How to choose a company!

Vickig · #1 (**permalink**) 06-26-2006, 12:51 PM

Some things to consider when choosing a home-based business!

Most of us want a home-based business because we want the flexibility to work from home at a time that is compatible with home and family responsibilities. I found I ran into many of the following issues:

Product and company: Does the company have products that you enjoy and use yourself? Is this a company that has quality, ethics and values that you are comfortable representing?

Home party plans: Will a company that uses primarily a party plan meet my needs to work when it is a good time for ME? Will I be stuck with having to do a party when someone else wants to have one or risk losing a booking! Will it be hard to get bookings and will enough people attend or will I get enough orders!

Quotas: Yikes! What if I want to take a vacation or need to take care of a family member who is ill and can't meet my sales quota? Will I not only lose income from not having my personal sales but will I also not be qualified to earn any bonus from the sales team I build?

Low profit margin: What is an adequate profit margin? Is 30% to 40% enough after I add up my gas, supplies, etc.

Training and support: What does the company offer for training and support?

After learning in the school of hard knocks with several companies I finally learned what was important for me and found what I was looking for!

Great non-toxic products that I use and enjoy myself made with environmentally friendly renewable resources obtained from American farmers. The company has a great fundraising program for charities and supports our military personnel. The sales plan doesn't require parties and NO SALES QUOTAs to earn a commission and bonus. Great profit margin - 50% or more on most items! Fantastic company training and support - a "Roadmap to Success" manual and also message boards, several training calls available every week and support from company leaders!

For more information visit:
My favorite business opportunity!

Vicki

yourdaynow · #2 (**permalink**) 06-27-2006, 08:04 PM

Great aticle thanks for posting it for us

paradiseyellow · #3 (**permalink**) 07-04-2006, 03:33 PM

I am curious and hope this is the right post for this question. how many of you actually make a decent living working at home? and do you work more than one job? I am trying desperately to find a career/job I can work out of my home. I do sell on ebay but in two years havnt made a whole lot of money. Ebays fees are getting bad so I am having to figure out something else. Any information from anyone is greatly appreciated. I have learned so much from these message boards. Thanks in advance,
Tonja

LorettaA · #4 (**permalink**) 07-04-2006, 03:46 PM

I just want to point out a few items that I have found to be important (to me anyway).

*What is the return policy

*What are the shipping costs

*What is the shipping time

*Can you place individual orders, or does it need to be part of a "party"

*Does the company ship direct to the customers, hostess, or consultant (I prefer direct to cusomters)

*What type of payment does the company except

Audrey · #5 (**permalink**) 07-04-2006, 04:44 PM

Tonja,

I began in direct sales in 1983. I have always been able to support me and my kids on my earnings.

When I speak, I speak only of direct sales. You can view average earnings by going to www.dsa.org It requires a calculator but if you take the number of representative nationwide and then the sales nationwide you can get an average sales per person.

The AVERAGE commission in direct sales is about 30%. I'm very aware that some companies are a bit higher, some a bit lower. AVERAGE is 30%. Many companies will publically share their average earnings. They are all the same, about $200 per month. Again this is AVERAGE. In order to have an average you must have folks earning more and you must have folks earning less.

The 2nd way of earning in direct sales is through team building. Again speaking only of AVERAGES, the average commission is about 10%. Again, I know some companies pay less and some pay more, but 10% is average. Also some companies pay 18% on one level but then only 6% on a different level. Again, the AVERAGE is about 10%.

Many companies disclose how many earn at what levels. Those who earn 6 figures per year are less than 5%. So, while we read tons and tons of ads that say everyone in the world earns six figures, the statistics say otherwise. And I've NEVER found one company that will publically say they have more than 5% of their distributor force earning 6 figure incomes each year. These incomes come from a combination of sales and team building.

If you are already on ebay, why not market your products a bit more? What about offering more products? Is there a way you can build what you already have? Or is it possible to take the products you are selling and offer them on your own, outside of ebay?

My two cents,

Audrey

http://www.scrapping-made-simple.com

mrobins522 · #6 (**permalink**) 07-04-2006, 11:16 PM

Tonja,

I looked for a long time for a company where I was able to work from home and earn a real income. For me it was important for the company to have products that I liked and thought that others would use on a regular basis. You also have to know if you want to sell products and distribute them when they come in. Do you want to have parties?

Is the company with the Better Business Bureau? That was important to me.

When searching for a company have a list have things that you are willing to do and what is important to you. And do they have 100% risk free guarentee?!

I hope this helps and good luck on your search!!

paradiseyellow · #7 (**permalink**) 07-04-2006, 11:31 PM

Audrey,
I would love to market my stuff on my own but don't know how. I'm not real computer savvy. Would love to have my own website and promote the items I do have. My b/f and I spent about six hundred dollars on wholesale toys to sell on ebay. We didnt make a profit. I know if I could have offered them elsewhere I may have sold even more. Any ideas from everyone is welcome. I am so glad I found this website. Thanks for your info. I still have half of the toys lol

Audrey · #8 (**permalink**) 07-05-2006, 08:10 AM

Tonja,

I used a program called XSitePro to build my site. I had tried both FrontPage and Dreamweaver and they didn't work for me. I'm not a web designer.

I like godaddy. That's where I bought my domain and where I host my site.

I have never sold on ebay. I do know as a consumer I find great deals, leaving me wondering how the seller makes money.

Audrey

http://www.scrapping-made-simple.com

yourdaynow · #9 (**permalink**) 07-05-2006, 02:04 PM

[Audrey

Quote:

I used a program called XSitePro to build my site. I had tried both FrontPage and Dreamweaver and they didn't work for me. I'm not a web designer.

Did you do that website?

Audrey · #10 (**permalink**) 07-05-2006, 07:01 PM

I used XSitePro to build http://www.scrapping-made-simple.com

Is that what you were asking?

Audrey