If you're a college student then finding flexible work is important. You want money, but you also have a hectic schedule that you will have to work around. Getting into the business of direct sales is something you find more and more college students doing nowadays, and this is because of the flexibility that a job like this offers.
I this article I'll be going over 9 direct sales companies for college students. They aren't specifically for college students. Anyone can join them... but they are opportunities that college students might find more fitting than others.
But before we get to the list, let's first talk about what direct sales actually means... because there is some misinformation on this out there and people tend to get confused.
What Is Direct Sales?
Direct sales is a business model where a company relies on a sales-force to do the selling, rather than selling in a retail setting. Sellers, often referred to as "agents", "distributors", etc, and sell products/services directly to customers.
This term is often confused with MLM, or multi-level marketing, but the two terms don't go hand-in-hand. While every MLM company uses a direct sales business model, not every direct sales company uses a MLM business model.
That said, the reason these two terms are often used interchangeably is because most direct sales companies are MLM companies. This is just the way it is.
So, anyways... I'll be breaking down this article into two main sections, direct sales companies that are MLMs and direct sales companies that are not.
What we don't be discussing: Here I'll be going over companies you can join and work on your own schedule. After all, having a "normal" job during college can be difficult. The list below is only for companies that provide flexible, work-at-your-own-pace opportunities.
MLM Direct Sales Companies for College Students
MLM stands for multi-level marketing, and these types of direct sales companies have 2 main elements to their business model.
- Reps (distributors, agents, consultants, etc.) can earn commissions from selling products directly to customers - This can be done by just referring people to an online store or by purchasing products at discount prices and selling them at mark-ups.
- Reps can earn commissions by recruiting in other reps and earning from what they sell - Reps can recruit in other reps, and then they can recruit more... and so on.
You see, this business model has an extra layer - a layer where representatives of these companies recruit in other representatives and build teams beneath them, whom also sell products - some of the commissions getting passed up the hierarchy.
Yes, they have a pyramid structure, but these are actually legal... not illegal pyramid schemes. There is a difference.
Anyways, some of the best direct sales MLM companies for college students include:
1. It Works!
It Works! is a health & wellness MLM company that sells products in categories such as beauty, nutrition, keto, weight control, energy & endurance, and vegan. Their claim to fame is an abdominal wrap product that is supposed to help people lose fat around their mid-section, although there haven't been any conclusive studies on it.
To join the company as a distributor you will first have to purchase a Business Builder Kit. There are different options, but the cheapest is $99 and this includes sample products and some business materials for getting started.
Within the MLM hierarchy there are 4 different ranks and distributors have the ability to earn commissions in the form of Management Bonuses going down 6 levels as well as Generational Payouts going down 5 generations (similar to levels).
There are no normal retail commissions here, instead you are rewarded with credit to purchase It Works products yourself - the main money making opportunity being the recruitment of other distributors.
2. Perfectly Posh
This is a MLM that is mostly focused on anti-aging and skin health - and would obviously be a better choice for female college students.
They sell some supplements for sleep and energy as well, but most of the product line-up consists of lotions, cremes, exfoliators, face masks, oils, serums and more. But this company doesn't just sell your typical types of these products, they were founded to "fill a void in the pampering industry" and this is another core focus of the brand. All their products are high quality but not crazy expensive.
To join you'd first have to purchase a starter kit - these being at $30 and provide the typical business start-up materials and whatnot. Retail commissions start out at 15%, but you can earn up to 40% if you move up the ranks. And when it comes to the pyramid/MLM part of it you can earn 10-15% on the first 2 levels beneath you.
"Influencers", as they call them, can sell in a variety of ways, but often sell via hosting "parties".
3. Young Living
If you're into the essential oil craze then Young Living is one of the top direct sales companies out there in this industry, and is well-known for their top-of-the line quality.
The company sells everything from your regular old plain essential oils, to hair products, lotions, CBD pain rub, bath gels, and cleaning products infused with essential oils, as well as diffusers and even weight loss and nutritional products.
To join the opportunity you first have to, as always, purchase a starter kit - the most basic one costing $35. Then you'll be able to earn commissions, which consist of up to 24% personal sales commissions as well as the ability to earn down 5 levels of recruits and down 8 generations at most. Ya, they have quite a large pyramid structure.
4. BeachBody
Staying in shape and looking fit is important to a lot of college students, and so the BeachBody company might be what you are looking for. BeachBody sells a variety of workout/nutritional programs as well as nutritional supplements - their most famous workout programs being the popular P90X and the 21 Day Fix, and Shakeology being one of their most popular nutritional shake line-ups.
When you join the BeachBody business you become a "coach", and the starter kit price is $39.95 + you have a $15.95/mo recurring fee for continuing your business.
With each "Challenge Pack" you sell (one of their products) you will earn up to 35% commissions, but normally the personal sales commissions are down at 25%. Additionally they pay out Team Cycle Bonuses that are from a binary compensation plan and pay down infinite levels (don't want to get too in-depth here).
5. Damsel In Defense
MLMs are usually geared more for women, because of the social networking part of the business, and so a lot of MLMs hold women's empowerment as a core value. Damsel In Defense is one of such companies... but they do things a little differently.
Damsel In Defense is for those looking to empower women in a physically powerful way - they sell self-defense products. Cute little stun guns, attractive looking pepper sprays (I guess), backpacks with bullet-proof panels, and more. This MLM company is definitely not for the typical MLMer... but nonetheless could be a good choice for female college students.
Starter kits here start out at $99. Commissions start out at 15% but you can earn as much as 30% as you move up the ranks, of which there are 6. Participants are also able to earn from others going down 4 levels and 3 generations.
6. Stella & Dot
Yet another direct sales/MLM company largely focused on women's empowerment... yet this company just sells jewelry and accessories. Much of their popular jewelry consists of charm-type jewelry - bracelets, necklaces, rings, earrings, etc. You won't find $1,000+ diamond rings here, and this is good for college students trying to sell to other college students on a budget.
Joining is fairly expensive however, starting out at $199 for starter kit. Personal sales commissions range from 25-35%, beginning at the lower end. And, ambassadors may also earn commissions going down 3 levels and 4 generations.
7. HempWorx
CBD is more popular than ever, with people of all ages for the most part, and HempWorx is at the top of the list with CBD direct sales/MLM companies.
They sell a lot of unique products, with everything from CBD creams and lotions, CBD infused coffee, CBD bath bombs, CBD infused curcumin and melatonin softgels, and even CBD dog treats, + more.
There are many different options to join, the cheapest being the purchase of a "Pet Pack" for $39... that said, I'm not sure you'd want to buy this because it would just include CBD pet products and some business materials.
Commissions from personal sales are 25% and then you can earn binary commissions as well as other types of commissions going down 10 levels at most - another very deep pyramid comp plan.
8. Mary Kay
Mary Kay is a behemoth when it comes to cosmetic direct sales/MLM companies - now operating in over 40 countries all over.
They sell skin care products like creams, moisturizers, gels, etc., as well as fragrances, makeups, sun lotions, and a small selection of men's care products.
Joining here costs right around $100 for the starter kit. Retail commissions are high, and can be as much as 50%, in addition to the 4-13% that can be earned from downline commissions.
That said, it you are a super busy college student this might not be the best choice because consultants are required to have $225/mo minimum order volumes to stay active.
*Note: For each of these companies I briefly described how you make money - how the compensation plan works - but this is just a snippet of the grand scheme of things. Usually MLM companies have overly complicated and confusing comp plans with a handful of different ways to earn, all sorts of bonus rewards, tons of different ranks, etc.
Non-MLM Direct Sales Companies for College Students
As I mentioned earlier, it seems that most direct sales companies have adopted the MLM business model, but there are still a few out there that haven't. Here's one...
9. Vector Marketing (Cutco)
There's a lot of misinformation out there about this company. They actually aren't a MLM, although some people call them such. Distributors here only make money on their own direct sales.
Vector Marketing is the marketing company for Cutco, which is a cutlery manufacturer. You may have heard of them before because the company often recruits college students to go door to door selling their knives.
Instead of paying people to recruit others in, they just pay their distributors more money as they make higher levels of sales. The commissions range from 10-25% and the way to make sales is to go door to door and give "presentations" - which will be scheduled beforehand of course.
The good news is that even if you don't land a sale you will get paid a base-pay amount (more on this later). The bad news is that you'll have to buy a demo kit which costs about $300.
*They hold training courses for new recruits.
Here's Why You Might Want to Rethink Joining These Opportunities
Yes, they are great because of the flexibility that they offer. You can work any of these opportunities around your class schedule. However, there is a pretty big downside... and this is that there is no guaranteed pay. You only earn based on your performance... or based on the performance of those you recruit in beneath you (if it's a MLM). So if you are in need of money immediately, none of these are for you. You'll be better off finding a "regular" job.
Even with the Vector Marketing Opportunity... there is a "base pay" where you get paid even if you don't land a sale, however, this only counts when you have scheduled presentations with potential customers. You don't get paid at all for your time trying to find customers.
Yes, there is definitely big potential to make money with any of these opportunities, but the difficulty of actually doing so is another story. And it's also important to note that MLMs are notorious for being extremely difficult to make money with, because of their pyramid structure. Sure, it's good if you're able to work your way to the top, but not many people are able to do so and the majority are stuck on the bottom... where the struggle is real.
MLMs have very high failure rates, with some estimates that about 99% of participants fail or even lose money. So next time someone tries to recruit you in, remember that they will make money off of you if they do... and you can't always trust 100% of what they say.
Another Lucrative Alternative
Another good opportunity, which you can do right from your laptop, is affiliate marketing. This is what I've been doing since 2015 and have been going at it full-time since 2017 - reason I'm telling you about it is because it's as flexible of a job as it could be and there is good earning potential here.
In a nutshell, affiliate marketing is when you promote products online for companies and earn commissions when you help make sales.
What makes this opportunity better than most is that it costs very little to get started. In some cases you can actually get started for free (learn how here).
That said, it's also important to note that, while I do highly recommend affiliate marketing because I've personally found success with it, this also isn't something you can start making money with immediately... or at least shouldn't expect it.
When it comes to making money right here and right now, there aren't really many good long-term alternatives other than just finding a normal job... unfortunately.
PS: This is a really good training program to learn affiliate marketing, if your're interested (same one I used).