If you’ve gone to the grocery store, gym, airport, or any other public place recently, chances are you’ve come across someone carrying around a Thirty-One Gifts bag.
Pretty and practical, their products are sure to catch someone’s eye. Maybe that’s why you’ve thought about selling them yourself.
So, should you become a Thirty-One consultant?
In this article, we’ll help you answer that question by giving you an in-depth look into what drives them, what they sell, how you can get signed up, and whether or not it’s worth it.
Thirty-One Gifts Overview
Thirty-One Gifts is a direct-selling company founded in 2003 that specializes in customizable bags, purses, and more.
The name Thirty-One originally came from Proverbs 31, a chapter in the Old Testament book of Proverbs. This notorious biblical passage portrays a godly woman who is strong, trustworthy, talented, kind, caring, fearless – all inspired by her fear of and desire to honor God.
This chapter was, apparently, the foundation for this “faith-based” company – at one point. However, as of now (in 2020), their mission fails to mention anything about God or the faith that once supposedly grounded this company’s mission – which can be a sticking point for some.
Religion now aside, their mission is all about women empowerment. Their website states that their “number one priority” is to give women the opportunity to run their own successful business.
From a purely business standpoint, Thirty-One Gifts boasts being the 17th biggest direct-selling company in the world – and that was as of 2014.
But the company’s revenue had a steady decline from 2014 to 2016, when the company ultimately decided to not disclose their earnings. However, they do state that they’re going up again, although the stability is uncertain.
What Do They Sell?
Thirty-One Gifts sells a variety of products, such as:
- Handbags and Accessories: Shoulder bags, totes, and jewelry
- Travel: Duffle bags
- Thermals
- Home: Pillows and home decor
What sets them apart from other boutiques is their bent towards customization.
One thing to note is that the company claims to be “affordable,” yet many customers and even consultants admit that they’re overpriced. Yes, you can get a large tote for $10, but it’s a utility tote. Other purses and bags will run around $50-$65 on average.
As for the quality, there are mixed reviews. No one is complaining that the quality is bad, per se, but many claim that the quality is not up to par with the price.
The main selling point for many people seems to be the design. “The bags are cute,” seems to be a nearly unanimous consensus amount buyers and consultants alike.
How To Become a Consultant
Becoming a consultant for Thirty-One Gifts follows the same traditional method other MLM companies do. It’s a simple, three step process:
- Sign up
- Purchase a kit
- Sell!
Now let’s take a closer look at each step so you know how it works..
1. Sign up
Signing up is as straightforward as you can get. You have two options:
- Sign up with a consultant
- Join on Thirty-One’s website
If you were introduced to Thirty-One Gifts by someone who is already a consultant, then you can go to them and express your interest in signing up.
As a consultant with a company that encourages recruiting people and building a downline, they should be more than willing to help you out.
If you stumbled across Thirty-One by accident, however, and decided you like their products and genuinely want to sell them, then you can sign up on their website.
You’ll have to fill out an application, which asks for standard information like:
- Your name
- Address
- Phone Number
- If you need a consultant to sponsor you
Regardless of whether or not you’re signing up under a consultant or having one assigned to you, you’ll need to purchase a starter kit before your application can be completed.
2. Purchase a kit
Like most companies, you’re required to purchase a kit before you can get started.
The idea is that you’ll be given some products to use (in hopes of attracting customers), display at parties (with hopes of making sales), or sell them directly.
There are two kit options for you to choose from:
- Signature Kit: $99
- Custom Signature Kit: $130
Both kits provide you with products, your own replicated website that you can send your customers to so that you earn a commission, and some business supplies to help you out.
The only difference is that, with the Custom Kit, you get to choose which items you want to use, sell, or display, instead of just getting the standard ones.
Hidden down near the bottom of the page, before you complete sign up, is a little note informing you that there’s also a $16.95 fee per month which pays for your website, as well as branded emails that get sent to your customers.
Once you’ve purchased your kit and finished the sign-up process, you’ll be able to start selling!
3. Sell!
After you receive the starter kit you purchased beforehand (which usually takes 2-3 days), you’re ready to start selling. There are a few ways you can go about this:
- Get individual sales
- Host home parties
- Online Sales
The first idea is to get individual sales. The easiest way to do this is to reach out to family and close friends, asking if they want to purchase or not.
Aside from your close personal relations, you might also score a few individual sales when you’re out and about running errands – provided you use your Thirty-One products.
Whether someone strikes up a conversation with you – after a compliment on your “super cute” bag – or if you start a conversation with them, it puts you in a great position to attempt a sale. Just remember not to come across too pushy.
The second way you could sell is by hosting home parties. That’s your stereotypical direct-sales party where you invite people over, display your products, and sell them.
If you aren’t keen on hosting your own party – perhaps if you’re more of an introvert – you could also get a friend to host the parties for you. You would still earn money, and your friend would earn special incentives, like discounted products or exclusive host-only products.
The third way to sell is online. Because you get a replicated website, you can send a link to your friends, family, and whoever else that directs them to your Thirty-One Gifts site. There, they can browse and purchase items while you sit back and make a commission!
As far as getting paid is concerned, when you submit the money from your sales to the company, they’ll send you a commission via direct deposit bi-monthly.
How Much Can You Make?
As is common with direct-sales companies, you earn money by making commission off of your sales. Therefore, the more you sell means the more you earn.
The base percentage is 25% on all personal sales. Plus, you get a 40% discount whenever you shop as a consultant. That’s helpful because you can get more products to show off and display for a fraction of the regular price.
As with most multi-level marketing companies, there’s a painfully low percentage of people who make a lot of money, while there’s a larger portion of people making little-to-nothing.
Here are a few numbers according to Thirty-One’s 2018 Income Disclosure Statement:
- 21.9% of Consultants earned less than $1
- 16.4% of Consultants earned between $1 and $99
- 45.6% of Consultants earned between $100 and $999
So overall, 83.9% of consultants made less than $1,000 in 2018. In fact, 38.3% lost money when compared to the cost of the starter kit and the monthly website fee.
And while there are those that manage to be extremely successful, only 0.1% of consultants – only 98 people – made $100,000 or more. And those are usually people at the top of a strong, tall downline.
Contrast that with the fact that over 82,000 people made less than $1,000, and you’ll see that chances of success aren’t sky-high like the company might portray.
Does that mean you shouldn’t give it a try? No, not necessarily. But there are other sales jobs that have a much better reputation for earning much more money than that.
How Much Does It Cost?
The startup costs are based on two things:
- Which starter kit you choose
- Monthly website fee
The kits range from $99-$130, and you are required to purchase one before you can complete the sign up process.
And as we’ve mentioned earlier, there is that pesky, not-so-obvious $16.95 a month recurring website fee that is hidden at the bottom of the page.
And while a mere $17 might not seem like much, over the course of a year, that fee will run you about $203. Assuming you’re among the 45.6% of consultants that make between $99 and $999 – and assuming you make the high end of that spectrum – that accounts for about 20% of your income.
Conclusion
Overall, Thirty-One Gifts is a standard MLM company that promises big but seems to under deliver for most consultants in terms of earnings potential.
The stability of the company’s revenue is unsure and the average income per consultant in 2018 doesn’t paint a great picture. But they do offer cute products that frequently entice people to purchase, or at least become interested. And as with most business opportunities, it’s what you make of it that counts most.
In the end, the decision is yours. Just make sure you understand the risk involved and that there are better ways to make money out there.
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