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I've been reading the postings here for quite a while--they convinced me that MK is not a very good business venture and I decided not to start selling it. (This was over a year ago when my cousin began with MK) Now I sell for another company--I won't name names because I'm not here to advertise--and doing well. I'm wondering, What's the difference? I make less per dollar than MK (25-30% depending on volume) but I've found that it is very easy to make a reasonable amount of money. Is it that I don't have to buy inventory, in fact, they discourage it so there isn't any pressure at all? Is it the products? My company has a very good reputation, most people are familiar withthem through their retail outlets and find the ability to buy from me a novlety and convienient. Or, is it the fact the MK seems to mislead people in order to get them to sign up? My cousin was not told a few things about MK before she signed, inventory, for one. Also, if MK is so proud of its dress code (I've read a lot of discussion here about it)why don't they tell recruits before they sign up? My cousin didn't know until after she bought her kit and went to a meeting. She NEVER wears skirts and might not have signed up if she had known. I spoke to her the other night and she said she is still in it, but that she has not made any money yet and has a lot of product to sell. The thing that makes me sad is that she thinks it is all her fault and still speaks highly of MK. Her director had lunch with her the other day and broke down and told her that the other directors in their group were not doing well. I'd like to hear from other people about why exactly other businessness can be profitable where MK doesn't seem to be for many people.

A while back people were looking for hard numbers--here are mine: I work 3-4 parties per month and sell about $400 per party (give or take). Of that I make 25 or 30% (over 1200 its 30%) and so I take home anywhere from 350-500 per month. Of course reorders can affect that number too. I generally shoot for $100 per party. They take four hours usually, including set-up and take down, as well as order processing. I can have the product shipped from the company directly to the customer, so I don't have deliver anything. (There are advantages to delivering it though, I can package it up nicely. I mostly direct ship when they live a ways away.) I end up making about $25/hour. I don't purchase inventory, but I have invested in samples. I only invest 20% max of what I make net profit in order to keep from getting carried awa, and I earn a lot of free product. I'd love to understand why its so hard to make $ with MK so I can help my cousin out.
DianeF web search for DianeF - 12 Nov 2005

Well, from what you say about the company you work for, they have RETAIL OUTLETS - that gets the product noticed by the general public and sure, rather than go to those outlets, they have you. MK does not have that - they just started advertising to help get noticed and create a new image. But for 42 years, it was word of mouth and everyone realizes that MK's reputation has preceded them and that's why the new image makeover with all the advertisements. Side note - it's funny that the women are all wearing pants in those ads! The skirt/hose/closed toe shoe thing is RIDICULOUS - it's suggested by the company, not demanded. Only certain directors demand it at their meetings and those same directors wonder why no one attends - well, duh!

MK also does not direct shipping set up like your business. Since over 80% of the sales force have regular jobs, the ability to place a wholesale order and have it shipped to individuals directly would be a blessing.

You might also be selling a variety of product, whereas MK is cosmetics only which narrows a market considerably. Also, since it's an mlm, odds are she won't make a whole hill of beans. The average (before MK went private) for a consultant is $5,000/yr earnings. Directors average is really not that great when you consider ALL directors.

With your current numbers, you make tops of $6,000 yr. That might be great for a part-time job, but since that is ABOVE AVERAGE for MLM's, you can easily see why people maintain it's not a viable business opportunity. Again, I say study out multi-level-marketing/networking, etc using google or whatever. My website has a group for MK reps who want to do it differently, you might want to share the link with her, it's below and is called PinkBEEgone?.

MK takes longevity. Because of the nature of the business - networking, you make your biggest money from recruiting (MK now calls it "sharing") and is now labeling orders placed as "sales profits" - they can spin it anyway they want to make it look different than what it is - but it is what it is and when anyone understands that - things make sense regardless of spin and women magically STOP FEELING BAD ABOUT THEMSELVES. That's my passion - to help women STOP feeling bad and see it for what it is. It's NOT my mission to stop everyone from doing it, it IS my mission to stop women from conning and stop women from blaming themselves for not making it.

When you get into recruiting and lose 99% of those recruits within a year to three at the most, you inherit their customers. MK teaches that out of a group of 30 (director new unit) 2/3 do not work and 1/3 of the 10 DO WORK. That's NORMAL statistics provided by MK and most directors know this. Not every director has the same pathetic figures, there are some directors who actually help consultants learn to sell and are lax about the dress code. That's what we focus on in our PinkBEEgone? group.

That's what I found out, the hard way. You've pretty much answered all the reasons why it's hard to make $ with MK in your post. Prime reason is deception. MLM's create smoke and mirrors, illusions and hype to get people excited and all that hype and excitement only serve to snuff out reality. No one likes to be deceived and when they use that tactic - it just turns women off.

Your cousin heard the truth - she learned that people struggle. It's more common than anyone wants to believe and it happens to the majority because it's a "system". Do your research and have your cousin do the same and do give her a link to our PinkBEEgone? group and my website listed below. What she "thinks" is that the majority make it, but reality is they don't. By "making it" - I am pointing to caddy directors, etc.

She has to consider "how" they made it and reading this site will answer those questions as well. They pursue sharp women with credit and get big inventories. FEW are doing it differently and actually sell. They don't teach them anything except "fake it til you make it" and when you get to director level - your "job is to do interviews!". That's what I was taught.

She didn't need the big inventory - many get overwhelmed with all of that. The key is building customers and inventory to supply them with once you know what the heck you are going to sell to them. MK did not get a loan for millions to start, she started small and built the business - so did Microsoft, so did Mrs. Field's cookies. You HAVE to LEARN that you have a market before you plunge. That to me is just business 101. BUT, the new business in MK is "Do it FAST" - Fast is Easy, Slow is Hard. Nationals debuting in 3 yrs of signing is PROOF that they mass recruit and go after inventories - DO NOT ENVY these women! You have NO IDEA how they got to where they are and how many THOUSANDS of women are left in financial ruin complete with blame, shame, regret, neglect while that Do It Faster National is happy that she doesn't have to have parties anymore or qualify for her car or her unit.

If you've been in DIQ or car production - it's HARD, but don't feel like a failure just because you didn't make it - in most cases ladies, it's a blessing and God might have had a hand in that. Too many have compromised their integrity and sold their souls. Selling inventory to consultants exclusively is a shameful way to attain NSD, in my opinion. I DO NOT admire them for that. I'd like inventory sellers to attach a "guarantee" that a $3,600 or $4,200 "profit-level" inventory will insure the consultant a profit and hold them accountable to it. Won't happen though - the consultant will just get blamed for not working her business while the recruiter is on to the Next One.

Thanks so much for the information! It doesn't seem like a recipe for longevity (or at least for a good, honest reputation) that MK misleads people when they begin. It's sad that a company that says they are about uplifting women leaves so many feeling defeated and like they failed. I'm not saying that other companies (including the one I sell) don't have a high failure rate, but it seems like a lot of the MK recruiting doesn't teach that people will have to work pretty hard for their income--they make it sound like $$ just rolls in. My part time income is great for me, $6000/yr isn't a ton, but for four/five evenings a month and little investment I'm happy. I can't make that part time anywhere else. My husband owns his own business and it took 6 years before he made all of his income from it. Slow and steady allows you to build a clientele and learn as you go.

Yes, my company has a diverse product line, which helps. I noticed the same thing about the ads--it is kind of funny. The dress code is one of the things that turned me off of Mary Kay, BTW. I live in a farm community--can you imagine trekking across a muddy field in heels and nylons to deliver product? I think MK needs some updating! The other thing is that it seems like MK rewards recruiting very heavily rather than selling product. The company I sell gives all the info up front in the "so you're interested in our company" brochure, what rewards/bonuses/commissions at what level and what you have to do to get there. As far as I can tell, MK doesn't seem to provide this--at least not until you've bought the kit. I prefer the straightforward approach myself.

I'll send the links to my cousin, thanks again!

$25 per hour less 20% for samples = $20 per hour. Then you have to figure the time you spend trying to get women to have parties, reminding them that they have parties, setting up for the parties, organizing your supplies, organizing and placing orders with the company, delivering products, etc. When you add in all that time, I bet you're making $10-15 per hour.

If you like it, I suppose that's fine. But there seems to me that there's a lot better ways to make money!

I don't think the snarkiness was deserved. To clarify, I stated that I spend 20% MAX on samples, most months it is much, much lower. The hours I quoted include order-placing. Most parties take 2-3 hours woth an additional 1-2 hours for order processing and delivery (if necessary, see above.) I've found it is very easy to book parties and don't have a problem with it. Even if I were only making $15 per hour, which I don't agree with, it is more than any other part-time job in my area--maybe not yours. When I add in that I can choose my own hours--a blessing since I am in graduate school and my husband is in nursing school in addition to running his own (non MLM) business, I think it is a good deal. Not everyone enjoys the work involved and I think that is part of the problem. Some MLMs make it sound like you make a few phone calls and money drops from the sky, isn't that fun? The reality is that it is work--sales work. I recommend that anyone interested in MK or any other direct-sales company spend a day or two with a consultant to see what they actually do. Then decide if it is as much fun as it seems. Ask to see their inventory, and mentally calculate how much it must have cost--another good source of information.

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