Tag Archives: green work at home

Is the Watkins Home Business Opportunity Green?

Joining a direct sales or network marketing opportunity is just about traditional for stay at home moms who want to earn some money. It’s been going on a long time, more than 100 years.

Watkins is one of the oldest direct sales companies out there. They’ve had good times and bad times, as any business will, but they’re still around.

And pretty nicely green so far as I can tell.

They focus on using natural, environmentally friendly and renewable ingredients in their products. They have an organic spice line. They even started selling natural cleaners in 1917.

The company tries for a small environmental footprint. They have a recycling program and use biodegradable packaging where possible.

For those looking for a green direct sales opportunity, this may be a good choice. You’ll be able to sell personal care products, gourmet products, home remedies and more.

Be an Eco-Consultant with Green Irene

I heard recently from a consultant with Green Irene about their home business opportunities. It sounds like a possible match for those who want to start a green home business, so I thought I’d share it here.

The concept is pretty simple. Lots of people want to go green, but not everyone really knows how. Green Irene Eco-Consultants help people learn how. You would go to people’s houses and help them learn about the changes they can make to save energy, conserve water, have cleaner indoor air, teach about possible tax credits, locally available green power sources and more.

Not a bad use of the knowledge you’ve been gaining to help your own family.

Of course, this takes a pretty outgoing personality. For the right person this is probably a lot of fun. There’s nothing like getting paid for doing something you love, and if it helps people be kinder to the environment, so much the better.

Wandering the shopping part of the site, I loved some of the ideas, such as the magnetic HVAC vent cover. My husband was just grumbling the other day that closing the vents really doesn’t do enough to cut off the air flow to the rooms that really don’t need it.

There’s quite a bit that Green Irene consultants can offer. They offer training for consultants also, so that you can be ready to really show your stuff.

It’s not the cheapest of opportunities to join. $150 for the initial training and business set up. $300 for your demo kit. $25 a quarter membership. Plus whatever costs you incur for advertising and such, but that goes through third parties, however you choose to handle it.

Remember that this is a home business, not a job, and expenses are to be expected. These really don’t sound all that unreasonable to me. Certainly cheaper than some other options. But it’s enough you will really want to think and be dedicated to making your business succeed. You get 80% commission on consulting services and 20% on product sales, which isn’t too bad. Having multiple ways to earn money is never a bad thing, no matter the opportunity.

Watch a 5 minute presentation on Green Irene Eco-Consulting

Can You Find a Green Home Business?

Many stay at home moms want to do more than “just” care for their families. They want to help support it financially as well as emotionally and physically. It’s pretty necessary in a lot of cases.

We’re lucky. There are a lot of options out there.

Working at home itself is pretty green in a lot of ways. You aren’t commuting. You will probably use equipment you already own. You probably won’t eat out very often.

But it’s really nice if you can have a home business that is of itself a green selection. There are a few out there. Shaklee is one that comes to mind for me. They offer personal care and nutrition products, and don’t allow animal testing.

Watkins is another company that offers natural products. They have personal care, cleaning and cooking supplies.

And of course there are many other direct sales opportunities out there. Not all are green, but there’s a good number out there.

Of course, direct sales is not for everyone. But you have a lot of other options.

I enjoy blogging and affiliate marketing, of course. Finding green products with affiliate programs can be a challenge, but it’s worthwhile. It’s a slow build much of the time, not the instant riches so many people promise for home business.

There are a good number of green companies listed on ShareASale. They have a category for it, which most affiliate networks don’t have. Other networks do have green companies, but you have to search a bit harder to find them much of the time. Commission Junction and LinkShare are two of the other big companies.

Clickbank can be an interesting choice too. All they offer are electronically delivered products, such as ebooks or software. You can join them easily as an affiliate or a merchant. You can even do both.

This can be fun. Ebooks on some topics sell very well. Or you can write your own and try to attract affiliates to sell for you, alongside your own efforts. Both can be quite challenging, but some people do very well with it. Think about topics you know well, and you might just have an idea for an ebook. I have notes for about 5 I would like to write, and minimal concepts for a few more.

Now I just need the time!

Any home business is going to be challenging. Most people aren’t going to get rich, no matter what they hype. There’s quite a bit to learn, even when you know what you want to do.

In future posts I will talk about that. Mostly about the online options, as I know those best. And I would love to hear from other people who are running green home businesses. Just send a quick note or even a full guest post for my consideration through the contact form.