In this Usborne Books MLM review, I’m going to share a unique opportunity with you. One where you can get paid to promote children’s books.
I think I’ve seen just about every opportunity under the sun. So it doesn’t surprise me anymore when I see opportunities in some of the smallest niches.
If you’re passionate about children’s books and educational materials, this might be just the opportunity for you. You can partner with a large publisher and earn some extra income at the same time. Let’s take a look.
What is Usborne Books
Usborne Books is a company that was founed in 1973 by Peter Usborne. The company’s current catalog consists of well over 2,000 titles of international children’s books.
The company has headquarters in both the US and UK. Usborne is a member of the Direct Selling Association and operates under the multi-level marketing business model.
The company markets their books through independent consultants. They specialize in educational books for kids on a variety of topics. Some of these topics include:
- Match
- Science
- Literature
- History
- Adventure
- Hobbies
The parent company is Educational Development Corporation and their direct sales division is Usborne Books & More (UBAM), which is the largest segment of their business.
How Does it Work
Usborne is one of the top children’s publishers in the world and offers children’s books for sale through distributors. And the company offers an opportunity to partner with them and sell their books as a consultant.
The company currently has over 30,000 active direct consultants in their most recent reports. They have active consultants in the USA, Canada, UK and 22 countries in Europe.
How to Join Usborne
To join Usborne Books you need to first become a consultant. As I mentioned, this is an mlm opportunity so in order to join you will need to find a consultant to sponsor you.
If you are only interested in buying books, you can simply register for free on the website.
To sign up as a consultant you can get back to the person who referred you or go to the UBAM website to find a consultant in the US. If you live in one of the other areas where this opportunity is available you can visit their site to get started.
To become a new consultant the first step is purchasing a New Consultant kit. You have two options: The New Consultant Kit or the New Consultant Mini-Kit.
The New Consultant Mini-Kit is $75 and includes:
- 2 featured titles
- 8 additional titles from popular series
- 6-month e-Business package (which includes website)
The New Consultant Kit is $125 and includes:
- 3 featured titles
- 17 additional titles from popular series
- 6-month e-Business package (which includes website)
Here’s a tweet from someone offering a special to join the company.
Usborne Books and more is celebrating 30 years and is inviting you to join for just $30!! pic.twitter.com/O9jXRz2R5x
— Ashley (@Ashley481988) June 29, 2019
What is the Usborne Books Compensation Plan?
As a consultant you earn commissions when you sell books to consumers, schools, or libraries.
With the UBAM compensation plan commissions vary depending on who you sell books to. And there are other ways to earn money.
Here are 4 ways to earn with UBAM.
1) Earn Commissions on direct sales
- Home Shows are 25% in commission.
- Direct Sales of $25–$84 equal 15% commission Sales of $85 or more equal 30% commission.
- Book Fairs that earn $200–$499 are 20% commission. Sales of $500 or more are 17% commission.
- Fund Raisers of $250 or more are 15%–30% commission.
- Online sales through your website are 25% commission.
- School & Library Sales (minimum $25 retail) are 17%–25% commission.
2) Monthly Sales Bonuses
Here’s a Monthly Sales Bonus breakdown. You’ll receive a monthly sales bonus on home shows, school & library sales, website sales and direct sales such as a:
- 3% bonus for net sales of $350–$699.99 in a month.
- 5% bonus for net sales of $700 or more in a month.
3) Earn Double the Free Books
Kind of like a fast start bonus to help motivate you to make more money. In your first 12 weeks of business, you can offer your hostesses ‘double free books’ for shows of just $250 or more in retail sales with one booking.
4) Earn by Sponsoring new UBAM Reps
- Earn a 4% bonus on your personal recruits’ sales every month that you sell at least $350.
- For each person you sponsor in your first 12 weeks of business, earn $25 in free product (you choose the products)
The Way Most People Earn With UBAM
The way people usually promote Usborne books is through hosting parties. This can be done from your home or online.
The goal is to bring a bunch of like-minded people together and sell your books to a group. Ideally you should focus on people who have a passion for children’s books.
This could be moms, educators, you name it. You’ll gain more traction by looking for people who are looking for what you have to offer online.
Most people fail because they don’t know how to market their business. As I’ve said before, in order to make money with an mlm opportunity you have to have an advanced skill set when it comes to marketing.
Here’s a tweet from a person promoting their business.
I am an Independent Consultant for Usborne Books & More!!! These books are engaging and interactive!!! The pictures are just a few different books we offer! 📚
— Ms. Sassone (@SassoneRose) July 2, 2019
Contact me for more information!! 👍🏼 pic.twitter.com/7Ie31Xn9Hu
Is Usborne Books Legit?
Usborne books is a solid company. It is not accredited with the BBB at the time of this review, but does have an A+ rating.
Revenues
The company’s most recent fiscal year revenue numbers for 2018 were $95 million. This represented a 5.7% increase year-over-year from 2017.
Pros and Cons of Usborne Books
Pros
- The reputable company has been around for a long time and was founded in 1973.
- A high quality unique product in a good niche that people are passionate about. Promoting a positive cause in child literacy and education.
- The company is growing with a 5.7% increase in revenues year-over-year, which isn’t far off from what some of the fastest growing mlm companies out there.
- It’s not expensive to join with a Consultant Kit starting at $75.
Cons
- The active consultant count of the UBAM Division has been challenged over the past few quarters (down 2.9% which is 900 consultants). The direct sales industry has experienced a multi-year decline.
- Competition from sites like Amazon might make it difficult to turn earn a substantial income long-term.
- The mlm business model is challenging and most people struggle to earn.
- The company is lacking on the training side for consultants. You’re left on your own to figure it out.
- The most common complaints are with customer service and long wait times to receive book orders. Some customers have waited months to receive their books.
- The company relies heavily on hosting parties to generate income. You have to foot the bill on products for house parties, which only makes sense if there’s a positive return on investment.
Conclusion
If you have a passion for children’s books or maybe you’re an educator, you might want to think about joining the Usborne team. You get to partner with a respected publisher and earn a profit.
As with any mlm opportunity, it’s not easy to get people in a room and sell products. Especially when similar items can be found online for a lower price.
I’ll leave you with a video from a successful Usborne Consultant on how she makes money with Usborne. Check it out if you have a few minutes. Enjoy!
