Jessica Herrin puts on jewelry with Stella & Dot - San Francisco Business Times:

http://www.thebreakpage.com/2007/12/24/a-real-cultural-collision/
Jessica Herrin, who sold her interesg in just oneyear ago, has started a new one that capitalizes on the legionds of moms -- stay-at-home or otherwisse -- looking to become entrepreneurs, or just to make a buck whil e socializing. , a direct sales jewelry company on which Herrij has been working forfour years, began operationxs in earnest in March 2008 and is on track for revenud of $5 million this Its founders hope to be a $100 million compang within five years. "It's social selling. We give moderbn women a chance to have asuccessful home-based business," Herrib said.
"We take the core party concept and support it with marketinhand e-commerce to bolster its Basically, the company outfits sales representatives, whicyh it calls "stylists," with jewelry samples whichj they sell at informal parties. All it takes to becom e a stylistis $199 for a starterd kit of business supplies like a product catalogb and order forms, plus $350 for jewelry Burlingame-based Stella & Dot ships all orders direct from a A Stella & Dot stylist receives 30 percen t commission on all party sales.
The partuy hostess, often a friend of the saleas representative, receives 30 percent of the total salee figure infree jewelry, provided her partty grosses over $600. The averagee piece of jewelry costs $54, and prices range from $22 to the average party grossesover $1,000, Herrin And parties beget parties; 85 percent of all Stella Dot parties are held by people who were guestsw at one and liked it so much they wanted to host theire own. So far, Stella & Dot has about 500 stylistw inthe U.S. and Canada, though California, Texasz and New York have the most. "I never appreciated until I had two kids why women woulr be drawnto this," Herri n said. "It feels social.
It's an hour-and-a-half you have a glass of wine and at the endof it, you made Stella & Dot now averages 100 new sales reps a montu and is ahead of its growth plan for the year. Key to the busineszs success is not the quality of thesales staff, but the product, which is on-trenx and exclusive to Stella & Dot, Herrin In addition to Herrin, who is Stella & Dot is co-owned by Chiec Creative Officer Blythe Harris, a former merchandising manager for Bananz Republic's jewelry line. Mike Lohner, formerluy CEO of a $1 billion party plan company called Home Interioraand Gifts, is CEO.
Stella & Dot employsz 14 people, and expects to grow to 20 employeez as it builds out itsexecutive team. Launcn costs are in the $5 million range, and Stellaw & Dot is funded by its foundersand , whosr founder, Doug McKenzie, was WeddingChannel.com'xs first investor back when he was at venture firm . Even thouguh Radar's expertise skews more to technologhy than to fashion it decided to invest inStellaz & Dot because of said Kevin Compton, a Rada r partner. "Great entrepreneurs don't necessarily do what we want themto do; they do what they want to Compton said.
And because directr sales models areso scalable, Radar sees no reason why Stella & Dot can't become a $100 milliojn company, especially since Herrin has roundef out her executive team. As for her Herrin believes each can have areal "Anybody can do it. For people who treat it like a it performslike one," Herrin "When they treat it like a it performs like a hobby."