Even if  you have been in outer space for the last 100 years or have NEVER work with any females in an office setting you still would have heard of Avon or know someone who uses, buys or sells there product.  Avon has been around for over 100 years and has help hundreds of thousands of people fulfil their dreams of owning their own business. Avon has continued to grow during times of economic hardships so it will most likely continue to do so during the current recession. If you’re interested in beauty and have a kanack for selling then this might be the right opportunity for you.  Keep reading to find out.

What They Say

The world’s largest direct seller of beauty and beauty-related products. With $10.7 billion in annual revenues in 2008 (up 8% from 2007), Avon and its approcimately 42,000 associates no serve valued customers in more than 100 countries worldwide. 

The Pitch

Avon has been committed to being the company for women since 1886, the world’s largest direct seller of beauty and beauty-related products.

Is it a product or service?

A Product- world’s largest direct seller of beauty and beauty-related products.

Is this a Franchise or an independent business opportunity?

Representatives are independent contractors, not employees of Avon Products, Inc.Representatives can earn income in two ways: by selling Avon products as a traditional Representative, or by selling and also recruiting others to do the same.

“is a multitiered compensation program that gives top-selling Representatives, known as Leadership Representatives, an enhanced career path. The program allows Representatives to obtain earnings from commissions based on sales made by the Representatives that they have recruited and trained, as well as profits derived from their own sales of Avon’s products. The program limits the number of levels on which commissions can be earned to three and continues to focus on individual product sales and service to customers by Leadership Representatives.”

The Cost

It’s a pay as you go system. You “pre-sell” their products by using their catalogue, you place orders, receive them, sell them, pay for them and repeat.

Do they offer money back guarantee?

 100 percent money-back guarantee

What Kind of Support Do They Offer

• Web-enablement tools and online training
• Avon provides training for all Representatives around the world
• Training and access to local management
• Web-enablement tools and other cutting-edge online training opportunities
• Participate in a retirement savings plan

What Others Say

Better Business Bureau

Avon is a corporate partner with the Better Business Bureau. They have a rating of A+.  The BBB has 76 compliants filed against Avon. Most of the compliants have been resolved.  Read the full report here. 

Final Say: Overall Grade A+

The products pretty much sell themselves. The only downside is that there may be other “reps” working the same customer base as you. And then it becomes, who they like better.

This review was done by guest blogger Jaime Berguido. Jaime is an assistant investigator here at the Home Business Private Eye. If  have a company or service that you would like to review and post here please email me. 

From Biography.com: Writer, actor, producer, director. Born Emmitt Perry Jr. on September 13, 1969, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Tyler Perry has forged his own way in the entertainment industry, building an empire that consists of successful films, plays, and even a best-selling book. One of four children, he had a difficult childhood, suffering years of abuse at the hands of his carpenter father. He once described his father as a man “whose answer to everything was to beat it out of you.” At one point, Perry even attempted suicide in an effort to escape his difficult situation {emphasis mine}. At 16, he changed his first name to Tyler to separate himself from his father. Perry dropped out of high school, but he eventually earned a general equivalency diploma, or GED, later. Trying to find his way professionally, he held a series of unfulfilling jobs before discovering his true passion.

 The Oprah Effect

Watching an episode of Oprah Winfrey’s talk show, Perry was inspired by a comment on the program about how writing about difficult experiences could lead to personal breakthroughs. He started a series of letters to himself, which became the basis for the musical I Know I’ve Been Changed. While the show tackled such tough subjects as child abuse, it also touched on forgiveness, a theme has remained central in many of his works and reflects his deep connection to his Christian faith. After saving up $12,000, Perry debuted the show—which he directed, produced, and starred in—at an Atlanta theater in 1992. The musical’s run lasted only one weekend and drew a measly 30 people to see the show. Disappointed yet determined, Perry continued to work odd jobs while reworking the show. He staged the show in several other cities, but success still eluded him. Broke, Perry was living out of his car for a time {me again}. “Can you imagine a six-foot-five man sleeping in a Geo Metro?” he once told Essence magazine. In 1998, Perry tried one more time to win over theater audiences. He rented out the House of Blues in Atlanta for another production of I Know I’ve Been Changed. Soon Perry was performing to sell out crowds and the musical was moved to a larger theater. After so many years of hard work, he finally earned critical acclaim as well as commercial success.

The Effort Equation

I take inspiration from people like Tyler Perry,  people who find their passion and do whatever it takes to become successful at it. Imagine living in your car if you didn’t have to just to save money to bring your passion to life. I know that is extreme to many of us and I’m not suggesting that you stop paying your rent and invest all of your money in your business. I’m simply saying that output equals input; the more effort you put in to your business the more you get out of it. You have to determine what’s the appropriate amount of effort to input.   

 I hope it helps.  Leave a comment and let me know if it does. Tyler Perry and Chris Gardner stories are great but I’m sure there thousands of stories out there that should be told.  If you or anyone you know is a success in spite of your failures, please email me and perhaps you can be feature on a future Successful Failure post.