What are some good products I could sell at school?

My friend is dropping out of college to sell Mary Kay full time. Bad idea or what?

• My friend has a year in a half left of school before she receives her B.A. degree but she decided to drop all her classes and not register for next semester because she want to pursue her Mary Kay business. I'm concerned for her because I don't think that's a good idea. She says, she won't need her degree if her business is going well. She is selling here and there but I think she is buying what the sales directors are telling her and she believe that if she work hard and try to sell her products, she'll make a lot of money and have a successful business. I'm happy she is so confident in what she's doing but I think she's putting all her eggs in one basket and if this Mary Kay thing don't work, she's going to regret not finishing her degree. When I ask her how is she so sure it'll work, she responds "Her faith in God". I'm happy she believes God will help her Mary Kay business but I still think it's a bad idea. What do you think? Is this a bad idea or what or will she really make a lot of money selling MK?

• Answer:

  Wellll, God helps those who help themselves. And the truth is sometimes people are inspired to do things that may work for them. However, giving up a college degree to go do Mary Kay parties really doesn't sound very promising. The people bringing anyone in to a business like Mary Kay is like multi-level marketing - the people higher up the chain earn money on sales of the people below them, they get a small percentage. So, those higher ups recruiting anyone would be seriously and overly enthusiastic about their potential, convincing them how wonderful they will do. It sometimes works but there's a high failure rate. This is a startup business, anyone has to find customers to make sales - and they have to keep finding customers and keep finding customers and more and more and more. Where is she going to get her customers? It's hard, damn hard - I did it and I just didn't have it in me to go out and look for people to buy from me. And I dropped a bunch of money in the process. It can be made to work but it will take awhile to build - and starting in this economy, well, people aren't buying but what they need right now, so I'd be hesitant. I, well, let's just say that I'd make sure she really knows what she is doing - and that it's hard, damn hard. Try to get her to understand. And try to make sure you know what cheerleaders these recruiters are - they could make athlete's foot seem like a great thing to have - they are motivated because they'll make money if she joins them. I have a longtime friend who's been a director for a competitor to Mary Kay - and she did okay for herself for awhile but has been struggling for the past 10 years. Her ability to do really well has depended on the gals selling below her and she's lost a lot of people. That alone makes me nervous in any business one takes on - the real money is not just from sales, but from the sales of the people you bring in, so even if one is a good salesperson, they would still be limited unless they bring others in below them. I don't know whether to say tell her no, because sometimes inspiration is everything and she may be the one who makes it - but if she isn't, then she's giving up a college degree. I'd suggest she consider doing it part-time while finishing her degree, and then if it has been building, to keep working at the business. She likely won't start full-time in MK, there may not be enough of a customer base. http://www.stretcher.com/stories/02/02oct21a.cfm http://www.pinktruth.com/category/mary-kay-opinions/