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How to Make Money Selling Makeup & Skin Care Products

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For a person who is interested in personal care, makeup, or skin care products and their effects, selling cosmetic products can be an interesting part-time job or a full-time career. There are several ways to make money selling makeup and skin care products. You can invest in an already established network with products already in place. You can find a variety of products on your own, purchase them wholesale and market them on your own. Or, you also could create your own line of products and market them.

Decide what you want to sell. If you want to sell the products of an already established company like Avon or Mary Kay, then go to their website and contact them. If you know what products you'd like to sell, but they are of different brands, then contact those companies and set up a wholesale account to purchase. This will be easier to do with smaller, boutique brands when you are starting out. If you are making your own products, you will want to invest in good labels and packaging to make them more attractive to your customers.

Design and purchase marketing materials and samples. Even if you are working for a large, established brand, you will still want to have business cards made; a brochure; a price list or catalog; a website; access to social media applications like Facebook and Twitter; and a cellphone. Purchase samples of the products you are offering for sale from your company or create samples that you can give away or testers that potential customers can use.

Network with everyone you can. Networking is the key to success, particularly if you are working in a multi-level marketing situation like Mary Kay. Join organizations where you are likely to meet customers, such as parent groups or educational booster clubs. Go to local chamber of commerce events; leave samples at parties your invited to; donate baskets full of your products to local silent auctions. Any way you can get your name out is important. Important too, is not pushing your products on people, but rather becoming known as a resource. If you are helpful to local organizations, people will remember you.

Throw a party. Throwing a party announcing your new business is a great way to become known. Expand your invitation list beyond friends and family to include local business owners; city workers (your friendly librarian); bank tellers; anyone you may meet regularly. Hold the party at familiar local restaurant where everyone will feel comfortable. Serve great food; offer door prizes and, of course, give samples of your products.

Exhibit your products at fairs, festivals, and farmer's markets. Get a table at a local event, or a weekly event like the farmer's market, and hand out free catalogs, free samples, and have some of your most popular products on hand. If you don't have any popular products yet, you can try out what you think will be popular to get started and take orders for anything you don't have on hand. If you are at a weekly event, you can deliver the next week. Otherwise you can ship your product to your customer.

Design a website that is simple to use, appealing to the eye without being too busy, and gets to the point quickly. Promote your website everywhere you can. Put the website address on your car and on your business card. Put it in your signature line in emails. Make up a catchy slogan for it and put it on a bumper sticker. Hand them out to your friends.

Tip

Be patient. It takes time to build up clientele. If you need cash right away, start out with an already established company like Avon, or don't quit your day job until you start making a profit.

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Tips
  • Be patient. It takes time to build up clientele. If you need cash right away, start out with an already established company like Avon, or don't quit your day job until you start making a profit.
Writer

Michelle Hogan is a writer and the author of 13 books including the 2005 bestselling memoir, "Without a Net: Middle Class and Homeless (With Kids) in America." Hogan studied English at American University and has been writing professionally since 1998. Her work has appeared in "The New York Times," "Redbook," "Family Circle" and many other publications.

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Dan Dalton/Caiaimage/GettyImages