Build a home-based business with hot handbags

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As Monica Hillman and Gabrielle DeSantis-Cummings developed their vision for Gigi Hill, they knew direct selling was the ideal business model for their new handbag company, Gigi Hill Bags.

Even in a troubled economic climate the two moms have found entrepreneurial success.

The designers wanted not only to help customers find that perfect combination of fashion, function and quality, but to empower their saleswomen as entrepreneurs.
 
By making Gigi Hill's totes and handbags available through home parties, they could offer shoppers a lively, personalized buying experience and allow the company's "stylists" to determine their own schedules and earning potential.

"We love that we can offer women the opportunity to run a business, something they never thought they could do before," Hillman said.

She and DeSantis-Cummings introduced their innovative, chic designs two years ago, and now Gigi Hill is poised for major expansion.
 
The founders are focusing on recruiting a national, independent sales force, with the goal of having 500 stylists on board by the end of 2009.

They believe the home-party model is ideal for women who want the freedom and flexibility to decide when and how often to work.

Stylists don't need special qualifications to succeed as long as they have pride in the product and entrepreneurial spirit.
 
They earn an instant 25 percent commission on party totals, and if a stylist decides to build her own sales team, she earns commissions on those sales as well.
 
Incomes can range from enough to cover their kids' sports lessons or the equivalent of a full-time paycheck.

"We say, 'You tell us what you want, and we're here to support that," DeSantis-Cummings explained.

"If you're here as a hobby and want to make $500 a month, that's fine. If you want to replace a full-time salary, then we say, 'These are the steps you need to take.' "

In 2007, 15 million people worked in direct sales in the United States and generated more than $30 million in sales, according to the national Direct Selling Association.

Clothing and accessories make up the largest segment of the industry, 32.8 percent, and the segment has grown by more than 10 percent in the past four years.

At a Gigi Hill home party, friends get together for the evening, enjoy each other's company and relax with a glass of wine while stylists show off the bags.

Hillman and DeSantis-Cummings love that their designs are the stars of the show, rather than being relegated to a department store shelf, where someone may or may not happen by and a salesperson may or may not be around to answer questions.

"In a store, you're just one of many, and there's no guarantee anyone's going to show your bags," Hillman said. "And our bags are so easy to demonstrate."

Hillman and DeSantis-Cummings knew a little about home parties before starting Gigi Hill. They had attended and hosted parties for companies such as Longaberger and Southern Living.
 
But DeSantis-Cummings really took note of the industry after she started an earlier venture, an online community for moms.

"Lots of moms were talking about direct sales, and I started researching it and saw it has exponential growth potential and it's so organic. It's a great way to help women build businesses," she said.

After a year of research and development, Gigi Hill was launched in late 2006. (The company name is a blend of Gabrielle's family nickname and Monica's last name.)

The partners were immediately buoyed by the success of parties around their Southern California base and sales that exceeded projections.

Earlier this year, they sought outside financing and have partnered with an investor who was specifically looking for the chance to grow a direct-sales business and who fully supports their vision.

"We're all on the same page," Hillman said. "It's just been a really nice fit."

They expect 2009 to be a defining year for Gigi Hill - 16,000 bags are being produced for the Spring-Summer line.

It's a huge jump for a company that got its start in an Orange County living room, but the motivation for DeSantis-Cummings and Hillman hasn't changed.
"It's all about the customer," Hillman said.

"If we continue to have customers appreciate us as much as we have experienced so far, then the journey will always be one filled with satisfaction."

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