Avon is a well known name in many households throughout the US and the world as a well established and trusted producer of cosmetics, as well as the Avon business opportunity, which has been a leader in both the direct sales and network marketing communities.
Avon was founded in 1886 by David H. McConnell, a traveling book salesman, who noticed that many of his female customers were isolated at home while their husbands worked all day.
McConnell decided to purposely recruit female sale representatives for their natural ability to network with and market to other women, and for their connection to his products.
Though Avon has branched out into products that are made for both men and women, they still work hard to promote opportunities for women and to support charities and organizations that benefit women throughout the world.
Direct Selling vs. Network Marketing
Avon originally started as a door-to-door sales company, where all money earned by the representatives was from commissions taken directly from the products they sold. After the average family became a two income household, they had to branch out.
In the 1990s, they eventually switched their original direct sales earning system to a network marketing system, which allows representatives to not only earn money from selling products but also from recruiting new sales associates to Avon.
Finally, they also embraced changes in technology and added an internet platform their sales reps could use to earn money as well, utilizing tools like ordering online, internet brochures, and online communities for expanding customer markets.
Working for Avon
Getting started at Avon, like at any other network marketing company, requires you to go through an existing sales representative. You will have some start up costs, specifically those of investing in the kits that you will use at parties to promote your products.
Becoming a representative for an established and respected network marketing opportunity like Avon has benefits and difficulties. First, the products you are selling are well established and respected, so you may not find as much resistance or hesitation to trust in your products as reps working for newly established network marketing opportunities.
However, there is such a wide network of Avon representatives already that establishing your own community of customers and your downline may be difficult and require lots of time and effort before you start to see results.
That being said, any network marketing business will require time, effort, and a willingness to meet new people in order to expand your customer base.