Five Helpful Suggestions For Starting A Direct Selling Business

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.

When it comes to going back to work after a pregnancy, or even considering how to make more money as your family grows, many things can stand in the way, but coaching for women, a new level of professional coaching, can definitely help to make all these things a reality. 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 can be so vulnerable to the smallest virus when they are at school and those school hour days you had saved up can easily whittle away. 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.

- To start off with, are you an outgoing person, socially active, who loves to meet people? Of course you aren’t a hermit, its just that the business needs you to be very astute in social environments and forward reaching. 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 good is your research? Online resources can really help to uncover a lot of information about any subject you can think of. Research the very concept of direct selling and then make sure that you know all there is to know about the companies you are considering. Direct selling can be a minefield at times and you might come across some so-called opportunities that are very similar to pyramid schemes. Be careful if you come across a program that requires you to sign other people up for financial remuneration. It may be a good idea to call in some of the references and check out the testimonials as well.

- Direct sales opportunities abound in various industries. Maybe you have an existing hobby that you can set up a business around? You can find direct selling opportunities in book sales, supplements, clothing, childcare, party supplies, cosmetics, scrap booking, beverages, weight management, toys and many others. Get involved in something that you really like, that’s a key.

- Be careful if there are any significant startup 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.

Through a thorough investigation of the direct selling opportunity, you may be ready to invest and the next thing to do is to come up with a clear vision of what you expect from the business. Think about what income goals, lifestyle goals and contribution goals you want to set. When you have compiled your vision, take action by setting out the first 10 steps to help you launch your direct selling business in style.

Amanda Alexander is the Director of Coaching Mums and a widely renowned ICF-accredited coach who delivers professional coaching programmes to working mums across the globe who long for more time, balance and fulfilment in their busy lives. Download our free eBook especially for working mums with 5 easy ways to achieve balance.