Catalogue Franchise - any experience??

[poppiesmum]

Hi. I have been approached by a friend of a friend who works as a team leader for a catalogue company - they're the sort that come through your door that sell stuff for the home and garden, as well as health & beauty stuff. They are looking for new people to join the business and deliver and collect catalogues and place and deliver the orders in my area. I get 23% of all the sales I generate.

There is a cost to start up - about £110 for 200 catalogues, and I would need to buy future catalogues.

It does seem that if you put the time in, there is money to be made (I'm on mat leave so I'm just looking for a bit extra cash each month), but I am wary about the initial investment.

Does anyone have any similar experiences, or have done this type of work in the past???

[gemmum]

Hi i sell both avon and usborne childrens books. There are lots of companies to choose from if this is something your interested in www.dsa.co.uk lists all the approved ones. When you are looking for a company to join my tips would be look at:

1. Outlay - what you are getting for your money
   
2. Commission (basic and extra)
   
3. Contract commitment - read the small print on your terms and conditions. I would recommend only signing for a company that has no minimum service time and to ensure you wont be stung for xtra cash if you leave.
   
4. Cost of ongoing business tools
   
5. Training
   
6. Extras - such as free products, loyalty point schemes, holidays, etc etc
   7 Customer service - offers for customers, excellent delivery times, money back guarantees etc - this is invaluable when promoting your products.
   
   I'd also bear im mind that it will probably take a few months for you to build up a good client base and then things should get easier - less books and wlaking the streets - i have certainly found this with avon. I do feel though that usborne has more potential (for me anyway) as i can do it with my kids - plus i love the books. If you'd like any more information for usborne,let me know.

[poppiesmum]

Thanks GemMum - great advice. I tried the website you suggested but I got a list of driving schools?!!!! Is www.dsa.co.uk correct??

[gemmum]

lol, it was a test

www.dsa.org.uk

[marsbarqueen]

Hi. I work for an internet based company that also does party planning and catologue sales. As a catalogue agent the initial outlay is £20 for a set of lingerie catalogues (you only get one of each) or 75p for smaller catalogues that contains other products. Its is an Adult Company (toys, lingerie, massage oils etc)so thay can't just be put through doors. Commission is 10% less VAT on all sales with postal charges of £3.75 or free for orders over £40. I do the party side which is great fun but catologue selling is easy once you get going!

[Skribble]

I tried betterware, did one round of drops and the orders were so bad I never did it again.

Glad I didn't have to pay for catalouges as that would tkae ages to earn enough to cover the cost of them.

I though it would be easy to fit in with the kids but in reality you can deliver through the day but you have to collect in the early evenings to get anybody in, not many leave them out for you and if they do they get soggy as they don't seal the bags (another cost).

I ended up having to trail my 2 kids around to collect and it was so depressing when I got handed endless empty order forms. It wasn't the walking miles that got me down thats not a problem. Plus once you add up the time it takes to get to the streets you are delivering on and time at home to do admin. each street will probably need 1 night to drop and 2 nights to pick up.

Perhaps it depends on the areas, I know there are others who do well. Sorry but my experience was negitive but I am being honest.

[SueW]

If you are planning to go back to work full-time have a think about something you might be able to continue once you get back with minimum effort e.g. someone at my current workplace brings in an Avon catalogue regularly and collects orders. In other places I have worked in, people bring in book selections massively discounted like The Book People do.

If you are going back part-time and will be happy to put in time combined with visits to playgroups with your DD, you could do Barefoot Books (a friend does this and says it's fantastic as no pressure plus they have a special offer on sign-ups at the moment), Usborne books, Phoenix Cards. COming up to Xmas you could do evening parties too.

Or if you want to do evening grown-up things, you could do Pampered Chef, chocolate parties, Virgin Vie make-up, Partylite (I think they are the candle people).

I know lots of people who have done most of the above with varying degrees of success, mostly related to how confident they were to approach people, how good they felt about what they were selling and how much effort they are prepared to put in. But the happiest ones, i think, were those who could do a concentrated effort for say 2-3 months in the run up to Xmas and then occasionally for the rest of the year, without pressure.

[gemmum]

Hi just thought i'd add that i think its important that it's a product you love so you don't need to 'sell' it.

also just to add a bit more information about usborne, there are no targets at all the only requirement is to place a £100 order between the months of sept and dec to remain an organiser.

HTH gemma (www.usborne4u.co.uk)

[Skribble]

I think that is very true about the product. Trouble is with stuff like betterware and similar I didn't really push it with friends. If I had gone for something like kids books I could have done a lot more in the normal circles I move in rather than having to trudge round doors.

If you go for kids books or similar I think there are a ot more relaed freindly (warmer ways of selling and lots more opportunities to sell to friends and family.