Surprising Things You Should Consider Before Becoming an Avon Representative

Why You May End Up with a Bill, Instead of a Profit

I am addicted to Avon. Way back when I was just a regular customer, it was like Christmas every couple of weeks when my Representative left a new booklet on my doorknob. I would revel in the never-ending sales and the chance to consistently try out new products and gadgets of all kinds. When my order arrived, I was just as excited to receive the items as I was the next Campaign's brochure. I may have spent a lot of money over the years on Avon, but I always felt good about helping out a local businesswoman, rather than buying everything I needed from Wal-Mart.

I frequently considered becoming a Representative (if only to get a discount), but never really got around to signing up. It wasn't until I moved and my employment situation changed that I begun to seriously look into the option. I wanted to have at least a little extra money, since I was unable to go to a regular daily job. I knew I probably wouldn't become a top-selling millionaire with Avon, but I figured at least I'd have an extra hundred a month.

I set up a meeting with another local Representative (which wasn't an easy task, as many people didn't bother responding to potential competition), received my beginner's kit, and paid my $10 fee. I immediately dived into branding the current booklets with my contact information and immersed myself in information on how the Avon system works. If you are unfamiliar with the process:

1. Avon Lady distributes her booklets.

2. Avon Lady collects orders from her customers and places a giant order at discounted prices with Avon.

3. Avon Lady receives her orders, sorts them, and bags them up.

4. Avon Lady personally delivers the orders to the individual customers and gathers their payments.

5. Avon Lady pays Avon back for her giant order and keeps the profit from her customers' payments.

Sounds like a good arrangement, right?

Once the first couple of Campaign deadlines rolled around, I realized that since I didn't already have a large female network in place, getting customers was going to be difficult. Let's examine the many different methods I have tried: