I hope this will help many. You can run a great business if you handle your money properly. We all hear about the 60/40 split. This is recommended by the Company and it is a good way to run your Mary Kay business but it is important that you understand how it works. Poor money management is one of the biggest reasons we loose consultants. For making things simple, I am going to say at the end of the week I showed $1000 in sales on my weekly accomplishment sheet ( after discounts and not including taxes) that means you would take 60% of the sales which would be $600 to use to place your MK order to replace the product on your shelf. For the most part 50% - 55 % will be to replace Section 1 inventory (approx. $500) and the remaining 5 - 10% for Section 2 products.
Now the part that many get confused with, the remaining 40% is not yours to just go and spend. From that 40% or approx. $400 in this example will be split like this:
First you would make any credit card or loan payment, then you would want to set aside whatever portion you need to save to pay your quarterly taxes (now this will more than likely be directors more than consultants.) Now if you are going to go to Seminar or Career Conference, etc… figure out how much you should set aside in a savings account for these events. The best part of this is when you the event registration time approaches, you don’t have to worry about where the money is going to come from because you already have it in the bank.
Then, what is left is your paycheck. If you are not happy with the amount that is there for your paycheck, you don’t get to go over and take the money from the 60% side because you didn’t place your order yet, actually in the real world this would actually be consider “embezzling” and it is a very bad thing and can get one in a lot of trouble But you might ask “But, mk4me, what are you suppose to do?” The answer is simple, you increase the number at the top, the sales numbers.
I strongly encourage my unit to get in the habit of paying yourself at least wholesale when you will remove product for yourself, it will keep your money straight and please don’t think that “you personally” already paid for it, you didn’t your business did. We must realize to look at your business a real business.
It is also important that once you collect money don’t keep dipping into it because by the time you get to the bank to make your deposit, it will most certainly be gone.
It is very important to keep track of all your expenses and all your mileage, you will want to be able to take advantage of any and all benefits for self employed business owners. Another important point to remember is if you do have any amount financed, if you have money available, don’t let it sit in the bank until the pay date, pay 3 to 4 times a month, it might not be a lot, but paying frequently helps drop your balance on that we are accruing interest.
It is extremely helpful to have a checking account, savings account, and credit or debit card specifically for Mary Kay. That way you don’t intermix your personal money and your business money. I don’t leave a balance on my credit card but I do use one to place my orders. The one I use gives me frequent flier miles so I can usually earn one or two free airline tickets a year so the cost of Seminar and Leadership is greatly reduce.
Watch what you buy, I have heard people say, “oh well, it is a business expense, yeah…but…..your still gotta pay it. .
I am sure I missed many points I will probably end up adding after I get some sleep but right now, my eyes are closing on their own so I think I will call it a wrap and go post it!! Hope this service as a “help” for some.
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Wonderful post MK4ME! I have a worksheet I go over with all new consultants (it is in their welcome pack) and a few times a year at meetings! Breaks down everything and the consultant can make copies each month to fill in the details ;)
ReplyDeleteI love your breakdown and the explanation for why. Thanks!
I would just add that I instruct my ladies to deposit every cent that they take in. Like you said, it will disappear when you start dipping into it, and there is no paper trail for the money. Once deposited, they can pay themselves whenever they choose, as long as there is money in the 40% column or acct., and everything else is covered.
ReplyDeleteSome say, "oh, I am only earning 40%". NOT TRUE. You do earn a 50% commission, but you may owe a credit card or your own savings for your initial business investment. That needs to be paid back, OUT OF MARY KAY income, not your personal funds.
One more thing, be CAUTIOUS on section 2. I've consultants go crazy ordering everything in site. You do not need a sample of every product that we sell, no do you need every sales aid, tote bag, or hostess gift. The general rule of thumb is to spend only 5-10% of your wholesale in section 2 purchases. This varies for me, one oder I may get hardly anything Section 2, the next I may be out of everything or there are new items that I need. In either case, remember that a sample is an expense when it is sitting on your shelf, when given to a client or prospect, it become an investment! Only get what you really need, and give them out. And remember, not all samples are good ones. Some products take time to work and a 1-2 day sample isn't going to do much. Choose things that give an immediate feeling, meaning they feel good, smell good, or look good on the spot.
thanks for this, I wish all consultants would pay attention to this. It works if you do it consistantly this way.
ReplyDeletethanks for the comments everyone, I know as soon as I posted I would like of other stuff I wanted to add but I had started to get tired.
ReplyDeletestrt, may I echo your sentiment, the pt cry, "they are lying, one don't make 50%!"... Let's phrase it properly ladies, we purchase our product at a 50% discount, so your GROSS profit IS 50% - after expenses, your NET profit will less.
If you are not managing your money properly, you will certainly FEEL like you are not making no money. That does not make it so. It means you aren't handling your money properly.
Discipline is the key and understanding because you want more "paycheck" you don't get to say, well, it is my money so I will just use all the money I have set aside for inventory because, well... it is my money. If you want more "paycheck" book more and sell more.
I know this is off topic but Im going to a Gloria Mayfield Banks event and its not a guest event (I think its company sponsored) and its called "In the bag" does anyone know what this is about?
ReplyDeleteOne more thing, and this is a big one. HAVING A GOOD PAPER TRAIL ON YOUR INCOME AND EXPENSES CAN BE CRITICAL IN YOUR MARRIAGE AS WELL.
ReplyDeleteI have seen consultants mismanage this money, spend their profits, etc., and their husband thinks that they are not making money in MK. That is not the truth.
Have a good paper trail for yourself and your partner. If you want to pay a bill with MK income, deposit the money into your MK account, then write a check to the payee or yourself. Then you have proof of the transactions.
This brings up another topic that I would like to see covered, "Husbands and Mary Kay". There has been so much said by the opposition that required rebuttal and additional information.
Has far as paper trail, even if you don't have a good software program for keeping track of your business such as Boulevard or Beauty Advisor you can use something simple to keep your "ducks in a row".
ReplyDeleteTake 24 envelopes, 12 will be for 12 months of expenses and 12 will be for 12 months of sales.
Use a worksheet with the different categories and when ever you have an expense, list it on your worksheet and put the receipt in the envelope that you marked, "January Expenses" - continue with every receipt and each consecutive months.
Then you have the sales, you can file your receipts and your weekly accomplishment sheets in these. This system makes doing your taxes or having someone do your taxes a breeze. (Do this timely and don't let it pile up and it is much easier)
Be work smart and it will pay off.
Hello my twin separated at birth director STRT, you wrote:
ReplyDeleteThis brings up another topic that I would like to see covered, "Husbands and Mary Kay".
Go for it!! I was really worried about volunteering to be an author but it is painless and if I can figure out how to do it, anyone can. (Plus, if I make a typo when I write the article, I can go in and correct my mistake! hehheee
** I still want to issue a disclaimer, I honestly do know how to spell and speak, just not type and focus. **
I will add, that if someone can make you lie to your husband, who you have promised to love, honor, and cherish" - and if you can't trust and respect your husband, the problem is probably in the marriage, not the business. Some of these complainers should think of how they would feel if their husbands were doing things like this to them.
If you can't trust your spouse, who can you trust? I don't care who told me to "hide" something from my husband, unless it was his birthday, father's day, or Christmas present, I wouldn't hide anything.
Speaking the real truth I hope I didnt offend you in the other post when I said that Im not against an NSD having another company if she sells motivational things.
ReplyDeleteThere is no "embezzling" from your own business. Another MK myth.
ReplyDeleteSince most products are sold at a discount, the 60/40 split doesn't work. Why? 60% of the discounted amount won't be enough to replace the product and buy supplies.
Oops. I bet I wasn't supposed to say that!
the "myth" is that most products are sold at discount.
ReplyDeleteYour statement is based on that myth, but not all consultants are giving away a bunce of product just to get someone to buy them.
I dont, and if you are trained properly you wont do that. This blog is trying to point out that the 60/40 split works when you work the business right in all aspects. Plus if you invest in a program that does all of that for you, you will see where your money is going and it will help you manage it better. I am not trying to plug a particular program but Ascend Live has done wonders for me. It takes into account everything and automatically does the math to take care of restocking amounts etc..
oh poor anon... see you only serve to prove our point, yes you can "embezzle" from your own business, you just won't get prosecuted for it... you will still destroy your business.
ReplyDeleteThis "myth" is why the ones that do "embezzle" and mismanage their money are on pt and the ones that can respect the division between business money and personal money, are in busines and making money.
And the "myth" that no products are sold at retail, is just that "a myth" my unit, myself and loads of other consultants sell the product at retail, I am sorry you didn't believe enough in the product and yourself to feel it was worth the price. Further more, if you are a consultant moving product and ordering smart, you end up with free product, so even if you discount a little, the free product sold at retail (or slightly discounted) will make up for it.
Please keep posting, you only make our explanations on why this works for some and why it does not work for others even clearer for those looking at things from an objective standpoint.
Thanks for your contribution!
Even if someone has a skin care class at 200.00 for the week and does that consistently and has a couple of team members under her belt who are selling 5-6 80x4=320 a month and one skin care class is an hour and a half. That is 40.00 an hour and thats not bad. I think that if you look at it on paper over time it really adds up.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone is making an extra 300-500 a month in MK I think they are doing very well.
Anon, discounts that are given on product sales should be at a minimum. In my case, it is only on sales of "sets", the birthday discount (which required a makeover), to thank someone for a referral, the makeover coupon ($10 off with a makeover) or my very immediate family (very small discount except for my parents), or I made a boo-boo like forgetting something or making a late delvery. Other than that I do not usually hold sales or discount products.
ReplyDeleteI also try to order in lumps that earn me free products. Bonus product can cancel out discounted product.
The cost of hostess credit should come out of your 40% account, but for me, if most will just aim at the 60/40, they will come out okay after they get bonus products from Mary Kay. We will be receiving $175 retail in bonus at Seminar, and I've picked up bonus items on my orders recently, that offsets a lot of discounts or hostess items.
Colleen, no offense at all!
mk4me, I will try and type up my thoughts on that subject and list them as a comment somewhere. I hesitate to become an author because I just don't feel that I can give it the time that it deserves, nor always be available to answer questions on something that I've posted. You've probably noticed that I "disappear" for time periods, as I just get so busy with MK and life!
ReplyDeletestrt, I felt the same way but Dave pr0mised me, come and go as I please... tell you what, I don't think Dave will mind, why don't your write it and send it to him so that he can post it as a topic. Or just ask him to forward it to me and I will post it..
ReplyDeletesometimes great comments deserve the attention of being "headliners" and if he gets busy, he doesn't always see the winners.
You go girl!
It is something though, half the time when I am reading your comments, I have to scroll up to see who wrote it because it reads like my thoughts but I didn't remember writing them!!
And if you aren't uncomfortable answering this, which seminar divison are you?? If you are uncomfortable, no biggey, I understand.
Just don't carry an inventory and then it's a non-issue!
ReplyDeleteWhat's the point of having a store nobody walks through?
Women do not care if they have the product in hand when they leave or not. Avon proves that.
That is just the point. Why should we do things the way AVON does it. We are trying to be different than them, and better I might add. If I know I can get my products from someone right away, but have to wait with another, Guess who I am more likely to choose.
ReplyDeleteLike MK4ME says, keep talking, you are making it easy to prove our points.
Anon, I strongly disagree.
ReplyDeleteEvery consultant has the option to carry inventory or not. But, I can tell you that after over a decade in this business, I am happiest when my inventory levels are good, and I do sell more by having product. Here are some of the reasons:
1) I can display products. And yes, people do walk through my store. My store is also portable. So, on that point, I am sorry, but you are just wrong.
2) If someone is out of a product such as Cleanser, Foundation, Mascara, etc., they need it and soon. With any company who cannot offer quick delivery on such items, they will lose sales to those who can. Also, women are notorious for waiting until they are out to order something or go shopping for it.
3) I often make sales because I do have the product right here. Often times a client will go ahead and pick up mascara or other misc. items from me rather than having to drive somewhere else to get them. Some even stop and get MK from me even though they are not a loyal user, because it is convenient.
4) Women do not like to wait for things. When I purchase something, I really want it then if possible. Do you really like to wait for things? When someone tries on a new color look that is fantastic on them, they do not want to get up the next morning and put on their old colors. That would be like getting a new hairstyle that looks fabulous, then being told that you cannot wear it for a week or two.
5) Hostesses appreciate that I can often fill orders on the spot. That prevents them from having to deliver products for me.
I teach my consultants to make sure to stock the items that women want on demand, and to order or trade for other less in demand items.
Anon, as to the embezzlement issue, I will not take the time to look up the official definition of the word, but I will put it this way, it is never a good business practice to just open up the till and take out cash.
ReplyDeleteEven in family and independently owned businesses, money is deposited, then dispersed through paychecks. Shouldn't we treat ourselves like we would any great employee and shouldn't we respect our own businesses like any great employee would?
In MK, if someone wants to lower their inventory level and take out more cash, they certainly can, but it needs to be controlled. They could do a 40/60 or 30/70 split, so that they are not ordering as much to put on their shelf and are paying themselves more.
My teaching to my consultants is that they have a system, whatever system works for them, and that they have a paper trail. Whether they want to raise, lower, or maintain their inventory level, they should have a system for doing it. Not having/using a system is where consultants get into trouble.
Anonymous said, "What's the point of having a store nobody walks through?"
ReplyDeleteAu contraire, mon frere, I know several people in MK -- directors and consultants alike -- who have stores that people can walk through. It's simply a designated room or area with shelved products and a nice display. The ones I have seen look fabulous. I don't have a lot of space in my home, but I am making due with what I have. Can't wait to show people! :)
P.S. Only my hostesses get a discount and my loyal customers get to save in their birth months. Other than that, my customers pay full price. Oh, and if they don't want to host a class, they still buy the product and pay full price. They really like the products.
Anonymous, ever heard of e-commerce?
ReplyDeleteI know I would not have the sales that I have if I didn't have the product on hand. I move way to much to worry about not having things readily available.
ReplyDeleteI have shared before because I moved about 30 miles from where I had lived for about 14 years and my clients were very spoined, four times a year a pack all my goodies up and use a conference room and invite all of them to come to an open house. I see alot of people in a two day span, they leave with their products. This saves me from delivering or mailing and I can service loads of clients in just two day. The totals are between $2000 - $4000 in two days. All delivered. Could you see not having an inventory and accomplishing that?
And when I do appointments in my home and clients see the products are readily available, they feel good about using MK and know if they run out they can get their goodies right away. Many of my clients have shared that they had used MK years ago but got away from it because they could never get what they needed when they needed it. I offered them a facial to try all the new products and assured them I would have what they needed and they become great clients because they appreciate good customers service.
And with good money management, all my (rather large) inventory is totally paid for.
Treat MK as a business, run it like a business, and you will have a business. Treat it like an order taker and you will have a hobby.
Thanks again Anon. Keep supporting our points.
(And even not keeping an inventory, if still need to handle your money properly or you will still get yourself in hot water.
I don't discount my product.
ReplyDeletePeople can indeed "walk through" my store. My store is also "portable"! I LOVE being able to take my store to my customers - more importantly my customers LOVE it!
MK4Me is worth repeating - even when there is no inventory, the proper paper work and money management is vital.
And my sales are higher, too, when I have the appropriate amount of inventory for my specific MK business.
ReplyDeleteNote: Having an inventory, does not mean it has to be huge. If your market is only skincare and light color, you are certainly going to be able to operate with a smaller inventory than someone that sells all products from all the lines. One learns what they move and what they don't, I don't think my unit members need one of everything just in case - because for unique order most wouldn't mind waiting and then if it was going to be an ongoing customer, then you could stock one of the items so the next time the client won't wait. and... if it isn't abused I have no problem lending them the unique item and they can replace it on their next order. Because of my large customer base and their diversified needs I do have at least one of everything. So since I have it, if someone needs something unique, I certainly help out. Along those lines though, it must be on occassional situations, it is not my responsibility to have an inventory so they don't have to.
ReplyDeleteWell you all have interesting comments. Obviously you have the customer base to sustain an inventory and in at least one case the climate to carry it with you all the time. (Remember you can't subject the product to extreme hot or cold temperatures for long periods.)
ReplyDeleteI have a problem with new girls coming in with large stores with nobody but their friends and family to sell to first. There could be a few product/packaging changes to her inventory before she can even warp up to being able to sell the level she has (in some instances, $3600?). I don't think that's fair to her. Six hundred to start. Maybe. $3600? No way.
Then there is the Weekender fiasco. Did you not hear? They declared bankruptcy! There are a ton of women with inventory sitting in their homes, now, and their exit plan, as per their agreement, pulled out from under them. Forget about the commission checks those women are owed.
Call me conservative, I don't care. The times being the way they are, I think going in with a store before you have the customer base to sell to is a bit reckless. I think if you ask the women with money management problems what their problem is I think you'd find out that they went into Mary Kay to make *immediate* money. They were told that they could buy for $1 and sell for $2 and that's their focus. That was their hook. So the women with the problems are doing just that, except that most of them have inventories to pay for, (oh yeah!) but they need to pay for the electricity now, or pay for the phone bill now.
I agree with you all that if it's a store you bought, you can't just open the till and take what you want from it. You have to pay your overhead, etc. But in all honesty, women jumping on the wagon today are doing so to inject immediate cash relief into the household finances. Those types of women should not be carrying inventory or at a minimum very little of it. Their needs are not being addressed properly if they are coming in with $1800 or $3600 stores. They should be initiated to the business slowly with tight reigns and then worked to a higher operating level.
Seriously, how many people are handed the keys to a full-fledge store with zero experience in the real world? No wonder there are the problems there are.
Thanks ladies!
So as not to be offensive, (my intent wasn't to be) I should have said retail world as opposed to real world.
ReplyDeleteYou make some excellent points, anon. I heard about Weekender going under, but frankly, until that news broke, I'd never heard of Weekender. :P
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you that such large orders to start do not need to be encouraged. I wouldn't encourage anyone to come in with a star order. They can build to Star status once they start selling and feel confident in selling.
Colleen mentioned on another thread somewhere about a certain NSD she believes frontloads and she's RIGHT. That particular NSD did training at Seminar that my recruiter heard. In that session she actually stated she WILL NOT do the first SCC for a new consultant UNLESS she STARTS with AT LEAST $1800 wholesale (Sapphire Star). That is ridiculous and I've never been a fan of this person. That is NOT Go-Give and having help with the first appointment doesn't guarantee success. I help my team members whether they come in with a Star order or $0 order. I don't encourage star orders to start off with, but that's not to say they always listen to me. ;)
Either way, if she is embarking on this business, she needs my help. I'm here to offer it to her regardless of the size of her inventory.
Guess I got a little OT. Oops!
Anon, I appreciate your input, you don't know me, but if you went back over many articles here, you will find I (as a director) is oppossed to bringing in any consultant with more than $1800- and the majority of my unit comes in between $0 - $600. (If they have the confidence level and are ready to work $1800 is not too much but - but it is few that I think come in that confident).
ReplyDeleteAs far small business, self employed individuals, yes anyone with access to the money can open their own venture with no training - just desire and that is probably why you see many of them come and go too.
Even a brand new mom and pop gift shop when it opened it's doors would not open the doors on an empty store with catalogues, but I assure as they began to sell, they would have inventory to offer their clients a larger selection.
(One really DOES need to run and treat their Mary Kay as a business even if they only want $50/week).
I agree that Anon makes some valid points. The only people that I have had come in with $3600 inventory levels were ones who decided that themselves, wanted it all, wanted as much free product as possible, AND has cash to pay for it. I am comfortable with some consultants coming in with an $1800, sometimes a $2400, but only if she has the financial means to do so and it is not going to stretch or stress her.
ReplyDeleteWith that said Anon, you are missing some other valid points. I have had MANY consultants frustrated by having too little inventory on their shelves. Also, you CAN make more money by having it on hand if you work it right. You get bonus product on your first larger order, then by being able to wait longer to re-order, you can build up to a monthly bonus level (more free products), by ordering less often you pay less in shipping costs, and you can often give on the spot delivery instead of running around when gas is $4/gal. Plus, you do have a good selection of items that you can trade with other consultants if you were to have an immediate need. As to needing money immediately, I have seen cases where it was easier to take money out when you had inventory. When you have nothing, you are constantly ordering, spending more in shipping, etc. If you come in with a little inventory and you owe a credit card with low or zero interest on that card, and you do the 60/40 split correctly, you can pay back the card AND take an immediate cut of your profits. The key is selling the product to put more cash into the system, then you pay off any debt faster and get more to pay yourself.
I hope you can understand what I am saying. You see, you can sometimes take out more cash when you have purchased some inventory.
strt, your point is worth mentioning again
ReplyDelete"The key is selling the product to put more cash into the system"
And I will mention it a third time:
ReplyDelete"The key is selling the product to put more cash into the system".
Page 12 of the Business Basics of the Consultant's Guide says, "Sales are the foundation of your business."
Sell the product. Everything else comes as a result of selling the product.
Period.
mk4me, admittedly I just skip through every now and then. So no, I haven't read all the threads.
ReplyDeleteIt's true (maybe unfairly so) that when one has a bad experience, we tend to paint the whole entity with a broad brush stroke. Perhaps it's not fair to you guys who lead by example and work your businesses ethically. Long story short (because really, it's not worth it anymore) if you're "the real deal" and you train your teams effectively, then there's hope and longevity for you and for your businesses.
On a personal front, I just know know too many people in the home party business (not just Mary Kay,) who are really struggling today. They've invested so much with little to no return. Weekender has been around for decades and it was because of that consultant, whom I knew, that I decided to get into Mary Kay! What has happened to those consultants has snapped me to attention, that's for sure!
I know exactly what you mean about the frustration of not having enough inventory on hand to service your customers. That happened to me. Except that I started out with $3600 and "not enough" of what my customers needed.
Pretty sick, huh? Lucky for me I broke even, cut my "losses", (cashed in,) and got out.
My ex-director, who is pretty big around these parts, is greedy with a capital "g". She could care less. I had the where-with-all to be able to deal with it. But there are so many, who don't, and have really absorbed significant losses. It's a travesty.
Oh well. We do our best and move on, right?
This conversation has been enlightening. If anything, others who are lurking about may learn something from all this.
:)
anon, I want to say thank you, I think your posts are a valuable asset to this site and to others, by you questioning things you experienced or were taught, we can speak up if they aren't what the Company teaches or in the best interests of others. We need your input.
ReplyDeleteReading the blogs has really opened my eyes. I must have been a really naive, pollyanna, because I have operated this business from day one with an "others" attitude. my unit laughs because I am like a mother hen with her chickadess, I try to protect them and keep them safe, and sometimes it will mean telling NOT to order, yup, if you see they are getting too excited about the prize but aren't doing the work, it is my responsibility to make the see "good business sense".
Until reading some of the negative blogs, I wouldn't have even imagined people doing some of the things that are done to earn a car or earn a director. My opinion ..this is crazy, fake people will never put in real production. Buying prizes don't make you successful, even if you may appear succesful. And.. deep down inside you know you didn't earn it, so hence your self-esteem goes down and it is a nasty catch 22. And in the long run everyone looses.
I am sorry that you didn't have a director that appreciated that if you were willing to start with $3600, you were probably willing to do the work and if your order had been designed around you, you may still have had a great little business.
I think the fact the you were able to get out and breakeven shows that you did make some wise decisions during your business.
I hate reading stories like yours, because if you have encountered a director who is out for her self, why would you think the rest of us were any different.
The reason, I have taken an interest in this blog, is because I feel it can help others, whether they are in or looking at getting into Mary Kay, but to really help we need input from consultants, such as yourself, have had experiences that we can speak out about.
Any way, thank you and please stick around and keep contributing!!