Most people have heard of Mary Kay, Lia Sophia or other companies that use independent sales representatives to market their products. Maybe your mom or aunt has dragged you to a tupperware party or a Mary Kay make-up night (and maybe it was more fun than you’ll ever admit?!). These types of companies incorporate what is known is direct selling, in which a product or service is sold person-to-person, away from a fixed retail location. When you think of direct selling you I’m sure you typically think of cosmetics and jewelry, but turns out there are all kinds of goods and services that are sold this way.

If you’re a people person, direct selling can be a great way to earn some extra income if your busy with school or another job. While it’s definitely not a “get rich quick” scheme, it usually is very easy to get started, as most of these companies offer start-up packages and even training sessions to send you on your way. Direct selling is great for people who are self-motivated, but wish to work in a flexible environment. Because you get back what you put into it, there are many different scenarios – ranging from earning some extra spending cash to making a full time living – depending on your level of commitment.

If you decide something this might be up your alley, you’ll need to pick a company you’d like to work with. The nice thing about becoming a direct seller is that you aren’t an employee of the company that you sell products for – instead, you are an independent contractor and make a commission on the items you sell. Most companies are willing to buy back any unsold product, so you’re not locked into anything permanent, and its not hard to get out if you find out direct selling isn’t your thing. You’ll want to do some homework in order to find a company. You can start by looking at the Direct Selling Association. Their directory only lists companies that follow a specific ethical code of conduct, which helps to weed out some of the “sketchy” companies out there. You’ll also want to speak directly with any companies you’re interested in working with to ask them any questions, and even test out some of their products. You’ll be more successful selling something if you’d be willing to buy it yourself. The normal age limit to become a sales representative is 18, but you’ll want to look into this as well to make sure that you can meet any other specific requirements they may have.

When getting into the direct selling world, you’ll also want to watch out for fraudulent schemes, such as Ponzi schemes and pyramid schemes. Pyramid schemes are illegal scams that have large numbers of people at the bottom of the pyramid pay money to a few people at the top. Their main goal is to recruit new “sellers” in order to make more money, and they typically don’t even sell a product to consumers. These types of schemes also usually involve high start-up costs in order to generate income. While the legitimate companies will also often require a start up fee to cover the cost of your first products, its usually not a very high cost. Recognized direct selling companies seek to make money with you over time, not take large amounts from you up front, as fraudulent schemes attempt to. For more warning signs to look for, as well as some great “getting started” tips,  check out directselling411.com.

Aside from the money perks, direct selling can be a great networking tool, and can also help you hone in on your leadership skills. Many companies break up their sellers into teams, and team leaders carry much of the responsibility for the training of new sellers and the sharing of company information. Direct selling is definitely a social job, so if you like being around and communicating with others, this could be a great way for you to make money, either as a short term solution to make some extra cash or even possibly as an enjoyable long-term career.

photo credit: lumaxart