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Thanks to Jeanne of Barefoot Books for participating in the interview about the company to share with you. To see other Direct Sales Companies I have interviewed simply choose from the bottom of the post, where the related posts are listed for Direct Sales Companies. To get your direct sales company featured on this site, with either a article or a detailed interview it is only $40, and will forever be listed in the links below with ALL direct sales companies posts. It is a great opportunity to get your affiliate link or business out there.

The questions below are related to the business of being a Direct sales distributer for BareFoot Books, with everything from policies and start up costs and options. Feel free to ask questions, I can forward them to the company if I do not have the answer. Also feel free to add tips you have learned if you are a distributer with them.

Q. What is the company’s start up cost?
There is a $39.99 registration fee. Upon registration you can buy an optional Starter Kit for $79.99 (worth more than $200)

Q. What comes with a new Distributor/Consultant kit?

PRODUCT
• First Steps:
• -Paper back with CD
• -Board Book
• -Hardcover with CD
• -Puzzle
• Tell me A Story:
• -Hardcover
• -Paperback with CD
• -Puppet
• -Hardcover
• One World, One Spirit
• -Hardcover
• -Gift Set
• -Hardcover with CD
MARKETING MATERIALS
• -Barefoot Bags with Logo-15 bags
• -Barefoot Easelback Sign-1
• -Barefoot Box-1
• -Fall and Holiday Catalog-20
• -Customer Order Form-1 pad of 50
• -Stallholder Opportunity Postcard-1 pack of 20
• Stallholder Handbook (sent separately)-1

Q. Is there a monthly minimum purchase requirement and if so, how much is the monthly investment?
There is no minimum purchase requirement. The yearly minimum is $500 dollars worth of sales in retail value. If you reach this, you are automatically renewed. If you do not meet this, you have thirty days to renew for $39.99.

Q. Can I return unwanted or damaged products and if so, what is the company’s return policy?
You can return products, for any reason, within twenty one days. These products must be in perfect condition and be returned with the invoice number and original packaging. If the invoice is not returned, credit will be granted to you at the highest discount level on your record.

Returns are not allowed on sales aids and marketing materials.

If you receive items that were damaged in transit, we will arrange for the items to be returned and exchanged free of charge. This must be done within twenty-one days of the invoice.

Q. Does the company offer a “buy-back” policy?*
If a Stallholder wishes to terminate their contract within fourteen days of signing the Stallholder agreement, Barefoot Books will repay the Stallholder any money the Stallholder has paid to Barefoot during this period, in exchange the Stallholder must return all product received from Barefoot Books.

After fourteen days, the Stallholder has the option to sell all marketing materials and books back to Barefoot at 90% of the original cost of the products as long as the products are in mint condition.

*(Some companies offer to “buy-back” unsold marketable products purchased within the 12 months prior, should you decide to quit the business for 90% of the price you originally paid.)

Q. Will I be required to cover part of the Hostess Gifts or pay admin fees, etc.? (If you are a ‘party type sales company)
As a Barefoot Stallholder, you receive free products worth 20% of the retail value of your order. We suggest that you use this to give your host 10% of the sales achieved at the event in her choice of free product. However, there are no additional fees.

Q. What do company catalogs and paperwork cost?
Company catalogs are sold to Stallholders at less than the price it costs to print them. One catalog costs .35 cents. A pad of 50 customer order forms costs $3.50

Q. What are the customer shipping charges?

• $50.00 to $99.99-15%
• $100-299.99-9%
• $300-599.99-7.5%
• Over $600-6%

Because of shipping costs, the minimum Stallholder order must be $50.

It is up to the Stallholder to ship products to their customers.

Q. What, if any, are the monthly/quarterly sales requirements?
As a new Stallholder, the only requirement is that you make $500 in sales over a rolling 12 month period. As you move up the Leadership ladder, there are additional requirements for you to continue to sell at your current discount level and receive additional monthly Sales Bonus’.

Q. Does your company allow Representatives to sell products “cash & carry” at local fairs and events? (i.e buy a bunch of the product yourself and sell it at a fair.)
Yes!

Q. Does your company provide a website and if so, what is the cost?
A website subscription is $59.99 for six months.

Q. If they do, but I do not like the site, can I design my own?
We prefer that stallholders register through the Barefoot site so that the style stays in sync with our company. These websites are customizable, however, so you can give your site some personal flare. If you would like to create your own website, for copyright reasons it must be approved by the Barefoot Home Office.

Q. Are Consultants/Representatives allowed to market online and what are the company guidelines? (pictures allowed, shopping cart options on my own site, etc.)
Yes! Many of our stallholders are very successful marketing online. There are Barefoot banners and buttons available to for Stallholders to use to draw interest to their websites. Customers can shop for products through a Stallholder site and be rerouted to the main Barefoot site when they wish to buy. Stallholders make commission off of all sales made through their websites, so it is very profitable for them to market online as much as they can.

Q. How are you required to submit payment for a show?
When you place an order, you must do it with a valid credit card. Customers can pay you with their own cards, check or cash.

Q. When you submit the orders, do you take out your commission first, and send only the money for your cost, or do you send in all the money and then they issue a commission check?
A Stallholder only owes Barefoot for the cost of the product. Stallholders receive the difference between the discounted prize they pay for books and what their customers pay in commission checks paid monthly.

Q. How often are commission checks issued…monthly, bi-weekly, weekly?
Commission checks and bonus payments are written monthly.

Q. At what time of each month will I receive my commission check? If they send checks.
Fourteen days before each month’s end. Checks for less than thirty dollars are carried into the next pay period.

Q. Will I be required to deliver products? (or do they ‘drop ship’ orders right to customer?)
Orders will be sent to you and it will be up to you to either ship, or drop off costumer purchases. If a customer orders a product through your website, it will be shipped to them directly at cost to the customer.

Q. Will I be required to stock or carry inventory? Will my business be more successful if I elect to have on hand “hot sellers?”
Although they are not required, it is a good idea to build a library of Barefoot Books to display at fairs and house parties. To help you build your library, Library Builders are chosen each month and discounted at 50%. Library Builders are discounted for Stallholders only.

Q. Are Representatives allowed to purchase products at a discount and if so, what is the discount? Also, do they have ‘display kits’ for parties, fairs, etc? What is your commission structure?
Beginning Stallholders purchase items at a 20% discount level. As soon as their cumulative personal qualifying sales go over 750 dollars within a rolling twelve month period, their discount level jumps to 24%. When their cumulative personal sales reach over 3,000, their discount level jumps to 28%. Anything over 7,500 in sales during a rolling twelve month period qualifies them for the highest discount level of 33%.

There are no display kits offered as such. However, marketing materials are available for purchase on the Stallholder website. In addition, free marketing resources for designing your own materials are available on the Web Office. The Stallholder Starter Kit comes with some marketing materials to get you started.

Q. What additional incentives does the company offer? (bonuses, cars, trips, etc)
You will receive a 2-10% personal sales bonus on all of your own qualifying sales. To receive any bonus, you must be bonus qualified, which means that you made over $300 in sales during the monthly commission period. When you sponsor others Stallholders, you qualify to receive team bonuses of between 3-7% based on your leadership status.

You will also receive 20% of the retail value of each order in free product. In addition, you can win prizes and products during one of our monthly or quarterly challenges.

Q. What type of support can I expect?
Eileen Doll, our Stallholder Field’s Manager is available online, by phone and by email to answer any and all Stallholder questions. She runs chat groups on the Stallholder website and hosts Stallholder conference calls. Kaitlin Stanton, Stallholder Markets Manager, and Michelle Kaye, Community Sales and Marketing Assistant, work full time offering Stallholder assistance in the home office in Cambridge. They are available between 9-6 Monday through Friday by phone or email. As a Barefoot Stallholder you will receive frequent emails updating you on new titles and telling you about any Special Offers or Promotions. You will be mailed catalogs and other promotional materials to assist you with your business. Stallholders also have the option of attending periodic Stallholder summits and trainings which are held throughout the country.

Perhaps your best resource as a new Stallholder, however, is your sponsor. Every Stallholder either chooses or is assigned a sponsor in their area when they sign up. It is that person’s job to make sure that all of your questions and concerns are being dealt with.

Q. If you have any special tips for success you can share them here.
Enthusiasm and hard work go a long way towards becoming a great Stallholder! Our best Stallholders are those who are passionate about Barefoot and work hard to make their customers as excited about our great products as they are.

Thanks again to Jeanne of Barefoot Books! To get your direct sales company featured on this site, with either a article or a detailed interview it is only $40, and will forever be listed in the links below with ALL direct sales companies posts. It is a great opportunity to get your affiliate link or business out there.

Posted on Wednesday, September 26th, 2007 at 2:17 pm in Working at Home | rss feed for comments| Leave a response, or trackback