Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
Make money as an Avon Lady
Reading Time: 4 minutesBeing an Avon Lady is not just for yummy mummies. More and more men are getting into selling cosmetics around the neighbourhood (although they tend to call themselves Avon Representatives). Some professionals also run their Avon businesses to supplement their income.
Now Avon is targeting students and graduates looking to increase their earnings and try out an alternative career path.
If you would like to run your own business and you have an interest in cosmetics, read on below!
- What does an ‘Avon Lady’ actually do?
- Earn 25% on all products you sell
- The pros and cons of working as an Avon Lady
- An employee’s view
- Getting started with Avon
what do ‘avon ladies’ actually do?
Avon is a cosmetics company selling beauty, fashion, home and kids products. Their Representatives sell Avon products to customers all over the world through brochures and online, and through the recently introduced My Avon Store, the brand’s social selling platform in the UK.
Avon has almost six million Representatives worldwide that sell products directly in their communities and online.
While this covers various ages and demographics, the average age of a Representative has fallen. Younger men and women are coming on-board as the desire to have a portfolio career and entrepreneurial spark increases for those in the earlier stages of their careers.
According to the DSA (Direct Selling Association) under-25s now make up 22% of the direct sales industry (2015), and 62% of direct sellers have more than one job (2016).
Avon claims that selling their products is a good way to set yourself up in business and make your own money, rather than waiting to get a traditional full-time job.
They have a point – as we often say on this site, there are lots of ways of making cash for yourself either as a ‘bit on the side’ or as a full-time occupation. Working through Avon is just one of them.
There are two main ways you can work with Avon:
- as a Representative
- or as a Sales Leader.
A Representative takes Avon orders from clients directly or online, while a Sales Leader will manage a team of Representatives and earn commission from their sales. It’s a type of ‘social selling’ which can work for those who are highly motivated and enthusiastic.
Being an Avon Representative is good for people who only want to work part-time with flexible working hours. The amount of work you put in is entirely up to you – some people even work as an Avon Representative while holding down a full-time job. The next step up is to become a Sales Leader, who manage the people working under them.
How much can you make?
Avon Representatives buy products at a discounted price and then sell the products on to customers at the brochure price, making their profits through the difference. The discount level offered to Avon Representatives varies according to order size.
When you sign up, your personal Area Manager will contact you with the Minimum Order Value (MOV) and the Higher Order Value (HOV). When your order is above the MOV, you can enjoy a 20% discount, while an order above HOV attracts a discount of up to 25%. Sales leaders earn commission from those working for them and there is no upper limit on the amount of commission that can be earned.
Avon has a joining fee of
- £16 for Representatives
- £25 for Sales Leaders
These fees are to cover the training.
the pros and cons of working for avon
The working hours are very flexible because you choose them for yourself and you can decide how much money you want to earn in a week. It’s a very sociable activity as you’re constantly meeting new people. If you put a lot of work in you can make plenty of profit – but be aware that it’s something you do have to put a lot of energy into, at least in the beginning, to get enough reward.
You really do need to be good at selling, as your profits depend entirely on your ability to sell Avon products. Sales can be tricky, especially when targeting your friends is going to be your first port of call. Would you be comfortable asking your friends to buy Avon products from you?
Real life Avon lady: Libby Reynolds
It is fair to say pink blood runs through the Reynolds’ family. Fifteen years ago, Libby’s mum and dad joined forces and began running their own Avon team. They now have 2,500 Representatives working under them.
Libby was always fascinated by her parent’s business with Avon and for as long as she can remember, she would always accompany her mum on visits to Avon customers.
When Libby turned 16 she began working for her mum as an admin assistant, helping her process her orders and arrange deliveries. Fascinated and motivated with the idea of running her own business, as soon as Libby turned 18, she started to sell Avon products herself.
Libby, now 20, has been working with Avon for almost 3 years and reached the esteemed role of Sales Leader. Accountable for 130 Representatives, her Avon business is her main source of income. Libby is a perfect example of how University isn’t a necessary requirement to lead a successful business.
Getting started
If selling Avon products is your calling, or you just fancy making a bit on the side from it, go to the Avon website now.
Been an ‘Avon lady’? Share your tips and experiences by commenting below.
We are currently looking for Independant Avon Reps to cover their local area, excellent commission and bonus package available, will also have potential to progress to Sales Leader and further progression opportunies available, for more information or to get in touch, please visit devonportavon. We look forward to hearing from you 🙂
working with avon can work, but you have to be really, really lucky. and you have to have a lot of time on your hands.
it kinds of works like a pyramid scheme in some aspects, the person who recruits you will recieve money when you make money. the ones who make the most are at the top of this pyramid and will be the ones making all the money. and it takes years to get to that level.
its not a reliable income if you’re actually wanting to earn from avon as your sole income.
Hello all….I’m a male and I’m not involved in Avon. However, I’m involved in an alternative network marketing company called natures sunshine. I have only just started but i have gathered that in order to be successful in this game, you must either follow the replicable system that is taught and persist with it or try and create your own marketing system to market the product.
I would definitely recommend natures sunshine- we sell natural, high quality herbal supplements and health products. They are veryy effective If anyone is interested, contact me on [email protected]
I have been selling Avon for 5 months and have made a profit of over $1000. The only extra costs are the brochures and samples that you would give to your customers. I only sell Avon part time as I work full time during the day. I just hand out brochures to people that I meet, waiting for the bus, waiting in lines anywhere and I talk to them about Avon rather than just giving them the brochure. I now also have some team leaders. It seems the only people that complain about Avon are the ones that didn’t sell… Read more »
Search are “are avon careers a scam” in google.
Avon reps are incredibly misleading, they make you feellike your going to do such a good joband make so much money.
Even if you tellthemabout the situation you are in they will pretend you will do great.Truth of the matter is you won’t make shit.
All the money is made on the internet for companys like that…not through broucheures and stupid partys…
sorry
I agree… Avon don’t bother hiring reps, just sell your products online!
And don’t bother with the brochures either!!
Unfortunately a lot of people come into AVON expecting to make thousands in their first few weeks, and it doesn’t work like that. Unless you are incredibly lucky and know a lot of people, chances are you are going to be making between £40 and £70 every three weeks. Yes, you have to work for this, and yes you have to buy your brochures. Tell me any business where you don’t have any ongoing costs. Your brochures are your marketing material, and they sell your product. You can order fewer books if you want, but then you have to put… Read more »
Tina speak to your upliner. (the person who signed you up) they are there to help/motivate you.
I just started with Avon today. I have to say, at first I was really excited but it seems it may not be as good as it sounds. Would I be wasting my time? I can’t afford to waist time, I have two young children one has special needs.
I have been an Avon lady now for five years. I started after I moved to a new area and found it a great way to meet people and make new friends. I now have several regular customers and enjoy it. It is a great way to make a bit of extra money and once you have been doing it a while you don’t miss the extra that you have to pay out, as if you work it out right your costs just come out of your commission so you don’t miss it. I think it is a great way… Read more »
I used to do Avon but found too that there were lots of extra costs so now I’ve switched to a brand new cosmetics catalogue company called Kingdom Cosmetics. It’s great…no outlay and 20% on all sales and the products are such excellect value they are so easy to sell. You can see their catalogue at kingdomcosmetics.co.uk
I also tried Avon without much success. I finally gave up when I went to collect my catalogues and found that not only was there another agent in the area I had been assigned, but the catalogue I was leaving was the month behind hers! To be fair though, my cousin in a different part of the country did so well that she won a holiday in America for the agent with the most sales.
how do become a kingdom cosmetic consultant
i am on my third campaign with avon after taking off costs i made £30 in first two campaigns over 3 weeks and in my last campaign £50. i work full time and do about 5hrs+ a week in avon fo £10 – £20 however it is quite enjoyable and i am sure there will be bigger rewards nearer xmas. i think this is quite good as i have already sold £900 in products for avon especially in a credit crisis. i agree with tina about extra costs and time but its worth trying if you have time.
I don’t understand what extra costs? I have been a rep for 5 years and a Sales Leader for 2 with my own team of reps. The only extra costs are your brochures. The lady that has sold £900 worth of Avon should have made about £225 before her brochures. Even with the cost of her brochures and her £15 start up fee I would expect she should have made about £190! If you aren’t you should speak to your Sales Leader or Area Manager to find out what you are doing wrong – are you spending all your earnings… Read more »
extra costs
brochures
delivery bags
samples
TIME your time is not an endless resource factor it in and work out how much you are earning an hour and how much that matters compared to the advantages of flexibility ect before your decide to give up / get another job / continue
What about the fee that avon charges for every order placed? The price of the samples that they suggest make sales? The price of the bags you put the products in when you drive the customer’s order to their house? Then there is the price of the brochures, yes, the more you buy the cheaper they are per brochure. But I have put out over 100 brochures and not gotten one order as a result of that investment. Who pays the postage when returning the things that customer’s are not satisfied with? Yes, Avon does guarentee it’s products, at the… Read more »