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.

Why not set up as an independent mobile bookshop? You could have a wide range of books - not just from one publisher. You could also have a wider age range as well. You could really showcase good quality books that aren’t available in supermarkets / discount shops (not saying supermarkets / discount shops are quality but there are lots of smaller great authors out there!)

Your overheads would be similar - buying books. You would have to advertise and hussle to get into places but I think as an independent that might be easier as you don’t have the MLM negativity. So if the local primary school has an author event you can have a stock of their books and similar titles.

You really would be on your own, for good or bad, so no pressure to meet sales targets.

I am not envisioning a converted van that can go to festivals, farmers markets etc… but I might be running with the idea too much.

@Mumoftwo1312
I honestly don’t think gossiping would be a problem. It’s quite a conservative area so people tend to assume that you’re a SAHM with just a ‘little job’ anyway…😁

Since Covid, I don’t really have a social circle to become a pariah from! I have some good friends, whom I see on a semi-regular basis, but there would be almost zero overlap between my friends/acquaintances and potential customers.

I probably have too many qualifications and, although I can do quite well-paid freelance work and am looking for full time or nearly full-time work, this seems rather elusive and there are various practical barriers due to my specific circumstances.

Thanks for that article, really difficult to make any money, I honestly can't see any benefit of doing it. Even if you're doing really well you're still making minimal profit and that's the best case scenario.

We buy so many children's books but pretty much only buy on offer. Also just got a works card and is really good for extra money off. I would never buy a full price book from a stand in a fayre.

Good idea from pp about looking into it further and becoming an independent book retailer. But (no offence) think you sound like you want to go for it anyway OP despite your market research. Good luck

You mentioned NCT sales in your OP, just to let you know that MLM's are not allowed to advertise or sell via NCT. Hope that helps.

It’s a page rather than a group and not to do with any of those roles.

I used to do one of those roles and the ethical requirements were very strict indeed.

I am really not into guilt tripping! I can sell, by being friendly, open and engaging. But I would never manipulate someone into buying. If they don’t want to buy, that’s fine!

At the end of the day, if you're in an MLM, you're either scamming or being scammed, it's really not an exaggeration. Why would you want to do either?

Op you sound nice and thoughtful and well-intentioned, so you'd be in the "scammed" rather than "scamming" group.

If you have qualifications then surely you can find some work relating to those, or expand your freelance work, or retrain... so so many options.

Thanks, noted.
I was meaning that I have enjoyed selling at NCT sales when I have been a stall-holder at a tabletop sale.

@Mumoftwo1312
Ah well, thanks for recognising that and not joining the contingent determined to put me in the village stocks or designate me a social pariah for even thinking of selling Usborne books. 😁

The professional work question is tricky. I am already looking to expand my freelance work but it all seems to be desk-based these days. I would like a job, but I’m very specialised and niche. Plus ageism is rapidly becoming a factor!

@OhBeAFineGuyKissMe
Thanks, I like some of that picture.

It would have to be a converted VW camper by the way! 🙂

I see the sales and go straight on Amazon. I think it’s pointless.

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.

The nicely dressed ladies that you mention were dropping £20-£50 on items at a CHARITY fair. Usbourne isn't a charity. Far from it x

You seem determined to do it then. I can't imagine selling £100 worth of stuff only to get about £40 of it at best. I can make £100 in extra work just for a few hours (childcare). Crack on.

The fair was a charity event (entrance fee, raffle, donation opportunities etc) but the sellers were all private stall holders.

I did Usborne when the kids were little, as I loved their books. Did I make any money? No. And this was 20 odd years ago when online & discounted stores didn't stock them as much as they do now. It was hard work, as boxes of books are heavy to load and unload and set up. MLM wasn't as unpopular as it is now, and even then it was hard to persuade people they wanted to hold a party where essentially they're making a profit from selling to their friends. events like fayres weren't very profitable...people wanted to buy on the spot, but that meant to maximise sales you had to carry a huge amount of stock, all of which needed to be with you...see point above about how heavy books are.

In my experience the only people actually making money were the people further up the tree, and they had to be mighty pushy to do it.

I have also sold chocolates through Chocolates for Chocoholics, and found this to be much better. They don't have teams, each person is responsible for an area and there isn't overlap I don't think. They do sell directly from their website but aren't available on Amazon etc. And you only do a Christmas season & Easter, although you do need to commit to doing two events a week I think. Assuming things haven't changed since I was doing it of course. I only did it for a year but did enjoy it and did actually make money.

Thanks, @doistayordoigo, your perspective is helpful.

Chocolates - there’s a thought - I would just worry about ‘getting high on my own supply’, which is obviously less of a problem with children’s books!

@TinkerTiger
See in some ways I would be fairly happy with £50 profit at a fair or event. Perhaps the money isn’t the main factor, it’s the doing something different?

Glad you have those extra earning opportunities. As I said, my freelance work is quite well paid for a day rate but I would also like something else along side.

Why do you try buying a collection of books from Amazon and displaying them beautifully at sales and seeing if you can make a profit like that.

What do I do when book shopping?

I either want the book then and there.

Or

I get the name of the book, walk away and do my own price comparison and order direct to my own door without a middle man.

I would not push anyone to join a team, as I know that isn't ethical

Your part in MLM doesn’t become ethical because you don’t recruit. A type of business where 99.6% of participants lose money (most of them are women) is unethical full stop. Why contribute to that at any level?

I know half a dozen mums who gave it a go.
Not one lasted more than a few months, but then again they were (stupidly IMO) hoping to make an actual living from it, rather than doing it as a side hustle

My mum used to get books from the book people gut over 30 years ago ! He didn't sell as such but would leave his catalogue and some samples for people to go through.

I love Usborne books, and we have lots of them, but I never buy from official Usborne sellers as they're so expensive. I get them from Amazon, 2nd hand sites etc where they're far more affordable. So, just based on that, I wouldn't bother. I did look in to selling a few times over the last few years, but if I wouldn't even buy them, I had no basis to push the sell to others.

Seriously this would be amazing. A good quality children’s mobile campervan bookshop. You could make this so magical. But it also sounds like a book plot with a plucky but dizzty heroine with an overbearing bossy sister who makes eye contact with the handsome man at the cheese stall.

Dreaming aside, I think setting up as an independent mobile bookshop is a much better option. As you are freelance then you should have some awareness of accounts etc…

This is a guide to starting a bookshop https://www.booksellers.org.uk/jointheba/aspiringandnewbooksellers/thinkingofopeningabookshop

you would have sooooo much more control, the targets would be your own. Much more flexible and also not falling into the MLM trap. This is something I would support as a friend.

When my children were small I funded our village playgroup through selling books. Bought from the Book People at 10 for £10- got a 10% discount as well and every xx got a voucher or more free books. I was a nursery teacher so chose well. Books cost about 80-90p each and I sold them for £1.50 (much less than cover price of about £5). It was a rural village with no shops and nearest bookshops was probably 20miles

Sold about 100-150 a week. They went out at all playgroup, singing and toddler groups/events and had a box with an honesty box nicely displayed in the Church Hall.

You can still get 10 for £10 at the Works- you need to shop carefully but they often have great books. You could build up a niche collection and sell for £2-2.50 each maybe. You would probably make more money

https://www.theworks.co.uk/c/offers/multibuys/10-for-10-bundles

As I would just do fairs etc I would probably go down the route of holding stock and just giving it to the person there and then?

I would then just order more for the next event.

But I do take above points about books being heavy and that is something to consider as I have had a slipped disk in the past!

Book sales, low.
Physio bills and painkiller consumption, high. 😂

I also like the ideas about being more of an independent bookseller (perhaps pre-loved books).