The Work At Home Blog

Raking in more than six figures her first year in business, Jennifer Samuels isn’t your typical kitchen table entrepreneur. But then neither is her mother. Lemont’s Samuels, who is the sole provider for her family of five, and mother Debbie Rotkvich, a 17-year veteran direct seller from Burr Ridge who netted more than $3 million last year, are star producers for Lia Sophia, a direct sales jewelry business based in Wood Dale.

The two are among 27,000 independent sales representatives who collectively sell more than $100 million of the fashion jewelry at house parties each year. “Our family is supported by Lia Sophia,” said Samuels, whose husband stays home with their children while she and her sales team of 600 associates sell $700,000 a month in jewelry. “The bulk of the money comes from other sales reps I’ve brought in,” said Samuels, who earns commission from team sales. Samuels is continuing to expand through recruitment of motivated women who like the idea of being their own boss. “A lot of women now need to find jobs but they don’t want to have to put their kids in day care,” she said.

Those who succeed in direct selling tend to be highly motivated self-starters with enough savings to see them through the early months until their businesses get going. The Washington, D.C.-based Direct Selling Association reported direct sales as a whole declined 4 percent, to $30.8 billion, in 2007. Lia Sophia announced its business grew 55 percent in 2007.

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In what has become a $30 billion industry, it’s no longer just the Avon lady knocking.

Instead, direct selling has expanded to a variety of items and services sold by millions of people.

Be they “advisers,” “consultants” or “demonstrators,” those peddling products do so in a business that has grown by nearly 39 percent in the past decade.And instead of going door-to-door, they’re now selling living room-to-living room.

“People love the opportunity to get together with friends and shop,” said Amy Robinson, spokeswoman for the Washington, D.C.-based Direct Selling Association.

“It really gives people an opportunity to shop for something they love in a relaxed atmosphere, an excuse to get together with friends and family,” she said. “So many people have full day planners. The first things to go are social engagements.”

Those gatherings can be rather fruitful. Between 1997 and 2006, direct sales in the United States grew from approximately $22.21 billion to an estimated $32.18 billion, according to figures compiled by the Direct Selling Association. Sales did drop slightly last year to about $30.8 billion, Robinson said.

And for the people working from home, the money definitely doesn’t hurt.

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Work at home opportunities abound on the Internet. Good business practices will build customer confidence, truthful advertising improves profits, top quality products at fair prices improve sales, and networking improves stability. Starting an online home business is the easiest and lowest cost method to get started as a business owner. The reason for the great success of home business is the near guarantee of profits for an owner who is dedicated to making it work.

Starting a work at home business is just like starting any brick and mortar business. In fact, in some ways it is harder, because you will have to overcome consumer’s inherent distrust of Internet businesses (of which you can thank the people who post pictures of themselves sipping pina coladas by their pool next to stacks of cash.

Affiliate marketers tout the work at home philosophy, outsourcing companies are looking to establish work at home calling centers, and work at home mothers are starting their own businesses. Affiliate programs are not the only type of residual income opportunity, but they are the most popular. Mainly this is because they are easy to get started with and easy to maintain. Affiliate Programs and Network Marketing Programs are essentially, “turn-key businesses”, in that individuals joining the programs are given a business that is already, for the most part, “in place”. A product or service is provided, as well as instructions and support, and there may even be marketing materials and a website given.

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