Avon - Hints and Tips?

Elle00

lostindebt wrote: »

Thanks Elle, I think my main issue is that I've been doing avon for 18 months now and while I would like to declare my earnings ,I don't want to be hit with the £100 fine... really can't afford that! (hence the name lost in debt!!)..

Spoke to my old sales rep last night and she said you are supposed to take off costs of brochures, printing, postage, demo products as you say off your earnings,so your earnings actually officially are next to nothing.

She said that it is a bit of a grey area where the tax man is concerned, because you aren't actually employed by avon, you just buy from them at a discounted rate, the money left over from when you sell it on isn't really labelled as 'commission' as such. She had a rep who worked at the tax office who told her all this apparently! She also said that Avon do not provide any of your details to the tax office, regardless of your sales.

I've actually been doing my territory very half-heartedly the last few campaigns so I'm happy to give it up to be honest, its not very big. I like to do avon mainly so I can purchase things myself, I probably actually only come out with about £10-£15 cash a campaign if that. I love it at Christmas, the little extra pressies really make the difference.

Well, I think you'd certainly get the £100 fine if you declared it now so possibly best to go with the pleading ignorant?!

I'm in two minds about this at the moment as I'm still within my 3m. I wouldn't have to pay tax as I'm on benefits earning within the lone parent earnings disregard but I still wonder if I should register having written to IS at the DWP to say I'm doing this! I think I'll ask the job centre at my "interrogation" next week and probably will register myself.

But then I'm much more likely to come to the HMRC's attention than you I think because I'm in receipt of state benefits.

I think that there are far too many people who sell Avon unregistered for a few quid a week for the HMRC to be too bothered about it.

LiverpoolLouise

Ok as promised, here is my second attempt to tell you all about my party!

So first thing i did was borrow my father-in-laws old pasting table and buy some nice material to throw over it. If you are having it in your own home then you could just use your kitchen table or something but im hoping to do mine in peoples houses and stuff so a fold up table is perfect. I bought a sheet of material big enough to go to the floor because then you can hide your avon stuff under and look professional.
Then i invited some friends round (they are my guniea pigs before i do it from customers)for a sunday afternoon and bought a few nibbles. I didnt buy too many cos im a bit poor (lol) but you wont need to worry about this when you do it for customers cos that will be their responsibility.
Then, before everyone arrive i laid out, books, order forms, some demo products i had bought from HT (i found it best to buy things you can see immediate effect from- like you can tries out an eyeshadow or lippy on your hand and see it but you cant really try mascara on your hand and dont want everyone putting on for hygene reasons), some games i had prepared and a few bits from clearance that people could buy on the day.
Games i did were pass the parcel with a clearance prize and forfits in each wrap such as "tell the group a beauty secret" and that sort of thing. It just gets people thinking about makeup and suchlike and relaxes everyone. Most the party games i played i found on the internet and adapted to avon but if anyone wants more dtails shout out!
I went through the brochure section by section, breaking it up with games and demos etc so it wasnt too full on.
At the start i asked everyone to introduce themselves and tell the group if they had ever ordered any avon or knew someone who had and what they thought of it. 90% of the time it will be a good review so is worth it for a bit of free advertising and it helps people trust you and avon.
After we had gone though the book and done games i just mingled a bit whilst people filled out orders and stuff and just relaxed really.
My top tip would be when you give them the books, forms and pens, give them some little postit page markers that they can use as little sticky bookmarks. This is so if they see something that they might like but not sure about putting it on the form yet, they can put in a sticky and wont forget to look back at it later.
Hope this helps, any questions, feel free to ask xxxxx

LiverpoolLouise

ps
I had ten people round and took £110 worth of orders so was about £20 in it for me for 2 hours work. I did buy a lot of demo products but now ive got them forever so will use them for other parties. I think it is worth it cos just think how many houses etc you would have to go round to take £110 of orders and this is indoors and fun! xx

Blondetotty

lostindebt wrote: »

She said that it is a bit of a grey area where the tax man is concerned, because you aren't actually employed by avon, you just buy from them at a discounted rate, the money left over from when you sell it on isn't really labelled as 'commission' as such. She had a rep who worked at the tax office who told her all this apparently! She also said that Avon do not provide any of your details to the tax office, regardless of your sales.

Hey lostindebt, I heard the same thing from our tax office. Apparently because it isn't commission as such I didn't need to register as self employed. They had looked at how to 'tax' Avon reps and because it was so complicated to work out, just gave up trying to figure it out!


On the other subject of territory, I recently asked my ASM (who is a complete and utter witch btw) for a some roads. I gave her a nice little list in order of preference and she came back with I couldn't have them.

Funny that as my friend lives on one of them and has never ever had an Avon rep round. My friend is now my customer and her neighbour also asked for a brochure, then the lady across the road, and the two ladies up the road. It was only 22 houses and I've now got a total of 5 customers on that road. If by some chance a new or old rep turned and claimed I was using her territory for my own, then no, actually they are friends of a friend so technically they are my customers, not the new rep that moves into the area. According to the SL's I've spoken to, customers who request brochures for whatever reason trump territory.

I can understand why people get annoyed with reps 'moving onto their patch' but at the end of the day some areas have never had reps show up so you can't blame the people that live there if they ask for someone like me to drop a brochure in and then 6 months down the line a rep be given that area and get narked with me for nicking her customers!

At the same time I would never do that to a reps existing customers if they were on a road that I had been allocated. They are her customers.

Incidentally, the road that I was bregrudgingly offered by the same witch ASM, had already been taken by a rep around the corner from me. Go figure.:mad:

MiniLaura

I wrote some time ago about finding out another rep lives beside me and does the only houses in my street.

I recanvassed the houses to double check and got all my books back, as well as speaking to most people including rep.

Turned out rep had registered in another area, moved here and continued with avon and just sold to the houses.

Ive asked area manager for diff territory but not getting anything so far. Thinking of trying my boyfriends area as its all houses etc and noone appears to do avon - added bonus of he knows nearly everyone locally!

This campaign havent managed to get any orders from work and on holiday so just gonna put in very minimum and leave it at that, maybe order some presents for people etc.

Mikiki_2

Did anyone else get an email from Avon to preview the C15 book? No one I know did except me

Mikiki

x

Lissa77

No, but was there anything good in there? Has anyone bought a Bumper Pack recently? Are they any good or not worth the money? Also has anyone had any luck when buying the items from Hello Tomorrow in order to sell on to customers? Is it worth the trouble and what handy hints are there?

Elle00

I made some calls regarding registering as self employed today and was told that even though I won't pay any tax or NI - yes I did still need to register.

So I've done it now, it took 2mins on the phone. They're sending me out a small earning NI exemption form as my stamp is already done through my being on benefits and my earnings are under £90pw so obviously it'd be stupid to pay NI twice! They said that I don't have to pay tax on earnings under £6,000 a year but I still have to do the self assessment every year and that I'll get a letter from the tax office reminding me to do it around next April. My lone parent benefits aren't included in the tax calculated income but those of you who are working and earning more than £6,000 a year (apx) would have to pay tax on Avon earnings.

Hope that helps some people. I don't blame those of you who choose not to register who already have a job as it does seem very unfair! I felt I personally needed to do it all the right way because of my situation.

Rage_in_Eden

Mikiki wrote: »

Did anyone else get an email from Avon to preview the C15 book? No one I know did except me

Mikiki

x

Yep I did - and full of lovely stuff it was too. I even was very naughty and sent it on to my customers via e-mail :shhh:. Now everyone is chomping at the bit. I've already ordered the Ungaro perfume and also the china mug by Mr Llwelyn-Bowen (?) and some other bits and bobs. As usual I was having to reign myself in :rotfl: I think this is Christmas they are really gearing up a notch and continuing on from the lovely stuff last year. BTW what does anyone think of the Royal Doulton figurine that's in the latest Hello Tomorrow?

**dancingbutterfly**

Rage_in_Eden wrote: »

Yep I did - and full of lovely stuff it was too. I even was very naughty and sent it on to my customers via e-mail :shhh:. Now everyone is chomping at the bit. I've already ordered the Ungaro perfume and also the china mug by Mr Llwelyn-Bowen (?) and some other bits and bobs. As usual I was having to reign myself in :rotfl: I think this is Christmas they are really gearing up a notch and continuing on from the lovely stuff last year. BTW what does anyone think of the Royal Doulton figurine that's in the latest Hello Tomorrow?

boo! i didnt get to see it!! oh well!

personally i dont really like the royal doulton figurine!

well thats my 2 pence worth!:o :rotfl: