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Sometimes you can pinch a penny to the very end of it and still end up with bills left over. When things get like that it’s very easy to get frustrated and try to start a business from home. Some of these businesses are great. Some of them can even be your chance at financial freedom. However, they aren’t meant to be a get rich trick. I have joined a few over the last eight years and I have learned some great truths. I am going to share 10 things to consider before joining a Direct Sales Business.
1) It’s hard work – This may seem like an implied truth. However, some businesses make it look like you will make an instant income with minimal work from you. I will tell you a secret, if it doesn’t look like hard work it probably won’t pay well. The type of work you are doing will depend on the business but it will cost you.
2) It’s slow – You might be the exception to the rule. You may jump in and take off. Generally these businesses leverage your current friendships and your ability to sell. This won’t always be a quick process. In fact, you should expect it to take a while to pick up. This doesn’t mean you will never make good money. It just means that it may not happen right away.
3) It’s time consuming – Many of these businesses will require a huge time commitment. Building a business is not as simple as many of these businesses make it look. You can not just open a kit and make tons of money. Instead you will spend a lot of time networking, handling product, dealing with customer service, and much more.
4) It will cost money – Not only will you have to pay to join up, you will have to pay for marketing, training, materials, web site hosting, and so much more. Many of these businesses have underlying ongoing fees that will need to be paid. It can be as simple as a website to maintain or as big as a monthly spending requirement to earn a commission. Make sure you know these before starting out.
5) Not everyone will be interested – With so many of these businesses circulating don’t be surprised if your friends are not interested. I get at least one “party” invite a week. These aren’t real parties. These are people trying to make money off of me and drive me bonkers. If you are going to invite your friends make sure it is an authentic invite and a good fit.
6) Some people are out for their own win – There are people who will convince you to join their company because they get a bonus from you joining. Be wary of people who aren’t genuinely interested in you as a person. If someone is only about getting you under them in a business and not about getting to know you they may just be after a bonus.
7) Some businesses have a bad reputation – Make sure to spend some time researching the business you are thinking about joining. Some of these businesses have a very bad reputation. It’s important before you invest in something to know what the reputation of the company is. If the company has a bad reputation you will start out at a disadvantage.
8) Some will require you to keep stock on hand – This can be simple or it can mean keeping full rooms full of the product you are selling. This may not sound like much but it adds up in cost and storage space. make sure you are looking in to what really needs to be kept in your home. Do you have space? Can you afford it?
9) Your friends are your competition – Some will disagree with me on this but it can be very true. If your friend is with a rival company they are essentially your competition. Are you able to handle this tactfully? Will you be kind to each other even if you are after the same customers?
10) Do you love the product? – If you don’t love it selling it will not be easy. For instance, I swear by Young Living Essential Oils. I use them with my family and they have been a contributing factor to a healthier home for us. It would be easy for me to promote them to you because I believe in them fully. If I were to try to sell you makeup that would not be authentic. I will wear it if I must but I am not a make up person. Find what you are passionate about and sell that. If not, it just won’t work well.
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First off, the redesign looks amazing!
Second, these are all great tips and very true.
I have a friend who makes $100,000 a year (or more) with her direct sales business. But it has taken a few years for her to build it, she had some failed businesses before she ended up with the successful one, and she literally lives, eats and breaths it. She works continually (kids go to school), does lots of show and parties and has no fear of investing in her self and products – she only sells what she uses.