Beauty Business

Students channel entrepreneurial spirit with Mary Kay cosmetic sales

While some students work retail or at local restaurants to earn extra cash during the school year, some have delved into a different type of entrepreneurial undertaking — Mary Kay cosmetic consultations. Would you be able to stay on top of your school work and run a successful business?

For sophomores Sarah Jessee and Lauren Cole, this isn’t just an idea, but a reality. Both are independent Mary Kay beauty consultants and who run their businesses in Harrisonburg.

Mary Kay is a cosmetic and beauty product line that primarily sells skin care products to women. Cole said that she belongs to a Mary Kay unit in Harrisonburg, consisting of women varying in age from their 20s to 60s. “I am the youngest member of my unit,” she said.

Jessee runs her business right out of her apartment on South Main Street.
The students say there are many different approaches to running a Mary Kay business. Cole generally visits friends and relatives, to whom she gives demonstrations on the products and allows each person to test them to see if they are interested in buying. The hostesses receive a sizable discount on any Mary Kay products.

There also are other ways to promote Mary Kay products. Jessee conducts these Mary Kay classes with customers, but she has found that a combination of different methods work, such as posting flyers around campus or making calls to prospective clients.

Cole said word of mouth is beneficial. “My customers do a whole lot of work for me,” she said. “ They tell their friends, who tell their friends, and when people come for a facial or class, they often have an order request of a friend who couldn’t come.”

Mary Kay businesses seem to be a good fit for college students’ schedules. “This business is not very demanding because I do it on my own time and I get to choose my own schedule,” Cole said.

Jessee said, “If you work your business for five to 10 hours a week, it can be anything you want it to be. ”

There are, of course, many challenges they face. Cole least likes the salesperson aspect of the job. “I don’t like to bother people,” she said. There also is the challenge of running a business by yourself, because you fall behind, it’s your sole responsibility. But, for Jessee, this can be motivating. “I have found that being my own boss is the most motivating thing ever, because if I don’t do well one week, I am the only one who can pick myself up.”

She hopes this work really will pay off. “Maybe someday I’ll be driving in a pink Cadillac and have a 40-person unit working for me,” Jessee said.

The women offer this advice to those hoping to run their own business — be organized and passionate. Students interested in Mary Kay can consult www.marykay.com. Students interested in running their own business can find helpful materials and contacts on the James Madison Center For Entrepreneurships Web site, www.jmu.edu/cfe/about.shtml.

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