Direct Sales Home Business Opportunities are very popular and direct sales in terms of dollars and numbers of people are much larger than most people realize. Sales in the U.S. have doubled in the last decade to $25 billion and more than $82 billion worldwide. These statistics are from the Fact Sheet (http://www.dsa.org/research/04gofactsheet.pdf).

The Direct Selling Association (http://www.dsa.org/)is the first resource to research. Then, the Fact Sheet mentioned above.

The third is the "Benefits of Direct Selling" (http://www.dsa.org/selling/benefits.htm), which shows some of the popular reasons people choose direct selling-

* Direct selling is a good way to meet and socialize with new people. * Direct selling offers flexible work schedules for many people. * Direct selling is an excellent way to earn extra income. * Direct selling is a good way to own your own business. * Earnings are in direct proportion to efforts.

In addition, people like to shop through direct selling, with recent surveys indicating 55% of Americans have purchased goods or services through direct sales. This is more than the number who have purchased through television shopping and on-line computer services combined.

Member companies (150 of them) adhere to the DSA Code of Ethics, which is significant both for individuals representing a company and consumers who buy products from the company. There are also criteria listed at this site for what to check for to make sure the opportunity is a legitimate one.

An opportunity seeker should also search to determine whether the company is a member of DSA or not. On the web site, one can review all the member companies.

The Big Book of Direct Sales Careers (http://www.bigbookofdirectsales.com/final_book_ebook.pdf) Here, an individual can review specific companies that offer direct sales opportunities. Some of the resources available are 1) Top 10 Highest Commission Companies, 2) Top 10 Most Unique Products, and 3) a Quick Comparison Chart that compares four items for all the companies listed in the e-book, which is a large one. The four items are 1) Product, 2) Retail Commissions, 3) Downline Commissions, and 4) Starter Kit Cost.

There is also a list of questions for opportunity seekers to ask before signing up to sell the products. Some of the better ones are-

* How long has your Company been in business? * How many consultants does your Company have worldwide? * How much does the basic starter kit cost and what is its retail value? * What is your Company's main sales method? * What kinds of training does your Company provide? * Is your Company a member of the Direct Selling Organization? (See above) * Do consultants have their own Company affiliated website? * Do consultants have to maintain their own inventory? * What percent commission do consultants earn? * What percent commission do consultants earn on recruits?

There are 191 pages in this PDF e-book, and it is a very good resource for anyone considering a direct sales opportunity. An additional item to consider is to talk with someone who is a consultant for the Company to get their view of the positive and negative factors that will be encountered.

The next resource is a "New Approach for Rating Home Biz Opportunities" available at the link below. (http://www.goodhomebizopp.info/ratebiz.html) This approach rates 11 major attributes and 7 minor attributes for selecting a home business opportunity. In addition, 52 questions or considerations are listed for the basis of the 11 major and 7 minor attributes used.

"A Top Rated Home Business For Mom!" (http://www.articlealley.com/article_11956_15.html) provides an example of a direct sales home business opportunity rated using the New Approach mentioned above for a Company that is a member of the Direct Selling Association.

The next resource is an article entitled "10 Tips for Choosing the Right Direct Sales Company" by Susie Cortright (http://www.halife.com/business/direct_sales.html). One of the questions she suggests is "Does this company involve a business you are truly passionate about?" I think this is a very good question for anyone considering a specific company.

Also, another article "Which Direct Sales Company is Right for Me?" by Stefanie Fauquet also has a list of good questions, and she advises to look carefully at the quality of the products involved. (http://www.ezinearticles.com?Which-Direct-Sales-Company-is-Right-for-Me?&id=76651)

The next resource link is a Direct Sales Company Directory (http://www.internetbasedmoms.com/direct-sales/) which provides good information about specific companies.

The final resource is a site that reviews Direct Sales Companies for individuals seeking a good one. (http://www.mommysplace.net/direct_sales_companies.html)

To summarize, the 10 resources listed above are ones that anyone seeking a direct sales home business opportunity should use extensively before investing time and money in a specific opportunity.

Copyright 2005 Roger Staubus