From TyroneShum.com:

A few weeks back I posted a review of Avon that gave a good overview of the company, today I want to dig a little deeper into what it means to work with Avon. Last week I connected with an Avon sales rep who blogs about her Avon business.  My Avon Selling Journey chronicles the trials and tribulations of Maria, an Avon entrepreneur that turned her love for the products into a business. When visit her blog it’s immediately plain to see how passionate she is about her business.  But as I read her posts I was impressed by her ability to make the reader feel as though they are a part of her journey. This lady can write! I’m so pleased that Maria agreed to share her insights and experiences with Avon. Hopefully, this insight will help you to determine if Avon is the right business  opportunity for you.  I would also suggest that read Maria’s blog for further perspective.  

What do you like most about working with Avon? Least?

I like the fact that I am my own boss.  I can set my own hours and dedicate as much, or as little, time to the success of my business.  There really isn’t anything that I like least about Avon because I am impressed with every facet of the business.

What was your initial investment? How long did it take you to become profitable?

My initial investment was only 10 dollars.  I received a start-up kit which included campaign brochures for two campaigns, an Avon tote bag, some product samples, and basically everything that I needed to jump-start my business.  My Avon business started to become profitable when I started to dedicate time to advertising and getting the word out about it.   

I have used and loved Avon products for years.  I started selling just to have access to their products and to be able to purchase them at a discount.

You definitely have to have people skills to be successful at selling Avon.  It is important to provide personal service to your customers and to show them that you appreciate their business.    

I maintain my drive/motivation by attending monthly sales meetings at my District office and engaging in networking with my fellow Representatives as well as sharing ideas of best practices.

Don’t be discouraged by others or by your own lack of confidence.  You have to believe in your own ability to be successful.  Also, if you want to become an independent Avon Representative, contact me and I can point you in the right direction.

It is important to maintain contact with your customers to keep them up to date on current product offers and promotions.  Additionally, the goal of every single day is to share Avon with at least three other people.

I wouldn’t recommend that anyone leave their job unless their business is established and turning enough of a profit to address all of their financial needs.  This kind of financial freedom requires a lot of time, work, and dedication.

The thing that has surprised me the most about working for myself is that I am really good at it.  I think we can be our own worst critics sometimes and tend to stand in our own way of being successful.  The biggest challenge is managing having a career and dedicating enough time to running your business.  The way that I have overcome that challenge is by scheduling time to devote to my business daily.

I would have started sooner.

My children inspire me to be the very best that I could be at everything that I do in my life.  They also encourage me to be successful so that I may provide them with the best possible life. 

 Need Help Finding That Perfect Business?

Do you have a business opportunity that you are interested in but not sure if it’s right for you or if it’s legitimate? Let me help you find out. Drop me a line with the name of the company and make it the focus of an upcoming review. What’s the benefit to you?

• You get a second opinion from someone who is dedicated finding true business opportunities.
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The review process never ends here at The Home Biz Private-Eye. First, I posted my original review of Xocia which was followed up with the popular, 6 Questions with a Former Xocia Distributor. Today, I bring you another interview with a Xocia distributor who is eager to share her experiences with you. Sherry Cantua made a comment on my interview with a former Xocai distributor and it was clear from her comment that she was actively working with Xocai.  Sherry’s comment also showed she was willing to help out someone try to find a win win solution for themselves. I reached out to Sherry to see if she would be willing to make a greater contribution to the conversation. She graciously accepted. Here is what she has to say about Xocia and working for yourself:  

What do you like most about working with Xocai? Least

The great opportunity before me with Xocai is exciting. I’m offered the ability to market a breakthrough product, Healthy Chocolate, backed by a winning business model, with a proven track record, that’s creating millionaires.  Xocai provides me the products that people already need & use..(9 out of 10 people love chocolate).  I don’t have to convince anyone to consume our product, they already do…(A billion people ate chocolate today).  More importantly Xocai offers products of the future, today. Such as their new probiotic healthy chocolate that’s available right now in the U.S.  The beauty of Xocai is they offer to me, as an entrepreneur, the ability to create weekly income by providing these cutting edge products that people need and want, directly to consumers.   Xocai is ahead of the curve.   

The challenge I find, is in the comparing Xocai healthy chocolate to candy.  The cost of Xocai compared to popular chocolate candy you’ll find on the market today can bring objections by a few people.  Candy can be tasty but bad for your health. Xocai is very “Yummy” and great for your health.  You’ll find a comparison of "Xocai Vs CocoaVia –that’s a real knockout", on my Free Report I provide for my owningyourself.com subscribers.

What was your initial investment? How long did it take you to become profitable?

Xocai offers 3 easy ways to get started.  Basic Associate, Business Builder, and Executive Fast Track.   Initially I choose the Business builder option with a total investment of around $700 US.  I was profitable in my first 30 days.

How did you discover your passion {What led you to Xocai}? 

There are many things I could list to provide a detailed answer to this question. Perhaps that should even be it’s own article. Although if I had to boil it down to the core, my discovery came from a recommendation.  First a recommendation to participate in this highly respected business model back in December 1999, followed by a recommendation from one of my top mentors about Xocai via telephone call back in December 2006. 

What skills do you believe someone would need to be successful with this product?  

Be willing to let people in on the secret.  Be willing to share the healthy chocolate solution. Success in Xocai really is about team work.  When I locked in my relationship with my direct team, they helped me, they are were there for me and they worked with me directly. Xocai has tremendous support and training, so take advantage of that. 

How do you maintain your drive/motivation?

I found a part of the process that moves me and get’s under my skin.  For me it’s marketing.  Online marketing especially roots me.  So when those times come, you know the ones that really want to run you over and stop you in your tracks, I turn to my roots and do some form of marketing.  Believe me, there’s nothing that finding 5 new business partners won’t fix. 

What advice would you give others who want to start their own business?

Treat your business like a business.  It’s easy to stay stuck in busy work yet at the end of the day, what’s important is doing the things that keep bringing you income.

What’s a typical day like? If there is such a thing.

That’s what I love best, this business is very versatile.  As I go about my day, I keep the business in my mind and look for ways to

1. talk to people

2. share Xocai business & the healthy chocolate products

3. follow up

4. ask for a decision

5. support and train my Xocai Team Partners.

What steps do you recommend someone who is currently working for a company but wants to start their own business take before leaving their job? 

Great question.  First figure out what type of business do you want to start.  You can select franchising. You can be self employed.  You can link up with a company and promote their products via affiliate marketing or direct sales.  Or you can choose what I’ve chosen, the network marketing business model.  Network marketing is very flexible.  If this is your choice, I recommend keeping your job until you are creating enough income and demand of your time, that working your job is actually starting to cost you, in other words, you can’t afford not to leave your job

What has surprised you the most about working for yourself? What’s the biggest challenge? How did you overcome the challenge?

How much I enjoyed it was my biggest surprise.  You see, I was always one to favor the “employee mentality”.  I loved the ease of clocking in, working hard and then clocking out.  How things have changed. Self limitations was my biggest challenge {Editor’s note: Emphasis mine. This is problem that many us have. Don’t let it stop you}.  This business is more mental than physical.  I tend to think a bit too much and it can cause me to stumble a bit.

What assists me to overcome my stumbles, is simply getting back up and dusting myself off.  It’s a new day, a new minute, a new opportunity to find more business partners and support my team. 

If you could go back in time, what would you do differently to prepare for being an entrepreneur?

Start with a longer term commitment plan 5 to 10 year not just 6 months to 2 years.

Who or what inspires you?

Learning is such an inspiration for me.  What a fantastic word “Library” is.  Spending time investing in my personal library as well visiting my local public

library weekly is great fun. Also I choose to work with real mentors, maintaining my relationship with them.  As well as having instant access via the Internet to fantastic website’s & select forum’s that share the “how to’s” of real success in the home based business arena like yours does Dakim , Thank you for all you do! {your welcome}.  

Sherry Cantua

http://www.owningyourself.com/

In my last post I gave you  the results of my investigation into Xocia, the healthy chocolate.  As part of that investigation I came across a squidoo lens put by Stacey Dell, the self proclaimed CocoaLovingYogaMom. I liked her honesty and frankness about the good and bad aspects her dealings with Xocai. Even though she is no longer distributing Xocai, Stacey agreed to answer a few questions about her time with Xocai.  I hope that by hearing what someone who has “been there, done that” has to say, it will give you better insight into whether this is a the right opportuinity for you. 

What did you like most about working with Xocai? Least?

I liked the people I met, and the enthusiam that everyone in the team shared.  The best thing, though, was a product that I truly believe can help people.  I heard so many success stories that I really wanted to help people out.  What I liked the least… two things: first, I hate selling stuff – it’s really not my gig.  Second, the price.  It may stand alone in its class, but the average American cannot afford to spend that much on chocolate (even if it IS healthy).

What skills do you believe someone would need to be successful with this product?

 From my standpoint, the people I saw who were most successful had a personal story to share in how Xocai helped them.  I met people who had a wide range of success stories, from weight loss, to ridding themselves of dibilitating depression or pain management for fibromyalgia.  They also were very much extroverts who had no problem striking up a conversation with a complete stranger to share these stories.  Because of their experiences, they were passionate about the product, and I think that is very important.  Also, those who were successful typically did not work a full-time job.  That wasn’t always the case, but often so.  I don’t think some people realize how much time can go into a ‘part-time’ venture.

What was your initial investment ($) in getting started?

Initial investment was simply $35 to become a distributor, plus the purchase of two cases of product at $113.50/case (at that time… it’s since increased to $123.50/case).  The first case was for my use (can’t sell a product you don’t use yourself), and the second was to start your business by handing out samples.  That’s all you have to buy.  Now, shortly after that I purchased a number of additional items to see what I could do…  business cards, pamphlets to hand out, books on Network Marketing, additional product to create ‘Starter Kits’ and sample packs, etc… I didn’t have to, but I did.  I don’t really want to think about how much I spent on it all…

How much time did you spend daily working this business?

Hmmm… For a period of a few months I probably put in at least 15 hours per week on it.  It doesn’t sound like much now, but to add that to my full-time job, a house that we are remodeling, and a two year old, that’s a LOT of time.

How long did you work with Xocai?

I officially quit being a distributor about one year after signing up.  I quit putting that time into it well before then, though… probably after 4 – 5 months.

Would you recommend Xocai to someone you know?

This is a hard question for me to answer.  As a product, I fully believe in it.  But as I said, I’m not really a saleperson (hence trying to work it online), so while I did step outside my comfort zone and present the product to family and friends, it’s not something I would do again.  Mostly because of the cost.  Partly because of my personality.  As a business, it completely depends on the individual as to whether I would recommend it or not.  Most people still in the business will tell you ‘anyone can do it!’, but I will tell you that’s not true, because I tried.  I really, truly tried with all my heart.  I created website, came up with promotions, passed out pamphlets, solicited friends and family, and even contacted and met with privately owned businesses in my town and even in other towns.  I sold a few products, and signed up only ONE person through all of that effort.  It was a learning experience, and I’ve learned never to do it again!   

UPDATE: 5/26/09

I just posted a new interview with a current Xocia distributor.  Be sure to read that interview to find out her secrets to success with working with Xocia

One feature of this blog that I believe will be important to it’s success is the interviews with people that are “walking the walk” so to speak. Each week, I plan to post interviews I conduct with home business owners from all walks of life.  Most of these interviews will be short and informative but I hope to get a few in-depth articles along the way.  I feel these types of interviews can be useful as a motivational tool.  Many of us need to know that it is possible to make a home business work before we jump in.  Seeing the progress that other people made can help to nudge into aciton.

Care to Contribute

I’m looking interview a wide range of people involved in home businessess, you can be one of them!  If you would like to share your successess and your failures with the hope providing inspirational and education to some newbie. contact me.  If you want to build up reputation as an expert in your niche, contact me.  If you want to promote your product or service at a really cheap rate (the time it take to do the interview), contact me.  If you want to contat me to say “Stop saying contact me”, contact me. Basically, if you want to share your insights, spread the word about your business, and help your fellow man just give shout.

The Countdown Continues 

Remember this site goes ‘fully’ live Monday March 31st.  Be there