Pros & Cons of Selling Avon

Over the last few years, direct sales & network marketing businesses have developed a bad reputation. Personally, I am someone who prides herself in being honest & up front, especially when it comes to sharing the Avon opportunity. Just like with any job or business, there are positives & negatives and it’s not for everyone.

Personally for me, my Avon business has opened doors for me and has helped me provide for my family over the last few years as a single mom of 4 boys. What many don’t realize is this did not happen over night. I didn’t just snap my fingers and bam I have a successful online Avon business. Just like with any business you start, whether it’s a brick & mortar business or an online business, starting an Avon business is not for the faint of heart.

To better help you decide if starting an Avon business is the right choice for you, below I talk about the top pros & cons I have come across either through personal experience or from what other representatives have shared with me over the last 7 years. My goal here is to give you a full picture so you will make an informed decision & be ready for if & when you choose to start an Avon business.

PRO #1: FREE to Sign Up

Right now, Avon is offering 3 options when you sign up to become an Avon representative. You can choose between:

• $30 sign up & you will receive $100+ value Best Sellers bundle
• $5+ donation to American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
• $0 sign up

Yes, that’s right you can sign up to become an Avon representative for FREE. Now, no matter what option you choose, you will receive all the online tools & support that is available to all Avon representatives such as FREE online store link, FREE web office, FREE online training & webinars and so much more.

Learn more about the benefits by checking out Sell Avon

CON #1: You Won’t Get Rich Quick

I’m sure you are wondering how is this a con? Isn’t it a good thing it’s not a scheme?! You’re right. However, the number one complaint I here from many new representatives is the fact that they do not earn “a lot” of money right away. There are many examples of new representatives grow their business quickly, however, for the most part, it takes time & consistency to build a successful Avon business. From my experience, may new representatives expect to just share their open for business one or two times & expect to have floods of customers coming their way. No matter what business you are starting, it takes time to consistently market your business locally & online.

Though it is not a get rich quick type of business, Avon does offer opportunities for new representatives to build a solid foundation with extra earnings & FREE gifts starting with your first order. These opportunities are to help encourage & support your new business venture with extra earnings & FREE products so you can either utilize them within your business and/or personally use the products to become more familiar.

Starting off with, get a FREE kit of 10 brochures & 25 product samples when you join Avon’s FREE New Representative Welcome training where Avon’s Learning & Development team will go over how to start your business and answer questions live. This webinar occurs every two weeks and all you have to do is confirm you attended the webinar then place your next order to receive your FREE kit.

With your first avon.com order, you will automatically receive a FREE full size product with any size first order. If your first order is $60+, you also will receive a $10 credit that you can use with your second order. That is plenty for a pack of brochures & some samples.

On top of these, until March 28, 2023, you have the opportunity to boost your earnings & receive up to $1500+ worth of product bundles with Blast Through 2023 incentive:

• Each campaign you sell $100+ in beauty (makeup, skincare, body care, hair care, etc), you will earn 30% commission
• Every $500 in cumulative sales, earn a FREE product bundle

Learn more about current incentives & earnings at Sell Avon

PRO #2: Have Support & Access to Tools

As an Avon representative, you have access to basically everything you would need to help you start, grow & manage your own successful Avon business with your repesentative account at avon.com. Through your representative account, you will have access to a wide variety of tools such as customer management tools, create invoices, tracking, create coupon codes, marketing material & more. On top of all the amazing tools you have access too, Avon also offers a great training tool through Avon U where you can learn all about how to start, manage & grow your Avon business through short modules & activities.

Another thing I love about being an Avon representative is being apart of a supportive community of women & a few good men. Between your mentor, your team & fellow representatives you can easily network with representatives across the country where we cheer each other on, share ideas & support one another. Also, Avon has a supportive Learning & Development team that is there to not only celebrate you when you are successful but also to help support, mentor & guide you along the way through regular webinars & live online trainings. I will admit, this was the first time in my life where I came across a group of women who were actually happy for me & were genuinely there to help me along the way. I am personally proud to be apart of the Avon community.

CON #2: Uncertainty of a Business

No matter how big your business is or what type of business you are in, your numbers are not going to be consistently the same all year round. There will always be slow periods or times when you feel like giving up. That’s why it’s important to set goals & create a plan. In doing so, it is going to help you know where you want to go & how to get there.

Learn more about how to set goals & create a plan by checking out Business Manual

It’s important to know, just like with any business, or really anything in life, you will have ups & downs in regards to your Avon business. I understand not having the same paycheck week in and week out is not for everyone. If that’s the case, that’s ok. Just keep that in mind when you are making the decision. Running your own business, including an Avon Business, isn’t FOR everyone.

PRO #3: Enjoy Discounts on Your Favorite Avon Products + Other Businesses

Growing up, my grandmother would teach me different ways to save money. She was one who didn’t believe in paying full price. Then, when I was married, my ex-husband & I lived paycheck to paycheck while providing for a family of 8. So, between what my grandmother taught me & what I learned from my own personal experience, I have become someone who typically doesn’t pays full price for much. I rather keep as much money as possible in my bank, personally.

So, what’s the point of this? Well, as an Avon representative, you have the ability to not pay full price for a lot. First off, with Avon products. Think about all the products you & your family use on a daily basis… shampoo & conditioner, deodorant, toothpaste, multi-purpose cleaner, laundry detergent, etc, etc. Now, you can save $$$ when you purchase these items through Avon, every time as a representative. These are products that you were going to purchase all ready, so why not save money (and grow your cumulative sales on top of it… your purchases go towards your total sales FYI)

How? Well, when you place an AvonNow order for personal use products, you get the same discount as you would if you were selling the products. As a new representative, you are guaranteed 25% off beauty & jewelry and 20% off home & fashion. Then, as your business grows & you reach higher sales levels, you will receive an even bigger discount!

But wait, it gets even better. As an Avon representative, you have access to what is called Avon Perks. Through Avon Perks, you will have the ability to save money & enjoy discounts with other businesses. Yes… OTHER BUSINESSES. Enjoy special offers & discounts on groceries & restaurants, museums & movie theaters.You can even save money on business & marketing tools through Dell, Vistaprint & Avery. I know… isn’t that incredible?!?

CON #3: Competition

Just like with any business you will encounter “competition”. As an Avon representative, this can mean other representatives in your local area, other direct selling companies and of course the brick & mortar stores that sell similar product. Avon offers a wide variety of products including beauty, fashion, jewelry, home decor and more. So this will obviously open the door for a lot of competition.

What sets Avon apart from many other businesses is that it is a well known brand that has been around for over 135 years. The best thing you can do to set yourself apart is by being yourself & creating a personalized busienss. Customers now a days are being more conscious on where they spend their money. They are more likely to spend money with those they feel connected with so by being your best self, providing personalized customer service & connecting with your customers, you will stand above the rest.

Learn more about how to market yourself by checking out Sell Avon with Attraction Marketing and Start Here for Great Odds at Small Business Branding Success.

PRO #4: You Are the Boss

What I love about being my own boss is I am able to create a personalized business that best fits my personality, lifestyle and interests. I get to go to work everyday & play with makeup, review beauty products & share tips and tutorials on social media and here on my blog.

The best part of being my own boss is I am able to have more control of when & where I work. I have been able to create a home based business that is primarily online so I am able to work that best fits around my kids schedule such as school events, pick ups & drop offs, doctor appointments, etc. These last five years, I was even more appreciative of having my business between an unexpected pregnancy in 2016, being diagnosed with cancer in 2019 & 2020 and then of course the global pandemic in 2020. I was able to continually work my business, earn money and take care of my kids, especially as a single parent after my divorce in 2019.

So how can you fit your Avon business into your life?

Have a full time job? Share your brochures with coworkers or leave a few in the break room.

Busy soccer mom? Talk to friends & associates about your business and share samples for them to try on the spot or have your QR code ready to be scanned from your phone.

Do you travel a lot? Leave business cards and brochures labeled with your online store link everywhere you go.

CON #4: You Are the Boss

I know you’re probably like, “Wait a minute, you just said this is a pro.” Well it is a pro AND for some people this can actually be a con. As a boss, you are in charge of your own motivation and work ethic towards your business. You won’t have anyone telling you what needs to be done & making sure it gets done to grow & manage your business.

The number one issue that occurs with new representatives is that they do not treat their Avon business as a business. For me, I have found that having a routine or utilizing a check list keeps me on track. But I personally know this is not for everyone. My son is a perfect example of this. He thrives when he is on a routine & has structure. However, he hates routine & structure. Yes, he is a teenager and he is still learning how to master this. However, I know many adults struggle with maintaining a routine & structure unless enforced. As your own boss, you have to be a self motivator.

To learn how to create a routine, check out Sell Avon Consistently with a Campaign Routine.

I know creating your own business, whether it’s an Avon business or any other business, it’s not for everyone. However, I personally feel that if there is a will, there is a way. Creating a successful Avon business is possible, if you are consistent & persistent.