Earn Extra Money: Direct Sales and Network Marketing

With the holidays fast approaching, there are many individuals looking for more ways to earn extra money for shopping, to pay off bills, build up a savings account, and many other reasons. In the area where I live, there is a trend that is catching on fairly quickly and is making some individuals that I know a big chunk of change each month. Notice that I didn't say that they are getting filthy rich overnight, or any time for that matter. They are making a good supplemental income and some have even quit their full time jobs to increase their earning potential. The way they have been making money has been through Direct Sales and Network Marketing.

These two fields seem to be thriving during tough economic times because it is a fairly simple way to make some extra money; it really all boils down to relationships. There are products and supplies that people have the ability to sell that many of their friends and family want and/or need to buy. These companies allow you to sell in many different ways, ranging from having a party hosted by a friend of yours at their home to someone taking a catalog and getting orders from their friends. Not only are there benefits for you as the salesperson, but the host or hostess gets free and discounted merchandise and you can have a fun time with your friends.

Thirty-One

Thirty-One could be considered to be still in its infancy as it has been around for only the past few years. However, in that time, it has grown at a pace unexpected by even the company itself. Thirty-One is via recruiting other salespersons to sign up under you. Once you have at least two people recruited who have become qualified consultants, you begin receiving 2% of all their sales each month. As your sales and your team grows, you will be promoted. The steps are Consultant, Senior Consultant, Director, Senior Director, Executive Director, and Senior Executive Director. With each step up, you receive a bonus commission (up to 9%) for each personal sell in addition to your base commission of 25%. The company has been fairly localized to the Mid-Atlantic and Southern regions of the United States but is quickly catching on in other areas and is a great business for a stay at home mom or anyone wanting to make extra money.

Scentsy

This is another fairly new company that is quickly catching on around here. Its business model is very similar, if not almost identical to that of Thirty-One and other Network Marketing companies. The difference lies in the products. Scentsy specializes in fragrances for the home and car. The main product sold by Scentsy is the warmer, which is a type of pottery (similar to a decorative candle) that plugs into the wall and has a light on the inside. On the top of the warmer is a flat surface that makes a small bowl shape. You can purchase different scented cubes (similar to small square candles) that go into that bowl. When the warmer is plugged in, it melts the scented cubes and gives off the fragrance. The warmers come in many creative designs from basic decorative designs to the sports collection which feature some of your favorite college and professional team logos. As a salesperson for Scentsy, the commission structure is very similar to that of Thirty-One, with commissions starting out at 20% and going up to 25% as soon as you have $500 in personal sales. This percentage also grows as your sales volume and team grows. You make a percentage of the sales of your recruits and then the people that they recruit to sell Scentsy as a bonus. The products are great for anyone who loves decorating the home with great scents, especially during the holidays.

MPB Today

MPB Today is quite different from Scentsy and Thirty-One as it is solely a network marketing company with no direct sales. The question that the company poses to individuals is this: "Would you pay $200 if it meant that you would never have to buy groceries again?" The company does marketing for Southeastern Delivery, which is a food distribution company based out of Florida that handles shipping thousands of different name brand foods and dry grocery goods to individuals who order online. In order to sign up as an affiliate withMPB Today, you pay $210 up front. The $10 gives you access to your official MPB Today website and back office for a year. The $200 allows you to purchase that amount of groceries from Southeastern Delivery, or you can defer until later and receive the groceries or a $200 gift card to Wal-Mart which can be used for anything, which you can get when you "cycle". A person cycles when they have 6 people signed up under them. This can be a combination of signing all 6 people up personally, signing up 2 people and then they sign up 2 people each, or any other combination. When you "cycle", you receive a $300 check and either the $200 in groceries or $200 gift card. Then you go right back into the matrix of the person you signed up under and the cycle starts again. You can "cycle" as many times as possible, monthly, weekly, daily, or even hourly. Although I have heard many people talk about how much of a scam they thought the company was, I have seen how successful a lot of people in my family and friends have been to know that it is no joke at all. You're not going to get rich, but I have seen a few people make just over $1000 for the past couple of months.

Direct Sales and Network Marketing can be some of the easiest business adventures to get started and can give you a great supplemental income and with plenty of hard work, you may be able to make it your sole source of income. The basic thing about it is this, you get out of it what you put into it. If you sit back and expect the work to just happen, you will not make anything. But if you put work into, you will see results.