Hilary Waite spent two decades working in the City as a commodities broker but when she was made redundant last summer she decided to give up the world of six-figure salaries, 12-hour days and long commutes. “I did it for 20 years and I loved it,†said the 44-year-old.
“But now I want to spend more time with my children.†Rather than looking for traditional part-time employment, last September Waite, who has four-year-old twins, became one of 400,000 people who sell goods and services to their friends, families and other contacts through the direct-sales industry.
It’s a popular option at the moment, said Richard Berry, director of the Direct Selling Association (DSA), which represents businesses that have signed up to the industry’s code of conduct. “In the past few months we have seen an increase of at least 15% over the same time last year,†he said. He attributed the sector’s popularity to its low start-up costs of between £75 and £100, flexible hours and to sales holding up despite the downturn.
Waite certainly likes the flexible hours. “It’s much easier to fit around the twins,†she said. “I do a lot of work in the evening – you can do some of it while watching telly with a glass of wine.â€
She became a distributor for Phoenix cards and stationery because she had bought them from a friend in the past. She is realistic about how much she can make, and how fast. “Financially I am not making as much as in the City because I have not built up the business yet, but there is the opportunity to move forwards,†she said. “It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme by any stretch of the imagination but there is a direct correlation between how hard you work and how much you earn.â€
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