Wine Guide and Team Leader Leah Johnson answers four of the most common questions she gets from people who are interested in becoming independent Wine Guides with Traveling Vineyard. If you’re thinking about the perfect opportunity to earn supplement income on a flexible schedule, this post is a must-read! You just might find the answer that’s holding you back from what we call “the best job ever.”
Is the Wine Guide Life really for me?
You might be asking yourself this very question. To be honest—yes, it probably is for you in more ways than you might imagine! I know starting a business is scary, but I’m telling you, this is so worth it. Still, as a researcher at heart and someone who questions everything (a lot), I get that it might not be so easy to make the leap. In this post, I want to give you my answers to 4 of the most common questions that pop up when talking to someone who is interested in Traveling Vineyard and how those questions correlate with the biggest benefits of the job.
How much does it cost to start my Traveling Vineyard business?
There is an investment to start your Traveling Vineyard business—just like everything good in life! We offer three great options for every budget: $59 for our Digital Success Kit, $99 for our Essentials Kit, or $179 for our Complete Success Kit. Each kit was designed to meet the different needs of future winepreneurs, like you. I tell most people if you really want to give this a go, the $179 Complete Success Kit is the best option. Why? Well, if you break it down with everything you get, you are essentially paying for 10 bottles of wine and getting everything else FREE! When you choose this kit, you’re getting your first two tasting sets (each with 5 bottles of wine), 18 tasting glasses, a convenient carry case, wine accessories, business supplies, and three months of your website free (normally $15.95 a month). Which leads me to a huge reason new Wine Guides are so happy they made their decision: the only actual requirement to keep your discount on your personal wine orders is the $15.95/month website fee. And, like I mentioned, that’s included when you join with the Complete Success Kit. Basically, you can use the first few months to explore the job—host two events, try our award-winning wines, meet new people—and discover the many reasons to love Wine Guide Life, all without feeling like you’ve spent too much money. And, let’s be honest, that last Target receipt was probably in the neighborhood of $179—but it didn’t give you the chance to keep earning money.
What an amazing journey I’m on with Traveling Vineyard. What started out as the intention of finding a little hobby where I could sample and learn more about wine and get a discount has turned into so much more! Everyone from the CEO a.k.a. Chief Grape Stomper to the Wine Guides, the Cheerleaders (best support team ever), all of the Leaders and the ENTIRE TEAM at Wine Headquarters …they are all fully involved and participate at a very high level.
Robin Berseth | Team Leader
Do I have to pay for the wine for my events?
Traveling Vineyard makes it easy to earn our signature 5-bottle tasting sets without spending your own hard-earned money. What? Yes, let me explain. When you use your tasting set at an event (live or virtual), and you have a minimum of three orders totaling a minimum of $150 in personal volume (as an example, the company average is $400), you’ll get a Tasting Set Certificate in your account to use for your next event. Order two or more tasting sets and Traveling Vineyard waives shipping. What’s nice about the way Traveling Vineyard operates is that you never need to carry inventory or worry about fulfillment. The company receives the orders, and takes it from there. Plus, they have a kind and committed team of support “cheerleaders” available to personally assist you and your customer.
I haven’t tried the wines so how can I decide if this is right for me?
I’ve got a solution for you! Actually a couple of solutions. First, order wine with your Wine Guide and start your research. Or, second, host your own Traveling Vineyard wine tasting event, and let your Wine Guide know you’d like to make it a Decider Event, where you can use your host discount to purchase the kit of your choice.
Personally, I never had a sip of Traveling Vineyard wine until after I joined and was conducting my launch event. Not only that, I didn’t have any wine education, which is another thing that we all love about this job—you don’t need to be a sommelier or wine expert to be successful, Traveling Vineyard provides all the training you need (and more if you really get into this wine thing!).
Can I really make money as a Wine Guide?
You sure can. I have made money every month as a Wine Guide. We work off of a tiered commission structure paid out three times per month. Within a calendar month, Traveling Vineyard will ensure you are paid at your highest commission level for that month on all marketed volume in that month, which may mean some “back pay” for those first orders at the beginning of the month! WHOOP WHOOP! Essentially you can give yourself a raise. Any Wine Guide on my team will tell you that my mantra is always “you get out what you put in.” I love that I am in control of how much I work, and I know that when I need a break (like during the kids’ winter break when they are home all day long or during our vacations), I can take it. I plan for quieter periods by working my business more the previous month, for example. That’s another thing I love about Wine Guide Life, there’s no minimum volume you are required to meet. We always encourage Wine Guides to do at least $250 in volume because then you have covered your website fee and can treat yourself to nails, coffee dates, or other extras. Plus, you still keep your 20% discount.
Feeling ready to launch your own wine direct sales business with Traveling Vineyard? Reach out to your Wine Guide, or contact Traveling Vineyard today to get started. For all our FAQs, just visit us here. Wine Guide Life is truly for anyone, and we are all here to answer all your questions and cheer you on. Cheers to the next step in your journey!
Featured photo by Kiersten Ray-Kuhn.