Cosmetics for Cash
by Elise B. Zito

Cold, hard cash. If theres one thing every college student wishes they had more of, thats it. Check in with some students who turned their love of cosmetics into a convenient way to make money. Beautiful!

On the Mark With Her Earnings
Kristina Bradley, a senior at Newberry College (Newberry, SC), has been selling cosmetics for mark., the young, trendy division of Avon, since her sophomore year. Ive always been kind of in and out of retail and sales, she says. I just had never thought about opening my own business.

Although shes on a full scholarship, this 2005 mark. Goal Model says her cosmetics sales have helped finance her education in other ways. It pays about 25 percent of my book costs each semester, and it pays for my sorority dues, too. Not to mention funding one of her favorite hobbies shopping both for herself and others.

And for Kristina, balancing studies and sales isnt a problem. It hasnt been that hard. I focus on the business during the summer, on the weekends, and in the evenings, she says. You can put as much or as little into it as you want.

Using Moms Makeup Plan
As soon as she turned 18, Jordan Helou decided to follow in her mothers footsteps by joining the Mary Kay cosmetics sales force. Growing up in what she calls a Mary Kay household, Jordan dreamed of working for the skin care and cosmetics company since she was a little girl. When we would have career day at school, Id dress up as a Mary Kay sales director, she says. This is no surprise, considering her mother is the senior national sales director for the corporation.

Now, as a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, majoring in religious studies and romance languages with a concentration in Spanish, Jordan has worked her way up the Mary Kay corporate ladder to become an independent sales director. Responsible for keeping up with her studies and overseeing the needs and affairs of 84 women nationwide, she knows a thing or two about managing her time.

Im a very visual person, so I keep my goals in front of my face, she says. Its a balancing act, for sure, but I feel like school is my primary responsibility until I graduate. The flexibility of selling cosmetics doesnt hurt, she adds. Being able to create my own schedule around my studying makes it manageable.

And the financial rewards? Jordan is focusing most of her earnings (approximately $1,500 a month) on post-college expenses, such as moving out on her own. My college has been totally paid for by my moms success, which is a huge blessing, she admits. But there are girls on my team who are using the money they earn to help pay for their books and tuition bills.

Making Dreams Come True 
Even before heading off to college, Rona Adams, an 18-year-old freshman at Fisk University (Nashville, TN), was selling mark. cosmetics to avoid being a financial burden to her family. The amount needed for a college students daily necessities can be high, especially if youre used to the luxuries your parents might have given you in high school, she says. Now they have college bills to cover instead.

And having the real world experience of being a mark. representative fits right into her entrepreneurial dreams.

Business has always been a substantial part of my life, says the business administration major, with a concentration in marketing and sales. If you properly manage your time, then you should be able to fit whatever it is that you want to do within your schedule, she says.

One of the most important keys to sales success, according to Rona, is a positive attitude. Think positively and move forward. Instead of sitting on the couch and dreaming, get up and make your dreams happen! This, she insists, will make your business flourish.

from pinktruth.com

at http://www.pinktruth.com/2006/08/23/quit-college-and-sell-mary-kay/