Mothers and others. Work from Home. Full-Time Pay, Part-Time Work. You’ve probably seen these ads in the back of magazines and wondered if they are just too good to be true. Is there really a way to work from home and make money in the limited free time you have?
Meet some women who have made the situation work and are enjoying the benefits of extra money, while being home with their children. From cosmetics to baskets to books, women of Connecticut are selling a variety of products through parties, fairs and personal friends. The products and styles might differ, but the number-one selling point for these women is flexibility.
Cheshire resident Colleen Kinyon, a sales consultant for DK Family Library, makes it clear that her number-one commitment is to her son. “I work when he’s at preschool or work a booth at fairs on weekends. For me this job means, ‘I can work as much as I want, any way that I want.’” Teresa Kerrigan of Fairfield, who sells a range of cookware and utensils as a sales consultant for Pampered Chef, feels the same way. “My family definitely comes first and I schedule demonstration parties around my family’s schedule.”
I asked each of the women what the best thing was about representing her company’s products. Debbie D’ Amato, New Haven consultant for Shaklee Products (makers of hypoallergenic and natural goods), first discovered the product line when she was looking for a nondrug solution to help her son. Debbie says that what makes it easy to sell her company’s products is that “people want to be healthy.”
Teresa finds her enjoyment of cooking makes the job fun. “First I went to a Pampered Chef party, then I hosted one and I thought this was something I would enjoy doing. If you enjoy cooking, you’ll enjoy selling these products,” Teresa says.
Colleen says that selling DK books is simple. “I believe in books; I’ve seen the impact of reading with my own child, and I love getting books into other children’s hands.” She adds, “When people see our books, they go ‘wow.’ That’s what empowers me.”
Margaret Pantani, of Branford, represents Creative Memories, makers of acid-free photo accessories for preservation. When Margaret first made her own photo album at a Creative Memories workshop and wrote about the birth of her son, she says she realized she was making something for her family. “That’s what I talk to people about: creating something that will be useful for generations to come.”
Even if you don’t consider yourself a salesperson, you might enjoy the direct-selling business. Colleen offers this advice to the DK consultants she now supervises: “You’ve been a mother. You’re used to answering people’s questions; it’s the same basic communication skills.” Vicki Morgan, senior director of Creative Memories, supervises people of all ages and abilities who lead company workshops. Vicki tells them it’s not really a sales job but “a way to help people store memories to create their family history.”
At Pampered Chef parties, Teresa finds that interest from the party guests and using the products in cooking demonstrations helps her feel comfortable talking about the benefits of the product.
But don’t be fooled. You can’t sign up to sell a product and wait for the phone to ring. Nancy Collamer, owner of Collamer Career Consulting in Greenwich advises, “To earn money, you must spend time working.” She adds that sales is a great area of part-time work because it is one where production is easily measured. Nancy explains, “Rather than being concerned with accruing ‘face time,’ your compensation is directly linked to your efforts.”
Vicki Morgan points out that what’s unique about a direct-selling business is that it’s a “YOB” (Your Own Business). “The difference between a YOB and a JOB,” says Vicki, “is that with a YOB, when you get up in the morning you are unemployed until you take proactive steps to generate business.” Nancy believes this type of direct-sales job can be a real boost of self-esteem. In her work as a career counselor, she finds that, once women have been home for a while, they sometimes become uncertain of their abilities. This type of work, Nancy says, can remind women that they are capable of achievement.
Whether it’s the thrill of earning their own paychecks again or enthusiasm for the products they represent, these women have successfully combined staying at home and working. Plus, there’s a big bonus: They get to have conversations with people who are taller than four feet and don’t call them “Mommy.”