~Avon Hints & Tips (Part 7) ~

ColleenPamela wrote: »

How about the library? You can print there.

They won't let me use comps without joining the library, I tried to join and they said I have books outstanding from 1994, when I was 13 :eek::eek::eek: I said I definitely have no library books, they said I have to pay £64+ fees before I can get a library card :eek::eek: :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Hi all

Need some extra money to go into my housing fund for a deposit. Dont know whether to do avon or not is it simple to do? How much time do you committ to it? How do you place orders? Are they easy to return if people do not pay? Whats the initial outlay?

do you have to pay for books etc?

Brief outline of Avon business expenses:

Free
- order forms (up to 100 per campaign but it's unlikely you'll need that many anyway. I've always got about 100 in a pack unopened in a drawer)
- getting your order delivered to you
- placing you order online
- sending back returns via the courier - very simple to do, you just have them boxed up and ready to go when your next order is delivered.
- a paper returns book - you can print out your returns form but at least this option is still available if you don't have a printer
- ring sizers and a few other things but I'm not sure what they are because I never order them

Costs
- the £7.50 admin cost charged in your first 2 campaigns (so £15 admin fee in total) - there are no more admin costs after this, it's just when you start
- brochures - a necessary expense and even though I'd say don't scrimp on books, at the same time there are things you can do to keep costs as low as possible. You get 20 brochures for each of your first 2 campaigns free. I've got a territory of 600 houses (you'll probably get 100-ish when you start) and buy about 60 books per campaign. They cost me £9.36. If you become a high-selling rep you can get 100 books for £11.
- brochure bags - pretty much essential if you're calling on people and they might not be in. They're 80p for 50 and I buy 2 packs per campaign. Like the order forms I've always got some unused ones hanging around but I'd rather over-order just in case.
- samples - definitely not an essential to buy.
- demos - full-size products you can order in advance of them appearing to customers. Again, not an essential and you can return them (used) once you've demo-ed them so there's no risk.
- paper bags for putting goods in - about 60p for 50 medium bags. You can buy carrier bags for 4p each at medium size. I'm just saving my other shopping bags (Tesco etc...) and using those.
- some way of informing your customers when you'll be calling/when you'll be delivering/who you are in the first place - you could use a stamp, or write this by hand, or print out notes on your printer. I do the latter and use value paper and print on the fastest setting.

If people don't pay you just return the goods - never hand over goods without payment. I've highlighted what I think are the essential costs above in red.

The work itself isn't difficult, but you have to be organised and be prepared for things to take a while to pick up. I think if you're going to do more than serve family and friends you have to take it up a notch because you'll have complete strangers placing orders with you, and they'll be expecting the same service they'd get from any other company. And many customers don't realise we're self-employed and have a lot of independence in the way we run things, so they see the Avon brand and expect a certain level of service.