Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
THE BEAUTY OF BEING MY BOSS
CARING for her great-granddad and studying for a degree, Emily Walker, 22, needed a way to make money that could fit round her demanding schedule.
When some friends suggested she give selling Avon cosmetics a go Emily, from Lowestoft, realised she had nothing to lose.
How did you start the business?
It was February last year. I still live at home but everyone was out working or at college so it made sense for me to become my great-grandad’s carer. Sadly he died a few weeks ago aged 99 so much of his care in the past year has been end-of-life. At the same time as that I had started studying business management with The Open University. I needed an income and Avon made sense.
Both my mum and grandma had been Avon reps when I was little. I’d get to smell the perfumes and play with the make-up, so it felt a little nostalgic signing up myself.
I’ve loved my beauty business ever since. It gives me the freedom and flexibility of working in my spare time from home.
I got my starter kit and as well as distributing catalogues to friends, family and neighbours I got my Facebook page up and running for online sales.
My mum Angela was my first client and it felt so good to be earning. The business has really just grown and grown from there. I am now a sales co-ordinator, managing a team of 15 people.
What do you love about it?
Interacting with people and sharing the love for the Avon products is what it’s about for me. I’m a walking review of every product as I religiously use them.
I’ve built strong bonds with my customers and have come to know what they like so I get very excited when we get something new which I know they will love.
The flexibility has been a massive selling point for me. Between my various course lectures and caring for my greatgrandfather, this was really my only option at a steady income.
What do you earn?
It varies from month to month, but it has really helped improve my life. My priority is paying my university bills and putting some money into my savings to buy a house one day, but at the end of the month I always have a little left over to treat myself.
I got a bonus when I was promoted to sales coordinator and that helped me pay for a weekend getaway with my partner.
It was absolutely lovely and something I definitely wouldn’t have been able to afford if it wasn’t for Avon.
What does a typical day working for Avon involve?
The first thing I like to do is to check in with customers who are placing orders and waiting on deliveries and keeping them updated.
I then move on to drafting and scheduling social media posts for the day. I’ve found that it’s been the most effective way to communicate throughout the pandemic.
Avon really supported us during lockdown with countless workshops, digital tools and social media training to help make the most of our business.
The workshops gave me the confidence to start doing Facebook livestreams where I showcase new products or deals. It’s been crucial to keeping those existing customer relationships alive when face-to-face selling wasn’t a possibility.
Just a few months after joining I started building my own team, so I try to check in with them on a regular basis. I see if anyone has any questions that I can help with or if I can teach them a new skill – I try to train them as much as I can so I can see them rise through the ranks as I did.
This is all from the comfort of my own home and on my own time. When I have a spare minute I can dedicate it to checking in and growing my business.
How has this work changed you?
‘‘ My mum was my first client and it’s just grown – I’m now a sales co-ordinator
Before this period of my life I had periods of being unwell with anxiety and when I started out I was even terrified of messaging people, but that has changed so much.
My confidence has just gone through the roof. I find the experience of the business really helps my studies too as I have more of an idea how things work in the real world.
Connect with Avon
The beauty company, which has five million reps globally, is always keen to welcome new reps. Learn more at avon.uk.com/become-arepresentative
Emily’s own business is found at shopwithmyrep.co.uk/avon/ Emilysessentialbeautyshop or at facebook.com/groups/303694787 271713/?ref=share. Or you can visit bit.ly/joinemilyavon