Long-time Johnson & Johnson executive Sheri S. McCoy will have a new title come April 23: CEO of Avon Products, Inc.

Avon announced yesterday that McCoy will replace Andrea Jung as Chief Executive Officer, ending a four-month search for a new leader to help the world’s No. 1 direct seller overcome shrinking U.S. sales and bribery investigations.

Once responsible for the Neutrogena, Aveeno and Lubriderm brands, McCoy will now turn her attention to Avon’s signature offerings, including Avon Color, Skin-So-Soft and mark, which are marketed in more than 100 countries through more than 6 million independent Avon sales representatives.

“Sheri has a unique combination of strategic and finely honed operational skills, a significant turnaround track record, global experience and people leadership,” said Fred Hassan, Lead Director of Avon’s board.

Yesterday’s announcement comes just a week after Avon rejected a $10 billion takeover offer from Coty Inc.

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An online party is also known as a vendor fair or online expo. Online parties can be very beneficial to your business whether you have a business of your own, or if you are in direct sales (selling for another company, such as Avon, Watkins, etc.). Online parties are most popular in the WAHM (Work At Home Mom) circles of the internet, however there are other places to find online parties to sell your products as well.

At an online party, you pay for a time slot (usually either a half hour or a full hour) to advertise to the other party visitors. You get the full time slot to say whatever you would like to about your business, your products, and anything else you would like to tell them. Online parties are held in chat rooms, usually either php-based (which means any browser can use it), or Java based (which means you need to have the ability to run Java applets on your computer). During the party, which usually lasts all day, other vendors who have signed up for spots, as well as people they have invited will generally be in the chat room as well.

It is important that if you do sign up for an online party, that you promote your time slot to customers, and other people on Yahoo Groups, message boards, and newsletters. The more people you can get to come to your party, the better!

Once you have signed up, and paid for your time slot, you simply need to show up at that particular time and give a presentation on your company that you signed up to represent. Start by introducing yourself to whoever else is in the chat room, give a little information about your company, and be sure to include a link to the website address of your company. Then go into a little further detail. Let the others know about specials, discounts, coupons, or products you especially like. Tell them why they would enjoy your products and what makes your products special. Remember that this is an interactive chat room, so you may be asked questions about your company or your products. In fact, you should encourage people to ask questions if they have them, as the more people are involved, the more likely they are to buy from you!

At some online parties, you may be expected to play an online game to give away a prize. Each online party is different, so you will need to ask or read about the requirements for any games before you sign up. If you are expected to run an online game, it is very easy to do, and will help people to get more involved. There are many different types of “games” you can play, but I will go over a couple of the most common used to give you an idea of how they are done. One of the most common types of online party games is the word scramble. You will need a piece of paper and pen to keep track of scores. Make a list of 10 words that have to do with your business, then scramble up the letters of each word. Announce to the chat room what the game is, how it is played, the rules, and of course, the prize. Give out each scrambled word (one at a time), and the first person to enter the correct unscrambled answer gets a point. The person with the most points after you give the entire ten words wins the prize! You can also do a trivia game, and ask people trivia questions about your products after giving them the URL to your website, such as: “How much is a single votive candle?” The first person to answer correctly would then get a point, and the person with the most points at the end of the game would win.

Prizes given away at online parties are usually only small prizes, around $5 or $10 value. Again, be sure to confirm what is expected at the party before signing up.

At the end of the party, about 5 minutes before your time slot is up, you will want to ask again if anyone has any questions, then thank everyone for listening and being at your presentation, and let them know how to contact you if they decide to place an order later.

All in all, online parties are easy to do, relatively cheap to sign up for, and a good way to show off your business to others. Some online party groups are better than others though, so do your research before committing to purchasing a time slot. The best way to see what a particular party site is like is to visit the presentations of others on that site. Simply enter the chat room, and watch how others do it! You can generally get a good feel for the results you would get by watching that chat room and seeing how many people show up, what the participation is like, and what the general “feel” is like.

Stephanie Davies is a 27 year old Missourian with a loving husband and an 8 year old son. She currently owns her own business, Mystickal Incense & More, and sells handmade candles, incense, bath & body products and more at http://www.mystickalincense.com

Direct selling has become a way that some people have survived financially in a faltering economy.  For some people, direct selling has allowed them to keep their homes and continue earning income.  As the nation’s unemployment has risen to 9.1 percent, some unemployed people and some seniors who have lost retirement income have turned to direct sales as a way to provide for themselves and their families.  Craig Lapp from southern California was employed in the construction industry in 2007 as a truck driver, but when housing sales fell, he was released from his job.  With no other option, he started to work with his wife in her Isagenix business to bring in part-time income, a business that earns them over six figures annually now.  Now 57 years old, he shared with USA Today, “It was our ‘Plan B’ that turned into our ‘Plan A’.”

Direct Selling Is Recession-Proof

Neil Offen, president of the Direct Selling Association says of the direct sales industry, “We’re recession-resistant in the sense that more people come to us during economic hard times for supplemental income or replacement of a lost job.”  The prolonged recession has acted as a tool that direct sellers have used for recruitment purposes.  Large direct sales companies like the makeup and clothing giant, Avon, and Silpada Designs, a jewelry manufacturer, are encouraging their sales consultants to inform people that direct selling is a tool they can use to keep producing income even when the economy is performing poorly.

Companies Offer Direct Selling As An Opportunity

According to Geralyn Breig, Senior Vice President of Avon, “…our direct selling opportunity is really the No. 1 product that we have to sell.”  Elizabeth Leyba agrees.  In 2008, she had her hours cut at her job and wanted to find a way to provide additional income to make up for the lost wages.  Now 41 years old and living in Munster, Indiana, she told USA Today that she has a desire to work her Avon business full-time at some point in the future, stating that, “Even though there’s a recession, even though the economy is bad, my business has continued to grow.” Direct selling has worked well for her.

Direct Selling Continues To Grow In Popularity

In today’s article, you learned that direct selling is a way that people can overcome the sluggish economy.  People do not have to rely on a traditional job any longer.  They can choose to work for themselves in direct selling and create additional income.  Self employment through direct selling is legitimate work that people can do to earn part-time or full-time income.  According to the Direct Sellers Association, there were approximately 15 million direct sellers in 2007, and there are approximately 16.1 million in 2011. The industry is continuing to grow, even in difficult economic times.  Some people respond to economic trouble by being proactive and becoming direct sellers.

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Article by: Secaucus New Jersey News July 7 2011

Many people are looking for ways to make money from home. One popular home based business model is Direct Sales. Sometimes called party plans, direct sales companies include businesses like Avon, Mary Kay, Tupperware, and Ameriplan.

Direct Sales and Party Plan Companies are also called network marketing companies. They focus not only on selling products or services, but also recruiting other salespeople into the company. These type of home based businesses are best for people with outgoing personalities who enjoy hosting parties, inviting people to events, and talking to strangers. If you decide to sell products or services for one of these companies you will usually be an independent sales representative or independent contractor, NOT an employee. You most likely will be paid commissions when you sell a product, or when someone you recruit or sponsor into the business, sells a product. If you don’t make any sales, you won’t make any money.

There are usually costs associated with doing business, and one must consider these costs prior to joining the business. There may be monthly fees to pay, which may cover your company website or national marketing campaigns. There may also be costs associated with the products you sell. The independent consultant may be required to buy the products first at a wholesale rate, then resell the product to customers at retail price, thus keeping their profit. Other companies may NOT require the independent sale representative to carry the inventory, but rather the items are drop shipped directly to the consumer. Customers may be able to order products from a company website or only from the independent representative. The independent sales rep may need to pay to marketing materials, products, samples, training courses and monthly fees.

Before joining any company, find out the actual costs that are mandatory, like a required monthly fee. Then try to get an estimate of variable costs, like advertising expenses, from an independent rep already in the business. You may also want to talk to people who have “failed” or “quit” this business. They may give you a more accurate description of the costs involved. Calculate how many products you would need to sell per month in order to just break even after your expenses are paid. If this number feasible? How many hours or parties will you need to host to meet this minimum amount of sales? Will you have additional income from the sale of products from a company website or do all product sales come from in person transactions? These are all things to consider when deciding to start a home business in direct selling or party plan type companies.

Before joining any company as a sales representative, make sure to check out their credentials with the Direct Selling Association at www.dsa.org. Also make sure to read the Better Business Bureau report on their company.

About the author:
I specialize in small business internet marketing, giving small businesses a website presence. My featured marketing project is for Blue Cactus Pool Service – Phoenix Arizona. Blue Cactus Pool Service LLC provides Phoenix Pool Cleaning, Phoenix Pool Repair, and pool maintenance services in Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Anthem Arizona.

Enjoy a fun filled day of shopping and networking at the Spring Stop and Shop!

Saturday, April 30 · 8:00am – 5:00pm
at the Ramada Inn on Church St., Murfreesboro, TN

Your chance to win prizes, get great shopping discounts and find local small businesses.

Booths include:

• Perfect Expressions
• Premier Jewelry
• Mia Bella Candles
• Personalized Creations
• Pure Romance
• Mobile medical Scrubs
• Personalize Me Hair Care
• Body Wraps
• Midway Diner
• Thirty-One
• Tupperware
• Avon
• Arbonne International
• Gold Canyon Candles
• Mary Kay
• I Dream of Bows
• Simply Said
• Pampered Chef
• Li bri Cosmetics
• Scentsy
• and more!

Anyone who is contemplating the opening of a small home business should consider a direct sales business. Many people earn a great income by simply selling one line of products. Some great examples of this type of business are Avon, Mary Kay, and Tupperware. However, before you choose an opportunity, you have to consider the plus and minuses of direct sales.

When considering the plus and minuses of direct sales, the first thing you should consider is the earning potential. Truthfully, an opportunity like this is only limited by your own motivation. The more you put into it, the more you will get out of it. Of course, another advantages is that you will get to be in complete control of your business.

Along with the above advantages, you will also find it allows you many opportunities to meet people, it has a low start up cost, and you can market your products on the Internet. Truthfully, you do not have to be an expert to be successful with your sales. It is simply about how much effort you make in improving your marketing skills.

Unfortunately, there are downsides to every business and this is no different. First and foremost, you will find you have a lot of competition and the income really is unpredictable. Whereas most of your business will be conducted online, it is a must to spend some time on increasing your knowledge about marketing. The fact is this type of business really requires a lot of time spent on it for it to even stand a chance for success.

Is this type of business right for you? After you carefully review the plus and minuses of direct sales, evaluate your feelings about each one. This type of business will require you to work on your own, keep your motivation going, and deal directly with a wide variety of types of people. It may not be for everyone, but the truth is, this type of business could help you to discover what it is like to be financially free.

Experience an Exciting Opportunity Within the Direct Sales Business At www.ProsperYourMind.com