Those that are independent consultants..Lia Sophia, Tastfully Simple, Stella Dot, Pampered Chef..etc.

Do you find that you are happy you went through with it, or is more hassle than anything? I guess my question is, did you actually make money?

Those that are independent consultants..Lia Sophia, Tastfully Simple, Stella Dot, Pampered Chef..etc.

my sister in law does Intials, Inc. and she is very happy with it. Makes good money and even won a trip for being a top seller.

Those that are independent consultants..Lia Sophia, Tastfully Simple, Stella Dot, Pampered Chef..etc.

For me yes! I love what I sell, get free product, great incentives and make commission. It's fun and I get paid for it. I'm not going to pay my mortgage with what I make at this stage but I easily pay for nursery school and dance for my girls. You really get out of it what you put in. Some months you may promote like crazy but get nothing. A few months down the line it will usually pay off.

Re: Those that are independent consultants..Lia Sophia, Tastfully Simple, Stella Dot, Pampered Chef..etc.

Love that I do it! I don't make a ton of money, and if you broke it down hourly, I am probably working for minimum wage, LOL but I love it nonetheless.

Those that are independent consultants..Lia Sophia, Tastfully Simple, Stella Dot, Pampered Chef..etc.

My Sister sells Stella and Dot. She loves it.

Re: Those that are independent consultants..Lia Sophia, Tastfully Simple, Stella Dot, Pampered Chef..etc.

I also sell Initials, inc. I love it. I'm hitting a quiet patch right now, but new catalog comes out Feb 1 so hoping things will pick up again. I only have been doing it for 5 months. I've earned a TV, a Laptop, free product and several thousand dollars so far.

Re: Those that are independent consultants..Lia Sophia, Tastfully Simple, Stella Dot, Pampered Chef..etc.

I did mary kay when I first got married 2004-2005 and I liked it at first - but i was sort of talked into buying a lot (too much) inventory and I never sold it all ...not even close... i had a few parties...but i felt like people felt obligated to come and worse obligated to buy....so i guess i didnt have the personality and the umph to keep up with having parties and gaining new customers...i still have a box of stuff in my basement that i hate to just throw aaway..lol

Re: Those that are independent consultants..Lia Sophia, Tastfully Simple, Stella Dot, Pampered Chef..etc.

I have a question...how hard do you really have to work doing something like this?

Those that are independent consultants..Lia Sophia, Tastfully Simple, Stella Dot, Pampered Chef..etc.

ooh great questions! i am looking to do independent sales and i am curious to hear insiight

Those that are independent consultants..Lia Sophia, Tastfully Simple, Stella Dot, Pampered Chef..etc.

I've been looking at a few different companies, but with (almost) 2 little ones at home and a DH who has an irregular schedule I'm not sure how much I would be able to really get out of it if I can only commit to having time for 1-2 parties a month. It would be great for just a little extra $$ for DS's school and maybe a gym class!

Re: Those that are independent consultants..Lia Sophia, Tastfully Simple, Stella Dot, Pampered Chef..etc.

It IS work. The parties don't just come to you. The first few months are the easiest, because friends and family willingly want to help you out and get started. Once that is over you have to seek out parties, market yourself a little bit. Parties beget parties. Find a company with a product you absolutely LOVE. If you are not passionate about it, you won't be able to sell it. It also a good idea to look into the career plan the company has, what type of leadership style they have, and what kind of sales quotas you have to maintain.

Re: Those that are independent consultants..Lia Sophia, Tastfully Simple, Stella Dot, Pampered Chef..etc.

I did lia Sophia & honestly broke even. There are so many independent consultants out in that field that it was hard to find people to buy plus in the economy we are, no one truly has extra $$ lying around.

I moved onto Scentsy thinking it would be better bc the merchandise is not so expensive & people always want fragrant homes. It was going good until it seems like everyone I know signed on. Now again, I've had a hard time booking parties. I got some orders from the holidays but again, I think I've broken even.

Being in two different style independent sales I've learned, if you have famioy, friends you can rely on for purchasing, you can potentially make money. If you need to rely on the general public, you need to find an independent sales gig that doesn't have a lot of consultants in your area.

Re: Those that are independent consultants..Lia Sophia, Tastfully Simple, Stella Dot, Pampered Chef..etc.

YES! Love it :)

I am having a great time. Love the products and I use them literally every day, which makes it easier to sell. You definitely have to be passionate about it and you can't just rely on friends and family... you need to get yourself out there!

I just joined in September and have 6 girls under me so far and hoping to build my team. I also just qualified for the incentive trip which potentially means that my husband and I can go to Hawaii FREE! So you got me on a day where I'm extra excited!!!!

It's definitely work!!! It's not EASY, but it's fun!

Re: Those that are independent consultants..Lia Sophia, Tastfully Simple, Stella Dot, Pampered Chef..etc.

Those that are independent consultants..Lia Sophia, Tastfully Simple, Stella Dot, Pampered Chef..etc.

I do Origami Owl and love it so far. It is new and people like to hear about it. Honestly, I was nervous too. If I break even, fine, if I do better, great.

Re: Those that are independent consultants..Lia Sophia, Tastfully Simple, Stella Dot, Pampered Chef..etc.

I love it! I make a lot more money than I was expecting! I signed up in may and now ave 32 people selling under me. I earned a free trip for me and my husband + exclusive activity to Hawaii. I have been able to cut back on working so hard in my other business and have more time to spend with my family. Because I have such a large team, I only need to schedule about 2-3 partiesper month and I consistently make over $1500 per month in commission. I earn a lot of free products from hosting my own parties and I made some great friends. It was truly a life changing event for me, as silly as that sounds!

Re: Those that are independent consultants..Lia Sophia, Tastfully Simple, Stella Dot, Pampered Chef..etc.

I am loving working with Thirty-One Gifts. I figured I would do it as a side-gig and it has been so popular that I am booking quite often!
I have made over $1000 in 4 months and earned $500+ in free products with their easy incentives.
Yes, this has totally been worthwhile for me!
It has not been "hard" work for me, since I do it when the kids go to bed and DH watches TV. I hate sitting idle, so that's when I do my orders, etc.

Re: Those that are independent consultants..Lia Sophia, Tastfully Simple, Stella Dot, Pampered Chef..etc.

I sell lia sophia. I LOVE the perks...free/discounted jewelry, getting out to go to parties and meet new people, and the $$ is great. I work full time, so I don't dedicate as much time to lia as I could/shouild. If I worked it more, I think there's a TON more money that could be made. For a few hours doing a party, you have the potential to make $100's. The jelwery is pretty too, which is fun.

Re: Those that are independent consultants..Lia Sophia, Tastfully Simple, Stella Dot, Pampered Chef..etc.

I love tastefully simple, I started it bc I was already in love with the products. It's definitely worth it for me! Fm me if you'd like to ask me more wuestions

Re: Those that are independent consultants..Lia Sophia, Tastfully Simple, Stella Dot, Pampered Chef..etc.

I do Pampered Chef.

I signed on when I got laid off, because I decided to transition to a stay at home mom, but wanted my own extra money and liked the idea of having somewhere to go every once in awhile.

I have always liked Pampered Chef, so I gave it a whirl.

In my opinion, PC is one of the home parties that is the most work. I have heavy stuff to carry and then I cook 2/3 dishes and do an entire shpeel. Most of the time, I have a good time and my checks are always decent.

I am not really an outgoing person, so I am a little quiet right now...and I'm not sure if I'll pick back up again...but I more than broke even. I'd like to keep doing it, so we'll see.

The only thing you have to be prepared for is inconsistent pay checks. One month you may make a killing and then next, not so much.

Re: Those that are independent consultants..Lia Sophia, Tastfully Simple, Stella Dot, Pampered Chef..etc.

I sell chloe+isabel. They are a new company, so its nice being the only merchandiser in the area. the perks are great - awesome discounts on the jewelry, a really good % commission, and they really help you out.
I got really busy with my "real" job so I haven't had much time to devote to it, but did ok in December for the holidays.
The pop up shops are so easy - all you really have to do is bring the jewelry and let everyone try it on, and it really sells itself because it is pretty and trendy and and very reasonably priced.

Re: Those that are independent consultants..Lia Sophia, Tastfully Simple, Stella Dot, Pampered Chef..etc.

I have a question and I hope this comes across the way I want it to (i.e., no snark and just honest curiosity):

I get the idea from the thread - and I could be totally wrong - that people are okay with "breaking even."

I don't understand this. None of us would say "I went to work and never got paid, but eh, that's ok." Because that's essentially what you are doing.

Maybe I missing something though. Many have mentioned the social interactions. Does that really make up for little to zero actual monetary compensation? If so, these must be some parties.

Just curious and I would love to hear thoughts on this.

Re: Those that are independent consultants..Lia Sophia, Tastfully Simple, Stella Dot, Pampered Chef..etc.

I sell Dove Chocolate and it was the best decision I ever made. I am so happy that I did it. There was an initial investment but I made it back right away and so far I have paid for my daughters preschool for the year and both of my girls dance lessons. This is why I joined. I am a SAHM and want to be able to contribute to the household without sacrificing that. I love owning my own business.

If you are looking into direct sales it is a great flexible way to make money. You do have to work at it, but it is worth it. My advice would be to find a company that sells a product you are passionite about and love to own/use yourself. The more you love it, the better you will sell it.

Re: Those that are independent consultants..Lia Sophia, Tastfully Simple, Stella Dot, Pampered Chef..etc.

My friend tried selling Arbonne products a few years ago. She knows a lot of people but she said the time chunk required to make any profit was too high (she was working part time). She did not make much $$ and gave up last year. It is not for everyone.

Re: Those that are independent consultants..Lia Sophia, Tastfully Simple, Stella Dot, Pampered Chef..etc.

Message edited 1/15/2013 7:05:49 AM.