What are the Pros and Cons of working for Pampered Chef?

I am a director with The Pampered Chef and I love the flexibility it gives me as a Mom of 2 little kids (2 and 9months). I think the start up cost is so reasonable with all the produts you get to start. In your first 90 days you have the ability to earn free Pampered Chef $$ for anything you would like - the program is so awesome. I have a new consultant who has already earned $500 in Pampered Chef $ and she has only been selling for about 35 days. For me the the pros outweight any cons. You can work when you want and as much or as little as you want. You have the opportunity to stock your kitchen with increadible products and make commission on top of that. I live in a smaller town (15,000 people) and I have no problem selling $4,000 in product monthly which earns me well over $1,000 a month as a director. I usually work 6-8 nights a month (about 3 hours a night) and I enjoy the parties because they give me a break from being "Mom" and a chance to socialize and be part of the community. When they come out with a new line of products they always give consultants a chance to earn them for free. I have 2 huge boxes of over $1,000 in free products that I just recieved in the past few days. I never really cooked much before I started working with The Pamered Chef but now that I do cook more I really appreciate their tools and how much easier it is to get things done quickly in the kitchen. My husband is definitely a supporter because he likes to cook (he enjoys using the kitchen tools) and he is so much happier now that I have learned to make a decent meal. If you treat it like a real job it is not to difficult to make a good income. Be responsible, take care of your customers and spend the time that is necessary - you'll be surprised with your results. I have worked with them for almost 2 years now and I sill love it. They ask that you do 4 shows when you start up to see if it is something you would like to do. If you plan on signing up, find 4 people to host shows for you (or you could host one and find 3 other people) and give it your best shot. The worst that could happen is you'll end up with a kitchen of awesome products, about $300-400 in comission and (if you do the 4 shows in your first 30 days) $100-200 in Pampered Chef $ to spend on more products. Feel free to ask me any questions you may have. The consultant you are working with will also have some good information you can look at to see if you think it is something you might want to try. Good Luck!

I have know a few people that have done this, one sister, a niece, and a family friend. The downside that most complained about was the 1099 they received on their sales at the end of the year and having to chase down people that did not pay up front and people that canceled their order after it arrived. My sister did it for about two years, and left because the money was not consistent and the booking of parties became slim. I have never supported any of the party related sales programs, because of the initial investment cost, the fact that soon after friends and family stop--you are in the dark. Avon sales seem to be better, because all you pay for are the sales books--just an opinion--I never have done either. It is your choice on what you do. I wish you the best.