Flexible Business Idea: Barefoot Books

Company Name:   Barefoot Books
Description of the business that someone could buy into:  Children’s books and activities:  Explore. Imagine. Create. Connect. Give Back. That’s what Barefoot Books is all about. It’s exploring other cultures, our planet, ourselves. It’s making time for make-believe and letting imaginations run wild and free. Most of all, it’s about using the power of stories to nourish the creative spark in everyone and strengthen connections with family, the global community, and the earth.

 Hours you might need to work to make it succeed:  Completely flexible.  Can make a fulltime career, attending shows and fairs, visiting schools and conferences, marketing online, or can make it as part time as required.  It’s possible to work online only, or in a very local, small way.  Every ambassador chooses their own hours.  Building the business to a fulltime job which pays a fulltime wage is possible.

Skills that will help you make this business work:  Ability to communicate with people, to talk confidently about books you enjoy.  Many of our ambassadors have worked with children in the past (teachers, nursery assistant etc), and many others are parents.  A love of books is really at the heart of the business.

 Tell me the facts

Date Established:  1992

What You Offer: Direct selling

Animal Boogie

Initial Start up Costs:  Zero.  Signing up is free and gives you immediate access to a free, personalised web portal, online and printable marketing materials, free online training, support forums and help and advice from your team.  Letter heads, business card templates and other materials are also available without charge.

There are optional start up packs available – one of books and one of marketing materials, which are sold at a large discount.

Ongoing costs:  Nothing payable to Barefoot Books.  There are no sales targets to meet and no minimum orders or sales.  Advertising is optional and tends to be local and low cost.  Depending on how you choose to work, you may have fees to pay for stalls, which can start at around £10.  Advice is available from other ambassadors about which of these have worked well in the past.

Training offered. Please describe any training you offer to help someone starting this business:  Barefoot Books offers free weekly training in online conferences.  There are several different options each week – training for new ambassadors (to offer ideas to get you started, answer questions and give advice), a free chat where ideas are shared, a news-giving conference where new ideas are shared by the company and a tech chat where technical advice about online marketing is given.  There are opportunities to visit training sessions at the Head Offices too.

Support offered. Please describe the ongoing support you can offer to someone taking up this business opportunity:  As well as the training described above, there are also forums for all ambassadors to help each other out.  We also have a team structure – your team leader and their leaders have lots of experience and will offer whatever support is needed to help you grow the business you want.  There is no pressure to work in a set fashion.

How to find out more:  email nicola.kelsall@earthtones.org.uk, visit http://nicola-kelsall.barefootbooks.com

Telephone   01623 466302  07595 628379

Email  nicola.kelsall@earthtones.org.uk

Website:  http://nicola-kelsall.barefootbooks.com

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