Sales Jobs (MK, Scentsy, Etc) thoughts?

kp90

So since I am taking 12 weeks maternity leave and most of it without pay I am considering getting a side job like Mary Kay, Scentsy, Tastefully Simple, etc. I sold Scentsy for 4 years in the past and while it was nice for myself and family/friends I did not make that much because I did not try or push sales since I had other income and basically just did it for fun. Now I am looking for one that can promise a little more income, etc. Do any of you have experience in any of these companies or sell for them currently? Do you feel one could generate more than the other? And yes I do realize it depends on me and my skills and how much I get out there and advertise, etc. I do know with a new born it will not be my first priority but I would like to have it to fall back on and keep up with in the future, etc.

hbrooks06

I sell epicure and I can say it definitely helps to have a consumable product as apposed to say jewelery or something.  It definitely still takes effort on your part to keep a steady business going.  I started out working the business pretty hard, but I just don't have the motivation now with baby #3 due in a couple weeks.  I'm basically just doing the minimum to stay active because I love the products:)

kp90

@hbrooks06Epicure? I haven't heard of that one yet. I'll have to look into it. And yes I agree its easier to sell something that you continually need as opposed to jewelry or something that may be a once every year type thing, etc. I chose to sell scentsy years ago because I am obsessed with candle like things and having my house smell good.. so it made sense for me. I was my best customer. Haha.

PYLWhammy

There's a lot of reading out there on direct sales companies, worth a look. I have no personal experience (other than FB friends who constantly invite me to online "parties"), but it's been well documented that nearly all sellers end up losing income. Since you are looking for something that promises a little more income, I'd steer clear.

wsgjmw1

I have two friends that do two VERY different side jobs. One is for Origami Owl which is jewelry and the other is Pure Romance which is sex toys/skin care. You can throw in home parties or just sell it. They both absolutely love their side job and are very successful. Just throwing it out there for you to look into.

finnybooboo

I currently sell Scentsy on the side, mainly because I had always been curious about direct selling. Since I already have a full time job, it's not something that I am able to focus on. I don't regret becoming a consultant, but I wish I would have chosen something else. I don't have anywhere to put the warmers and wax, etc that I have in stock now that both of our bedrooms are now taken by kids I have a friend who sells Jamberry and does very well for herself and has moved up the ranks pretty fast. I've thought about doing Jamberry too but haven't taken the plunge. You don't have stock, women love them, and it's something that people will buy over and over as they use them.

Shameless plug - if anyone needs Scentsy, shout out to me! hehe

TheThornBird

wsgjmw1 said:

I have two friends that do two VERY different side jobs. One is for Origami Owl which is jewelry and the other is Pure Romance which is sex toys/skin care. You can throw in home parties or just sell it. They both absolutely love their side job and are very successful. Just throwing it out there for you to look into.

There are sex toy parties? I am trying to figure out how that works.....

dsmith211

TheThornBird said:

wsgjmw1 said:

I have two friends that do two VERY different side jobs. One is for Origami Owl which is jewelry and the other is Pure Romance which is sex toys/skin care. You can throw in home parties or just sell it. They both absolutely love their side job and are very successful. Just throwing it out there for you to look into.

There are sex toy parties? I am trying to figure out how that works.....

Ugh. Yes. Someone my dad used to work with did this. My step mom found out and hosted one once... and then invited me. Needless to say, super awkward and I didn't go. I guess maybe if it were with a closer group of friends then maybe? But definitely not with a parental figure around...

thismakes4

dsmith211 said:

TheThornBird said:

wsgjmw1 said:

I have two friends that do two VERY different side jobs. One is for Origami Owl which is jewelry and the other is Pure Romance which is sex toys/skin care. You can throw in home parties or just sell it. They both absolutely love their side job and are very successful. Just throwing it out there for you to look into.

There are sex toy parties? I am trying to figure out how that works.....

Ugh. Yes. Someone my dad used to work with did this. My step mom found out and hosted one once... and then invited me. Needless to say, super awkward and I didn't go. I guess maybe if it were with a closer group of friends then maybe? But definitely not with a parental figure around...

I went to a tupperware party with my mom once... I would never go to a sex toy party with her though.

swflJD

@kp90 I can't speak from personal experience, and while there may be some good direct sales companies out there, I would just caution you to read the fine print before signing up for anything.  My mom used to sell Mary Kay many years ago.  From what I understand, Mary Kay is a good company, but you have to place a minimum amount of orders to keep your consultant status current.  She hosted some parties in the beginning and made a little money, but she didn't have the time to devote to it full time, and after she calculated in the amount she spent on her minimum orders and her fuel mileage making deliveries, she actually lost a lot of money.  By the time she got out of it, she ended up with stockpiles of cosmetics that she couldn't sell because they were past their use by date and couldn't use herself because they weren't the right shades for her. Unless you are sure you will have a strong customer base, or you're sure you'll have the time and energy to devote to establishing one (which will probably involving hosting multiple "parties," which will likely be difficult with a new infant), you could potentially stand to lose money.  That being said, I'm constantly bombarded on FB by friends who are selling different things and claiming to make money from it.  So, maybe there is something to some of those companies.  I'd just look into it very carefully before buying into anything.  

wsgjmw1

dsmith211 said:

TheThornBird said:

wsgjmw1 said:

I have two friends that do two VERY different side jobs. One is for Origami Owl which is jewelry and the other is Pure Romance which is sex toys/skin care. You can throw in home parties or just sell it. They both absolutely love their side job and are very successful. Just throwing it out there for you to look into.

There are sex toy parties? I am trying to figure out how that works.....

Ugh. Yes. Someone my dad used to work with did this. My step mom found out and hosted one once... and then invited me. Needless to say, super awkward and I didn't go. I guess maybe if it were with a closer group of friends then maybe? But definitely not with a parental figure around...

She hosted a party for my BFF before her bachelorette party. Needless to say I learned a lot, haha. I can only speak for the brand Pure Romance, but a lot of it was lotion/candles/romance stuff, and then she did show us some toys/lube. So it wasn't as awkward or weird as I thought it would be, especially if you with close friends. I was pretty shocked at how well she does and how much this particular business booms.

JennyS86

My SO hates the idea of hitting up family and friends to buy things from you, so I will probably never do it.  I don't like selling things either.
However, I recently bought some Usborne books "That's not my Puppy" and A Farm Book with tons of pictures and words.  I am really happy with their quality.   They make nice gifts, but they aren't cheap.
Many of my FB friends started selling LuLaRoe leggings in the past 3months.  I am interested to see how that goes because so many people are selling.  I haven't bought any though. 
Good Luck with whatever you choose!

mcb2016

I would try something else to bridge the gap income wise. 

kami09

To be successful, you'll have to spend a lot of time doing it. I know firsthand that everyone says how much less time it is, less stressful, less this and that...but honestly, it's not really true. I was in direct sales until recently when I realized I didn't want to spend all that time and energy on it. BUT I will say that I was making a reallllly good amount of money- I was one of those people who climbed the ladder pretty quickly. HOWEVER, you can also fall off that ladder really quickly...hence the massive amounts of stress every single month to keep your numbers. With an infant, I'm not sure that stress is completely worth it.

emilyj77

I'm a Tastefully Simple consultant in addition to my full time job and Grad School. I like the product and the company. Their consultant discount is 30% as long as you do $400 in sales per quarter. If you drop down to $200 in sales per quarter, your discount drops down to 20%. I'm currently using my "free pass" for this quarter since I wasn't able to devote any time to it due to school, work, pregnancy this past quarter. But I'm hoping to spend a enough time on it while on Maternity Leave that I can get back to the 30% discount. What's also nice is that if you drop down to $200 in sales one quarter, but then back up to $400 in sales, you get back pay on that quarter. That was a nice surprise.
I see you've already commented about the benefits of consumable products, so I won't go into that. The party's are easy enough to do and they have lots of party format options. For example your standard tasting party, a freezer meal workshop, or a mix and mingle.
My advice would be to find a team leader that is local so that you can participate in all of the meetings. My team leader is 3 hours away and therefore I'm not able to attend any of the meetings. Although there are lots of conference call options. I just don't have the time right now.
The investment to get started is small and there are ways to do it that don't incur a lot of costs.
What have you got to lose?

obryana6219

I do mystery shopping to make extra money. I love it because I can do as little or as much as I want, DH and I get to go to movies and dinner for free, and I get paid relatively quickly. You do have to pay upfront and turn in pictures of receipts to be reimbursed. Not all shops require you to by something. Some for car dealerships and banks need business cards for verification. I've been on modified bed rest for over a month now and I do mystery shopping to supplement my income while I'm off.

Check out MSPA for legitimate companies to shop for. You NEVER want to shop for a company that needs you to give them money before assigning a shop to you. Some of the bigger companies are regional while most operate in small areas. So if you sign up for a company and they don't have anything available check back later and if they still don't, they may not operate in your area. I shop for 20 different companies and we have planned vacations around shops to pay for hotel stays and food. Good luck!

Charla1224

I'll second mystery shopping. 

onislandtime

I sell KEEP Collective - it's jewelry and KEEP is fairly new and a sister company to Stella and Dot. It honestly sells itself. I have an Instagram account and a Facebook group that I post on daily. You can also have people host socials on Facebook. the team I am on has the whole social script laid out for you to follow. I have yet to do an in home social, and this month I've made most of my sales just off of my Facebook group. 

I have only been selling for a little over a month and have made quite a bit of $. It's only $149 to start (and you get $250 in product). Let me know if you want more info. Here is a pic of some of the product that I've designed. Nearly all of the jewelry is interchangeable

1mae2016

My MIL sells Mary Kay and she makes about $300-$400/m off of it (so she says) however, she sells insurance for living and is very social so she's just good at it. My step mom sells Tastefully Simple and makes tons of money! The samples for Tastefully Simple are usually regular sizes of the products but in less fancy of packaging so she will sell that a lot for sale price and make an extra profit. I for one have no social media other than TB and am so socially awkward that I would completely fail at any of it. 

doozer1345

TheThornBird said:

wsgjmw1 said:

I have two friends that do two VERY different side jobs. One is for Origami Owl which is jewelry and the other is Pure Romance which is sex toys/skin care. You can throw in home parties or just sell it. They both absolutely love their side job and are very successful. Just throwing it out there for you to look into.

There are sex toy parties? I am trying to figure out how that works.....

Holy Moses girl. You are missing out! I've hosted one every year since I was 18. They're a lot of fun.

OP a good friend of mine is extremely successful with Mary Kay. I'd recommend finding a successful rep and talking to her about it. My friend has been with them for 6 years and has been given 2 cars, jewelry, and was able to quit her job by selling MK.

LadySamLady

Whatever you decide, please don't do Beachbody. I am so sick of people who are pushing that program and posting videos and pictures of themselves working out hashtagprogressnotperfection hashtagstrongmom hashtagVOMIT

wsgjmw1

LadySamLady said:

Whatever you decide, please don't do Beachbody. I am so sick of people who are pushing that program and posting videos and pictures of themselves working out hashtagprogressnotperfection hashtagstrongmom hashtagVOMIT

This is PRECISELY how I feel about the people I know who sell Herbalife, they shove it down your throat so hardcore, its just too much. #askmehowtoloseweight HOW ABOUT NO

finnybooboo

I had someone from high school, that I barely even knew then, add me as a friend on FB and message me about how happy I look, blah blah. Then asked if I'd ever been interested in being a Beachbody coach. Not cool. I somewhat nicely said no thank you, then promptly deleted her. I don't mind my friends who sell, but when someone I barely know adds me as a friend JUST to sell me something? NOPE

gardenandread

I used to sell Pampered Chef on the side but I never made much money off of it.  Maybe $60-200 a show, but that said I am not a very social person and it was hard for me to put myself out there that way.  Both of my aunts sell it as well, and they do much better.  My one aunt used it to supplement her income after she was laid off from her regular job and she was bringing in enough that she never got behind even after she lost most of her income.  I also have a friend who sells It Works and she was able to quit her job as a teacher and do that full time.  She's been going strong for about a year, but I'm afraid for her that at some point her sales will stop being so successful.

saltedcaramel518

finnybooboo said:

I had someone from high school, that I barely even knew then, add me as a friend on FB and message me about how happy I look, blah blah. Then asked if I'd ever been interested in being a Beachbody coach. Not cool. I somewhat nicely said no thank you, then promptly deleted her. I don't mind my friends who sell, but when someone I barely know adds me as a friend JUST to sell me something? NOPE

I have an acquaintance from college (we had a couple of mutual friends.. Not sure if we ever actually met in person) that I'm FB friends with. She sells the body wrap things. She messages me a month or so ago saying that she has "always thought that I would be the PERFECT person to join her team" and "everyone that knows me respects me" and the whole thing was just full of "compliments" about me.. Um, yeah girl you don't know me. I wasn't interested in joining her team anyway, but the fakeness of her message was a complete turnoff. 

LovingLife!

I'm going to say heck no. I get so many requests to host/blog about/promote/buy crap that I don't want or have no interest in. I like shopping on my own terms. All of those direct sales are multi-level marketing scams and you won't ever get rich or make back your initial investment or time. I was just talking today with my friend (after getting yet another fb message about a stupid party) about how so many people jump from one MLM to another. Doesn't that tell you something right there?   

MrsPrice519

I sell It Works and I freaking love it.  If you want to chat about it more feel free to private message me.  I really truly believe in this and they are amazing to their distributors. 

hbrooks06

Epicure is a spice/cookware company, but it is only available in Canada (I forgot this is an American board).

avidkeo

I sold Avon for a while when I was younger. Pretty much just broke even. You get out az much as you put in so with a newborn? I'd find something else. 

MamaLewy29

I'm an It works distributor. I got pregnant about one month after joining and still went Emerald without even being able to use the weight loss products. I make a decent amount of money and LOVE the products- i use what I can and hubby and other family members use the things that help them. Definitely NOT a scheme like some think. I certainly don't pay out more than I make, at all. And I hate selling things, so this one is perfect.  Good luck with whatever you choose!

Leahderouen

I recently became a Younique consultant (fabulous makeup). I'm a stay at home mom and wanted something to make extra money and give me something to work towards. I love staying home but miss working too. This gives me the best of both worlds. It is so easy, the products are amazing, and takes up as little or as much of your time as you want to invest. It is all done online so social media is your best friend. I've done a couple home parties, which were big successes and really fun! You get paid 3 hours after each sale so that's awesome! Please feel free to email me any questions. Would love to chat about it! Youniqueleahd@gmail.com

Myzticsunshine

about the obryana6219 said:

I do mystery shopping to make extra money. I love it because I can do as little or as much as I want, DH and I get to go to movies and dinner for free, and I get paid relatively quickly. You do have to pay upfront and turn in pictures of receipts to be reimbursed. Not all shops require you to by something. Some for car dealerships and banks need business cards for verification. I've been on modified bed rest for over a month now and I do mystery shopping to supplement my income while I'm off.

Check out MSPA for legitimate companies to shop for. You NEVER want to shop for a company that needs you to give them money before assigning a shop to you. Some of the bigger companies are regional while most operate in small areas. So if you sign up for a company and they don't have anything available check back later and if they still don't, they may not operate in your area. I shop for 20 different companies and we have planned vacations around shops to pay for hotel stays and food. Good luck!

Hey so do you sign up as a member or independent contractor? How exactly do I go about signing up to do this?