Mary Kay, Inc., (“MK”), is part of Americana. Known for its pink Cadillacs and face-to-face sales, the company was founded by a woman, Mary Kay Ash. Mary Kay appealed to American women before it was trendy. That appeal is now global.
Background: Founded in 1963, the company is headquartered in Addison, Texas. Mary Kay’s line of makeup, skin care, fragrances and other personal care products are developed by a privately-held company. MK has added product lines to expand target audiences. Market responsiveness is evident.
Business Start: Like its competitors, MK offers packages based upon direct sales and recruitment. A new member must buy their own products from their sponsor to sell to the consumer. A start-up package costs as much as 00.
Upon accumulating sales points, the member becomes a sponsor herself. As sponsor, the newcomer must commit to building her own line of sales support which in turn creates a solid commission-based structure. A strong team yields strong results. A good sponsor must have leadership skills to train her down-line properly.
Compensation: A private company, MK does not publicize all of its financials. Limited information exists about consultant earnings. A 1999 Canadian press release revealed that independent Canadian consultants earned about , 500 Canadian. Upper-tier national consultants earned approximately 0,000 Canadian. For the US, MK national consultants earned a median gross income of about ,000.
MK provides retirement benefits for qualifying national directors and is unique in this regard.
MK is famous for its famous bonus pink Cadillacs awarded to Independent Beauty Consultants. Since inception, more than 100,000 qualified sales reps have received the “career car” bonus or taken the cash compensation instead.