In a Bad Economy, More Women Opting for Home Party Sales and Direct Sales
Known as "direct sales," this type of home-based selling is an intensely female-driven and female friendly industry. About 90% of the selling in the $30.8 billion direct-sales market is done by women.
A sideline for many in better economic times, direct sales has become the primary way to earn income for some women who have lost their jobs or whose husbands have been laid off. And with a drive to succeed, unflagging determination, and creativity in sales and marketing, a woman can earn a surprising amount as a home sales-based entrepreneur.
A couple of articles highlight the power of direct sales for women.
From the Detroit Free-Press - "Lipstick factor adds gloss to tough times":
When the economy tanks, direct sales is a job growth area for women....Items like costume jewelry, a pizza stone, or fuschia-hued lipstick fit into the "little luxury" category in these tough times. Folks may be putting off buying a new car, but they may plunk down $20 for something that will make them feel a little better....From the McClatchy-Tribune News Service - "Women sold on selling at home":Recruits and revenues for direct sellers tend to rise when other measures of the economy stagnate or drop, said Amy Robinson of the Direct Selling Association.
[A] $15,000 water problem in her Butler, N.J., home and then an $11,000 fencing project in early 2006...made Danielle Syracuse turn to [direct sales]. Within a year and a half, she earned enough selling part time to pay for both in cash.Want to find out more about the 13 million women involved in direct selling, including demographic information and what they sell? Take a look at 10 Facts About Direct Sales and Women"It's been a blessing because we knew it was going to take much longer than that for us to save," she said.
After attending a friend's lia sophia party, Syracuse applied as a sales consultant. The company appealed to her because it provided training, ongoing support and a free starter kit of jewelry.
"The big thing was not having to invest because I didn't have the money," she said.
Syracuse, 41, who has run a home-based day-care center for 12 years, earned $26,000 her first year by coordinating four to six parties a month - two to three times the national average.
Her income doubled her second year....
If you found this post interesting:
Add to my Technorati favorites
Follow me on Twitter
Bookmark or Share
Comments
I’m a big fan of Tupperware products, although I usually buy directly from a Tupperware rep instead of going to a party.
I watched a fascinating documentary on PBS a few years ago about Tupperware and the woman who made the company what is today, Brownie Wise.
In the call center where I work, these side businesses are all the rage… from Avon to Candle Parties to one woman who specializes in more “intimate” appliances (batteries included or not). An interesting set of catalogs that make their way around the mostly-female array of cubicle holders, making for an eclectic line of coversation between phone calls…
Of course, this all happens often a few cubicles away from someone taking the coporate sexual harassment/sensititivity training – where male equivalents such as the snap-on tool catalog are exhibit A.