TinysMom
Well-Known Member
I'm sitting here struggling to figure out how to word what I want to say....without sounding like I'm advertising (I'm really not) - and I really have a few decisions I'm trying to make and I'd like to have some input.
As some of you may know - I gave up merchandising (well - I got laid off due to a reduction in force) and am now selling Avon.
I've had a very very small customer base until this weekend. I just had a booth at a craft fair and did about $300 in sales - but received 75 or so leads from people who would like to either buy Avon or get email updates on specials. That is really awesome and I'm so excited because I know once I get my customer base set up - I can do very well and give great customer service.
But while I love Avon (and I do) - I would like to do "more" with my life and work. What I mean by that is - if I have this customer base - why not add a second (and even third?) company where I believe in the products and love them and can provide them to people?
You see - I live in a town of about 36,000 people. We're right on the Mexican border and we don't have a lot here for stores - we have a mall and a Walmart. Folks frequently have to travel to San Antonio (150 miles) to shop for items they can't get here.
One product I love is the Scentsy flameless candles. Robin bought me one for my birthday (a small one with three things of the various scented waxes). All three of us love it - and today I bought three more packages of the scents (had to get another one of mint since I'm almost out).
I was talking to the Scentsy lady - who drove 70 miles to come and do the show because apparently there is no one here who sells Scentsy (actually - there is - and that is another story). She sold over $500 yesterday - and today she sold around $500 again. Mind you - her items were more expensive than mine and more of a "luxury" item.
But people can't find a rep here who will give them good service - the one gal who is on base here - tells folks to go to her website and order directly that way. In other words - she doesn't place orders regularly and take orders or do parties, etc.
In addition - I came in contact with another company where I fell in love with their products. They're called "Thirty-One Gifts" and they sell purses, tote bags, diaper bags, etc. etc. etc. I loved the quality of their bags (you can even get them personalized). The prices might be a bit high to some folks - but still yet - they are different enough that I think they could do well. There are currently three consultants here in town - but two are moving in the next year (military spouses).
By the way - in case you want to see the products - the websites are www.scentsy.com and www.thirtyonegifts.com . The name for Thirty-One came from Proverbs 31 in the Bible - I won't go into all that though.
The final company I'm looking at is Celebrating Home. They used to be known as "Home Interiors" - a company I LOVED and shopped from for years. I'm waiting to get more details on their start-up kit and costs, etc.
I have looked at other companies (in case others suggest them - ie, Longeburger baskets (sp?), Willow House, Mia Bella, etc).
But basically - I want somewhere between two and four NON-COMPETING companies that I'm working with to provide products and services to my customers.
So here was my plan...
For Thirty-One Gifts I get twelve items I could show to others (tote bags, etc). The kit is definitely very nice....I'd love it even for myself.
For Scentsy - to stay active - I need to sell $150 every three months.
For Thirty-One I need to sell $200 every three months. If I miss it - I can sell $300 the following month and be reactivated for free. (oh - and when the season switches over - I can buy the "new rep starter kit" with the new fabrics, etc. for $40 instead of $99).
Here come the questions...
Thanks in advance for reading this VERY LONG post.
As some of you may know - I gave up merchandising (well - I got laid off due to a reduction in force) and am now selling Avon.
I've had a very very small customer base until this weekend. I just had a booth at a craft fair and did about $300 in sales - but received 75 or so leads from people who would like to either buy Avon or get email updates on specials. That is really awesome and I'm so excited because I know once I get my customer base set up - I can do very well and give great customer service.
But while I love Avon (and I do) - I would like to do "more" with my life and work. What I mean by that is - if I have this customer base - why not add a second (and even third?) company where I believe in the products and love them and can provide them to people?
You see - I live in a town of about 36,000 people. We're right on the Mexican border and we don't have a lot here for stores - we have a mall and a Walmart. Folks frequently have to travel to San Antonio (150 miles) to shop for items they can't get here.
One product I love is the Scentsy flameless candles. Robin bought me one for my birthday (a small one with three things of the various scented waxes). All three of us love it - and today I bought three more packages of the scents (had to get another one of mint since I'm almost out).
I was talking to the Scentsy lady - who drove 70 miles to come and do the show because apparently there is no one here who sells Scentsy (actually - there is - and that is another story). She sold over $500 yesterday - and today she sold around $500 again. Mind you - her items were more expensive than mine and more of a "luxury" item.
But people can't find a rep here who will give them good service - the one gal who is on base here - tells folks to go to her website and order directly that way. In other words - she doesn't place orders regularly and take orders or do parties, etc.
In addition - I came in contact with another company where I fell in love with their products. They're called "Thirty-One Gifts" and they sell purses, tote bags, diaper bags, etc. etc. etc. I loved the quality of their bags (you can even get them personalized). The prices might be a bit high to some folks - but still yet - they are different enough that I think they could do well. There are currently three consultants here in town - but two are moving in the next year (military spouses).
By the way - in case you want to see the products - the websites are www.scentsy.com and www.thirtyonegifts.com . The name for Thirty-One came from Proverbs 31 in the Bible - I won't go into all that though.
The final company I'm looking at is Celebrating Home. They used to be known as "Home Interiors" - a company I LOVED and shopped from for years. I'm waiting to get more details on their start-up kit and costs, etc.
I have looked at other companies (in case others suggest them - ie, Longeburger baskets (sp?), Willow House, Mia Bella, etc).
But basically - I want somewhere between two and four NON-COMPETING companies that I'm working with to provide products and services to my customers.
So here was my plan...
- Avon would still be my main business and the one I am "recruiting" in to be a team leader, etc. I love Avon - I love their money-back guarantee and I love their products. Every two weeks my customers will be getting new catalogs as we have new sales (about 1500 items in a book) every two weeks.
- My other businesses only have "new" catalogs once every 6 months - so my main catalog expense would be a twice a year thing. I would then let my customers know that I offer the following things:
- Orders placed on the 1st and or 15th of the month on a regular basis
- Book parties and online parties available so they can earn free products
- I would be willing to do parties IF they wanted - but that would not be the main focus of my business. The main focus would be on making sure my customers could get items on a monthly basis without having to hunt someone down.
- Another upside is that each company would allow me to have my own website - some cost a little bit - others are free. This way facebook friends, etc. could order stuff too if they didn't have someone in their area.
- Each company also has their own fundraising program - so I would have several options to offer organizations that want to do fundraisers.
For Thirty-One Gifts I get twelve items I could show to others (tote bags, etc). The kit is definitely very nice....I'd love it even for myself.
For Scentsy - to stay active - I need to sell $150 every three months.
For Thirty-One I need to sell $200 every three months. If I miss it - I can sell $300 the following month and be reactivated for free. (oh - and when the season switches over - I can buy the "new rep starter kit" with the new fabrics, etc. for $40 instead of $99).
Here come the questions...
- If you were in a small town....would this be something you'd be interested in? (What products or companies do you like?)
- Would you like knowing you could order either once or twice a month? (Each company has different specials every month too if I remember right)
- Would you have less respect for the representative if you knew they sold more for more than one company? Or would that matter at all...especially if they knew their products?
Thanks in advance for reading this VERY LONG post.
