The earning opportunity associated with a Mary Kay business is certainly open-ended; however, it is impossible to guarantee that a particular level of income can be earned. The amount of money you may make as a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant will depend upon many factors including your personal goals and the amount of time and effort you choose to invest in your business. Many Independent Beauty Consultants operate their businesses on a part-time basis with the goal of meeting short-term financial goals - such as the purchase of holiday gifts for their families, to pay for a family vacation, school clothes or tuition for their children. Meanwhile, others decide to build their Mary Kay businesses to the point at which it becomes possible for them to quit their jobs and pursue their Mary Kay businesses full time. The bottom line is that how much you earn in your Mary Kay business is strictly up to you. So in the words of Mary Kay Ash, "Set your goals and hang on to them until they are a reality. You've got to believe it before you will ever see it. Whatever the mind can perceive and believe, you can achieve!"

Mary Kay made it clear that she did not like pushy salespeople. While tenacity and perseverance are certainly important qualities for success in any sales-oriented business, we have found that the most successful Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants approach sales and recruiting by consistently applying the Golden Rule; using their own good judgment along with a loving and caring spirit. As a result, when making decisions about your sales and recruiting activities, we always recommend that you put yourself in the other person's shoes, remembering to treat them only as you would want to be treated. As Mary Kay often said, "You have a wealth of influence, and everyone you meet forms an impression of you by your words and actions. So make the Golden Rule your way of life."

Independent Sales Directors and Independent National Sales Directors talk about living their dreams, 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 has enabled them to spend quality time with their families. They can enjoy such rewards as earning the use of a Career Car and monetary earnings that perhaps allowed them to give up their full-time jobs. 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 "God 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 does set 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. 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. On the other hand, maybe sleep is too 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 children's activities, holding skin care classes while they are in school. Or maybe you prefer to work your business on weekends instead. The choices are limitless.

By contrast, in corporate America, odds are good your employer expects you to be at the office, at a minimum, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You probably don't have the flexibility to decide your own work hours. You might be lucky enough to work for a company that offers flextime, but nonetheless, it's rare you would 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 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 from your full-time job, the number of hours you devote to your Mary Kay business will likely be relatively small. On the other hand, if you choose to replace and/or exceed your income from your full-time job, you should expect to put in longer hours in order to accomplish that goal.

The point is that you're free to choose your destiny. You determine the balance of faith, family and career that's 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

You've just purchased your Starter Kit, and now you are 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 it's 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 a level of inventory that supports that activity.

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 color cosmetics products 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 more motivated and committed to her Mary Kay business.

If you choose to purchase inventory, you can always rest assured that there will be a multitude of Company-published materials available to you that contain excellent sales tips aimed at helping you successfully sell your products. 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^® products. Sometimes all it takes is a fresh viewpoint 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, at 90 percent of your original net cost, original and unused Section 1 products, provided such items were purchased by you from the Company within one year prior to return.

Mary Kay Inc. is always looking at new products in order to keep up with current trends and be competitive in the marketplace. In a marketplace driven by innovation, it is critical to stay competitive by introducing new products. Targeted products, that treat special concerns and work along with our core skin care line, are introduced to the product lineup to meet needs that are expressed by consumers. Limited-edition color items are introduced periodically to reflect the trends of the season. Our core product lines are updated once every 3 to 5 years to take advantage of the latest innovations in skin care. And although we don't do it often, we occasionally update our packaging to ensure that we continue to stay on trend and keep our presentation current and fresh. Remember that 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.

The bottom line is that innovation is essential to remaining competitive in our market. While change may be uncomfortable at times, it demonstrates the willingness of both our Company and the independent sales force to deliver products that excite and address the needs and desires of their customers.

With respect to inventory, our goal is to communicate to the independent sales force any changes to regular-line products at least three to six months in advance. This allows for adjustment of their inventory levels and helps them make informed decisions in the meantime in regard to their product orders and needs. In addition, whenever significant changes are made, we share tips to help them manage their inventory in the months leading up to the changes.