Ever dream about making money on your own time as your own boss? That dream can be a reality with a full-time career or part-time hobby in direct sales. Direct sales programs enable motivated women to make money on their own time. Millions of women have turned their passions into full-time jobs because they make enough money in this role to support their lifestyles. Others use these opportunities to supplement primary incomes.

Di – rect sell – ing: The sale of a consumer product or service, person-to-person, away from a standard retail location. These products and services are marketed to customers by independent salespeople, who are typically referred to as distributors, representatives, or consultants. Products are sold mainly through in-home product demonstrations, parties, one-on-one selling, and online.

In this Section:

• Let’s Begin
• Legit Companies

Let’s Begin

Direct selling offers millions of people the opportunity to make money on their own time, mainly as a supplemental income. According to the Direct Selling Association, more than 14 million people in the United States are doing it right now.

How it works. Direct selling is person-to-person sales of consumer products or services taking place outside of a traditional retail location. Direct sellers are independent consultants, not employees. Products are sold primarily through parties, hosted in private homes where you gather a bunch of your friends or you get people you know to invite their friends. One-on-one selling is also an option.

Most direct selling companies make it easy for you to sell their products: every seller gets a Web page on the company’s Web site from which to take and process orders, so when your customers want to reorder, they can do it online. Each time you make a sale, you earn a commission. And if you recruit people to become sellers, you’ll make a small commission on their sales too.

Is it right for me? For most people direct sales is ideal for supplemental income, not your main source. The median income in direct sales is $2,500 annually, which means 50 percent of the people make more, and 50 percent make less. The average seller spends less than 10 hours a week focused on his or her business. Steer clear of any promise of big bucks or fast cash with minimal effort; that doesn’t exist in direct sales.

Take your personality into account. If you’re very shy and introverted – if you’re not outgoing or willing to hustle – then any form of sales probably isn’t right for you. Unlike working in a retail store, where customers walk in, with direct sales you’re on your own – you must find your customers. A driven, motivated, friendly person who wouldn’t be shy about asking her friends to consider buying her line, and who isn’t shy about chatting up strangers, is ideal for this career.

What should I sell? Pick a product line that you are personally passionate about. If you can’t see yourself using the products or giving the products as gifts, stay away. Here are just a few of the companies that you can sign on with:

Shure Pets carries products for pets and pet lovers with a starter kit for $99. With priced ranging from $5 to $100, this site is ideal for animal lovers and people with a passion for pets.

Shaklee offers nutritional supplements, personal care products and home cleaning products. The starter kit is $39.95. This company has a very cause-oriented distributor force that cares deeply about the environment.

Baby Crazy focuses on baby products from diaper bags to safari play sets. Various starter kits range from $99 to $259, and the company is favored by moms and grandmothers who enjoy buying the best for their kids.

Tastefully Simple sells gourmet food products, the most popular of which is its bountiful beer bread for $4.99. While all products retail for under $10, the starter kit is $170. Successful sellers of these products love to entertain, socialize and, of course, eat!

Private Quarters has a wide range of high-end bath and bedding, including the top-selling deluxe queen feather bed for $169. The starter kit is $199 and has led to success for sellers who value good quality home products and limited competition in this category among other direct selling companies.

The Direct Selling Association (www.dsa.org) offers a list of 200 companies in a wide variety of categories with links to their Web sites. This is also an ideal resource on the industry.

Here’s a link to a great advice piece written by Kim Klaver on multilevel marketing. Anyone interested in direct sales should read it.

http://changethis.com/39.05.FriendsLies

Here are some great videos to check out regarding working from home in direct sales.

Direct Sales Boom: Learn how to work from the comfort of home
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3715130&affil=wabc

Mary Kay Magician: Top sales leader on how to outsell your competitors
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3715173&affil=wabc

Other Things to Consider

What’s in a name? Some people prefer to go with a big name – such as Avon or Mary Kay – simply because everyone knows it, which can be comforting with sales. Others prefer to go with a name you’ve probably never heard of because that too can be instrumental in generating sales. Only you can decide what’s right for you and your potential customer base.

What are the costs in the fine print? Make sure you’re being asked to pay a reasonable fee, which should cover product samples, training materials – which often include manuals, videos, access to seminars and more – plus catalogs and order forms. The median fee for a starter kit is $70, and the retail value of the products often exceeds what you’re paying for. Don’t be sucked into opportunities that call themselves “direct sales” but require you to pay a fee solely for the privilege of becoming a seller. To pay a fee, you should be getting something tangible in return.

You should also be sure that you’re selling directly to the consumer. For example, if you’re selling food products, make sure that it’s food that will go right into the buyer’s mouth. There are many scams out there that require you to stock up on inventory, making false promises of teaching you how to upload your supply to various distributors. That’s not direct sales.

Check the buy-back policy. If you’re not satisfied or you discover this isn’t right for you, will the company buy back the starter kit? The Direct Sellers Association Code of Ethics requires its 200 member companies to buy back the kit and any product for at least 90 percent of what you paid for it within 12 months of purchase. If the company isn’t a member of the DSA, ask directly what the policy is before you make any purchases.

And if you’re still unsure… If you’re thinking of signing on with a company, but aren’t quite sure yet if this is right for you, contact the company and ask to attend a party in your area. See how potential customers interact with the product. If you can’t attend a party, ask to talk to a couple of reps in your area to see how they’re doing. Every legitimate company will gladly provide someone to answer your questions, so don’t be shy.

Legit Companies

Pick a product line that you are personally passionate about. If you can’t see yourself using the products or giving the products as gifts, stay away.

Angela Moore
www.angelamoore.com
Colorful fashions and accessories for women.

Baby Crazy
www.babycrazy.com
Baby products from diaper bags to safari play sets.

BeautiControl
www.beauticontrol.com
Brings the spa experience home by selling beauty products and makeup.

Cookie Lee
www.cookielee.com
Fashion jewelry at a great value.

Essential Bodywear, LLC.
>www.essentialbodywear.com
Comfortable, well-fitting undergarments.

Ethnic Expressions
www.ethinicexpressions.com
African American art and sculpture for the home.

Gold Canyon
www.goldcanyoncandle.com
Scented candles, fine fragrances and accessories for the home.

Jordan Essentials
www.jordanessentials.com
Bath and beauty products for adults, teens, and children.

Party Lite
www.partylite.com
Decorative candles and fragrances for the home.

Princess House
www.princesshouse.com
Fine kitchen-ware from pots and pans to patterned platters.

Private Quarters
www.myprivatequarters.com
A wide range of high-end bath and bedding.

Self Indulgence
www.selfindulgence.biz
Unique line of beauty products that inspire the body, mind, and spirit.

SeneGence
www.senegence.com
Makeup and beauty products.

Sensaria
www.sensaria.com
Promotes nurturing rituals with naturally-based products formulated to enhance health, wholeness and individual beauty.

Shaklee
www.shaklee.com
Nutritional supplements, personal care products and home cleaning products.

Shure Pets
www.shurepets.com
Products for pets and pet lovers with a starter kit for $99.

Signature Homestyles
www.signaturehomestyles.com
Ideas for everyday living, with premier home products ranging from picture frames to popcorn bowls.

Silpada
www.silpada.com
Fine sterling silver jewelry.

Tastefully Simple
www.tastefullysimple.com
Gourmet food products, the most popular of which is its bountiful beer bread for $4.99.

The Happy Gardener
www.thehappygardener.info
Gardening tools and supplies.

The Pampered Chef
www.pamperedchef.com
Everything from knives and grilling utensils to baking materials.