host Mary Kay parties and give facials, working just six hours to make
about $600 a week.
"Costs aren't going down and opportunities are tightening up. Raises
and bonuses aren't as big. And I didn't want to ever be in a situation
where we were in jeopardy," said Robinson, who joined Mary Kay
Cosmetics Inc. in September.
Business declined at the international cell phone company her husband
works for, she said, and they wanted to continue their moderate
lifestyle and contribute to their children's college funds.
"We were looking for a plan B for our family to make additional
income," she said. "We really didn't want to participate in the
recession."
Rhonda Shasteen, chief marketing director for Mary Kay, said the
Addison, Texas-based company saw traffic on its Web site increase by
108 percent in March, when the company began airing television ads to
attract new sales reps.
The sales force grew 22 percent from January to March, compared with
the same period last year. The privately owned company wouldn't say
whether its profits also increased during that period.
Orlando, Fla.-based Tupperware Brands said globally it's making more
money and has more people selling its products, spokeswoman Nora Alonso
said.
Direct sales reps can earn commissions between 25 to 50 percent of
retail sales, and some companies will also pay for recruiting a new
sales person. Direct sellers also can earn rewards, too, including
jewelry, handbags, furniture, appliances, cars and vacations.
There can be expenses. It costs about $10 to get the Avon starter kit
of products and brochures, and some companies require the sales people
to purchase products wholesale and then resell them. Mary Kay
consultants purchase mascara for $7.50; the company recommends they
sell it for twice that.
Companies that are members of the Direct Selling Association are
required to have buyback programs where they refund at least 90 percent
of costs to sales representatives who get stuck with products.
During stronger economies, people usually take on direct sales jobs so
they can have money for leisure spending, said Larry Chonko, business
ethics professor at The University of Texas at Arlington.
"Times are tough as we know and there is an absolute need for extra
income," Chonko said. "Direct sales is not recession-proof, but it is
the kind of business that even in a recession you can make success of
it. And if you create a solid foundation now, then just wait until the
economy comes out of the down cycle and goes into an up cycle."
Melanie Lyke, 29, of Thompson's Station, Tenn., began working as an
Avon independent sales rep in November to supplement her income after a
slowdown in the family's company, which makes training and demo videos
for corporations.
"This is a great solution for people in need because I work at my own
pace," Lyke said. "All you need is a clear goal and be determined to
reach it."
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