WAHM Forums

Hi Everyone,

I've been lurking on this forum for a little while. I also posted this question under a different heading. I'm trying to decide on which party plan company to go with. I have narrowed it down to candle/home fragrance. It seems great for gift giving and repeat customers.

I have questions for people selling candle/home fragrances. Should I go with a start up company and be one of the first in my state to offer their products or an established company everyone knows but has tons of consultants already? Any pros/cons you offer would be great, too?

Thank you so much for the advice!

Congrats on your decision to start a candle/home fragrance business! I love candles and I have had so much fun since I started my business!

My personal opinion is that there are so many people out there it is really just a matter of finding "your" candle lovers. People will come up with all kinds of reasons not to buy. "I just went to one of those parties" is just another one, and if it wasn't that reason, those particular people would have a different reason. If you offer excellent customer service and a personal touch, that is what will keep your people interested in you, no matter how many other consultants there are in your area. The fact that everyone has already heard of your product will work for you in this case.

When I came to WAHM it was seeking info on one specific company.....I had already fallen in love with the products and I would have chosen this company no matter what. I think LOVING your products is essential to keeping your enthusiasm.

There is no better feeling than running into another person who has already heard of and fallen in love with the products I sell. It truly feels like finding a long lost friend, as we have something in common already.

Furthermore, I have found that we, the demonstrators, are our company's target customers. They are working to impress and motivate us us as much as we are wanting to impress our customers. A well established company with the marketing dollars and experience to provide innovative marketing strategy, customer service, promotions, incentives and materials that will keep me interested, as well as help me train and motivate my new demos to be successful, is a huge bonus. Perhaps the biggest deal of all, it turns out, as I think back.

For those reasons it would be my personal choice to choose an established company.

I have recently left a "known" home fragrance company....... to go to a new home fragrance company.

So I have done both & feel that there are pro's & cons to each. I think it depends on what it is you are personally looking to achieve. I didnt want to be a part of something that was everywhere in my town. I felt like I was just another one in the mix....Great, the name is known & popular..... but I wanted to be unique & grow to be at the top & the ones that "got in early".

Ofcourse I am not trying to say that to go with an older company will not get you success....because that is not necessarily true. To go with a brand new company, doesnt mean that it will fold in 2 years....because companies that have been around for 20+ years are going bankrupt now.

I have numerous years exper in Direct Sales & finally here is my shot to be ground floor, direct to the company & as a matter of fact...I am at the airport now flying to Salt Lake City for a meeting with the CEO & other fellow Advisory Board members. So that we can work on the 2010 campaign & incentives for all the new advisors.

So.... my opinion..... What makes you more excited about your two choices? What is stopping you from choosing one or the other?

Good Luck! :)

I think limiting it to just this would be a mistake. There are multiple factors that you should take into account, this being one of many. It's all going to depend on what you truly want. What compensation plan works best for you? Do you care if the company has quotas to meet to earn? Do you want to earn the money the night of the party or get a check every so often? What team building incentives does the company offer (if that's what you're wanting to focus on)? What training is available? Can you sell in retail stores/online? What are the costs of maintaining a website? What products are offered and are they competitively priced? What costs are there to the distributors for running the business (samples, brochures, etc.)?

As far as established vs. ground floor like others have said they both have their perks. I chose to go from a more well-known company to a ground floor company that is really taking off. I love being directly a part of the changes that a company is making. It's pretty cool that we as distributors can make suggestions and see the changes implemented overnight. We are the hands that are molding the company into something great.

As far as established vs. ground floor like others have said they both have their perks. I chose to go from a more well-known company to a ground floor company that is really taking off. I love being directly a part of the changes that a company is making. It's pretty cool that we as distributors can make suggestions and see the changes implemented overnight. We are the hands that are molding the company into something great.


DITTO.... Im just too tired to think straight enough to type that out how I wanted... LOL

Everyone has posted good replies...but here is my two cents....

I think that you should go with the company whose products you like the most. Quality says a lot and if you're confident about the product, it will show! Saturated or not, there are customers to be had! I know that at one point I wondered with Gold Canyon if there were too many demonstrators in my area, but then one of the founders put it in prospective. He looked at the population in my state vs. number of demonstrators in my state, then also looked at the fact that each person probably has two or three people they know AT LEAST (who will buy from a party, etc) and the number of potential customers is HUGE. On top of that, and I'm sorry to say this, but there are always customers who will switch to you because they received poor service in the past, etc. And I still get people all of the time that don't even know what Gold Canyon is! For example, no one at my work had ever heard of them!

Good luck!

Good response. I agree with all of the above.

I have to agree with all the responses there are pros and cons to both options. But the most important is choosing the one with the products you enjoy most. What is the point of joining a company if you are not completely happy using or selling the products.

Ask for lots of samples/information from each Candle Company you are interested in. Then sit down & enjoy the scents of each one & you will soon find out which Company fits YOUR needs.

Passion in the products you are selling means EVERYTHING. Other's will notice if you are not 100% happy with the company you are with & selling will not be easy. You can ask friends/family which products they like, but again it has to be YOU who decides which company will make you happy.

Both have pro's/con's & there is no right/wrong on which Candle Company to join. You will know when the right product falls into your hands..

Have fun in your search because it's a FUN Company to be with.. All those wonderful smelling scents flowing through your home as you clear your mind & figure out which one you love the best.. ENJOY EVERY MINUTE OF IT... LOL.. ;)

Best of luck you in new venture..
Sherry

Best wishes on your search. I wish I had, had all of this great advice when I was making a decision---very thoughtful information here.

I think as others have stated you have to love the product first. Your passion for what you sell goes a very long way. After that, I think you look at the business as well as the people in the business. For me, I didn't even look at the complensation plan (not the brightest idea, but it did work out well for me in the end). I was drawn to a person who was passionate about her business and her enthusiasm was contagious. I did know that I didn't want quotas...I didn't need the added pressure at the time, and knew I would need to go slow at first, so as others have mentioned, make sure you are clear on the requirements.

Again, I second what others have said and wish you the best. You will find the right fit and I think you will just know. (I think the last time I heard that was years ago speaking about my future husband.)


Blessings,
Melissa

You are receiving some very good advice here and I agree with everything
that is being shared.. Good luck to you with your search I wish you all
the best and much success to you..

Teresa :)

I have been in both situations. The products were vastly different, but I have been having much more FUN with my business where I am now. Yep, I have my business goals, and I work my business hard and enjoy running my own business where I set my hours and can contribute to my family monetarily. I also LOVE the fact that I have an up line, a team. I didn't have that with the other company and I felt like I missed out on a lot. I signed on directly under the company and didn't have an up line to share my successes, questions etc.

I just wanted to thank you for all of your opinions and advice. I'm going to make a pro/con list. I'm also showing the catalogs and websites to friends/family to get input. I'm thankful this is a side job for me, since I stay-at-home and my husband's job pays the bills. So, I might go with the start-up to challenge myself. But, we'll see.

Thanks again and good luck to you all!

I look forward to seeing you here on the boards no matter which company you choose. :) Have a great evening!

Great info from everyone... Best of luck with your choice... I am thankful everyday, for the company I am with.. I love the product and enjoy my business...

I can totally understand where you are coming from and agree with most people have written here.

For me...I've been with a company that closed, a company that merged and a company that was very well know in the home party candle business (which I personally did not like)

In September I needed to make a choice and decided that for me I wanted a company with

1- leadership that had lots of expericence in this industry (owners have been doing this for over 20 years)
2 - great product (just about all the companies on here fit that quota)
3 - Small enough (we have about 9,000 distributors) that I can talk to the CEO and top income earners.Last weekend I went to a meeting and did just that...I had lunch with the CEO and VP
4 - Large enough that there are big income earners (making over $64,000/mo) who can train me
5 - Simple compensation plan that fits my life

The only other thing that has not been mentioned that I feel is imporant no matter what company you choose is to SHOP FOR AN UPLINE. Make sure your sponsor is ready to help you reach your goals. This person is going to be your new best friend for the next 6 months to a year (and longer) helping you get your business of the ground.

Good luck with your search and keep asking.

And last but not least...go with your GUT!

Great thread.... I wish you good luck and enjoy the process of picking
the right company for you and your family.

I am a big believer that the word SATURATION is over used in Direct Sales.
Way too many people use this word and really don't consider the facts.
No business is saturated and there is plenty of business to go around for everyone.

I was told many years ago, attract 100+ people a year to my business (hosting and
recruiting) and I will always be success. So, my state has 4m+ people. It will take
me and a strong team MANY MANY years to meet 100+ people a year. Plus, I
always think about all the college kids graduating and starting careers and BUYING
new products. There are LOTS of people to buy our products and keep us in
business for MANY years to come.

With that, pick a product you LOVE or an opportunity you LOVE and you
will do great. Stay focused and the rest will work it self out. Every direct
sales business is a challenge and a lot of work to be successful.

Good luck to you,
Catherine

Greetings!

You ask some wonderful questions, and as many of the ladies here have outlined, follow your nose, follow your heart, follow your passion. The new vs established question, well, there really is no answer...

I joined Mia Bella in 2004 when it was just a fledgeling company barely 2 years old, still balancing on its feet...now it's strong, debt free and growing with goals of over 100,000 reps in the next 5 years (we're about 10k or so now)

Over the years I've seen some new candle companies come and go, closing up shop, leaving their distributors high and dry. I've also seen one established candle company vanish over night, also leaving their distributors high and dry.

Do take your time and find a company whose products you enjoy, a company with a philosophy you resonate with, and a leader who meshes with your personality as all three are very important aspects of success.

The main factor is the YOU factor, do YOU have what it takes to reach the levels of success you want to reach? Do you want a hobby or do you want a business? Be prepared to take the steps to get from where are, to where you want to be. There is no ceiling in this industry and the sky, truly is the limit!

Good luck on your search!

I want to say thank you SO much for the advice and response to this thread. You offered some great advice that really made me think about my decision. In the end, I decided to sign up with the start up company. I have a great sponsor and hope to do well. Thanks again and good luck to all of you with your businesses!

can you share with all of us the name of company start-up you chose?
thanks and good luck!!!

Congratulations on making that big decision! You just know when you have found the right fit, and that is such a good feeling.

I wish you much success and fun in your new business venture, and I look forward to hearing from you on the board.


Best wishes,
Melissa

Congrats! I am happy to see you made your choice. I wish you the MOST success!

An upline is important as the other ladies suggested, I know I've joined under many great women right from this very forum but what sustains me in any business is an interchange of open communication in a clear and easy way to access any information I need, when I want it. Another great important consideration is to make sure the company you choose makes it doable and affordable for the consultant (you) to "deliver" (promoting materials, inventory, shipping costs, customer service, product guarantees and returns, website and online guidelines etc.) the great product you 've chosen to represent and desire to share with your market. Everyone has different expectations so my advice to you is to be sure that what you want in a company, product, and mission statement is being fullfilled by the company you are thinking of choosing (or anyone else who is looking) in some of these above listed aspects. (which may be a shortlist :) ... Good luck with your new endeavor!

Again, Congrats to you on your decision/first step. When making your decision, please just keep in mind which ever company you choose, you will need to believe in what you are selling. Others will not believe in your product if you don't.

When it comes to the larges vs smaller companies, I would rely on the factor of which candle you like most. They are all different regardless of how "alike" they are.

I am the only distributor under my sponsor in my area and I have actually yet to find one in my state period. Pros: you can intorduce people to the product and get them excited (easier to spread than the same ole same ole). Cons: no one very near to meet person to person in your upline or so fourth. When stating that as a con, the perks of MY upline is that my sponsor is always there on the phone on the internet what ever way she can be. I have been with the company since March of last year and not one time did I feel shunned from her or were my questions or requests ignored.

It is all what you are comfortable in. I joined to Candle businesses when looking and have eliminated the first one and stuck with my current one as it made more sense for me and their candle to me could not be beat!

Good luck in your decisions and please feel free if you need anything else to contacct me.


Amy
Bama Scents - Home (http://www.bamascents.com)
bamascents@yahoo.com

Check out ScentEssence. All of their wickless products are made with natural wax and non-toxic fragrance oil. They have no start up cost and you earn 50% profits your first 3 months while you Build your downline. 40% after that. If you would like a sample to try PM me. Find out more at ScentEssence - Home Fragrance click on the cashcreations link at the top.