Looking for a fun, low-risk MLM with a feminine vibe?
Look no further than Thirty-One Gifts.
Thirty-One Gifts is a direct sales company in the party-planning industry founded by Cindy Monroe in 2003 in her basement. Since then it has grown to roughly 65,000 sales representatives in North America.
The company has endured plenty of tough times, in terms of layoffs and the inability to signup new members, both of which have occurred in recent years. However, Thirty-One Gifts has continued to grow into one of the most successful companies in the party planning industry.
With a focus on treating its distributors right and supporting worthwhile nonprofits, this company has an optimistic outlook for the future.
FAQ
1. What does Thirty-One Gifts sell? Thirty-One Gifts focuses on stylish personalized products, such as handbags, travel bags, thermal bags, diaper bags, crafts, home decor, and jewelry.
2. What are Thirty-One Gifts‘ most popular products? Their all-time best-selling product is the Large Utility Tote, first offered in 2009. Right behind it in popularity is the Retro Metro Bag, first offered in 2010. The Cindy Tote, named after founder Cindy Monroe, has been in the catalog since 2008.
3. How much does it cost to join Thirty-One Gifts? To become a Thirty-One distributor, you’ll need to buy an Enrollment Kit for either $99 or $179. You will also be charged a monthly subscription fee ($14.95 plus tax), which covers the cost of a personal website and the branded emails sent to your customers.
4. Is Thirty-One Gifts a scam? No, Thirty-One Gifts is a legitimate business. They’ve been named a DSA Top 20 company in 2018. They were named the No. 1 fastest growing woman-owned company in the World in 2014.
5. What is Thirty-One Gifts‘ BBB rating? A+
6. How long has Thirty-One Gifts been in business? Since 2003
7. What is Thirty-One Gifts’ revenue? $516 million in 2015. No figures have been disclosed since then. The company is privately owned and debt-free, and their focus seems to be on steady growth and taking care of their sales reps — not on keeping investors happy.
8. How many Thirty-One Gifts distributors are there? 65,000 in the US and Canada.
9. What lawsuits have been filed? in 2018, Pierry Inc sued Thirty-One Gifts and Thirty-One Gifts countersued for breach of contract. [1]
10. Comparable companies: Scentsy, Stella & Dot
So should you hop on board with Thirty-One?
Product-wise this company might be legit, but if you’re just interested in the business opportunity, there are better options out there…
Click here for my #1 recommendation
Either way, here’s the full review on Thirty-One Gifts.
Products
Thirty-One Gifts offers over 100 different products. Most of these items fall into one of the following categories:
- Accessories – A collection of cases, bags, and pouches, as well as key fobs and a scarf.
- Home – A variety of home goods, including storage bins, pillows, baskets, and more.
- Jewelry – A collection of necklaces, charms, chains, and other types of jewelry.
- Purses – Handbags in all shapes, sizes, and colors, including wallets.
- Diaper Bags – Find the totes, backpacks, bottle thermals, and baby bags you need.
- Thermals – Thermals, in both large and small sizes.
- Totes – A collection of utility totes, craft cases, and caddies.
- Travel Bags – A collection of duffles, overnight bags, and travel accessories.
Most of the company’s products can be personalized to include your name or someone else’s name if the product is intended as a gift.
Compensation Plan
Thirty-One Gifts sells its products through independent distributors who the company calls Consultants. Becoming a Consultant requires a startup fee of $99 (like Monat or Scentsy), which comes with over $400 worth of products and supplies to help a distributor get their new business started.
Once onboard, Consultants are encouraged to host parties where they can sell their products to a large group of people at one time.
Consultants with Thirty-One Gifts earn 25% commission of the products they sell. There are also incentives and discounts available for Consultants when they host parties. Consultants can build a team of distributors and earn commissions based on the sales of team members, although the company’s website isn’t specific about those commission rates.
Here are some pros about Thirty-One:
The startup kit and training offered by Thirty-One Gifts is one of the company’s best assets. The signup cost of $99 is perhaps a little high for some people, but receiving roughly $400 worth of products and supplies makes it worthwhile if you have an interest in the company and its products.
Thirty-One Gifts also gives its Consultants a personalized website where they can make sales, as well as training on how to use it. This is more training and support than many other MLM companies and should help ease your mind with regard to the $99 signup cost.
As important as the support and training the company gives you is the company’s reputation. Its products are well received. Online reviews indicate that most customers are satisfied with the products they purchase from Thirty-One Gifts.
To be fair, there’s not all that much that can go wrong with the type of products Thirty-One Gifts sells; what you see on the company’s website is what you’re going to get in most instances. Still, you shouldn’t underestimate the importance of customer satisfaction, especially in the MLM industry.
Finally, the fact that Thirty One Gifts has donated millions of dollars in money and products to a variety of non-profit organizations, most of which benefit women and families, is a positive sign [2].
Donating millions of dollars worth of profits isn’t necessarily unique to companies in the MLM industry, but it’s always good to see. In the case of Thirty-One Gifts, it’s obvious that they dedicated to helping and empowering women; you can see it in both the company’s culture and in how they spend their profits.
Here are some cons about Thirty-One:
Thirty-One Gifts hasn’t received a lot of customer complaints, but they’ve received a reasonable amount, and most of them have involved billing issues. There may be glitches in the company’s online ordering process that double-charge customers for products or bills them for the wrong product. These types of complaints can usually be resolved, but it can be a turnoff for some customers and create headaches for the distributor, so it’s best to avoid them if possible.
Another issue that distributors have to be wary of when getting involved with Thirty One Gifts is the possibility of over-saturated markets. The company has 65,000 Consultants in North America, and as more are added, you may run into an over-saturated market in some places. If there are already a significant number of distributors in your area, it may be difficult to find customers, and thus your ceiling for making money may be limited. This isn’t necessarily the company’s problem, but it could deter some from signing up as a Consultant.
Finally, Thirty-One Gifts has a quota that Consultants must meet, as well as several rules and regulations they must abide by that aren’t necessarily standard with MLM firms. The monthly requirements are reasonable compared to most other MLM companies, but they still exist and distributors should be aware of them.
There are also several rules with regard to the role that spouses, assistants, and others can have in your business. You are not allowed to run your business as an LLC, which other MLM firms allow. These policies may not affect everyone, but distributors would be wise to look into them before signing up with Thirty-One Gifts.
Recap
Thirty-One Gifts is one of the more upstanding companies in the MLM industry. The company has a clear mission, donates millions of dollars to charitable organizations, provides plenty of support for its distributors, and sells products that receive positive reviews.
Outside of the $99 startup fee, it’s a safe venture that’s relatively risk-free. Only in rare cases will it become a full-time job, but it has the potential to be a fun side project that produces some economic gain.
Like any other multi-level marketing company, it’s important to do your due diligence before signing up. But most of the concerns with Thirty-One Gifts are relatively minor and shouldn’t stop you from becoming a consultant if you like the company and its products.
It may not be a life-changing experience, but it has a little potential. Just don’t expect to get rich or quit your day job with it.
Look, I’ve been involved with network marketing for over ten years so I know what to look for when you consider a new opportunity.
After reviewing 200+ business opportunities and systems out there, here is the one I would recommend:
