Kala Sprague, 31, Independent consultant, PartyLite Gifts.
By Times Staff Writer
Published September 21, 2003
How did you get interested in PartyLite?
I have been buying their products for over two years myself, and the consultant kept telling me I should become a consultant, because I could earn money instead of spending all of my money. I was calling in orders of over $150 of my own every month.
What do candles do for you?
They relax me. I like it when I walk in the house, because I light them in the morning and go about my day and leave and come and go, and when I walk in the house, my house smells so nice.
What do you do as a PartyLite consultant?
I go into people's homes that have booked a show with me. And they invite their friends over, and I set up a display and discuss the products that I have and any products that they see in the catalog.
What kinds of products do you sell?
Candles, candleholders, candle snuffers. We also have lotions and body washes in the same scents as some of the candles.
What is your most popular product?
Our aroma melt warmers. It holds a ball of wax on top, then a tea light underneath it melts the wax and the aroma comes out. It's my favorite. I have one in every room in my house.
Why do you like PartyLite candles?
Because the candles smell the best and they burn completely away. When our candles evaporate and liquefy, they extinguish themselves because there's no more wax left. So you don't ever have to worry about them falling over and melting or burning anything.
How many hours do you work?
I try to do three shows a week, which would equal 12 shows a month. So that wouldn't even be 10 hours a week.
How long is an in-home show?
In and out, probably 21/2 hours from set up to pack up.
What kind of initial investment do you need to start up?
None. After you book six shows, you sign a contract saying I have six shows booked, and they send you $300 in products. You put no money in up front. After you have the shows booked, they know you're serious about it, and they send you the products for the shows.
What kind of training do you need to do this?
They send you a video and a manual that gives you verbiage on how to start a show. But I had been to so many (shows), I knew about the product already.
How do you make your money?
You get 25 percent of your show sales. So on average the shows are $400 or more (in product sales), so you're making about $40 to $45 an hour.
How much do you usually make in a month?
With bonuses, maybe $1,100 a month. It depends on your shows, you know. Once you get out there to meet different people and get out of your circle of friends, the shows are better, because you're meeting a whole new group of people, and then those groups of people want to book shows.
What is your favorite thing about this job?
All the people I meet. I've met people at shows that have invited me to their home to be personal friends, and I've met some really great people.
What is your least favorite thing about the job?
Trying to come up with different displays. Because at one show, you've got three people that book, so you want to make those displays different for all those people.
What kind of personality traits do you need to do this?
You have to be able to conduct yourself in a well enough manner, because you are being invited into all kinds of people's homes and you need to be respectful of them and what they want. If they want you to take your shoes off, you take them off. You have to be very much a people person.
Any perks of the job?
I have just about everything in the catalog, because from PartyLite, you get so much free. I've worked there since March, and since then, I've probably gotten $2,000 in gift certificates for free products. PartyLite takes care of its consultants by always offering special incentives. For every dollar that you earn, they give you points, so you get free trips every year, too.
What would your dream job be?
Really, my dream job is being a stay-at-home mother. (PartyLite) is just a great opportunity for anybody to make extra money or for a stay-at-home mom like me who wants to get out a couple nights a week and meet new people.
