With another baby on the way, Johnny in private school, and being without a job now, I am stressing more and more about money. At the same time, having another baby on the way, a 2 year old, and a child that needs a ride to and from school, I know my options for working are not what they used to be. I have to think outside the box I have put myself into and look at other options.
I have looked into some work from home options lately because, ideally, I need something that I don’t have to leave the house for 8+ hours everyday to earn an income. There are a number of different companies that you can look into for these type of options. The ones that stand out to me are the ones I hear about the most; Avon, Pampered Chef, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Thirty One and Vector Marketing. But, there are some things I am worried about when it comes to these type of companies and I wanted to share a few of my thoughts with you.
I am going to take one of these companies and use it for my examples…
- I may not be the most trusting person, but one thing I worry about is being taken when it comes to these companies. So, the first thing I suggest you do is look up the company on the Better Business Bureau. For example, Vector Marketing has an A+ rating with BBB and that is a good sign when working with a company.
- I worry about making a huge investment and getting nothing back. With Vector Marketing, you receive a set of Cutco Cutlery to use for your demonstrations and you keep them as long as you are actively showing the product.
- I worry about having to find a bunch of people to work under me in order for me to make money. With Vector Marketing, you get a guaranteed pay plus an incentive program.
- Finally, I worry about being left on my own with no guidance. With Vector Marketing, you have a seminar (unpaid) you attend to help you along with your business.
It is a business you are entering into with any of these companies so I encourage everyone to do their homework. Like I said, start with BBB to see how the company rates. It really does make sense to work with a company that the BBB has not had issues with. Ask around with people who have worked with the company directly. Don’t take the word of someone you don’t know about something they know nothing about. Separate fact from fiction… consider the source.
Have you had any experience with any of these companies?
Disclosure: While this is a sponsored post, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Alena says
Lol, me too! 🙂
Alena says
I love it too, but a lot of it is pretty pricey now 🙁 I have a hard time with the idea of selling something I can’t afford to buy myself, you know?
Stefany says
Absolutely. That is probably why I don’t think the makeup would work out for me. I am too cheap to buy good makeup. LOL
Alena says
I’ve only recently become aware of them, but they have cute stuff 🙂 I agree, I am more attracted to non-cosmetic lines, too. Honestly, the only reason I did MKC was because I needed an income and they were there (and very persuasive, lol)! If I do it again, I will probably go either Pampered Chef or Tupperware.
Stefany says
I forgot all about Tupperware. That used to be so much more popular than it is now. I love their stuff though!
Alena says
I hear you about the network thing. That’s a big problem, unless you’re a super go-getter that tends to attract perfect strangers anyway, lol! One thing I know a lot of consultants for any of those types of companies do is go to bazaars and craft fairs and regular fairs – anywhere you can rent a spot (and some of them are pretty cheap). Farmers markets? Seen it, and seen it work. I’d like to give one a shot, but not sure which one yet.
Stefany says
I am most interested in the Thirty One company. I haven’t looked enough to know if they have a big starter fee or anything though. I think the products are nice and I like the idea of them more than makeup.
I do see some of these things at craft fairs and such. I would think you would have to maintain a large amount of product in your supply to make that work though.
Mya Maternity says
I personally do not have any experience with any of these companies but I do know someone who sells Avon. She really liked it and made a decent part-time income for awhile.
Besides the ones on your list there are many other ways to make money from home but be careful for scams and keep in mind that no matter what you do you will have to put in the time and effort to make it work. You can’t just sign up for something and expect it to work. It is just like any other business you have to put your all into it and sometimes that can be challenging with kids at home.
I have owned my own business for awhile and I have 2 kids at home but with a balance it can work out well.
Stefany says
I have had a lot of trouble finding an at-home job that does not require a lot of investment up front or require me to have a large network of people to buy from me.
Thanks for coming by and chatting with me about this!
Alena says
I was a consultant (two different times) with Mary Kay Cosmetics. My experience wasn’t grand, but then, I did have extenuating circumstances both times.
The first time, I was in my second year of college. I had no car, knew only other broke students, and was either at school or work (grant job on campus, no actual income, thus MKC) 12-20 hours every week day. I had no time to do parties or make connections, and no way to get around for them anyway. Its really no surprise I crashed and burned.
The second time, I was newly married, and looking for a stay-at-home income. Unfortunately, I made some of the same mistakes: We had only one car, which my hubby used for work; I lived over an hour away from my consultant-leader-person, and I knew no one. I had no money to invest in a nice wardrobe for presentations, and I couldn’t get around easily. My business died a second time.
On top of all this, I have very sensitive skin, and could only use some of the products – no one wants to buy from someone who can’t even use what they’re selling!
All that said, I think Mary Kay Cosmetics is potentially a really good company to work for. They were very supportive! Yes, they really get on your case if you don’t get your qualifying orders in on time, but since that’s relatively easy to do if you know people who like MKC and will buy from you, or if you can hold two or three parties per period (three months, I think?), this really is only an issue if you get behind. I like MKC – I just wasn’t in a position in my life to do it right.
My mother did Pampered Chef when I was in high school, and my sister does it now. They have really reasonable $$ goals and deadlines, and if you love to cook, they are by far my favorite 🙂
Stefany says
See, my big problem is that I don’t have a big network of friends that would buy from me. I think I may fail miserably.
Thanks so much for stopping by to chat with me about this. Too bad we can’t just be paid for being a mom… Lord knows that is a big job. 🙂