Does anyone work from home?(marykay,Avon,candles....)What are the pros/cons of home based business?

I work from home but I run my own internet based retail company. In the past, I used to do Princess House which is similar to the things above. There are pros and cons. Personally, I have never met a person who has made a "real" salary doing any of them. I am sure they exist but I don't know any. Cons with some are stocking an inventory...I would personally never do that. Another con is finding people to purchase from you. Many markets are saturated and you can't get customers easily. You can spend a lot of time and not make any money. Unless you know a lot of people (who in turn know a lot of people) that like (meaning : will buy) the products you want to sell, it's going to be hard. Many will not allow you to sell on the internet and lot of people hate the whole "home party" scene. I would spend time (and money in gas) getting to someone's house to do a party and have no one show up or have lots show up and no one buy. That mean no money for me. So, I would be in the hole for the party after gas. Not fun but you can't pressure which turns people off more.

Good luck

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

did the Tupperware thing with the same mixed success of sexysmurf.

Now I am applying for wah jobs (there is a whole website dedicated to this...lemme know if you want the link).

So far, nothing has come from that site though (or the many applications I have submitted).

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SPJRNTGADL!

I started selling Avon when I was in college and ended up doing it for 10 years. The product pretty much sold itself, I just sold to friends and co-workers and other students (when I was still in school). Like the above poster said I couldn't live off it, but it did supplement my income and paid for the stuff I wanted, plus I bought alot of gifts for cheap. I ended up stopping because of the taxes, you do have so file self-employed and it was a big pain having to itemize for business purposes when I wasn't really making that much to begin with. It worked good when I was a "poor student" once we started having a decent income it wasn't so great.

eBay works well for me... I can make my own hours, ship from home, take a few months off if I feel like it!

My Coupons has an Auction Talk Board that has a friendly group of people that includes many of the folks that are here in The Cafe.

Maybe that is an option? If so, come see us!

The best (and maybe the only good) way to make money in any of the DSA home based businesses (Tupperware, Pampered Chef, Creative Memories, Stampin Up, Close to My Heart, Taste of Home Entertaining, Southern Living, etc., etc., etc.) is to recruit others and make money off of them. I am a Stampin Up Demonstrator, but mostly only because I use a lot of their products in handmade custom things I sell (cards, invitiations, personalized gifts, etc.). There is no way you can make a lot of money just selling it unless you work very, very hard and hold a lot of workshops/parties/gatherings (whatever the particular company calls them) each month. However, if you recruit people to sign-up under you, your earnings can increase exponentially if they also recruit people.

Sarah........mom to Jason & Devin

I think to really make money at any of those you have to be a unit director and have people working under you. That's where the money is really made when you don't have to sell anymore to make it (most still do, but the bulk of their check comes from the %'s they make from others selling).


I would have to say Ebay too, you'll find my on the Auction board too. You can sell what you already have, you can do it when you want and as often as you want.

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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

Well- I was an AVON District Sales manager/ trainer / and Sales and business development manager and worked for the corp office for many years.

Direct marketing companies are straying away from reps and going via Internet....the sales world is changing.

When I left AVON (I was in a paid position out of NY) I knew I NEVER wanted to work for anyone else ever again....too many changes all the time and always benefit the company not their REPS which are the heart of the company!!! I took what I learned and what I taught and applied it to eBay. I make far more than I did with AVON and more than the 10,000. reps that were in my division! (even the ones who recruited, ((I saw their earnings))!!!
It's really got to be an Internet based business or a mix. Just PM me or read my blogs, I am trying to document my ebay experiences there...Hope it helps!

My best friend tried Pampered Chef..truly because she loved the product, but wasn't successful..

About a year ago she fell in love with Silpada Jewelry Silpada Designs Sterling Silver Jewelry. It is truly beautiful jewelry...I have quite a few pieces..she is not doing great herself, but did recruit another girl who in the same area that she lives in, is doing OUTSTANDING...my friend is sooo upset and thinks it's her that she just "sucks" as she puts it. I think it takes a special someone who will make it in a home based business...dear friend has some great marketing ideas..but is a pushover and not very assertive. That girl she recruited is only doing this for 6 months and already has 2 recruits and a thriving business...

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Eileen

**Some people are like Slinky's, not really good for anything, but you can't help laugh when you see one tumble down the stairs**

there are 5 ladies in my neighborhood who sell silpada. I haven't seen it but have heard it's nice

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003