Start Avon Business on a Budget Tips

Creating any business can be tough, especially if you don’t have a lot of wiggle room financially to start off with. One of the many benefits of having an Avon business online is that it is very possible to start, manage and build a successful business without breaking the bank.

When I started my Avon business in 2015, at the time, my husband & I were all ready living paycheck to paycheck raising 5 kids. As a result, I did not have much, if any, money to invest in my business. As a result, I figured out tips & tricks on how to market & grow my Avon business without spending a whole lot of money.

TIP #1: TRACK YOUR BUDGET

In order to stay on top of your budget you need to track it! How can you tell what is available to spend on your business expenses without some form of tracking system? Having a tracking system/ budget will help you see where your money is going in and out. Knowing this can help you see where to focus on increasing your earnings and know where you can cut expenses.

Plus, as a business owner, tracking your finances will have you prepared for tax time. Make sure to keep all of your receipts, track your traveling & make sure to update your inventory list the beginning of each year. It’s no fun scrambling to get everything together at the end of the year & you may end up hurting yourself in the end.

For more tips on filing taxes with your Avon business, check out Avon Representative Preparing for Tax Season Tips.

TIP: Make sure to keep your Avon money separate from your household funds. Create a separate bank account you can deposit your customer’s payments and Avon earnings into. This will help you to better monitor your budget & minimize spending outside your budget. 

HOW TO TRACK YOUR BUDGET

If you are like me, thinking of tracking my business finances felt overwhelming. The thing is, it’s a lot simpler than you think. I created a spreadsheet that I update at the end of each campaign my income and expenses.

You too can create a spreadsheet easily on Word Excel or Google Sheets. You can also find all kinds of apps for your mobile devices on Apple App Store (iOS) & Google Play (Android). Choose a system that works best for you, whatever it may be, as long as you have a system in place.

I created my budget tracker based off of Avon’s Business Report. This has not been updated since 2013 and a lot has changed since then plus, I customized my tracker to best meet my business needs.

Click Here for my personalized budget tracker on Google Sheets

TIP #2: INVEST IN AVON BROCHURES

If there is one thing you want to invest in, it’s brochures. Someone once told me to look at the brochure as my store. If I don’t “open” my business (have brochures to share) then how can I get new customers (grow) or get sales (profit)?

Ordering Brochures to Grow Your Online Business

If you choose to purchase the starter collection when you sign up, you will receive a brochures If you did not choose the starter collection or you would like more, you can purchase brochures, which come in packs of 10 for English & 5 for Spanish, with your first AvonNow order. Remember, you receive a FREE Physiogel Face Cream with your first order and if it is $60+ you also will receive a $10 credit for your second order AND 135 FREE lip balms.

Now how many brochures will you need? This is where creating a contact list will be handy. Create a list of each person you know will be interested in an Avon brochure. Then, think of anyone you know who may be able to bring a brochure or two to work or share with someone they know. Say your mom works at a doctor’s office with a whole bunch of women or your best friend has friends who love Avon as much as they do. In your first campaign, you want to make sure you have enough brochures for this amount at least.

After that, you will want to continue providing a brochure to those who are interested in a brochure, whether they placed an order with you right away or not and extra brochures to be able to start handing out to new customers & marketing. You may hear other representatives talk about handing out a 100 brochures each campaign to new customers. I know for me when I first started I first off didn’t have the money to be able to do that and secondly, didn’t have the time. So what I would do is order a pack of brochures (10 brochures) and that would be my goal each campaign to hand out each campaign…. below I will talk about how you can market your business around town with your brochures.

Tip: If you do not have any customer orders, make sure to still purchase brochures so you are ready for upcoming campaigns. I have personally not done this, but I’ve heard if you call to order only brochures, you can ask for the shipping fee to be waived.

Prepping Brochures

Once you receive your brochures, the first thing you will want to do is label them. Make sure your name, contact info & your online store website is listed on the back of the brochure. Avon has an easy fill in format you can complete at the back of each brochure or if you have access to a printer, you can print out labels. Personally, I use labels because for me its worth the investment in minimizing the time it would take to write out my information. I use Avery labels that I purchase from Walmart. You can also utilize Avon Perks (found under “My Office” on your AvonNow account) branded templates that you can print at home or order through Avery.

TIP: If you do not have access to a printer, bring a stack of brochures with you where ever you go & when you have down time, like waiting at an appointment or during your lunch break at work, write down your info. 

Using Brochures to Market Your Avon Business

When you are on a strict budget, you don’t want to waste money on brochures that are going to just sit in a box at home. You will receive brochures for 2 campaigns ahead so you will have plenty of time to get them ready and out there for people to order from them. Here are some ideas on getting brochures out there:

• Ask your hair stylist & manicurist if you can leave a brochure or two in their waiting area.
• When you are parked anywhere, park as close to the door as you can & place brochures on the back window or windshield with a note stating FREE BROCHURES.
• Place a brochure in waiting rooms at your doctors or dentist offices.
• Keep brochures on you at all times. Bring up your business casually in conversations & you will have them handy to give to those who show interest.

TIP: Power of 3 is talking to 3 new people a day. If you do this at least 5 times a week. That is 15 new people a week that will learn about your online business. This is a great way of getting your name out there throughout your normal daily routine.

For more tips on what you can do with your brochures check out Avon Selling Tips: How to Utilize Avon Brochures.

Samples are an inexpensive tool that you can use to grow your Avon business, even if you are primarily online. Using samples give people a chance to try Avon products before purchasing the full size product. For new customers or for those who have never used Avon products, this is a great way to show them the quality as well as give them a chance to see if it’s right for them. With certain products like skin care & makeup, many people have to be very careful on what they apply to their skin while others who may have a sensitivity to strong scents, will love to try fragrance samples. Giving customers a chance to see how a product(s) work for them personally for free, you will see your sales & customer base grow as well as have very happy, loyal customers.

Ordering Samples

Avon samples are not that expensive. What’s even better is that you can take advantage of sales. discounts and deals all the time in Avon What’s New . Many times  you will find sample bundles at an incredible price. Taking advantage of these sample bundles allow you to save on a variety of samples of products that are most likely going to be that campaign’s hottest products.

Also… watch out for when a *NEW* skin care, makeup or fragrance product comes out in the Avon What’s New.  A lot of times Avon offers deals like buy 2 get 1 FREE. Sharing samples of new products is a great way to introduce it to your customers.

Offering samples are a great ice breaker when you are talking to people about your business. What I love to do, especially around special holiday times, is to have sample packs in my purse so I can offer them to people I come across in my daily life. In that season’s decorative treat bag, I will add 2-3 samples and a simple, self-made flyer with a little mint. Some customers have put an outlet or savings flyer into the sample pack so customers can check out more products.

You automatically receive 5 Outlets and 10 Sales Flyers for each campaign when you place an order on AvonNow. You are more then welcome to order more with your AvonNow order.

What will you do with these sample packs? You can hand them out to anyone you come across in your daily life. You can give it to the cashier that cashes you out at the grocery store or the waitress with your tip. Every year, I make holiday sample packs for the ladies that work at the convenience store where I get my coffee & they love them!

Sample packs are a cheap way to get your business info out there. You can 10-20 samplers for a couple dollars. Like with your brochures, make sure to have your information on the samples and/or sample pack so they know how to order from you. If possible, when you hand them out, get their name & contact info so you can follow up. Life happens and people get busy so they may forget. By following  up, you will not only be a little reminder to him/her but also, you can learn more about what they like and don’t like.

See how top Avon Representative Milagros Garcia creates her “Bombitas” (sample packs) & uses them for her business:

TIP #4: USING FULL SIZE PRODUCTS

As an Avon Representative, you will have opportunities to receive full size products for free or at a discounted price. First off, right now, when you sign up, you can choose to purchase a starter collection which includes full size products. Also, in Avon What’s New, all representatives can take advantage of purchasing full size products at your earnings level.

USING YOUR STARTER COLLECTION PRODUCTS

When you sign up to become an Avon representative, you will have the opportunity to choose from 3 starter collections. Each collection offers full size products. There are three ways you can use these full size products to your advantage:

1. Use the Avon products yourself & become your own testimonial
2. Use them to create samples or to have as demos for customers to try on the spot,
3. Sell them & start earning money on the spot

For more tips & ideas, check out my blog Avon Starter Collections 2021

USING AVON WHAT’S NEW PRODUCTS

One of the many  benefits of being an Avon representative is being able to take advantage of the Avon What’s New. With the ability to purchase full size products at discounted/demo prices, you can use the above suggestions as well as:

• Create gift baskets/product bundles to sell to your customers,
• Have inventory to sell on the spot or when you work at an event such as a craft fair, open house or tag /yard sale.
• Give as gifts to your customers who place a high order as a way to say “THANK YOU”
• Do a raffle for qualifying orders to be entered for a chance to win a full size product(s).

TIP: Sometimes you may find product bundles available to purchase from the Avon What’s New. Usually these product bundles are at an incredible price which allows you to use the products for different things. It’s all about getting the most out of what you invest into  your business.

Remember, you DO NOT NEED TO KEEP AN INVENTORY. Do not feel like you have to have a certain amount of full size products in order to earn money. It is an option you can do if you plan on doing events, home parties or have products available for on the spot sales or give away as gifts/prizes.

To learn more about Avon’s What’s New, click here. 

TIP #5: Marketing is Key

Marketing your business has to be an important aspect of your business. You have to have a plan on how you are going to market your business.

Keep in mind… there are a wide variety of ways you can market your business and many of them don’t cost you much $$$.

• Email Marketing: Did you know that Avon automatically sends out emails for you on your behalf?
• Social Media Marketing: You can share product images, articles and other helpful info to your favorite social media & have customers be directly linked to your online store.
• Business Facebook Page: Have a place customers can go to for updates & to learn more about you & your business. You can create a business Facebook page for FREE!
• Have a Blog or YouTube Channel: Provide helpful information & tips so customers can learn how to use the products you are talking about and/or how they too can start their own successful Avon business.
• Offer a Referral Program: When customers love your products & business they will be happy to refer their friends & family to you, especially if they know they will be rewarded for it! Offer a small discount on their order or give a free product. In the long run, the little investment you do will make up for it.
• Create Your Own Flyers: Be creative or just be straight to the point… either way, you can create your own flyers to add to brochures or to hang up on bulletin boards. You can even mail them or hand them out.
• Advertise on Your Car: Think of all the people you can let know you are the local Avon representative each time I drive anywhere with your car. You can purchase a car decal, use window markers or you can simply place free brochures on your windowsill when you are in the store shopping.

TIP: Did you know that you can enjoy discounts & free marketing materials through Avon Perks. Check out Avery, VistaPrint and more!

For me, I’ve always believed, if there is a will, there is a way. If you really want your Avon business to grow & to be successful, then you will find a way to make it happen. No excuses. We all have bad days, but those who push through those bad days & still go after what they want are the ones who make it.

What are some budget friendly ways you grow your Avon business?

Comment below your budget friendly ideas on how you grow your business.

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