Welcome! This micro site is dedicated to answering commonly asked questions about Mary Kay Cosmetics Ltd. Whether you're a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant, a prospective Independent Beauty Consultant, a customer or simply a visitor, this Web site provides clear and easy access to important information about the Mary Kay opportunity and the founding philosophies on which the Company was built.
The Mary Kay Business Opportunity: What Does It Really Take To Succeed?
Independent National Sales Directors and Independent Sales Directors talk about living their dream – and you question just what it takes to get there. You may have heard them talk about the flexibility of a Mary Kay business and how it's given them the opportunity to spend quality time with their family. They may enjoy such rewards as the use of a Career Car or financial success that may have allowed them to give up their full-time job or career. How is it possible to have it all?
Make no mistake: These women have worked very hard to get where they are today. When people hear Mary Kay Ash's philosophy of "faith first, family second, career third," they may misinterpret what she meant. Keeping one's priorities in balance doesn't mean you don't have to work hard – or make sacrifices – to be successful. What sets the Mary Kay opportunity apart from a typical corporate job, however, is that you have more flexibility.
Mary Kay Ash was known for being one of the hardest working people you'd ever meet. As the founder of what she called the "Five O'Clock Club", her day began no later than 5 a.m. She chose to sacrifice an hour or two of sleep to achieve a jump-start on her day. And today, many Independent Beauty Consultants choose to join the “Five O'Clock Club” so they can accomplish what they need to before dropping their children off at school – or carrying out any of their other numerous responsibilities.
On the other hand, maybe sleep is precious to you and you'd rather focus the bulk of your efforts during the second half of the day. Or perhaps you'd rather schedule your appointments around your family's activities. Or maybe you prefer to work your business on weekends.Whatever your lifestyle, the choices for a Mary Kay business are limitless.
By contrast, in corporate career, odds are good that your employer expects you to be at the office from at least 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – and you probably don't have the flexibility to decide your own work hours. And even if you're lucky enough to work for a company that offers flexible hours, it's rare that you'd be able to pick your own hours as you see fit. As a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant, you are your own boss – so you get to decide what time you begin and end your work each and every day. You determine your own schedule – and the rate at which you want to climb the ladder of success. If your goal is simply to supplement the income you earn at your full-time job or career, the number of hours you devote to your Mary Kay business will likely be relatively small. On the other hand, if your goal is to replace and/or exceed the income your earn at your full-time job or career, you should expect to put in longer hours in order to accomplish that goal.
The point is that you're free to choose your own destiny. You determine the balance of faith, family and career that's just right for you.
"Someone once said, 'Mary Kay is the best-paying hard work in the world.' I believe that we all have material wants and needs, so determine how your Mary Kay business can help you achieve them." — Mary Kay Ash
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How much inventory do I need to purchase as a new Independent Beauty Consultant?
You've just purchased your Starter Kit – and now you're wondering how much inventory you should order to get your business started. The first thing to remember is that purchasing inventory is an individual decision – and its certainly not a requirement for you to begin your Mary Kay business. We always recommend that you determine what activity level you intend to pursue in your Mary Kay business and then, if appropriate for your personal circumstances, invest in the level of inventory that supports that activity.
*To remain active with the Company, a minimum $200 wholesale order is required once every three months.
As you contemplate your decision, you may want to consider some of the reasons why Mary Kay Ash believed maintaining an appropriate amount of inventory was beneficial. Among other things, Mary Kay always enjoyed the instant gratification and excellent customer service she could provide a customer who wanted her skin care or colour cosmetic product on-the-spot. She knew that doing so could help build a strong customer base and create loyal customers for life. She also believed that having inventory on hand could help an Independent Beauty Consultant feel motivated by and committed to her Mary Kay business.
If you choose to purchase inventory, rest assured that there will be a multitude of Company-published information available to you – including excellent sales tips specifically focused on helping you successfully sell your product. You also have the opportunity to ask other successful independent sales force members – such as your Independent Sales Director – for tips and advice on selling Mary Kay product. After all, sometimes all it takes is a fresh perspective to help you generate effective strategies for growing your business.
Finally, if you change your mind or decide that a Mary Kay business is not for you, you can take comfort in knowing that the Company will repurchase original and unused Section 1 product at 90 percent of your original net cost, provided such items were purchased by you from the Company within one year prior to return.
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How often does Mary Kay introduce new product? How will that affect my ability to sell my inventory?
Mary Kay Inc. and Mary Kay Cosmetics Ltd. are always investigating new product in order to keep up with current trends and be competitive in the marketplace. In today's innovation-driven marketplace, it's critical to stay competitive by introducing new product. Targeted products, which treat special concerns and work along with our core skin care line, are introduced to the product lineup to meet consumers needs. And limited-edition colour product is introduced periodically to reflect seasonal trends.
Our core product lines are updated once every three to five years to take advantage of the latest innovations in skin care. And although we don't do it often, occasionally we update our packaging to ensure that we continue to stay on-trend and keep our presentation fresh and current. Remember, we're in the fast-changing cosmetics business. Much like the automobile, fashion and consumer electronics industries, in the cosmetics industry, newness is what attracts customers to the brand.
Innovation is essential to remaining competitive in the cosmetics and skin care market. While change may, at times, be uncomfortable, it demonstrates the willingness of both the Company and the independent sales force to deliver product that excites and addresses the needs and desires of today's consumer.
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What is a pyramid scheme?
Pyramid schemes are illegal operations in which compensation for representatives' activities is based primarily on recruiting – and not on the sale of a legitimate product or service. Typically, in a pyramid scheme, inventory is not repurchased by the company.
Companies operating pyramid schemes are not permitted to be members of the Direct Selling Association (D.S.A.).
Mary Kay Cosmetics Ltd. is a longtime member of the D.S.A. and we encourage anyone considering a direct-selling opportunity to find out if the company in which they're interested is a member of the D.S.A. Member companies pledge to abide by and uphold the D.S.A.'s strict Code of Ethics. This is a key distinguishing feature that allows law enforcement officials to easily identify a legitimate direct-selling company.
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Is Mary Kay Cosmetics Ltd. a pyramid scheme?
Absolutely not. The following points concerning the Mary Kay Cosmetics Ltd. marketing plan are of particular importance in distinguishing it from illegal pyramid schemes:
- There is one wholesale sale (Company to Independent Beauty Consultant) and one retail sale (from Independent Beauty Consultant to consumer) of Mary Kay® product. There are no levels of wholesalers between the Company and the consumer through which products pass at varying discounts before sales. Thus, everyone – whether Independent Beauty Consultant or Independent Sales Director (of sales unit of Independent Beauty Consultants) – purchases all cosmetics product directly from the Company at the same published wholesale price for resale to the consumer(s) of their choice. Everyone has the opportunity to buy at the same discount, irrespective of their status on the independent sales force career path.
- Everyone recruited as an Independent Beauty Consultant is recruited to sell product at retail. Independent Beauty Consultants do not recruit others to buy product from them. All Independent Beauty Consultants are thus aware that any and all product purchased by them is for sale – at retail – to ultimate consumers (or may be returned to the Company for repurchase).
- Every Mary Kay independent sales force member begins as an Independent Beauty Consultant with the purchase of a Starter Kit. No compensation is earned by anyone on this Starter Kit purchase. The product and sales tools included in the Starter Kit are designed to introduce a new Independent Beauty Consultant to Mary Kay – and help her begin building her business. No "investment" is required and no status on the independent sales force career path may be purchased by the payment of fees or by the purchase of a given quantity of product from the Company or anyone else. There are thus no "sales" of "levels," "positions," "distributorships" or "franchises" by the Company or any of the Independent Beauty Consultants.
- Elevation from Independent Beauty Consultant to Independent Sales Director does not involve the payment of any fee, rebate, premium or hidden discount of any kind to either the Company or anyone else. Elevation, at the election of any Independent Beauty Consultant, is based strictly upon individual effort and ability.
- Any Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant who terminates her contractual relationship with the Company may return unsold product in original and unused condition – and product will be repurchased by the Company (per the terms of the Independent Beauty Consultant Agreement) at 90 percent of the original net cost.
- The Company pays all commissions directly to Independent Beauty Consultant and Independent Sales Director. The commissions are paid based on monthly purchases and recorded on computer reports furnished with the commission payments. The entire marketing structure is based on and intended to foster retail sales to ultimate consumers. Commissions paid on any product returned for repurchase by the Company by an Independent Beauty Consultant terminating her Independent Beauty Consultant Agreement, pursuant to Item E above (i.e., product not sold at retail), are charged back to the commission recipient.
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