Industry News
November 2009
Avon engages DRAGONS’ DEN star
THE WORLD’S LARGEST DIRECT SELLING COMPANY COLLABORATES WITH JULIE MEYER TO LAUNCH A BUSINESS MASTERCLASS
According to the Direct Selling Association there are 400,000 people in the UK who are now running their own direct selling businesses and over 60 per cent are run by women. The DSA expect to see a 15 per cent rise in the number of women running their own direct selling businesses over the next quarter, with more women looking to supplement their current income in the run up to Christmas.
Avon, the world’s biggest direct selling beauty company, announced it has engaged the popular UK TV programme’s Dragons’ Den star Julie Meyer to share tips in a master class for budding businesswomen.
Julie is the face of the online master class, designed to give women who dream of running their own successful business the know-how to kick-start and grow their enterprise.
Recognising that women are becoming increasingly entrepreneurial to work their way out of the recession, Avon UK has launched an online video with Julie Meyer, founder of investment and advisory firm Ariadne Capital.
The collaboration with the award-winning entrepreneur has partly been driven by demand from Avon’s new recruits and established self-employed Independent Representatives looking to expand their business selling Avon Cosmetics.
The launch of the master class comes after research by Women Like Us revealed that to match levels of women’s enterprise in the US , there would need to be 900,000 additional women-led businesses in the UK.
The free, online business tips will be hosted on http://www.avon.uk.com and posted on YouTube and Avon’s Facebook and Twitter sites. Avon will also share the business master class with the Department for Work and Pensions, the Federation of Small Businesses and websites like Mumsnet, so it can be
used to the benefit of the estimated 2.4 million people across the UK seeking work.
Julie Meyer comments, “My confidence in encouraging women to set up their own businesses is born out of my own experience. Entrepreneurs who are successful tend to want to send the lift down to help the next batch of super motivated entrepreneurs with their visions. I’d love to think that the business master class I’ve created with Avon will stimulate start-ups of women-led enterprises. I am proud to share my knowledge and vision to empower motivated women and help them realise their dreams.”
One of Avon’s highest achieving Independent Sales Leaders, Debbie Davis, 29, comments, “When I started my own business enterprise with Avon five years ago I never would have dreamt that I could be the successful businesswoman I am today. Currently I have a team of 2,500 people working with me and I made around £250,000 last year. Now I’ve seen what I’m capable of I’m determined to keep pushing the boundaries in order to grow my business further.
“I’m always hungry to learn more about how I can make my business a success so I’m really excited about the master class. I’m planning to use it as a tool for self-education and as something I can give to my new recruits to motivate and inspire them.”
Anna Segatti, President of Avon UK, said, “The Avon business master class with Julie Meyer is all about women helping women to financial empowerment and giving them the tools to achieve all that they possibly can with their business.
Julie shares Avon’s vision to bring together an accomplished female community of go-to women – like Independent Avon Representatives – who can share the skills they gather with the next generation of enterprising businesswomen.”
