Direct Selling

MYFOXNY.COM - As office staffs are trimmed, some people are finding a way to make money from home. It's not a new concept but direct selling is helping some people beat the recession.

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Stay-at-home mom Christina Pena says she's making more than she expected by selling jewelry for Cookie Lee.  She makes $600 to $800 per party.

Pena says she also likes the flexibility of her new job, "It's still not full time, as in, I'm home all day with the kids and I can go to every ball game and I can go to the school."

Amy Robinson is a spokesperson for the Direct Selling Association.  She says tough economic times are driving more people than ever to these types of jobs.

Robinson says, "You can work a few hours a week.  You can work the equivalent of a full time job if you wanted.  It really is up to you."

With close to 15 million direct selling companies to choose from, Robinson recommends spending ample time shopping around.  She suggests picking a product that you would buy for yourself.

And get ready to spend some money before you start making money.  Most companies require that sellers pay for a start-up kit that usually contains merchandise, catalogs and order forms.

Robinson says that you should take a pass on any company that doesn't offer at least a 90% refund on merchandise returned within a year of purchase.

• www.dsa.org
  
• www.directsell411.org