WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- The number of Americans working as direct selling consultants in the U.S. increased by more than 1 million to 15.2 million in 2006, according to a study released today by the Direct Selling Association, the industry's national trade group.

According to the Growth & Outlook Survey Report: U.S. Direct Selling in 2006, the direct selling industry, which includes well-known name brands such as Avon, Mary Kay, Herbalife, The Pampered Chef and The Longaberger Company, gained 1.1 million representatives from the previous year. The study also reports that U.S.-based sales grew to $32.18 billion in 2006, up from $30.47 billion the previous year and $29.73 billion in 2004.

"Today, there are more products and services available than ever before, and more opportunities for men and women to work with companies that offer items that match their own interests and hobbies," said Amy Robinson, DSA's Vice President of Communications and Media Relations.

The report indicates that women continue to represent the largest segment of consultants -- 85.2 percent.

The survey also found that 89.9 percent of all direct sellers work part- time, less than 30 hours a week, while 10.1 percent work full-time.

"For stay-at-home moms, direct selling offers a fun and flexible way for women to work part-time around family obligations and other responsibilities," said Robinson. "Some do it to make extra money, perhaps to save for holiday shopping or family vacations -- while others simply enjoy the social interaction or the opportunity to get their favorite products and services at a discounted price."

The study indicates that 75.2 percent of all sales in 2006 were conducted face-to-face: 66.9 percent in a home, 3.9 percent in the workplace, 3.8 percent at a temporary location and 0.6 percent of the time in other locations. The remaining 24.8 percent of sales occurred remotely: 12.8 percent of the time over the phone, 11.6 percent via the Internet and 0.4 percent of the time through other mediums.

In addition to flexibility, one of the greatest benefits of direct selling is the portability of the business.

"The direct sales model enables people to easily relocate their business and develop a customer base in new communities, while maintaining relationships with pre-existing customers in other states by accepting orders placed over the phone, via e-mail or on the Internet," said Robinson.

Clothing, personal care and accessories remain the largest product categories with 33.7 percent or $10.84 billion in sales. Home and family care products were second with $8.6 billion in sales, wellness third at $6.5 billion, leisure and education at $1.3 billion, and $4.8 billion for other products and services.

Other significant findings from the survey include the following: -- 33.2 percent of sales occurred in the South region of the U.S., 26 percent in the West, 24.9 percent in the Midwest and 15.9 percent in the Northeast -- 67.1 percent was generated by individual/person-to-person sales, 28.9 percent by party and group sales, 3.4 percent directly through a company and 0.6 percent via other methods

More information about Growth & Outlook Survey Report: U.S. Direct Selling in 2006 can be found on the DSA

Big C consulting

It is a challenge to succeed. If it were not, I'm sure more people would be successful, but for every person who is enjoying the fruit from the tree of success, many more are examining the roots. They are trying to figure it all out. They are mystified and perplexed by what seems to be some strange, complex and elusive secret that must be found if ever success is to be enjoyed. While most people spend most of their lives struggling to earn a living, a much smaller number seem to have everything going their way. Instead of just earning a living, the smaller group is busily engaged in designing and enjoying a fortune. Everything just seems to work out for them. While the much larger group sits in awe at how life can be so unfair, complicated and unjust.

"I am a nice person," the man says to himself. "How come this other guy is happy and prosperous and I'm always struggling?" He asks himself, "I am a good husband, a good father and a good worker. How come nothing seems to work out for me? Life just isn't fair. I'm even smarter and willing to work harder than some of these other people who just seem to have everything going their way," he says as he slumps into the sofa to watch another evening of television. But you see you've got to be more than a good person and a good worker. You've got to become a good planner, and a good dreamer. You've got to see the future finished in advance.

You've got to put in the long hours and put up with the setbacks and the disappointments. You've got to learn to enjoy the process of disciplines and of putting yourself through the paces of doing the uncomfortable until it becomes comfortable. You've got to be prepared and willing to attack the challenges if you want the success because challenges are part of success. Now that may sound like a full menu of activities, but let me assure you that the process of going from average to fortune isn't really all that difficult. Thinking about it is the difficult part.  Anticipating all the effort and the changes and the disciplines is far worse in the mind than in reality. I can promise you that the challenges you'll meet on the road to success are far less difficult to deal with than the struggles and the disappointments that come from being average. Confronting and overcoming challenges is an exhilarating experience. It does something to feed the soul and the mind. It mak es you more than you were before. It strengthens the mental muscles and enables you to become better prepared for the next challenge.

I've often said that to have more, we must first become more, and to become more, we must begin the process of working harder on ourselves than we do on anything else. But in addition to gathering new knowledge, new skills and new experiences; it is also important to discover new emotions. It is how we feel about what we know that makes the biggest difference in how our lives turn out. How we feel about the chances we have and the choices we have determines the intensity of our effort. Whether we try or don't try. Join or don't join. Believe or don't believe.

I'd like for you to discover some strong feelings about your life and about what you want to do with that life. You probably have much of the knowledge and a lot of the experience and perhaps most of the skills that it takes to become successful. What you may be lacking in are the strong feelings about what you want and what you want to do. You may be one of those who have become so involved in the process of earning a living that you've forgotten about the choices and the chances you have for designing your own life.

Let these strong feelings help you take a second look at your life and where you're headed. After all, you've only got one life, at least on this planet. So why not make it an adventure in achievement? Why not discover what all you can do and what all you can have? Why not discover how many others you can help and in the process how that can help you?

Why not now take the Challenge to Succeed!

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

Big C consulting