Party Plans
What is a party plan?
Party Plan is a form of direct sales involving marketing
or selling products at social events.
Almost all of us have been to a Tupperware party at
one time or another (now, come on, you can't deny it...).
I have to say, the first time I was invited, I thought
it was something my mother did, but ten years later
it seems quite normal.
Tupperware is one of the world's leading direct selling
companies and has been running for over 50 years (so
your Grandma probably went to a Tupperware party aswell...),
but there are plenty of others. Just look in the back
of the Sydney's Child magazine and you'll see adverts
for Party Plan opportunities in Childrens Toys and books.
Others that come to mind are Nutrimetrics, Avon cosmetics
and Enjo, selling environmentally friendly cleaning
products.
There are many more out there: you just have to search
on Google under Party Plan Australia to find websites
listings Party Plan businesses.
Here is one that has a good list of party plan businesses:
http://www.partyplans.com.au/
Although I have labelled Party Plan businesses as work
at home, technically they are home based work
opportunities, as you need to set aside time outside
the home for the actual parties. It is possible to run
these businesses around your family commitments, but
you will need to have time of an evening or a weekend
to attend parties.
With most Party Plan businesses, there is an intial
outlay for your 'kit'. This might be money up front,
or can be recouped through the sales you make in your
first month or two.
So how much money can you make?
As with pretty much anything, that depends on how much
time and energy you are prepared to commit. It may simply
provide additional 'pocket money' or it can provide
a very decent income.
The main drawback, I think, is that it is all about
sales, and that does not come naturally to a lot of
people. It's amazing how excited a group of people can
get when confronted with a table full of plastic items
they never knew they needed until now, but the challenge
is to get them there in the first place. It's a bit
of an imposition to rely on friends and family to get
you started, but that's the easiest way to go. Just
be careful not to pressure anyone.
The hard bit is then getting the follow on parties,
from their friends, and their friends' friends. There
are books out there that tell you how to make money
through direct sales without hassling your friends and
family. I haven't checked these out - they may be helpful,
or it may be a way for someone to get rich by telling
you how to do it. I'd be interested to hear from anyone
who has checked out any of these direct selling tips
(email me on contact@athomemums.com)
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