NewsObserver.com:
Susan Crisp had always done some part-time direct-selling, but in June 2009, she’d sworn off it.
Still, when her daughter took her to a meeting for LMS fragrance company, sellers of d’essence fragrances, Crisp was impressed, and she joined up. And then she walked away, deciding to stick to her pledge to leave that world behind her.
But to support her daughter, she attended another d’essence party, where she met Linda Rogers-Brown of Durham, who pointed out the things she missed at that last meeting. Crisp was convinced. She’s been selling the fragrance line part-time since August 2009.
“I’m in it for the long haul,” says Crisp, who lives in Hillsborough. “But there’s the immediate gratification too. I’ve made some good money.”
For Rogers-Brown, working for d’essence is more than just a way of taking control of her income. As a senior director for the LMS fragrance company, she thinks of it as a chance to help people and change their lives.
It’s a popular route. According to the Direct Selling Association, in 2008, the South had 35.1 percent of direct sales, the highest of any region; The South Atlantic, which includes North Carolina had 18.6 percent. Women overwhelmingly are the direct sellers (86.4 percent versus 13.6 percent for men) and personal care products make up 21.5 percent of sales by product.
Logo from LMS Fragrances