It's a seller's market on the direct-sales front

By The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

LITTLE ROCK — Until November 2007, Janet Miller was an administrative assistant, a career she had begun 20 years earlier. That career ended when she was let go by her employer, as Helaine R. Williams reports in Tuesday's Style section.

Two months later, Miller saw an Avon commercial urging viewers to "start your own business for $10." Bells went off. Miller met with an Avon district manager and that very night decided to become an Avon representative. She has been selling in the Little Rock, Conway and Greenbrier areas ever since.

Miller is just one of a growing number of people turning to direct sales during the current recession. They serve as independent consultants for companies that, according to the terminology of the Direct Selling Association, "manufacture and distribute goods and services sold directly to consumers."

Opportunities range from those offered by the venerable Avon, Tupperware, Amway and Mary Kay to lesser-known companies that serve up everything from home decor and wellness products to pet products. Even fashion is available, thanks to such companies as Doncaster, Worth, Carlisle and the multifaceted Avon.

Many of these companies require home-based shows (also known as parties), where customers try the products and place their orders, while the party hosts earn merchandise awards. In some cases, customers buy products from the consultant's inventory.

Read tomorrow's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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