I have spent a lot of time this holiday break thinking about the concept of “more.” I find myself so often thinking of “more” things to do, “more” things to buy, “more” things to work on, “more” ways to make money, “more” ways to look and feel better, “more” ways to rearrange my home decor to freshen up the place, “more” ways to wear my clothes, etc…and I have always talked myself out of so many ideas because I’m so used to playing it safe all the time. I see all types of people flourishing online with their side gigs and I watch so many IG stories, Facebook Lives, YouTube videos, etc that I enjoy learning from. Starting to write this blog was my first real step toward doing “more” and I have now kept up with it for an entire year. When I started the blog I wasn’t really sure where I wanted it to go, but part of me wanted to help people with decorating their home or maybe even serve as a personal shopper because I feel that my skill sets bode well in those areas.
Not that I’m not able to do those things by showcasing the clothes, products, and home decorations that I personally use in my own home, it just didn’t feel like I was making much of an impact. I started developing Affiliate relationships with companies in hopes that if I shared products I bought and loved from certain companies that I could, not only influence others to make certain purchases, but also make some money on the side for the money I was spending in order to tell others about them. I soon realized that in order to actually make money you basically have to spend hours finding different companies, links, writing up posts, etc. That time commitment wasn’t something I had available on a regular basis. And then there were the small nuances that kept me from really profiting. For example…I LOVE Jane.com. I think I have influenced over a dozen women to shop on this site. If I actually earned a percentage of all of their purchases I would have a very lucrative side gig already. But it’s not that easy. As an affiliate for them, I get a very small percentage when people click on a specific link that I have to create on another website. Once the person makes the purchase, through my link, I make a percentage. Well…guess what people start to do when they like a certain merchant? They download the app! And guess what? I don’t make jack from the app purchases. So I am basically only making money off of everyone’s first purchase, if they used my link, and then nothing after that if they return to the site or use the app.
And that is the case for many of the affiliate relationships I currently have. If you don’t use a specific link…you get nadda. So…back to the drawing board to my “influencing” goal. I haven’t been able to muster up the confidence to go “live” and video tape myself for Facebook lives or IG stories. I don’t know what it is…but I’m just way too self conscious to do something like that. I watch hundreds of other people do them and I love the content…but for some reason I just can’t do it. Yet, Lol. And back to new ideas…
What is always the basis for any of my ideas? Beauty, decor, and fashion. I love make-up, clothes, decorations, jewelry, and I love finding deals on all of those things so I can share them with people. I have spent hundreds of dollars on all of those types of items myself so I know there’s a market. I have looked at other companies and have researched their business models and most, if not all, had something to do with MLM (multi-level marketing) models of sales. And I’m just not comfortable with trying to get other people to join my team or get them to take a risk they weren’t ready to make. I have no problem trying to get people to buy things because that risk is minimal and there is always a product to enjoy without a commitment.
So here is where Avon comes in. I have been purchasing from Avon for years. It is just one of many companies that I get various products from. Eyeliners, bubble bath, slippers, totally random stuff. Their prices are always reasonable and I have always been happy with what I have purchased. So after (unsuccessfully) looking into online, part-time data entry opportunities (for data geeks like me), I decided to look into how big of a risk being an Avon rep would be. I read through their mission statements, their back story, business philosophy, and I felt very confident that this was something I could do and feel good about. Makeup + beauty products + fashion + jewelry = potential profit to help feed into my online shopping addiction? Count me in!
As I researched the company I found the report graphic below that Avon conducted recently and I found it very interesting.
So here I am…officially an Avon representative. I created a Facebook Group so I could post things specific to Avon so please think about accepting my invite or clicking the link below and joining.
What’s cool about is the platform is that there is a separate page, specific for me, you can shop from so you can easily purchase right online and have products delivered to your home. No need to fill out forms, look through paper catalogs, joining parties, etc. As soon as I get some of the products I’ve ordered, I plan on trying them out and reviewing them with everyone online. I’m sure many of you have already purchased from Avon before and might already be confident in their products, so feel free to make an order now. You can use the coupon code, “Welcome10,” for 10% off your order too. And they’ve added a new perk recently that gives everyone an additional discount for purchasing through a rep, instead of just going to their public website and ordering.
If you want to browse the current catalog, here’s the link: Current Campaign Catalog
If you’d like to just check out the site and look at products, here’s the link to my page: Stephanie’s Avon Site
And I know I said I wasn’t much of a New Year’s Resolution girl…but last year I started this blog…and this year I’m starting a new venture that I hope turns into a business…so I guess I AM a New Year’s Resolution kinda girl. haha. It just feels so odd because I always just have these “ideas” floating in my head that I tell myself I will eventually do and I never do them. I know that thousands of people have side gigs and it’s not like being a rep for a make-up company is life altering…but for me? It’s a big step. It’s an actual commitment that I am going to make sure I keep up with. It’s something that will feed the “more” I have been looking for recently. I completely understand that as I say I am looking for “more,” this is in addition to being a mom to 2 wonderful kids, having an amazing husband, and working full-time. But it’s “more” that I can have for myself so I can help to contribute to the extras our family enjoys. It’s not that I feel a void anywhere…but before I became an administrator I was able to earn money by being a part of additional roles at work that were supplementals to my salary. Doing what I do now doesn’t allow for the time that these supplementals require, so in order to do anything that can make additional money for my family I have to be a little more creative!
Here’s to 2020 everyone. I hope everyone is also able to put their ideas into action if it’s something that will make them happier.
p.s. I’m also going to start drinking at least a gallon of water each day (starting Monday). I literally drink 0 glasses of water each day and I know how bad that is. Especially since I don’t have a colon anymore and the risk for dehydration is like doubled. I still choose not to drink it. I drink beverages that are mixed with water so I’m sure I’m getting hydrated to some degree, but it’s not the same, I know. So there’s another resolution to add to my list.
