Moira was a Boots advisor in Edinburgh for over 23 years however she was made redundant and started her Avon beauty business as a means of supporting herself throughout the pandemic. With a career spanning over two decades, Moira used the pandemic as an opportunity to stay busy, earn money and share the skills she had acquired throughout her time in the industry.
She spoke exclusively to Express.co.uk about her journey starting her own business, and how others can do this to earn some extra cash on the side.
Moira uses her beauty business to supplement some of her lost income, setting herself a monthly target of £700 initially.
Although she used to giving face-to-face recommendations, with lockdown restrictions still in place across Scotland, Moira set up her online store and is upskilling through digital training to connect and grow her customer base online.
She first decided to be an Avon representative because she thought it would be a good way to fill her time as she was not working – she didn’t realise it was something that she could go on to do full time.
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She said: “I’ve always been a very bubbly person and love interacting with people, and opening my own cosmetic business allowed me to combine my passion for makeup, skincare and socialising with people.
“I’ve been able to utilise the skills and knowledge from my previous career and it has been a great way for me to spend my days and earn some money.
“I’ve never been very tech savvy and, because of my background in customer service, I like to conduct business face to face.”
She was able to take advantage of training courses which helped her understand how to set up an online store, and really get her business going.
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“I’ve already set my goals for this year and I will hit even more.
“As I’m such a sociable person, the best way for me to get the word out about my business is by going door to door.
“But since the pandemic, I haven’t been able to interact as much with my customers and I rely on my family and friends’ reviews to get the word out about my beauty business.
“The more confident I get with my online business, the more I’ll be able to connect with my existing customers and new ones online.”
Moira explained how being made redundant was a hard experience as she was used to interacting with people all day, and then suddenly she didn’t have that anymore.
For some people, the interaction at work is the only form of interaction people may get so the pandemic has been hard, she said.
She continued: “I was a bit lost, and Avon gave me the opportunity to really make the most of my customer service and cosmetics knowledge which has helped my business take off.
“Being a representative gave me a chance to challenge myself, meet lovely people and learn new trends in the make-up world.
“At the moment I’m very comfortable at the level I’m at. I can run my business around my lifestyle and set myself enjoyable, everyday tasks to grow my customer base and top up my earnings while doing so.
“I’m so passionate about the products and causes that Avon stands for that once I’ve reached all my goals, I’m sure I’ll want to start growing my own team.
“I have built my Avon business up to the level I am happy with and the best thing about it is the flexibility to choose your own hours. If you want to work full-time one month, you can do so, and if you want to work part-time the next, you can do so. There’s something to suit everybody and it’s down to your own goals.”
She added: “I would recommend becoming a representative to everyone I’ve had such an incredible experience.
“You run your own business, work your own hours, speak to customers for a living – it doesn’t feel like work!
