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Rating:
Level of
Review: Reviewed by someone with Personal
Experience-since 1997, and by Laura Wheeler, who
assessed it objectively from research.
Overview:
MLM, three level breakaway. Member of DSA.org.
Company still in the Ground Level stage. Stable,
poised and beginning momentum stage (warehouse and
office ready for explosive growth). Not a household
name, small home office, very responsive to
suggestions of the sales force. Family oriented.
CEO expects ethical behavior from sales field.
Marketing program allows for 5 types of sales so
there's not just one way to do the business. This
program limited to USA. (Canada and England have
their own UBAH programs.)
Product:
Educational Books for Children priced at fair
market value. Avg price is under $10. Primarily
non-fiction. Birth to Middle School age emphasis,
but also enjoyed by Adults. Considered the "PBS"
style of books full of information and not fluff.
Industry leader in Internet Linked resources tied
to their content pages. Many award winning books
recognized for excellence by Parents Choice,
Learning Magazine, Dr Toy, Parent Council, American
Booksellers Pick of the Lists, Accelerated Reader,
etc. Product catalog can be overwhelming with over
1,400 titles across all ages. They publish in such
high volume, and on heavy weight paper, the books
are durable. Includes a lifetime ½ price
replacement policy. Usborne Publishing has been
producing books since 1975. Distribution in USA by
Educational Development Corporation since 1979, the
Home Business opportunity began in 1989.
Cost: Under
$200 to start. Usually a second smaller kit choice
is also offered. All kits include online ordering
system subscription for 3 months (renews for only
$1.30 / mo.) Additional costs: Option to add
ecommerce website (maintained by the company),
renews for $50 /yr. Note: some kit specials include
starter website. No additional kits required to
maintain consultant status. Hostess awards are
offered by the company at no expense to consultant.
Additional promotional items available at reduced
cost. Specialized training for School & Library
sales req a one time purchase of $22 EC Kit and
signed commitment to ethics. No cost to process
Credit Cards, company does this for you. Company
does not charge full price for shipping (only
charges 8%).
Compensation:
Customers pay you, You keep commission up
front, forward wholesale cost of products to the
company. Eligible for bonuses any month you have
$350+ NET sales. (excludes book fair program sales)
You earn bonus on your personal recruits net sales
when you meet bonus NET amt mentioned above.
Supervisor level consultants also earn 11% override
on their personal and team sales. No minimums are
required to stay a consultant. Supervisor level
consultants do have quarterly minimums. Once the
plan is clearly understood, you can see the sales
of team and downline and pretty accurately
calculate what your check will be. No nonsense from
HO.
Margins on sales
range from 15-30%, depending on the type of sale
and how much is sold.
Conclusion:
The first 12 weeks the company offers incentives to
help new consultant get started. Once initial
obligation is met, (~$120 in retail sales)
consultant can literally walk away with no further
obligations as no minimums are required to stay a
consultant. Company has no debt. Publicly traded
NASDAQ (EDUC). CEO personally signs award checks
and helps out even in the warehouse from time to
time. Family attitude among consultants offering
various training cross-lines. Many areas of USA
without sufficient consultants to service all
possible business, means a virtually untapped
market overall. As of June 2005 company had 10,000
active consultants nationwide-number changes as
consultants come and go. Hostess program is
generous. Complensation plan equitable.
Requirements for promotion to management very
achieveable and to maintain compared to other
programs. I've had fun while making money. We
started while having infants, able to work the
business and grow it while putting family
first.
Company has many
CEO family members on staff. Small home office so
not every bell and whistle of bigger corporations
are offered in regards to training materials. But
this also means they respond to suggestions from
the sales force. Recent additions of Graphic
Designer and Marketing Specialist have dramatically
improved the literature company produces and tools
developed for promoting sales. I've personally been
involved with development/beta testing of ordering
software, expense tracking tools, mailing lists,
event manager, etc. With such a wide variety of
sales programs one can feel overwhelmed with
options. Its nice to know the CEO cares about the
sales force. He's always been there at the hotel
greeting consultants as they arrive for National
convention. It may not always be this way once
momentum phase takes growth to higher numbers of
consultants.
Company holds the
sales tax license for all states which require it,
and forwards all collected taxes to those states
with the exception of HI whichrequires the
individual consultant to carry their own tax
license, and pay the taxes.
Company allows use
of corporate logo in materials -- but you must not
make any claims outside of those from company
programs. We can use logos to make our own
business cards, stationary, and advertising. They
also encourage and allow personalized websites, but
most consultants use the site offered through
company which includes a shopping cart.
Supervisors agree
to not promote another program. Regular consultants
can.
Certain things are
required to service schools & libraries, thus a
professional appearance is expected. You cannot
service an S&L account which is listed by
another consultant.
Having a car and a
computer with internet access although not required
certainly make business much more doable than
without those items.
As an independent
consultant the best upline will not guarantee
success any more than the worst upline will make
business hard. All the tools are in place for one
to succeed regardless of upline. I've done most of
this on my own regardless of upline support. Now as
a leader in the company, I strive to provide the
guidance every consultant deserves. Like any
business opportunity, if you're passionate about
the products, you'll do well. Emphasis on the love
of children and the focus of enriching their lives
can certainly motivate a consultant to succeed.
Many leaders in the company merely started because
they just wanted to get books for their family, now
they're earning a full time income. Their advice,
stick with it--they're glad they did.
Comments from
Laura: Books as a product sell well when aimed
at the right market. Usborne Books are well
respected within the Homeschool Community, so if
you have an in there, this business could be a
natural for you. I would not recommend this for
someone who does not have young children, or at
least association with a lot of families who have
young children. While selling to friends and family
is not something to base a business on, you do need
to associate regularly with people who are similar
to your intended customers, or you will not
understand what their needs and preferences
are.
Ann, who wrote the
review above, provided me with additional details
which gave me the information needed to rate the
program. The restrictions on the program are
reasonable and do not hamper a distributor in
working the business, and the options for selling
are varied so that you can pretty much choose to
sell in the manner you feel comfortable selling, as
long as it is honest and does not compromise the
company. From the information I was given, it
appears that this company considers itself in
partnership with their consultants, not in
competition with them, and they also do not view
their consultants as a customer. This a a hugely
important plus.
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