The Body Shop at Home

DonnaKennedy

That's all really helpful Cuffie.
You mentioned training - What happens on this? Also what happens if you don't make the target amount in your first six parties etc? Or can't even get 6 parties organised?
I'm really really keen, my only concern is getting people to have the parties and stuff! Would you say it's too late to join now in time for Christmas? And when you say you've done Christmas shopping evenings, how did you get involved with these?
One final thing, you said you need 11 ordering guests, what if the host can't rustle up that many?

DonnaKennedy

Thanks for your info Anya.
Would you say it would be useful for me to have a number of contacts if i started it and did you enjoy it when you had regular parties? Were they ok with you giving it up when you realised it wasn't for you?

cuffie

DonnaKennedy wrote:

That's all really helpful Cuffie.
You mentioned training - What happens on this? Also what happens if you don't make the target amount in your first six parties etc? Or can't even get 6 parties organised?
I'm really really keen, my only concern is getting people to have the parties and stuff! Would you say it's too late to join now in time for Christmas? And when you say you've done Christmas shopping evenings, how did you get involved with these?
One final thing, you said you need 11 ordering guests, what if the host can't rustle up that many?

Re Training - there are certain party themes, Skincare, MakeUp, Spa Wisdom (using the 9 products in the spa wisdom range), Hands and Feet, Bodycare, Hands and Body, Body and "Sole" (feet)...what ever you like really. There is a new range called "Scent Me" as well (you might have noticed that in the catalogue at the party you went to) where you mix oils with fragrance free creams and shower gels etc....Also, at the moment, all my parties seem to be christmas theme (body care using the cranberry range). You need to know the basics really (mostly common sense), but what skincare range to use for oily or dry skins etc, makeup application, what is in the products etc etc. Its not difficult. Also, how to order over the website and paperwork etc.

I would have said this is the best time to join - you can get your 6 parties in over christmas and this is our "peak" time - basically this is when we'd earn the most money, so you will hit your 6 week target. I'm sure you'll get 6 parties. Like I say, I had 2 at my house. 1. was my mum 2. was a friend outside of my school children's mums, 3. was mine (outside of school mums and relatives and neighbours - invited loads down my road), 4 was mine (all school mums), the other 2 must have been friends too.... Ask work colleagues, neighbours, teachers, aunts, sisters, cousins, mum, ...... Always ask your hosts to get their guests to bring a friend - that always bumps up the numbers, and if you are really struggling later on, offer incentives (like a free gift if they book a party, or wine and nibbles to bring along to their party so they don't have to provide it for their guests...ok, you are spending a bit, but its worth it to have a party...I've not resorted to the wine and nibbles bit yet, but the gift idea is good - people go for anything if they think its free!!!)

I have children at a school, so the PTA arranged a shopping evening and I asked if I could go. (If there are a few BS reps in the area, then it would be first come first served though). I contacted a couple of schools just outside of my area in September and asked if they were doing anything, and one was, so got my name on there, and then the other one was just a referral from a friend - a playgroup was having a shopping evening and someone had been to one of my parties, so I was put forward. They arent the best things to do to get orders or sales, and I have to say, one was a bit of a pain, but I got parties out of the others.

Prob a bit late now to do shopping evenings, unless you look through the local paper and see if there are any going on - you can always call the organisers and see if they have any BS reps going and if there is space for you. Normally would cost you £10 a table plus to donate a raffle prize, but if you get parties out of it its worth it.

Another brill one to look out for is Pamper evenings. You would provide a facial or makeover people who have booked in for 15 mins slots in return for £5 (or whatever the organisers decide), and you are basically booked up for an evening as a Body Shop Rep. Then whilst you are doing their facial you are asking them if they use BS products, and if theyd like a party. Look out for these at schools or in the newspaper. Most schools tend to do these around Jan, Feb time after xmas, so worth calling all the schools in the local areas to see if they are planning one. If they are not, ask if you could be put on a list or something so that if they ever did plan one, could they call you?

Re the 11 guests. Not all hosts will be able to get 11 guests. They still get free shopping if their sales go over £100 and the more sales they get the more free shopping. Also, any outside orders they get (from work, neighbours, anyone who can't get to a party) counts as a guest. So, if you try and get them to get 3 or 4 orders, you only need to have 7 or 8 at the party. I have done parties with 4 guests before, still gone over the £100 and still got a party!! So they don't get the 11+2 gift, but its a more intimate party and they get more involved and get the feel for wanting a party themselves!

I hope I've helped and I'm so sorry for rambling on.

xx

DonnaKennedy

Where does training usually take place then?

My email address is Donnakennedy83@hotmail.com if anyone wants to share any important info etc and i also have msn messenger.

Anya

DonnaKennedy wrote:

Thanks for your info Anya.
Would you say it would be useful for me to have a number of contacts if i started it and did you enjoy it when you had regular parties? Were they ok with you giving it up when you realised it wasn't for you?

I kept the number of everyone who had had a party with me. We were given a diary to book parties into and this had a place at the front for everyones names and addresses. I also took everyones numbers off their order forms so that I could always contact them if I needed to.

The parties themselves were great fun and everyone really enjoyed themselves, but I put an awful lot of work into them. Getting them prepared, sorting out raffles working out offers and promotions, prizes etc. I made between £30 and £75 per party (£30 more often than £75). Some of that had then to go toward keeping my kit up to date. At the end of each catalogue I would have a "sale" of the items I had in my kit which weren't going to be in the next catalogue and I would use the money from that to buy some of the new stuff in.

When the parties started to dry up and I got fed up of the area organiser hassling me (I wasn't bothered about having regular parties as for me I was only doing it to get out for a bit and earn a bit of pin money!) that was when I decided that it was really not worth all the stress and decided to quit. That was not a problem, I had to return my kit to the value of what it was worth when they first sent it to me. i.e. they had sent me £500 worth of stock - I had sold some of the old stockk off so had to replace that with some of the new stuff I had bought to make it back up to that original value. And then that was it...finished.

The thing was I went into it thinking that it was a stress free, completely flexible, fun way of making bit of money, which it was at first. But then you had to be making a certain amount each month in order for them to keep the account open which required me to be having more parties than I really wanted and that I could consistently get. The girl up from me would be ringing me up and trying to get me to ring up people from old parties to get them to book as she was getting hassled off her boss for our area to have more parties. I wasn't prepared to do that as I wouldn't like someone doing that to me. She then started trying to give me some of her parties to do, which was nice of her but some of them were houses in a really rough area which I didn't want to go to on my own and be coming out on my own when it was dark. I got told off for that - for being stuck up , which maybe I was a bit coz I may have been fine but I'd rather be safe and confident that me and all my stuff would be ok.

As soon as it got stressful I decided that I would be better getting a really part time job so that it didn't take me away from the kids for too long. That way I would have a definite regular amount of money coming in and I could just switch off and not think about work at all as soon as I had left the building. So that is what I did. I now do 8 hours a week at Iceland and then thats it done and dusted.

The only other thing about the party plans is that you are then classed as self-employed and are supposed to declare your income for tax purposes and to the benefits people.

If you are really motivated and prepared to put alot of time and effort in (sometimes for not alot of profit) then go for it and enjoy it. Just so long as you are aware that it is not as easy and flexible as they make out.

Good Luck whatever you decide. Anya.

cuffie

DonnaKennedy wrote:

Where does training usually take place then?

My email address is Donnakennedy83@hotmail.com if anyone wants to share any important info etc and i also have msn messenger.

My training was done at my Area Managers house, and then there was on going training at the monthly meetings if any new products released.

You do have to work at it and all party plans are different in some ways (ie, you dont have to pay back what you paid for your kit with the BS if you give up), but I agree with Anya - when it gets to the point when someone is hassling you to have parties it must get on your nerves a bit. I wouldnt like that (I haven't had it yet, but you never know - it might come if the parties dry up). I don't envisage myself doing this for years and years...just to make a bit of money and work around my children whilst they are are school/pre-school. When they are all at school full time, I can see that I'd rather go out during the day to work, but for now - this suits me. My area manager has been doing this for 6 years, and she earns 5% from each of us so imagine what she earns before she even walks out of the door herself! She puts a lot of effort into it though, and I suppose then she is reaping the benefits. I don't want to go that far. Plodding along as a consultant is fine by me, and when I feel like I've done my time, I will give it up, keep what I use from my kit and sell off the rest.... At least I would have made some money and had a laugh inbetween time! xx

DonnaKennedy

That's true. My fella and i are currently saving for a house so the extra cash would be great. I have a full time job already, how would you go about sorting out tax etc?

cuffie

You'd have to get in touch with the tax office. I dont earn enough (or haven't yet!) to take me over my personal allowance, but speak to your area manager - she'll be able to help. Hope it all goes well for you. If you are moving house - great way to start off parties - and meet the new neighbours!
Nite! x

DonnaKennedy

Thanks.
Does anyone else have any info to share that might also help me?

DonnaKennedy

Hiya all
I've just had a call from one of the managers and it went well, they have 2 training days and i feel really keen! Anyone else wanna share their experiences?