Home Biz Successes
(Note: I do not necessarily endorse this home-based business. Before starting any business, it is best to do a lot of research and contact others who are involved with the business. Bridget Bragg can be reached at bridget@techroad.com.)
Melaleuca - A Home Based Business
My name is Bridget Bragg. I'm the mom to three wonderful children - Charlotte (5 yrs), Bethany (3 yrs) and James (11 mos). I am 24 years old and married to a great guy, Jim, who is 36 years old. When we first got married he was making around 16K/year (decent salary in our hometown area) and I was making around $600/month doing telemarketing. Since that time we have moved and he has gone up in his field making a comfortable salary that allowed me to stop working. Actually I stopped working when he got his first job offer that tripled his salary. It was a long five years to get where we are at now - it involved 5 different states and multiple jobs.I'm a homeschooling mom and as my oldest enters more activities I've noticed our expenses creep up. Both of the girls are involved in Suzuki violin ($225/semester - $20/mo rental) and they both enjoy activities at the Y. So I decided to see what I can do to bring in extra money. I'm already frugal and we do stay within our means, but I wanted a bit more.
I started looking at different businesses. My sister sells Avon and makes a nice profit, but I don't have time for deliveries and I didn't have a lot of extra money to invest in catalogs. I also have friends involved in things like Mary Kay, Tupperware, and Discovery Toys. My hurdle with that is I live away from family, have only a small circle of friends, and did I really want to try to have parties?
I decided to use the one real business skill I have - marketing. I enjoy a fun challenge and I needed to make my own hours. The business team I started is Techroad.Com ("Your Online Road to Home Business Success"). I help others start their own organizations with Melaleuca. My 'job' is to refer customers - or business builders - to the company. I know others dislike marketing (hey, I dislike party sales) but this is really my niche. My start-up cost was under $30 and I had a 120 day guarantee on that so it gave me a chance to see just what I can do. I also didn't have to buy catalogs, or invest anything else, so that was do-able for me. I didn't have hundreds to pour into a business venture. I do have a monthly commitment to Melaleuca to purchase my household products through them, but the products are all non-toxic which is the perfect fit for my family of 3 young kids and one small puppy! I can trust my husband won't stick his fingers in the dishwasher soap, but I can't say the same for my toddler. hehe
During my first month involved I contacted around 15 people that went through my website for more information. I had two enroll that month and 5 others that needed to wait until their husband's payday. With Melaleuca you receive commissions off of what your customers purchase. My first check was only $20, but it was enough to show me that this could work if I put the time into it.
I think the mistake people make when joining a network marketing company is thinking they will get rich immediately. It doesn't happen that way, every business takes time. The other mistake is they try to enroll EVERYONE they know. I love having customers, but when I enroll a business builder I want someone who is realistic and willing to work. After all, the better they do, the better *I* do. I offer training through three way calls, I offer to do presentations for them (they don't even have to talk for the first few months if they don't want to), and I also give them lots of great ideas where they can find people who might be interested in building a business. Trying to schmooze someone into a business is not a good way to build something that lasts! They eventually get disgruntled or fed up with trying and they quit.
If you believe in the products and you enjoy working with people, I think network marketing is for you. Just make sure you research it fully and give it an honest chance. Melaleuca has a great rating with the Better Business Bureau, they have a wonderful compensation plan, and low start-up costs. The products are great for my family and cost less per use than the national brands. My small goal at this stage is to make around $500/mo and put at least $300 of that into savings and the rest goes towards homeschooling stuff for the children. My daughter wants to join a theatre group ($40/mo - yikes!) and when they are all older, and involved, I can see us spending even more. I like being able to give them some extras *without* leaving them. I can do my business 100% from home and on my own time.
Thanks for reading my story!
Email: bridget@techroad.com
Website: www.techroad.com