~Avon Hints & Tips (Part 8) ~ Please read first post :)

MarsdenCuckoo

TechResearcher wrote: »

I have been reading through the Forum for a few hours now and am amazed at how resourceful you all are. I am doing to some research and would love to hear about the tools you use to manage your businesses?

My sister was an Avon lady a few years ago and used a spreadsheet to manage her sales and the houses to get to that week and when she had agreed to drop by. She struggled with the website but it was easier than filling out all the paper forms! Unfortunately she had to stop after a few campaign after a territory dispute. :sad:

I would love to hear about the problems you guys are facing running your Avon businesses!

Thanks

In case you log back in again.... territory is no more in Avon world (system changed last December) so that's not anything for you to worry about ie if you were thinking of following in your sister's footsteps.

MarsdenCuckoo

hazydaysofsummer wrote: »

Hi all,
Apologies if there is a similar post elsewhere!!


I work full time and have just signed up as an Avon rep which i intend to do just within my office as i think theres potential to do ok.
I always been 'employed' and never had to worry about tax issues as always taken at source but i'm mindful i am 'self employed' as the rep.
i've decided to try 3 campaigns to see if it's worthwhile but i'm at a loss as to what i should do about HMRC - Should i register as self employed? Will it just be forms relating to Avon and not the income from my other job?
Sorry to sound pretty stupid but the whole tax debacle scares me!!
And should i wait until after the 3 months to see if i'm going to continue?


Thanks for popping in & even bigger thanks if you can help ☺

Hi and welcome to Avon!

HMRC run real-time webinars, which are a great help. You can ask questions specific to your own circumstances and in most cases get an instant answer in the chat box. If more complicated, they will come back to you by email later to help.

Things have changed since I first joined Avon (10 years ago) - back then HMRC really weren't interested in Avon ladies registering. Since then, of course, we have some very high earners and with everything being computerised now I guess it's so much easier so the 'blanket rule' whenever we recruit is to tell new reps that they are "classed as self-employed and need to do their own research re. registering with HMRC". (Whether they do or not, of course, is down to them.)

As a Team/Sales Leader I am registered (Avon do notify HMRC when a Team Leader earns £1,000 in commission/bonuses from their team but not reps) and, last time I checked, the HMRC website stated that newly self-employed people need to register by (15th?) October of the second year of trading. I take that to mean there is no rush for you so don't worry.

Good luck with your own Avon business. :T

Money_maker

Hi MC, I'm still here! The whole Avon discussion thing seems to be on FB these days which is a shame as this forum helped guide me back in the early days. Like many reps, I have a lot of issues with Avon but we plod on and do the best we can. Made silver PC last year (go me!) and happy to offer help to anyone who needs it on here.

MarsdenCuckoo

Money_maker wrote: »

Hi MC, I'm still here! The whole Avon discussion thing seems to be on FB these days which is a shame as this forum helped guide me back in the early days. Like many reps, I have a lot of issues with Avon but we plod on and do the best we can. Made silver PC last year (go me!) and happy to offer help to anyone who needs it on here.

Hi MM! :j Lovely to 'see' you

Yes, lots of pages/groups on FB now (some much better than others - I was even banned from one group for daring to express my opinion which was at odds with their 'pet accountant' :rotfl: ) WOW Silver PC - well done you. I only ever aim for Bronze (to get multiple free deliveries, which is a good benefit).

You going to update the initial pages on the thread? You never know this thread might spring back into life....

Cx

Money_maker

They're Lozzas pages so can't update, also I have resisted the pressure to be a SL and am still a humble rep so you would be best placed with the current knowledge of whats on offer for newbies. I think the whole SL side has had a shake up but it doesn't seem to stop new reps asking the most basic of questions which should have been answered by whoever signed them up.


Onwards and upwards, plodding on with my mission to 'service' my whole town.

Money_maker

I see you lurking, abba1772, what you been up to?

abba1772

Money_maker wrote: »

I see you lurking, abba1772, what you been up to?

Expanding my empire :rotfl: I'm doing really well with avon hit silver pc last year for the first time, just hit bronze this month :T so I'm really happy with avon, we do it as a family unit so hubby drives the car, kids jump out to collect books/deliver orders plus they get a cut from the commission so making them learn early :T

Received an unexpected award from avon last week saying I was number 1 in my area and number 2 within the region so was really chuffed with this xx

Money_maker

Well done you, abba, I think when you get a routine sorted you can cope better with the glitches and problems that Avon like to throw at us. Nice to see it's a family affair, my DH hates Avon but might be in part to all the boxes/brochures always lying around.


Well done with your awards too - first in area is a brilliant achievement. I got 3rd in area and 2nd Elite sales. Will 'see' you on the top 1000 listings, always nice to scrape through somewhere in the bottom couple of hundred or so x