Anyone sold products through home parties?

[krispi]

Just wondering if anyone on here had ever sold products for a company that operates via home parties? Money has been a little tighter than normal lately, and it''s something I''ve been considering. It seems like it''s something I could fit in fairly easily on Saturdays without too much disruption of my normal weekly schedule. (I do work regular full-time office hours.) I also like the idea of setting my own schedule and not being obligated to work on any certain day - you can choose when you schedule your parties. Plus, I''m very social and love to entertain, so it seems like it could be a good fit. But is there something I''m missing that could be a down side? If anyone has any experience, I''d love to hear about it.

 

[fieryred33143]

I haven’t done it personally but I love Mary Kay parties.

I went to one recently at a coworker’s home. She had all kinds of goodies out and wine while we put makeup on. I had a great time.

Anyway, the downside that I could think of is inventory. You have to purchase your own inventory from the beginning so you’re out money right from the start. Some people are lucky enough to know a lot of people that will buy and make up for it…but if you don’t, it may take a while before profit is made. I will tell you that gathering girls from the office is probably the best way to go.

 

[tiffanytwisted]

I think there is generally a start up fee, which varies depending on which type of home party it is.

The downside I can think of right now is the economy. People are definitely feeling the crunch and cutting back, so it seems logical to think that home parties would be one thing people would cut out. But, there are also bound to be people who love the stuff, whether it''s Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, etc and will continue to buy.
You should also consider the price of gas and that you will be driving your car to these parties. If you know a lot of people close to you that may not be much of an issue.

 

[jewelerman]

Home parties take alot of work.They need to be looked at as a business.

1-finding a large enough location that has enough seating and has the right atmosphere
2-food,drinks,party favors ect can get expensive...how much will you need is always an important question.
3-takes time to research your product.
4-inviting people who have disposable income and knows others with the same.Dont forget to invite men and women.
5-What to do about bad checks or product that is damaged in shipping to your client.
6-give yourself enough time to plan and advirtise to friends and family...at the very least two weeks...calling,talking and emailing everyone.
7-can you sell the product?People need to understand the features and benifits of your product...at the end of the night the profits need to out weigh the investment.

 

[krispi]

You''ve brought up some good points to consider. The company that I''m most interested in is a high quality costume jewelry company. One of the reasons I like this particular company more than the others is because they have excellent hostess rewards, so I think it would be easier to convince people to host a party. (You get free products, not just a % discount off your order.) Another thing I like is not having to invest and maintain an inventory. My SIL sells Mary Kay, and I know that''s a huge downside to that business. With this company, you can use your own personal jewelry as your samples, wear whatever pieces you want, and the company ships the orders directly to the client. I already own a few of their products that I could use as samples, so that''s less money up front. I''ve sent an email asking for additional information. Assuming there''s not an additional up-front cost, it seems like it could be a good thing. I also like the idea of jewelry because it seems like something people are always going to want. I figure you can only fit so much Tupperware in a kitchen, but new jewelry always makes a girl feel good! Right now, it''s just a thought, so if anyone has any good or bad experiences, I''d love to hear them.

 

[beau13]

I have been doing this for about 8 years now! Not sure if I can mention what company I am affiliated with, but I can tell you, I have researched ALOT of them, and even tried about 12-15 different ones. My advice to you is find a company you can represent because you believe in the product 110%! Find a company that offers a consumable product!! (so you can establish a re-order business, with customers buying monthly when they run out product).Companies that offer 20-30 % profit margins are not very profitable, since you will have to pay for shipping (when ordering), maybe samples..catalogues..pay for your personal website..etc..which all takes away from your profit. The company I work with pays me 50-70% profit, which is DIFFICULT to beat!! (I have many friends in direct sales..and know alot about each company's compensation plan and what they can offer the independent consultant), so if you are thinking about a specific company, let me know, maybe I can elaborate more on that specific company. Some companies require you to keepinventory (which ties up your money until that product sells). Others do not (which is what I was looking for). Some companies also require minimum monthly orders, to keep active, so you are constantly sinking your profits into buying products from the company just to stay ahead (unless you are VERY active, a sell large amounts consistently.Word of advice, everyone in direct sales, is trying to expand their unit (recruit new consultants), which is why it's crucial to read, read, read, research..and KNOW everything before jumping in..because some things you will learn later on, (about the company) that might not be disclosed by your recruiter!! You want to know everything about theat company, and not be surprised down the road! Good luck. It truly can be a rewarding and VERY profitable business...I wouldn't trade it for a 9-5 job EVER!! I can make more money having one party per week, than I did working 4 days a week!

 

[vespergirl]

I am a Spa Consultant for Spa Girl Parties. I''ve only been doing it for a few months, but I think like anything, you''re going to get back from it what you put in. So far, I''ve just been doing it more as a social thing, and I''m just making enough to pay the babysitter for date night, that sort of thing. However, there are other women at my company who make a decent salary, working the business full-time. I just think it depends how much time you can dedicate to it.

 

[vespergirl]

One more thing, start up fees differ - at my company, it was under $100 to start up, but at other comapnies I looked into that sold clothing and jewelry, it could be as much as $800 - $1500 just to get started.

 

[beau13]

Date: 7/21/2008 12:13:47 PM
Author: vespergirl
One more thing, start up fees differ - at my company, it was under $100 to start up, but at other comapnies I looked into that sold clothing and jewelry, it could be as much as $800 - $1500 just to get started.

Clothing and jewelry companies rarely pay more than 20% profits, AND, jewelry (even clothing) is a luxury item, not a necessity, so harder to sell. Food, drinks, skincare, makeup, Spa products, even candles, are consumable goods that need to be replaced every couple of months or sooner, which means, you have a clientelle that will keep buying from you. With jewelry, he/she might buy a necklace, and earrings and where them once in awhile..and there is no need to buy another one from you!

 

[krispi]

Vespergirl and Beau, thanks so much for sharing your experiences. Vespergirl, what you said about a social thing makes sense. I wouldn''t be looking at this as a full-time job, but more as something to do on the weekends, a way to get out and meet new people, and bring in some extra money. My BF has a second job working in a store on the weekends. I don''t want something so structured, since I see how little free time he has. Still, I can''t help but think that I could be spending my Saturdays more productively than cleaning and sitting around the house most of the time. I also figure that if I want to have plans on a given day, I can just not book a party that day. I think I know enough people through family, friends, church, work, etc. to get a good head start, but keeping it going is another question. Beau made a good point about a consumable product, but I just don''t think cosmetics are right for me - I''m not a very "girly" kind of girl. I just want to get ready as quickly as possible in the morning. But clothes and jewelry are things that I can get into, so that''s why I was thinking of this company. Plus, I''ve hosted one of their parties before, and I thought it was a lot of fun.

 

[krispi]

Well, I''m certainly not going to pay a high start-up fee. After all, this would be a way of generating extra income, not a way to spend it. I did request additional information, so we''ll have to see.

The company says that it pays 50% gross profit. Are the profit numbers you all have listed gross or net? If net, how would 50% gross compare?

Again, the consumable point is a good one. I just can''t find any consumable products that I''d feel passionate enough about, and I believe the passion is an important part. I''ll have to think some more about that one.

Vesper Girl, do you think it would be okay to say which companies you and your friends have enjoyed working with and which ones you haven''t?

 

[beau13]

Krispi check out BeautiControl, you might be VERY happy you did! Also..Jolica is a great company (with a great philosophy..fair trade), as is Silpada (sterling silver jewelry).

 

[Fancy605]

I have never sold it myself, but I know some girls who sell for a jewelry company and LOVE it. I did a party for one of them, and I got over $300 in free product, so I am considering doing it again. The two girls I know who sell it make a good bit of extra cash off it. They are sisters too, so the amount of stuff they have to show is basically doubled. It keeps them VERY busy though. They are busy it seems every weekend and some weekday nights with their shows. They also have 9-5 jobs, so they have very little spare time. I went clothes shoping with one of the girls once, and before she''ll buy anything, she thinks, "hmmm, what jewelry would this look good with?" because she must wear clothing that makes a good background for all of the jewelry. She said it pretty much sells itself. She just shows all the different ways you can wear everything and people jump on it.

 

[partgypsy]

Here''s one downside. Just recently my mother and father in law were invited to a dinner party, and when they arrived they realized it was one of those home (dinner) parties, I believe selling expensive cookware, where everything being prepared for the dinner was done on the cookware. At the end of the dinner the hostess literally went around to each person at the table saying "OK what set are you getting?" What pressure! They really felt on the spot, and declined, but they said it was a very uncomfortable situation, especially as this couple was socially prominent.

Just know you will be cannibalizing your social capital to earn money part time, you will be hitting up all of your friends and coworkers. Not everyone would feel comfortable doing this, and it might make some of your friends uncomfortable. Personally I like keeping my social and my business relationships separate.

 

[partgypsy]

I guess I''m not a born salesperson!

 

[krispi]

Well, after I did a bit more research, I found that the start-up fees for this particular company are very high, and I''m not willing to make that kind of investment, nor to pay a yearly consultant fee. Guess I''ll have to put that idea on the back burner for now.

 

[2Artists]

I am all for finding good ways to earn money. As long as you don''t make the people around you feel bad or pressured.

A few years back we had let''s just say a number of people in our lives who were selling stuff like that. They were also doing a lot of pyramid schemes at the time and trying to get us involved in them too.

By the way I am not comparing pyramid schemes to home parties in any way.

What I''m trying to say is that it got so it felt like every time those people called they were trying to sell us something. We truly had no money to spare and it really got old and felt awful and made us want to avoid them.

There is inviting someone to something and then there is pushing and getting mad at the person for not going or buying from you. It made me feel really hurt and sad I could not see them without a sales pitch or them trying to push us to be in a pyramid organization below them.

I''m not saying anyone here would ever do that I''m just throwing that out there. Best luck!

Mrs.2Artists

 

[beau13]

WOW Partgypsy, I''ve never heard of that happening..kind of akward I''d say!! You don''t have to be a saleperson, you just have to LOVE something whole heardtedly, and share that with others, and if they love it enough, the product sells itself. I am not a pushy salesperson, I don''t make cold calls. I don''t hand out my business card to everyone...I don''t stop people on the street and make them sample the product (seen that happen in malls even). In fact I just got back from a Tupperware party, and didn''t mention what I do, until my sister-in-law brought it up. Then, a few gals sounded interested when I said I offer "Spa Escapes".. they took my catalogue, and business card, and said "what woman DOESN''T need some personal pampering!". It''s simple..and comes naturally to me, maybe not for everyone..like I said, you need to in love with a product, use it yourself, support it 100%, and when others see your enthusiasm, and love for this item (product), they will want to have it themselves!!

 

[Elmorton]

David''s Bridal does something like that...they sign couples up for a "cooking class" which is really a demonstration of pots and pans and they explain how normal pots and pans will - not kidding - kill your unborn babies. Needless to say, I have a couple friends with about $5k of no-name-brand pots and pans. Ridiculous.

I absolutely hate home parties but I always go to them. I go with the good intentions of helping out a friend, but then by the end it bugs me - especially when I can''t find a freaking $10 item that I''d actually use/enjoy/whatever, and then I realize that I''ve never solicited my friends to enroll in the classes I teach, etc, so why am I getting out my checkbook in the name of politeness? Seems like the invitation itself was pretty impolite. Lia Sophia kills me - $80 for glass beads? Oh come on. I do love the necklace I have, but the pricetags are really steep for what the product is. The only one that I really like is Mark by Avon. My sorority sold it for fundraisers in college, and that stuff is great - cheap and lots of fun products. I don''t know if you have to be a certain age to sell it though - most people I know who sold it were in college and basically did a dorm business. So, while I know you''ve already come to a conclusion not do sign up, I''d really urge you to think of freelance work that you are trained to do or some kind of art or craft that you enjoy doing and could sell rather than a home party business.

 

[LuckyTexan]

Date: 7/21/2008 10:59:03 AM
Author:krispi
Just wondering if anyone on here had ever sold products for a company that operates via home parties? Money has been a little tighter than normal lately, and it''s something I''ve been considering. It seems like it''s something I could fit in fairly easily on Saturdays without too much disruption of my normal weekly schedule. (I do work regular full-time office hours.) I also like the idea of setting my own schedule and not being obligated to work on any certain day - you can choose when you schedule your parties. Plus, I''m very social and love to entertain, so it seems like it could be a good fit. But is there something I''m missing that could be a down side? If anyone has any experience, I''d love to hear about it.

I have a business in my home, that I started with a simple website and a listing through ebay.

I get to keep everything I make... not just a percentage.

I am friiends with a few other moms who sell on ebay too. If you want to do something with jewelry, or clothing... maybe consider doing something with ebay.

I don''t think I''ve ever actually been to home party... I went to a Mary Kay showing thingy but it was in a little storefront... and they did free pics! haha!

I didn''t buy anything.

OH. Another thing... you can reach a larger market with an internet based business... not just people in your community (which can GREATLY limit your sales!)

Good luck!

 

[vespergirl]

Date: 7/21/2008 12:25:54 PM
Author: krispi
Well, I''m certainly not going to pay a high start-up fee. After all, this would be a way of generating extra income, not a way to spend it. I did request additional information, so we''ll have to see.

The company says that it pays 50% gross profit. Are the profit numbers you all have listed gross or net? If net, how would 50% gross compare?

Again, the consumable point is a good one. I just can''t find any consumable products that I''d feel passionate enough about, and I believe the passion is an important part. I''ll have to think some more about that one.

Vesper Girl, do you think it would be okay to say which companies you and your friends have enjoyed working with and which ones you haven''t?

Hi Krispi! Sorry it''s taken me so long to get back to you. I work for Spa Girl Parties, which I love, and my MIL is a Mary Kay consultant, and she loves that too. I know a couple of people who worked for Cabi (clothes) and really didn''t like it - a huge investment, and the clothes is very expensive, so in this economy, nobody wants to buy a $100 skirt. I also know people who sold Silpada (jewelry) and liked it, but same thing, the jewelry is pretty expensive for silver, and people don''t want to drop $90 for a silver ring that''s not Tiffany or something. Pampered Chef seems to be a good one to work for, but once again, I think you can find products to theirs similar but more affordable elsewhere. I also have a friend who works for Passion Parties ("adult" products) and she''s making a killing, but there''s a little bit of an embarrassment factor

Overall, I wanted to go with cosmetics, because I wanted to go with a product that people would love, but run out of, and come back to order more. In my experience, you can get better repeat business and customer loyalty with that type of product, but if you love clothes or jewelry or whatever, then it''s important to go with what you love! For me, I could never have enough body washes and lotions, so I love selling a product that I''m passionate about.

 

[2Artists]

I am sorry if my above post came off as rude-I was just trying to say that how someone is approached makes a big difference. No matter what I could not/would not have gone or bought-but a different approach would have left a better taste in my mouth. As in had they not been ticked with me that I didn''t buy from them and then kept pushing and pushing.

Mrs.2Artists

 

[partgypsy]

I guess I should point out for my parents in-law a big problem was that they were never told ahead of time it was a home party. If they had known they would have declined. Obviously it''s a different story if people sign up to come to the party.

Beau, I bet you are great with that line of products; with your looks I''m sure people are thinking, let me have whatever she''s having!

 

[beau13]

Date: 7/22/2008 1:44:59 PM
Author: part gypsy
I guess I should point out for my parents in-law a big problem was that they were never told ahead of time it was a home party. If they had known they would have declined. Obviously it''s a different story if people sign up to come to the party.

Beau, I bet you are great with that line of products; with your looks I''m sure people are thinking, let me have whatever she''s having!

Ahhhhhh..thanks Part Gypsy!!
I do well because the product is UNBEATABLE....not because of what I look like. (But I do appreciate the compliment)
I do sell alot of eye creams and face/neck creams (anti-aging product) because I am one year away from 40, but I swear the stuff makes my skin look / act more like 30! I show people before / after pics, and what a difference it has made it tightening and smoothing my skin...and that is a great testimonial and selling tool in itself!!

 

[EricaR]

I''ve been doing this for a few months with rubber stamps and craft supplies. I love it, but I''ll be honest that the trick is to build your customer base.

I was really picky and make sure the products were high quality (I can''t find stamps or paper that come close to the quality of what I''m selling) so I would minimize the number of returns and/or quality issues I might have.

The whole thing requires a lot more work than I had anticipated - the number of hours I put into designing projects, getting supplies together for demos, working on my website, etc means that I don''t ever really turn a profit. Plus, I make wayyyy more money selling the greeting cards I''ve made than selling the actual supplies! Overall, as long as I make enough to cover, or even partially cover, the cost of my personal supplies I''m happy.