Stella & Dot - FAQs

As most of you probably know, I sell jewelry and handbags through a company called Stella & Dot. They are a direct selling company and the goods are sold at in home trunk shows/parties or online through each stylist's e-boutique.

I started selling it in June 2011, just a couple months after leaving my corporate job to be home with Charlie. I found myself wanting something that gives me little goals to accomplish but didn't want to go to work full-time or even part-time. I basically wanted to work for myself and work whenever I wanted. I also thought extra cash would be fun and I liked the idea of having a new jewelry wardrobe. Enter Stella & Dot!

I have a couple people on my team and often have a couple people "thinking about" being a stylist so I thought maybe some of my readers are interested to know what its all about.

FAQS

How much does it cost to be a stylist?
The start up cost is $199 and this includes your business supplies and $350 in free jewelry or handbags of your choice. If you want to purchase more jewelry, you can do so at 50% off the retail price. There are limited times a year where you can buy at 50% off (i.e. when you join Stella & Dot or during product launches, etc.). If you want to buy something during an "off" time, you get 25% off. I try to stock up on the jewelry during the big launches but its tough because I always want it all!

How many trunk shows/parties do you do a month?
Its totally up to the Stylist. Some Stylists choose to take the summers off to spend with their family. I took off mid December through January because I was tired from being pregnant plus it was around the holidays and I just wanted to be home. I personally strive to do 1 trunk show a month but some months I have 3-5 trunk shows a month.

How much do you make?
Stylists make 25% commissions on all trunk show orders and online orders. If you sell more than $2300 a month (about 2 trunk shows) then you earn 30% for that month. The average Stellla & Dot trunk show is $1,000 so you typically make between $250-300 at each party. This is the company average and this is my average as well. The lowest trunk show I've had (not including catalog parties) was $700 and the highest was $2,400). In addition to the cash, Stella & Dot also gives you jewelry and business supply credits based on how much you sell.

Is this a pyramid scheme?
No. You can choose to build a team and make commissions from your downline but to earn commissions from your team you must sell X dollars worth of jewelry that month. This is the only time where there is a "quota", when you have a team. The minimum number you must sell to earn their commissions depends on what level you are at (there are multiple levels: Stylist, Sr Stylist, Star Stylist, etc.). If you didn't sell enough to earn commissions from your team, you still earn your own 25-30% commissions. This just make sure the upline isn't sitting back by the pool drinking pina coladas and reaping the rewards of their team. :) And they expect the upline to lead by example and to support their downline. Stella & Dot pay their Stylists a portion of their downline's sales instead of hiring another person at the home office to answer questions. They do have great support at the home office for us Stylists to answer general business questions but if you need strategic help to boost your business, your Sponsor/Upline is the one to help you out.

Is the jewelry expensive?
I think its priced fairly. Before I was a Stylist I thought it was expensive because I thought I could go to Target or Macy's and get something similar. The big difference is the quality. Some people are perfectly fine spending $7 at target for earrings that are cute but will tarnish or break after a season's worth of wear. Stella & Dot's jewelry has superior quality over places like Target and Macys (not talking the fine jewelry!). The more I learned about the jewelry, the more I appreciated it and the price point. If you compare it to other higher end jewelry, you will see its priced fairly (i.e. Tory Burch, Coach, etc.) or priced very well (compared to Tiffany's silver line). I think those that appreciate good quality jewelry think the price is fair and most people don't care about the brand of their jewelry. I think handbags are another story. Stella & Dot's handbags (specifically the lambskin Waverly 3-way that retails for $258) have been selling really well. In my experience, this isn't the case I've only sold 1 Waverly and a couple of the smaller leather good bags. Our bags are superior quality as well - we use premium leather lambskin and its made using the same leather selection process and made in the same factories as Coach, Prada and Michael Kors but it doesn't have the big name brand on it. You will pay at least $500 at Coach for a bag like our Waverly but again, you're paying for the label. I'll admit, I looooove handbags and love Coach and the like so I totally get it when people say "$258?! Its not like its Coach!" Well, it actually is.... :) I find its the women who don't care about the labels but can feel the quality when they touch the bag are the ones who buy it or lust over it.

I have a full-time job. Can I also be a Stylist?
Of course! About 70% of Stylists have full-time jobs. This is a fun way to make a little extra money on the side.

If you have any other questions, I'd love to answer them for you! You can comment here or email me at: emailalyssawagner@gmail.com

Or if you just want to browse, you can do so at my e-boutique: www.stelladot.com/alyssawagner

And finally, don't forget to be a fan of my page. This is where you will hear about new releases, sales and giveaways! www.facebook.com/shopwithalyssa

Happy Weekend Everyone!