The bath and body industry is booming, with $32 billion in sales in 2005, according to Stylecareer.com. The direct sales Association said in 2007 that 15 million Americans choose direct sales as their career. Combining the profitability of the bath and body industry with the popular direct sales technique could result in a very lucrative business, provided you do your research beforehand.

Researching Bath and Body Companies

Find a list of bath and body companies that offer distributorship in your country or area. While some companies operate globally, others work on a smaller scale and may not have branched out to your area as of yet. There are bath and body company lists available on websites such as wahm.com and mymommybiz.com.

Make a list of companies available to you. Begin researching the companies on your list by visiting their company website. Write down important information, such as what percentage they pay distributors, sales restrictions and start-up costs.

List some questions you have about each company that interests you. You need to know as much about the companies you’re considering as possible to make an informed decision. Don’t forget to include questions such as how many other distributors the company has, which will give you an idea of your sales competition. If you wish to sell your products on the Internet, you will want to know whether you will be allowed to build your business online.

Contact a sales representative from each company. This could be through a listing or the representative’s website. Ask them to call you so you can speak in person. You will get a much better feel for the person and company if you speak with them over the phone instead of emailing.

Ask for samples and literature from the company. The sales representative will likely have a package of company literature she can send out to you explaining the opportunity further. Asking for a small sample from the company, in order to test the quality of the products, is always a good idea.

Research beyond what the company literature offers. Checking with the Better Business Bureau and looking for complaints on the Internet can help you uncover potential problems with a company before you sign on the dotted line.

Choosing a Company

Choose the best company to meet your needs. The bath and body company you decide to distribute for should have the products you like the most, offer you fair compensation for your sales and provide you with the most marketing support.

Read your contract thoroughly. Before signing anything, read the company’s contract thoroughly to make sure what you’ve been promised verbally is also in the language of your binding contract.

Register your business. If you are not already a business owner you will want to register as a small business to enjoy the tax breaks associated with being a home or small business owner. If you choose to run your business under a business name, instead of under your own name, there are extra steps to go through in order to assure you don’t infringe on any other company’s trademarked name.