Have you ever looked at someone and think to yourself, damn they're very stylish or fashionable. Some people just have a knack for putting the right outfits, shoes and accessories together. But then you have the flip side which are folks that are slaves to fashions.
I probably fall somewhere in the middle. You won't catch me rocking anything that a Kanye West or some of these NBA basketball players pass off as fashion (i.e. leather man skirts, painted on Jeans that cut off your junk's circulation, “mandals”, etc.) But I do like looking nice and have served as my wife's stylist from time to time. Don't judge me. LOL
So what does this have to do with anything? Well for those of you that have always wanted to get into Fashion or just have an eye for putting things together for yourself or others, you may be interested in my Stella and Dot Review. This company may turn your Fashion sense into some real “cents” and hopefully a lot more!
What is Stella & Dot?
Stella and Dot is a boutique fashion jewelry and accessories company that was started back in 2003. The company and website were founded by Jessica Herrin. Stella and Dot is based in San Francisco. Most of the jewelry was created by New York designers.You can find many of their products on celebrities, in fashion magazines and they have received a lot of positive press over the years.
The Stella and Dot Business Opportunity
Stella & Dot is a direct sales and multi level marketing company that you can earn commissions by selling their stylish jewelry and accessories. Reps for the company are known as a Stella and Dot Stylist. When you host a home party they are known as “Trunk Shows“. You can also earn money by recruiting other Stella & Dot Stylists.
You can sign up as a stylist for $199 but there are other options. However if that price point turns you off, you may want to try my My #1 Free Work At Home Recommendation instead.
Stella & Dot Compensation Plan
Stella & Dot pay their stylist every week via a debit card. You can make up to 35% commission every week based on your personal sales. Or you can build a team & can earn up to 18% on your team's sales. Either way you have options.
Stella and Dot Complaints & Bad Reviews
If you've read my blog long enough, you know I'm always going to dig out the cons that any home based business opportunity may have. Please understand it doesn't mean that a company is a scam or bad because they have some complaints. Like human beings you're always going to have the good and bad. Unfortunately most of the Stella and Dot Reviews you'll find will only paint one side because they want to sign you up. That's fine, you can easily find those reviews. But before you do sign up I want you to have the complete picture. So I'll let you know the flip side as well so you can make an informed decision by balancing out the good and bad. Many reps dislike this but that's tough cookies for them. I don't want you going into any opportunity blind sided when you discover these complaints later on your own. So let's dive into them.
High Start Up Costs
As you read above there is a $199 signup fee. This will probably turn some of you off or you may not be able to afford it. Either way, you have to keep in mind this is a home business and not a job. There's always start up costs in any type of home based business. Even if it's just selling coffee….where would your coffee ingredients and supplies come from? Could you start a Starbucks without investing money? Well a home business works the same way, you need money to make money. The one advantage is the cost is usually lower. That said, for many of you the idea of investing any money in a work at home opportunity just doesn't sit well with you. So if that's you, Stella & Dot isn't for you. But you may want to try my My #1 Free Work At Home Recommendation instead.
Poor BBB Rating
Personally I can give a damn about a Better Business Bureau rating. I know from my years of experience that having a positive or poor BBB rating can actually mean nothing. But some of you live and die by the word of the BBB. If that's you, then you won't appreciate the low rating that Stella and Dot has received at the time of this review. Again I'm not a big fan of relying on one source to determine a company's legitimacy. I prefer to explore multiple touch points to get a fair assessment. But that's me.
Yearly Renewal Fees
There is a yearly renewal of $59 to stay a rep/stylist for the company. I don't understand the need for this. If I'm making sales isn't that enough money for the company? I just feel like it's another way to squeeze a little more money out of the reps and unnecessary. I'm totally fine with the initial investment but the yearly fee seems like an add on unless it includes some tangible benefit like more products, etc.
It's an MLM
If you choose to participate in the MLM (Multi Level Marketing) part of of the Stella and Dot opportunity and build a team, they require at least $500 in personal sales per month. However, it's NOT mandatory that you get sponsors. This is totally up to you. And just for the record, if you are unable to sell $500, your team will roll to the Next Qualified Leader. But you will still be a rep/stylist. What now? Did I read that correctly? So let me get this straight. If I do a great job of recruiting people but happen to suck at personal sales, you're going to pass off everyone I brought into the company to someone else? Awww hell to the nah! Let's face it, some of us may be better at recruiting people then selling products. And you shouldn't be penalized if that's the case. Ideally they should have a separate path for people that are good at recruiting. But then again it may open up the company to accusations of being a pyramid scam. Who knows? Either way, I definitely don't like their policy and one of the other reasons I dislike MLMs. If you feel the same way, then you may want to try my My #1 Free Work At Home Recommendation instead.
Weekly training calls for 60 days
There are some people that don't like to sit in on these training calls. I'm just sharing what I found so that you'd be aware of this. I didn't want to get you all excited about being a rep/stylist for this company and then find out there are training calls for 60 days. Look I barely call people that I know. Most of my communication happens to be email or texts. So enduring weekly calls would be a tough sale for me. I'm sure they're useful to help you be successful. But I'd prefer webinars I can watch at my own pace or just being able to email people.
Home Parties
I don't really think home parties are necessary these days; especially when you have the option of creating a website that sells for you 24/7 or using social media to get the word out. But that said obviously it must work because so many of these MLMs still have these home parties. It doesn't look like the “trunk shows” are required but they definitely seem to be highly encouraged. Either way you seem to have a choice between that route and promoting other ways. Although I get the impression with this business you'll need to do these home parties to move these products.
So Is Stella and Dot Legit?
Honestly I think Stella & Dot is a legitimate company and a perfect option for people that want to get into the fashion business. I like the flexibility in the sign up options and that you're not required to recruit others to make money. Given the fashion industry is huge and the price of the products are affordable, I think this is a viable business to consider despite some of the minor cons. That said, I've laid out the good and bad so now it's up to you to decide if this is right for you.
If there were things about the company that didn't appeal to you and you want another option, you can always check out the way I make my money online. It doesn't involve any home parties and it's not limited to one type of industry or product. In fact if you have other passions outside of fashion and want to start a business around it, this company can help.
Check Out My Top Free Work At Home Recommendation
Until next time,
Eddy with a Y!