Seeking Mom Who Have Worked as a consultant...experiences?

Lord knows I have many friends who have tried making money being "consultants" for companies like the ones you mention.
None of them have really been successful or continued with it long because you only have
A) So many friends
B) Those people only have so many friends
C) With the economy, few people have disposable income that affords them the ability to purchase things in this manner. People are looking for bargains, department store discounts, shopping on-line.

I'm not trying to be the bearer of bad tidings, I promise I'm not. Just be realistic about your expenses involved to get started and whether you are trying to sell something there is a true need for and that people can afford.
You can be the best networker, go-getter, marketer and sales person...but if people don't have money, you can do a lot of work for little return in these situations.

I certainly do wish you the very best in your endeavors. I am just offering my perspective and you may get lots of great replies to the contrary.

Good luck!

People have pretty much stopped the consultant thing around here. You have to be very motivated at selling (pushy) and recruiting people to work under you. I have no idea of the investment required but don't for a minute let someone tell you that you will have a great income from it.

People get tired of all the invites (invoices) for parties and the women that were doing it in my neighborhood have stopped because when they are seen approaching you at the school, park, where ever... others tend to leave quickly as to not be involved in another push for products we may not want or need or to have a party we don't want to have.

I agree that you have to be sold on the product you are selling. I have seen Avon reps post ads on my facebook which are not pushy just FYI for anyone interested.

Just be very aware of what is going on in your area, how many reps there are, your target audience, etc.

Think outside the box to make extra money.... Shop smarter, sell things on Craigslist or Ebay, tutor if you are qualified for tutoring children, etc.

Agree with Cheryl, it will take time to build up a clientele. That said, you may want to consider selling a consumable commodity rather than an item that is guaranteed for a lifetime! It will bring your customers back for more.

I considered Pampered Chef about 8 years ago. The output would've been the cost of the Consultant set - which I believe was $160 - I think it's still the same.

Keep in mind that it takes time to build up a clientele and network. It doesn't happen overnight.

Find out how many Pampered Chef consultants are in your area. If it's flooded, then you will have a harder time building your business. Although a few of my friends sell their stuff on ebay and facebook - where they promote their business (avon and mary kay consultants do this as well).

It's good that you are considering companies where you are interested in their products...You have to believe in the products you will be selling. If you don't, then your presentations will not as good and the sales won't be as high.

Since I only considered it - I didn't do it and can only tell you what I learned and what my girlfriend, Mary, did. It took her about six months to a year to build her business. She didn't make a lot of money at first - but then began to bring in about $500 a month...I'm not sure if she made more than that...she stopped doing it when she left her husband (whew!!) and needed a job with benefits, etc.

Talk to current consultants in your area - find out what they know. What they do, etc.! as people in different locations can only offer their personal experiences...not the reality of your area.

I've been a Pampered Chef consultant for about 9 years. I paid about $100 for my starter kit (it now about $80-$159 depending on the number of products you want to start with and promos that run). I made my cost back at my first show and I've been making $$ since. I do about 2-4 shows each month and I earn anywhere from $100-$400 per show with $250 being about average for me for one show. I have a good client base and I have many, many repeat Hosts & customers who place orders regularly. I earn tons of free stuff, perks like expensive handbags, products, appliances and I even earned a couple of really nice trips.

The average show for me has $1,100 in sales. That may not be the case where you live. I can tell you that my sales & show average have actually gone UP the last few years. People finally figured out that cooking meals at home is much cheaper than eating out.

I don't HAVE to recruit anyone to make good money. I do earn more by having people under me (I currently have 5). I never had an interest in actively recruiting and I'm not required to do that - ever. I don't have to carry stock of any items and I don't have to make deliveries of the orders.

Here's the bottom line - YOU have to love the product you sell. For me it was easy - I love to cook. It was worth it for me just to get the free products - my kitchen is well equipped to say the least. Do your homework, get the REAL start up costs. Read the fine print, watch out for any time a company asks you to keep stock of things and then sell them - you can get yourself into a very deep hole. My best friend ended up with $4,000 worth of stock she never unloaded - expensive lesson to learn. Also make sure a company won't be charging your credit card for ANY products on an ongoing basis - red flag.

Best of luck with whatever you decide and send me a message if you'd like my website address so you can poke around and get some more info.

I have sold Mary Kay Cosmetics for 10 years...I'm to the point where I really don't do parties anymore, but just manage reorders from my current customer base. But when I did do shows, they were usually an average of $300 and you make a 50% profit (minus hostess gifts, and general expenses, etc.). I think the key as someone else mentioned is loving what you sell. I'm not pushy in any way...I simply tell people what i like, what i use, demo some of the bigger products so they can see/try it and they buy it! And it's consumable, so they reorder. Getting started on skin care is usually an expense, so I tell people about my hostess program (free stuff!) and they book a party to get it free...simple as that. Getting started is the hardest part...having that initial party and getting bookings, the initial investment, etc. You're essentially marketing yourself and your products so if you're not comfortable doing that, you probably won't succeed. I've often thought about selling pampered chef cause I love all of their products! lol either way, you won't know if you don't try so try it, give it your all and good luck!

Hi Birdie. I have been selling Pampered Chef now for about 4 months. There are 5 types of consultants out there. The hobbiest, the one who does it temporarily to just pay off bills or for some other reason, the one who never does a cooking show and has a business just off catalog shows, the part-timer, and then the full-timer. Your business will be what you want it to be by how much you put into it. With PC, there are 2 starter kits, one that is $80 and then the $159 one. You get over $500 in product with the bigger one. So even if you try it out for a few months and find out its not for you, you still make something. Just by having one show a month with $150 in guest sales keeps you active. As far as customers, start with family and friends. Ask them to invite people you don't know to open your circle. I want to work my way up in this company so I always carry mini catalogs with me. I ask to leave them in Dr offices, my gym, bulletin boards... I am not pushy as I really don't like when someone does that to me. So if I am talking to someone in a store I may ask them if they would be interested in a mini catalog. Then I usually get " Oh I LOVE PC!" you don't need to recruit. Like I said before, it is YOUR business, you do as much or as little as you want. If someone is interested in becoming a consultant, I give them materials to take home and go over. I am not there to sell them my business. I am there to help them decide if PC would be a good match for them. If you don't like the product and are not excited about it, there is no reason to do it because you won't be successful. That is my advice. I am a 33 yr old SAHM, military wife, mom of 2 kids...one having a disability. Pampered Chef has been my saving grace! I get out of the house, I get to socialize with other adults, I can finally help contribute to our finances, I get lots of free stuff, and I love what I do! Good luck!

I actually just signed up to be a Thirty-One Gifts Consultant. I shelled out $99.00 and got a HUGE kit full of products that I know I will either use, give away, or can sell on ebay if things don't work out for me. However, I'm going to give it a shot. I like the fact that with Thirty-One Gifts you can either do in-person demonstrations, catalog parties, or online parties. That's a lot of flexibility if I'm not brave enough to do an in-house party right away. The quotas aren't that bad... $200 in sales every 3 months. There are opportunities to do fundraisers. For example, their lunch totes are now on sale for $10 (tote) and $15 (cinch sac). Many consultants partner up with an organization or daycare and sell the sacs at regular price and the organization/daycare gets $5.00 from each bag purchased. That sounds like a good plan.

My sponsor, Ursula Marioth, was a great cheerleader for me signing up. PM me if you'd like her number or email. Also, I can email you pdfs of the new consultant kits. If you sign up before January 16th, you can get one of the Fall kits. There's a pretty brown and Fall color kit, or the Black Parisian Pop (black, white, with a paisley pattern, and hot pink accents). Or- after January 16th, the new consultant kit has a bunch of yellow and gray patterned pieces with some bright blue accent pieces.

Good luck!
M. Slawsky
Thirty-One Gifts Consultant
www.mythirtyone.com/mslawsky