Surefire Tips For Beginning A Direct Selling Business
by Amanda AlexanderCoaching Mums
For the busy mum who needs additional sources of income, self-employment may seem very palatable. If it were possible to set your own hours, keep up with all the household chores and family commitments and still get a meaningful income, this would be an ideal scenario! Many mums in this position turn to direct selling and of the more than 50 million people estimated to work in this style of business worldwide, almost 70% are women.
So many things can stand in the way of the mum when it comes to getting back to work after a pregnancy or achieving some additional income as a family grows, but professional coaching - particularly coaching for women, can help quickly make these things an achievable possibility. You wish you could set a fixed schedule with a family in tow, but as those of us in that position can testify, any number of last-minute and unplanned crises can arise to throw everything off course. Kids in school are so vulnerable to what seems to be the smallest virus and certainly the school hour-days you had set aside can be suddenly compromised. If the thought of a flexible-hour, part-time, direct selling business is very attractive to you, it's definitely worth your while to look into online life coaching to help get you on the right track.
Before you rush off to start your direct selling business, consider some important aspects.
- Firstly you must really ask yourself whether you are a socialite, outgoing and love to meet people. No one is suggesting you are a hermit, but this kind of business requires you to be very forward and to revel in social environments. This may require a bit of soul-searching; make sure that you are really cut out for this kind of approach before you start.
- How thorough has your research been? As we're all well aware, the Web can reveal an extraordinary amount of information dealing with just about any topic. Look into the details of direct selling and then ensure that you understand everything there is to learn about the organisations you're considering working with. Any direct selling business can be somewhat risky and many of the "opportunities" out there can quite easily be seen as pyramid schemes. If you happen to see a program that stipulates that you have to enrol others to make money, you may want to pass that one by. It might even be a prudent move to check out a few of the listed references and review the testimonials too.
- Direct sales opportunities exist in so many different industries. Maybe you have an existing hobby that you can set up a business around? Direct selling opportunities exist in childcare, book sales, clothing, beverages, cosmetics, supplements, party supplies, scrap booking, toys, weight management and a host of others. Get involved in something that you really like, that's a key.
- Be wary of any significant start up fees. Generally speaking these are low and you should expect to pay for an initial kit of supplies to get you going. Are you happy with the quality of the product concerned? If you would not buy it yourself, don't think that you would be able to sell it, especially to friends, acquaintances or friends of friends without some nasty feedback!
- The chances are you may know somebody who is already into direct selling. Brainstorm with them as much as they will allow and while you may not expect them to give away any proprietary secrets, you will undoubtedly get some interesting tales from the front line to help you make up your mind.
Once you've carefully investigated every available detail of a direct selling opportunity, and you've made up your mind to invest, the next stage is to establish a clear plan of exactly what you want to gain from your new endeavour. Consider your income aspirations and the lifestyle requirements you want to attain. Once you've laid out your vision for the future, begin taking action by writing out the initial ten stages you'll need to go through to get your new direct selling enterprise off to a running start.
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Amanda Alexander is Director of Coaching Mums and a highly acclaimed ICF-accredited coach who delivers professional coaching programmes to working mums who yearn for success, balance and fulfilment. Are you a juggling mom? Download our free eBook for working moms that will give you 5 simple and instant ways to balance your life right now at=> http://www.coachingmums.com
Article submitted Saturday, January 23, 2010 & read 31 times.
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