Thinking of Usborne bookselling as a side hustle - I know what it is, but many of the usual warnings don't apply. Any thoughts?

[AnonyLonnymouse]

I have had quite a busy work-week and perhaps my brain is a bit addled, but I am suddenly wondering if selling Usborne books might be a useful side hustle for me? I know that it is an MLM - and know all the arguments against MLM - but it seems that it might actually suit me quite well. I have existing freelance work and I am looking for a new job but would like a side activity that I can scale up or down as needed.

The reasons why it seems like a good idea - at 11pm on a Friday! - are:

I want to get out of the house!
I like selling at NCT sales etc and am quite good selling face-to-face, but not pushy
I like interacting with parents and pre-schoolers/primary age children
I would not be selling to friends, as they are mostly beyond that stage
I have an existing FB page with 2k+ followers in the right type of audience
I have the cashflow to buy stock and not worry about recouping it ASAP
I have the storage space, although tidying up a bit would help!
I would not push anyone to join a team, as I know that isn't ethical
I can drive
I can use social media for business purposes
I live in an area where people definitely have money to spend and would happily spend a bit more on a book at an event rather than wait to buy it cheaper elsewhere. Lots of grandparents around here too!
I live in an area where there aren't really large supermarkets or discount shops nearby.

Bearing all the above in mind - not the typical situation - what do you think?
Thanks.

Hehe forgive me for teasing but:

Dogwalking and evri would be weekday daytime... deliveroo would be evenings, mostly weekends... babysitting would be perhaps school run times...

I can conclude you want to work in the middle of the night?

In all seriousness, pp is right that you're rejecting these suggestions out of snobbery. But you'll be a social pariah if you join an MLM

OP, you'd spend more time faffing about with MLM shit than genuine side hustles and likely make nothing.

Most people avoid MLM peddlers no matter how you've rationalised it. It's really not a good business model and your followers and potential customers have enough sense to know that. Have you looked at the commission? For £100 order you'd make less than £20.... the stall selling empty liquor bottles with fairy lights shoved in it makes more.

Usborne isn't that different to the yummy mummy shoving juice plus down her families throats and posting about how healthy they all are.

The time has nothing to do with it! You can do Uber eats for example any any time that suits you.

There is definitely a bit of that around here!

I went to a charity Christmas fair in the autumn and it was heaving with nicely dressed sixty-something women dropping £20-£50 on accessories, decorative items and bits-and-bobs of all kinds.

OP - I’ve just read the post linked above - please read it as it explains very clearly how the scheme works and how it designed in a way that will make it pretty impossible for you to make money. Trust me when I say that spending time and money at fairs is depressing - you would have to sell so many books to make it worth your while and you will never sell more than a couple - sometimes none! It’s impossible to make more than pocket money amounts - it’s a hobby not a business!

If you are just doing events why restrict yourself to Usborne? Look into book wholesale in general and curate something different.

Do this!! Sell vintage jewellery and bits and bobs. Craft them yourself or buy-and-sell from antique warehouses. It would be fun and interesting.

Really, op, we are honestly trying to help you

Antony - but things made by the stall holders themselves will have much higher profits than Usborne books + their items are not so easily available elsewhere for less + it was pre-Christmas!

I’m in two minds. But I think as you seem quite aware of the issues/ limitations with this particular mlm, and you’re not in a vulnerable position, eg, broke and need quick cash… then I don’t see how it can do any harm at all to try it.

My first thought was also that some of your existing followers may unfollow. Or at least perceive you differently. But I’d say just post about it’s once or twice., not constantly. See how it goes. And good luck

It’s worth remembering that lots of the people who get suckered by the stuff also think they’re not like the other MLM people.

It’s ultimately a predatory and unethical business model and very few people come out better off.

@ViaRia01 and OP read the link!!! It’s not a normal selling situation where you might get lucky if you find the right clientele in the right place, you have naice patter and you work hard! The whole system is set up so that only the company makes money, no matter what you do.

Read the link! 🙏🏼
https://www.talentedladiesclub.com/articles/how-much-money-can-you-earn-with-mlm-usborne-books-at-home/

I live in an affluent area, lots of young families living in big houses, expensive cars etc.

I also work for lots of these families.

So I know none of them would pay more than necessary for books. They all swop clothes, books, toys and are actually less likely to spend money on new items for their children than the less well off families I know. They’re also very busy and if they do need something new, they want ease and convenience so will just order it off Amazon or similar.

There is also a lady who was doing Usbourne selling at the local fairs for a while. She always looked very lonely and bored, people would actively avoid approaching her stall.

I would never invest in it myself.

I live in one of those areas. And whilst people do spend money at them there's always a lot of stalls which people have a vanity project and really don't make a lot of money for the stock they carry, the time and effort put into the stock, never mind the time and money getting a stall at one. There is also a limited amount of repeat business for many so a lot of these little businesses fail quite quickly.

Those areas also tend to have older customers even then. The number of customers who fall into the age range of having young kids is limited. And whilst the grandparent market is a good shout, I'm unconvinced that the Usborne brand is what they'd necessarily go for and certainly not on repeat business.

You also can't help be aware of the birth rate and how areas like this are being particularly hard hit with that and the double whammy of house prices meaning there's fewer young families there. And those that are, are much more squeezed than they were even if they are well off because they are being hit by massive increases in mortgage repayments (I think we are looking at £500 per month more from June and whilst that's on the higher side I don't think £300+ a month more is that unusual). So disposable income is taking a hit and something is going to have to give.

But those people will largely want to buy something they can have right then because one of the things they want (and are paying for) is the experience of wandering around the farmer's market picking things up. More expensive and needing to be ordered in so having to wait for it to arrive is a really unappealing combo.

I also live in an area like op describes, the kind where we have knitted postbox toppers, that stay pristine...you know, with a Gail's and no ATM...

That's how I know op would become a social pariah. Everyone would be gossiping and judging about it (admittedly, probably including me).

I don't think we would as much for something like dogwalking though - that's fairly genteel. Also (say) working part time in the garden centre etc etc. There's certainly other things out there that pays money and is genteel but doesn't need actual qualifications.

I echo this. Just cos somewhere is affluent it doesn't mean huge amounts of disposable cash. There is also a consciousness about 'value for money' which isn't always recognised plus an awareness of environmental issues. Clothes and books are where it gives on this particularly.

(In case it isn't obvious, I was being sarcastic about jobs needing to be genteel! Anything honest is nothing to be ashamed of. My first choice would be deliveroo or evri, myself)

*There is definitely a bit of that around here!

I went to a charity Christmas fair in the autumn and it was heaving with nicely dressed sixty-something women dropping £20-£50 on accessories, decorative items and bits-and-bobs of all kinds.*

Accessories, decorative items and bits and bobs of all kinds that they could get delivered the next day from Amazon rather than the three to five days it would have taken if they had bought them from the stall?

That's great!

Go for it then.

@Mumoftwo1312
Teasing accepted with good grace, but there are good reasons why those things wouldn’t work apart from the fact that they just don’t spark my interest!

I don’t like dogs - awaits flaming!

I am really not good at cleaning and we have a cleaner ourselves (at my DH’s instigation)

I need to be home for my own DC in the late afternoon and evenings.

I would probably quite enjoy babysitting but again after-school and evening wouldn’t work due to own DC.

I would probably quite enjoy doing parcels, but do too much driving already so a role that is primarily driving would not appeal. Plus it wouldn’t really offer the social interaction aspect.

Thank you for engaging with my suggestions...

I don't think an MLM would give you social interaction either, I really don't. You'd be shunned. It'd be isolating

@User478
Thanks.
I quite like this idea and it sits quite well with me from a sustainability standpoint.

If you don’t need the cash perhaps you could do some voluntary work instead, I think you would find that much more fulfilling!

Thanks, I already do a couple of voluntary roles.

If the voluntary roles coincide with the largeFacebook group I'd be very careful. We don't know what the group is but if it's an NCT/ feeding/ baby wearing thing or any kind of support I would steer very clear. I remember an MLM seller trying to sell her shit at a library baby group and I felt it was really unethical putting new mums on the spot- the selling tactics often use guilt tripping (seen this loads with Upborne). Just be careful.

I think it’s really important to not confuse older, affluent women buying handmade soap and chocolates with the clientele for mass produced children’s books you can get off Amazon.

Even the affluent grandmothers (looking at you, my mum) know that they can grab a toddler book bargain in the works etc. they might be buying crocheted teapot hats or something, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to buy a full price usbourne book that will take several days to be delivered.