Recorded Phone Messages and Inventory

Last night I finally listened to the "Let's get started" 50- minute recorded phone message.  The main point of the message was to describe the benefits of buying an inventory package to get your business started with.  The packages ranged from $600 - $4,000.  They strongly encourage every consultant to maintain a "full store" of their products to do parties with.  They claim that this will increase your sales by 57%.  I understand this concept and see how that could be true but I really have no interest in buying inventory - at least not at those price points.  My main argument against doing this business is I do not want to feel trapped or pressured into working a ton.  They suggested that you buy this inventory by putting it on credit.  I know many people start business that way but it is not a concept I am comfortable with.  In the phone message she was comparing the investment in inventory to starting any type of franchise like Burger King or McDonald's. I dont see this because before you invest in a franchise of that level, the company would have done a ton of market research to determine the best location and if the business will succeed based on the competition.  I think it is foolish to make a large monetary investment without doing some type of market research.   I have no idea how many people around me are going to be interested in the products.  I also may not want a "full store" of all their product if I see that only a few of their products do well in my area.  I may only decide to carry and push a partial line.  I am going to simply book a few parties and build my inventory from there.

First day of Mary Kay

So yesterday I officially bought my welcome kit - officially as in my credit card was charged.  It cost me a total of $117.  It's supposed value in product is around $350.  I was given instructions to begin the training process with a 50 minute recorded phone call message - but that will be for another day when I actually feel like listening to a 50 minute recorded phone call message.

In which I embark....

So I am about to start something I  never thought I would do.  You see, I am not much of a sales or makeup person.  I have even often poked fun at those types.  MLM companies were only for the weak minded who couldn't find a proper job - certainly nothing I would ever sign up for.  So why did I pay one of my good friends $100 to send me a kit of makeup I don't think I will personally ever use and train me to sell it?  I think I may have been brainwashed - no seriously - I think it was the curiosity that got to me.

My friend claims to be making good money pushing her product (MaryKay).  Enough to earn a down payment on a house this year.  That claim intrigued me enough to enter this social experiment.  I thought MaryKay was a fad from my mother's generation that had come and gone.  It's hay day had long passed.  The claims that many people just signing up are still making good money with a modest amount of work is interesting enough for me to check it out.  There are plenty of naysayers out there (check out pinktruth.com).  But from my research there are plenty of believers as well. http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2009-05-13-direct-sales-jobs-recession-unemployment_N.htm  My hope is to remain as neutral and objective as possible while venturing into the "old-school" MLM world to find the reality of the "pink ladies".  I am going to make a serious attempt at this - not just buy the kit and post some facebook status updates to drum up sales.  I plan on tracking my efforts on this blog in the following ways:

- daily updates of all marykay activites
- record time spent performing these activities
- record all expenses
- record all income

I hope this will be an informative, and at least interesting journey!  To be continued.......