Join a company as a self-employed sales representative or freelancer

Would you like to supplement your income and start home sales, without your new activities impacting your current family and/or professional life? All while staying within the law, especially from a tax and social perspective?

Are you wondering which system to choose for your company? VDI status, self-o-eentrepreneur, self-employed... What exactly are we talking about? Is it possible to combine home sales with a salaried job? Are you allowed to keep certain social security benefits?

When you want to offer your services to a company to become an Independent Home Sales Consultant (VDI), you must first acquire an official, fiscal, and social status that allows you to carry out your activities safely and legally.

Focus with Elora, especially on VDI status and the micro-entrepreneur systemto-entbuyer (or, more precisely, micro-entrepreneur).

Key takeaways

• Autonomy and flexibility: joining a VDI company allows you to set your own work pace and organize your activity according to your preferences.

• Simplified procedures: the micro-enterprise status offers quick setup and streamlined administration so you can start with peace of mind.

• Elora support: as a VDI agent, you market the collection without having to purchase stock in advance and benefit from free and ongoing training.

Why and how to join a company VDI?

As a VDI (Independent Home Sales Consultant), you are not an employee, but you benefit from the production, marketing power, and logistics of the companies whose products you sell.

You carry out your sales activity with complete peace of mind, under a proper contract. You are the ambassador of the company with which you have signed an agreement. You share the company’s values and the products and services it offers, but you are free to choose your own pace and place of work (at home or near your home, if you wish!).

By joining a VDI company like Elora, you benefit from free professional training, and you are supported and guided by the company.

You should know that with the VDI status, you are not an employee. The amount of your income, and therefore your earnings, comes directly from your personal sales. Your work is paid as a direct percentage of the sales you make.

Micro-enterprise: the best choice when starting out

In France, micro-enterprise status allows you to run an independent business with basic tax and social protection. Here are the key benefits for beginners:

This is where the success of the micro-enterprise (auto-entrepreneur status) comes from. It allows you to start a new professional activity as an independent, without risk or administrative burden.

Good to know: The micro-enterprise has consigned the old VDI status, dating back to 1993 and specifically designed for "door-to-door" sales, to the past. This traditional status, which still has its followers, requires registration with the Trade Register (RCS) or the Special Register of Commercial Agents (RSAC). It falls under the general scheme for self-employed workers and creates a link with the company through an employment contract. Social security contributions and charges related to VDI activity are then calculated and paid by the company.

Unlike the micro-enterprise, this status offers a certain level of security for independents, as it creates an employment relationship with the company. In practice, it also creates a subordinate relationship, and makes it more complicated for independent sales consultants to combine sales activity with either a salaried job or unemployment benefits, etc.

The micro-enterprise... complete autonomy!

Do you have an entrepreneurial spirit and want to remain independent? The micro-enterprise regime (self-employed) is particularly well suited to home sales because it allows you to determine your level of activity based on the income you need.

You have your own micro-enterprise and therefore manage your communication, your networking on social platforms, and your daily business as you wish. You are truly independent and autonomous! As a VDI, you decide on your own sales strategy, while benefiting from the marketing and logistical support of the company you represent and whose products and services you market.

For self-employed entrepreneurs, it is still possible to combine this with permanent or fixed-term contracts, as well as Social Security and URSSAF benefits (such as unemployment and retirement), under certain conditions. If you are an employee, however, make sure there is no clause prohibiting you from having a side activity.

Which status should you choose to become a VDI?

In conclusion, the micro-enterprise is a perfect choice for becoming an independent home sales consultant (VDI), with complete peace of mind. With no administrative burden, the self-employed entrepreneur can generate additional income throughout the year from the sale of products or services.

It’s a flexible and evolving status that supports the launch or combination of activities for independent workers, without affecting their training rights or requiring them to pay specific social security contributions, since they keep their Social Security coverage.

With Elora, our VDI company, you will benefit from a Independent Home Sales Representative (VDI)Being a representative does not in any way require you to purchase products or to file your own VAT return. In fact, for each home sale, it is the stock of the direct sales company for the products you market. What matters is the turnover you achieve! Your income is directly linked, as your remuneration is calculated and paid each month as a percentage of your sales.

If you want to stay independent while diversifying your activities and boosting your income, the direct sales activity is made for you! And, given the current legal regulations, it is advisable to choose a self-employed statusto-enentrepreneur.

Learn more about the profession and become an Fashion Consultant Elora (at-home fashion consultant).