Jamie At Home or Usborne Books?

[bcmummy]

I am a full time mum at the moment with 2 small kids (4 yrs old and 8 months) and am interested in starting a direct sales job as I think it would fit in well with the family (my husband works long hours and I am not keen on paying for childcare if I don't have to!). I am keen on Jamie At Home as I love the products and have been to a few parties and I actually have a consultant coming round tonight to talk about it in some more detail. However I have just discovered that Usborne books has a direct sales division too...I really, really love Usborne products & can see all sorts of ways that this would fit in with the kids...

Does anyone have any experience of these 2 companies that they can share with me so that I can make up my mind about which to go for? Both seem to have low initial outlays & no particular time commitment/sales targets, so as far as joining up goes, it seems like there is really nothing to lose with either. But which would be best?! Any info/advice really appreciated. Thanks!

Having been to parties/stalls at fairs for both these I would say the usbourne books are the more affordable option for your potential customers and I'm sure you could sell a lot through people you know at schools play groups etc. I found the Jamie at home prices a bit more and would only buy the products as a treat.

But maybe you wouldn't have to sell as many Jamie products to make the same amount of money?

Sorry realise you are looking for experiences of people who have done it as a job, not customers! Good luck with whatever you do though.

Thanks mycatoscar - I actually agree about the pricing. I think it'd be easier to sell books that are relatively inexpensive than more expensive homeware...but then I think that presumably that means I'd need to sell a lot more books than kitchen gadgets to make the same amount of income? Hmm, lots to think about.

Any Usborne sellers out there?

The trouble with usborne sellers is they don't really offer any discounts on list price and book people/red house do really cheap usborne sometimes and WHS do 3 for 2 all the time too, so I never buy off the sellers even though I buy quite a lot of usborne books.

Jamie at home seems to be more evening type parties, will your husband be home in time?

What about Phoenix cards?

Hi cakebar. Good point about being able to buy the books cheaply elsewhere.

I think Jamie At Home will be mostly evenings but DH and I have discussed it and he can be home when I need him to be as he can work at home in the evenings on his laptop etc if necessary. Plus he tends to have set periods when he is busier so I could presumably schedule my own work to have less events when he is busy and vice versa.

One of my friends already does Phoenix & we live in a small-ish town so I don't think there would be room for two of us.

Do you know anyone else who does Usbourne? If there's already a consultant working the school, the nursery, the playgroup etc in a small-ish town, you'll have to work much harder to find customers.

I personally thimk jamie products are ridiculously overpriced and not particularly unique. I hated being at a jamie party. Usbourne much more affordable and easy to buy gifts or for your own kids as extras. However it is frustrating that usbourne books usually offered at a much better price elsewhere. Mt dsis is a rep for them and is frustrated by many of their products being out of stock. Which severely mucks up her orders. This would put me off. However if you do go for usbourne make sure you look into the monthly special offers as they offer really good value to your customers.x

If you have a friend who does Phoenix it may be worth thinking about joining her team. You'd be surprised at the 'other' people you may know from her and you could have fun being in it together. I had a couple of friends join my team. One had to leave due to time constraints but the other is still going. Phoenix has a very good repeat business potential.

Hi there, im a new Jamie at home consultant, on my 3rd party next week.. I personally love doing what I do. Like yourself my husband works long hours but agreed to set hours/evenings for him to put kids to bed and work from home for me to do Jamie at Home parties. Its worked well for us so far and its very rewarding. Its so enjoyable doing Jamie at home parties if you believe in Jme products. It isn't all expensive gadgets, theres alot of affordable practical things that people may need ie. quality essentials that will last a life a time. And prices start at £3.50. Its not just about the products but about lifestyle and the fun, food, family and entertaining that goes with it and Jamie at Home plays a big part of my lifestyle. I've made new friends, learnt how to run a small business, its very flexible, my family are now eating a variety of exciting things and family and friends are very proud of what I've achieved. It suits me down to the ground without leaving the duties of the housework and kids. If it doesn't suit you you can always stop after 2 months (4 parties) and try out usbourne books. I love usbourne books but I get mine on ebay/amazon/book people-on offer.
I'd love to know what you decided and how you're getting on!!....

Hi, I started Usborne 2 months ago and have made over £600 pretty easily by going to toddler groups, a few evening parties/coffee mornings, christmas fairs at schools/scouts etc. Also main bonus is it fits in with being a mum, so only had to sort childcare twice (once at a fair on weekday, and one early evening shopping school evening that hubby had to get home early for). I take my kids along (1 and 3(unless at pre school)).

I have been to a jah party and struggled to buy something that wasn't really expensive, so if you are not in an affluent area/social group it could be hard.

I love it so much am going to use some childcare next year to try to start a team and contact schools. The books are not the cheapest but books are not expensive to buy and Usborne do a huge range you cannot get everywhere. The offers you get with Red House/Amazon etc are limited and not all titles can be bought that way.

If you want any questions answered feel free to contact me and i will be happy to help

Lu:)

I know a couple of people who do direct sales and Phoenix cards, Usborne books and Stella & Dot are the only ones I think offer value for money for customers.
Usborne books and Stella & Dot friends make a decent amount of money from it as well.

I am a consultant for Scentsy. We sell candle warmers and other home fragrance products. The great thing about Scentsy is that the products are unique. You can sell through parties, fairs, online marketing, its very flexible. It only started in the UK in 2011 so it is not saturated and there is so much potential. Pm me if you want to know more x

Hi. I tried Usborne a while ago because I love the product and had time on my hands. For me, it proved to be a mistake. The local market was saturated already and I underestimated the amount of work needed to make what appeared to me to be a paltry sum. The local organiser became quite rude about my lack of success (understandably, as she was depending on me to make money for her!). It's pyramid selling, after all, and you won't see much for your labours, in my opinion. I'd also consider the logistics of lugging books about with very young children in tow.

I hope you find something that suits, though-good luck to you whatever you decide.

I feel quite embarrassed when friends do sales parties - a stall at a fair is less intense ie books, and you don't rely on friends being your customers.

Hi Biryani

I understand if the market was already saturated, I think Ive been quite lucky.

In terms of pyramid selling though, someone always 'recruits' you but you can have absolutely nothing to do with them if you wish, everything you need resource wise is on the Usborne at Home website. I was recruited by a lady who lives 250 miles away from an ad on Gumtree who had a baby a week later so I have only spoken to her once!

I agree about the books, I have been carting 2 heavy boxes with my DD (1) and sometimes DS (3) - but I saw a different trader at an event with boxes on wheels that they apparently sell in staples pretty cheaply so will be investing in new year.

Ive had a few dud events, but have made on average £30 which is pretty good for being at a toddler group/party/coffee morning and having a nice time, not 'working'. If you see it as extra money from just fitting it into your lifestyle then its great - profit not wages!

:)

I am an Usborne Organiser and I am loving every second of it. The books are well known and well loved. There are lots of special offers for customers, and if people host their own book party they receive free books. All great fun. Fits in around family.
I don't worry about lugging books about as I have a thing called a car!
Recruiting new people can be tricky but if you have a lot of enthusiasm and love speaking to people its perfect. Free childcare (my dd comes with me everywhere and has a ball).
I also have a job working 3 days a week which is my bread and butter, but doing Usborne has been great for my personal development & extra income.
You have to see it as something that doesn't feel like work rather than paid by the hour.
Don't bother if work shy as you need self-motivation.
Good luck, need any more advice I am here x

Can i just point out that pyramid selling is illegal. Most of the reputable direct sales have a reasonable payment structure and genuine products. Before you sign up to anything make sure you investigate this first. With the company i'm with, the payment plan is there on the website for anyone to look at. This is not always the case

I would like to also add to this thread as there seems to be quite a few misconceptions here...

1. am a Team Leader with Usborne books at Home and started with my £38 kit in July 2011 just like everyone else who joins. I earn a decent amount of money from 24% commission on all orders plus 12% of what my team earn. It is not, and is not marketed as a company where you can earn easy money...you get out what you put in.
2. usborne offer fantastic, reachable incentives which add to your earnings and we have regular contact with our head office which makes us feel part of the company and not just part time sales people. 3)It is not pyramid selling... Usborne is part of the DSA and is therefore regulated very closely. If Usborne were a pyramid selling scam they would have been 'ousted' as such before now....we are in our 40th year of publishing and we are growing year on year(don't believe me? Then just look at the dsa website)
3. having come from a non-sales background I am not comfortable with pressure selling...nor do I push for parties...on a daily basis schools and other organisations contact the head office directly requesting organiser contact. This dispels the myth that there is no work out there and that the market is saturated.
4. sales on amazon...do not appear to affect our sales...yes you can often get great deals on amazon, no question, however amazon do not offer free books to schools or party organisers... You cannot view the book before you buy as you would at an event or party,..nor do you get the expertise from the seller on what suits your child. Amazon do not offer deals that are exclusive to usborne organisers...available on a monthly basis.
5. schools ... Usborne do everything, meaning that the PTA and teachers do not need to waste their valuable time ... We also give 60% in free books to schools and every single school I have been to are very grateful of our service and the kids are in their element! I could go on and on and list the benefits as there are many! Anyone thinking of working for a direct sales company needs to make sure they do their research before signing up to anything. Most direct sellers (Phoenix, usborne etc) have stands at fetes and summer fairs .. So if you are still unsure, why not pop along to one local to you over Easter and chat to them and get their experiences? Or feel free to contact me [email protected] and I will be ore than happy to answer any questions regarding working with Usborne.