Becky, I am a consultant (in CT too!).
I"ll answer what I can, if you have further questions, pm me and I'll send you my website, if you wish to look around there.
what are the start up costs?
Heres how it works: New Consultants purchase the basic Consultant Kit for $50, plus shipping and handling. The kit contains enough business materials to hold a Photo Solutions Party.
Consultant Kit contents include: Scraps magazine, 8x8 Hardcover StoryBook sample, StoryBook Creator 3.0/Memory Manager 3.0 Demo DVD
with Content, Getting Started Brochure, 4 Photo Solutions Catalogs (5/pk), 2 Creative Memories Product Catalogs, 2 Photo Solutions Party
Postcards (30/pk), 2 Photo Mouse Pads (booking gifts), 1 Customer Order Forms (25/pk), Consultant Presentation Guide, Photo Tips video,
Business Fliers, Personal Website - 90 days free, Creative Memories Lapel Pin
New Consultants can add samples products to use at their parties by purchasing the Basic or Enhanced Completion Kits at a 30 percent discount. The purchase of the Completion Kits will count toward your monthly personal volume
what are the minimum sales per period? You are asked to meet a $500 retail/$350 wholesale during a three month period. If you meet the minimum in a one or two month time, your timeclock resets. S0 if you meet the $350 wholesale in Jan and Feb, then your next three month starts in March. You could then do a cumulative sales of $100 in March, $100 in April, then $125 in May. I will be perfectly honest with you, not once in six years as a consultant have I ever had trouble meeting the minimum.
commission? 30%
how involved is it? is it a pushy kind of thing or more of a go at your own pace even if that pace is slow kind of thing? I'm looking for something I can do super casually, more to sell to my friends and myself rather than to go crazy trying to book lots of parties.
There are purist out there who work their business full time, and there are others who do it more casually. I do it part time as I have a full time job and a special needs child. I love the quality of the products, that is why I became a consultant. I do a crop once of month, and about two weekend crops a year. One is at the Hartford Expo Center, next is scheduled for April 2012, and a weekend crop on Cape Cod, next is scheduled for March 2012.
With the customer base of your friends and yourself, you most likely will have no issues meeting the minimums. I have a consultant who is more of a hobbyist; she buys for herself, her Mom and her aunt. She doesn't do any Photo Solution parties or crops. The nice thing is your can work your business in whatever manner you choose.
Anything else that would be helpful to know? If there are any other questions you have, please feel free to pm me.