Usborne Books Review (2024 Update): 10 Things You Should Know!

Chances are you heard about Usborne Books because someone - a friend or family member - introduced you to the company. Maybe you attended an online workshop or webinar, or maybe an in-person information session.

Your head’s probably spinning. This might be the first time you’ve heard about a real way to make money outside of a typical job.

So first off, congratulations!

You’ve just entered a whole new world...the world of making money on your own terms.

However, you came in through the wrong door.

Because Usborne Books is - plain and simple - an MLM. Throw whatever fancy name you want on it...multi-level marketing (MLM), network marketing (NWM), direct sales, or anything else, it’s the same concept:

You pay some money upfront for the “opportunity” to sell products.

The products are typically low-quality but with high price tags (because fancy labels and stuff).

You’re told that the key to building your own successful business is selling these products to friends and family, and getting them on a subscription (so you get “monthly recurring revenue”).

Unfortunately, like most people who get taken in by these types of schemes, you’ll quickly discover that the well runs dry faster than you imagined.

After all, they make it sound really simple. “Just get 5 people you know onto this magic widget, and things will just grow from there.”

And in your head, you think “How hard can it be? I know plenty of people, 5 will be easy.”

But then you do it, and you realize people look at you like you’ve joined a cult. You’ve become “that person”, who joined an MLM, and is now trying to sell questionable products or services to everyone they meet.

It puts a strain on your relationships, and you end up stuck between two worlds.

But it’s not your fault. These companies spend millions of dollars each year figuring out exactly how to brainwash and recruit people. And that’s why we’re here.

To help you find a better way before it’s too late.

So, what if there was a way you could build a passive income stream that’s actually passive?

An income stream that doesn’t require:

• Inventory
• Selling to friends and family
• Selling to strangers
• Recruiting people
• Dealing with questionable products that weigh on your conscience

An income stream that brings in consistent revenues every single month (from a couple thousand dollars to well over $10,000)?

An income stream you could actually build in your spare time, and grow as large or as small as you want to, without having to spend hours a day chasing, selling, or managing anything?

If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, check out Digital Leasing.

This is nothing like MLM, and that’s probably a good thing.

However, if you’d still like to know more about Usborne Books, keep reading.

What Is Usborne Books & More?

Usborne Books is a subsidiary of the EDC (Education Development Corporation) which sells over 1,800 titles of educational children's books. But more than that, their lines include:

• Traditional books
• Sticker books
• 3D cut out books

Being in business for just over 40 years, Forbes Magazine has recognized them as one of the 200 best small companies and by Fortune Magazine as being one of the fast growing.

Who Started Usborne Books?

Soon after realizing that he was going to be a parent, Peter Usborne began his career focusing mainly in the world of children's books.

Then in 1973, he started his own company, Usborne.

He pioneered an entirely new line of groundbreaking and charming illustration books for children which included high-quality popular and contemporary subjects that were unmatched in the industry.

So, nearly 50 years later, Peter says that being a parent was the best time in his life and that publishing books for children have been a major factor.

He still loves getting up in the morning and going to work. Even though he in his 80's, his duties as a publisher have never been so interconnected with his role as a parent since he operates Usborne with this daughter Nicola, who is his Managing Director.

Martin Usborne, his son, has his own publishing company called Hoxton Mini Press.

Today, Peter and his children Martin and Nicola, operate The Usborne Foundation. This charity, which was founded by the Usborne family, utilizes design technology to address contemporary issues of health and literacy with light-hearted animation.

One of The Usborne Foundation's claims to fame is a series of games enjoyed by children world-wide called "Teach You Monster To Read".

Can I Sell Usborne Books As A Side Hustle?

For $65 you can become a consultant which includes the following:

• 1-year consultant status
• ten books
• 6-month e-business package
• business supplies

For all the sales you make, you will receive a 25% commission along with extra bonuses for any sales you make over and above your quotas as a new consultant. Also, there are no sales minimums that you need to hit on a monthly basis.

Of course, there's a variety of ways to sell these books, but the majority of consultants like to book parties online using Facebook and doing home parties similar to Pampered Chef.

That is, the consultant will typically have some books for staging purposes, but the party goers will typically place their book orders online through Usborne and have them shipped to their home.

As a way to encourage them to have their friends over for a party (either at their home or online), the Usborne hostess will provide free gifts as well as reduced-priced books depending on the sales that are made at the party.

Typically, when you have a friend host a party for you, you'll have the option of choosing from over 20 books in the Fuss Fish Library.

Keep in mind that most MLM companies use this type of direct sales tactic as a way to get consultants to recruit new consultants by paying them a percentage of those sales.

What Makes A Good Usborne Consultant?

Usborne has an hourly pay for consultancy, which is OK for a side hustle, but not earth-shattering.

You can also order a consultant books kit, with no minimum restrictions, then use a 25% consultant discount for books to create a library for your child.

Honestly, I've thought about becoming an Usborne consultant just for that reason.

Usborne consultants are often asked what advice they would give to new consultants. Resoundingly, they say to go all in.

New consultants are encouraged by Usborne to get started quickly to get their library and business up and running.

Of course, when their direct sales businesses have seasonal fluctuations (like during the Summer and before holidays), consultants are told to keep their noses down during these business cycles.

As an Usborne consultant, one is often told to be over and over to be creative. To help with this, Usborne lets you sell their books in many ways other than just from your home.

Ironically, some consultants who have made the most money don't sell the most books. Their primary goal is to build a team of consultants in their downline.

For the most part, consultants are encouraged to ask for help if needed, run their business as a business, and show their passion for books.

How Much Commission Do You Really Make As An Usborne Consultant?

The Usborne website says consultants usually make about $100 for each book party. So how much is that on an hourly basis?

Most consultants have an average monthly income that ranges anywhere from $150 to $4,100 with the midpoint being around $550 per month.

On average, it takes a consultant around 18 months to several years with Usborne to reach this level.

They usually have at least 5 book parties every month and about 3 hours is spent on each party.

Honestly, Usborne consultants make a relatively good income with the average being around $40+per hour and the lowest end being around $17.50 per hour.

You can expect that a team lead who recruits consultants to make even more. One consultant claims to have an income of $600 per hour for building his team of consultants.

Clearly, the most profitable way to build an Usborne business (like all MLM companies) is to have consultants in your downline.

The way it breaks down is that as a team lead you're paid a 25% commission for your personal sales and a sign up bonus for each new consultant. You also receive a commission for your team sales in addition to your personal 25% commission.

So, you can some pretty good side hustle money as an Usborne consultant with very little time in it. However, in order make big money, you should consider making it a long-term career and set some long-term goals beyond just being a side hustle.

However, if you're gonna put in that amount of work to hit it big with Usborne (which, trust me, isn't easy), you might as well bring in some REAL money.

The program that helped skyrocket my online business to $40,000+ per month teaches some of the multi-level marketing skills, but shows you how to monetize them in a much, MUCH more profitable way.

Can You Make Money Selling Usborne Books To School?

One incentive as an

Usborne consultant and organizer is being able to sell books to libraries and schools. Many consultants believe that you can make very good money this way.

However, selling to schools will only get you a 20% commission on your sales. Now, that is still a pretty decent commission, but not the 25% you normally get. So I'm guessing they must be getting larger orders.

But, before you can create a sales account with schools or libraries, you'll need to have at least 6 $160+ orders under your belt... but what we've found is that consultants find this a little easier said than done.

On top of that, even if you are able to start selling to schools and libraries, you will have reps from other companies (like Book People) going up against you. Plus, these reps can offer their books to schools and libraries in bulk at a lower retail price, even the same Usborne books that you sell.

For instance, you can sell "See Inside Your Body" from Usborne for $13.60 at retail price, but schools can actually purchase this book from Book People for $10.87. They can also buy "Looking After Your Mental Health" for $4-5.50 less than the Usborne retail price.

So obviously, in order to compete with these other companies, your books would need to be sold cheaper.

But does Usborne even sell their books that cheap?

If they do, then your commission would likely take a hit.

Just to give you an idea, a 20% commission on a $4.00 book would only be $0.80... before you even subtract your personal costs.

To make matters worse, Usborne corporate sells their books to schools without consultants.

So, in order to sell these books, you have to meet their requirements which will end up pigeon holding you. Unfortunately, these are a lot of hoops to jump through to make a consistent amount of money.

Why Do Usborne Consultants Love The Programs So Much?

Overall, Usborne consultants absolutely adore their books.

They enjoy the fact that they can buy books at a discounted price for their children which in turn helps other children get books that they love too.

Why Do Some Usborne Consultants Not Like The Program?

Honestly, it's hard to find a consultant that will say anything bad about Usborne.

For the most, I believe it's because Usborne consultants truly love the products and they're pretty happy with the money they make from Usborne. Of course, these consultants are intelligent are always in the presence of mind for sales.

Since direct sales is a major part of the business, more than 30% of the consultants say they were out of their comfort zone not having any sales experience when becoming a consultant.

Most say that it's pretty hard to get more than one party out of a hostess and even though they can make a lot of sales at book fairs, companies like Scholastic can really be a hindrance at schools and libraries.

Another obstacle that most consultants often have to deal with are the technical issues with the Usborne website and the daily setbacks they encounter being a consultant.

It irks consultants to no end when a customer wants to order a series of books just to find that they're out of stock or that there's a delay in shipping.

Of course, shipping and website issues are typically out of the company's control, but if a company keeps track of their sales and inventory for any given line, then it should never run out of stock. It's things like this that can be a detriment to the daily business of an Usborne consultant.

Although many things have been changed for the better when the new website was implemented, a fair amount of consultants still have their issues.

What Some Consultants Have To Say About Usborne Books:

I love using Usborne books for our homeschool. Some of the best quality books out there, no doubt. By nature, I'm just not a very good salesperson. - Rachel G.

I love that we don't have to sound salesy as a consultant. I just buy the books for myself at a discount and then sell the product to other parent. Stress Free! - Brynn S.

The thing I like about Usborne is that not only can we make money selling the best books on the planet, but we can really make an impact on children all around the world. Pretty sweet! - Janice S.

Unlike Usborne, a lot of MLM companies can be somewhat scammy. But, even if I didn't make any money on the side hustle part of the business, getting books at a discount or even for free is such an awesome perk people still love the business, because my child loves Usborne books. - Chelsea H.

Is Usborne Books Worth It?

When you become a Team Leader, you'll get an advancement bonus of $120... and if if you can do this in 4 months of getting started, you'll get a double bonus of $240)

At that point, you'll get a "Personal Team Bonus" which is a 5% commission every month on all of your team sales so long as you:

• Meet a monthly sales quota of $120
• Your total monthly team sales is $1,800.
• You have 4 active Organizers that make at least $120 in sales one out of three consecutive months.

So how would all this affect you money-wise if we work out some numbers:

• For one party of $120, you make $22.80
• From your team sales, you'll make $90 commission
• If 4 people in your team sell $120, you'll make $28.80.

So how much would you make in total?

You'll gross about $238.80.

Now think about this... that's almost $240 that you make by pushing yourself and your team to sell over $1,800 in Usborne books. You would only need to work 6 hours per week at a part time minimum wage job.

If you ask me, that really doesn't sound like a whole lot of money considering all the time you have to put in on your "business".

On top of that, you have to be paid this as a consultant for three rolling months in order to maintain your rank.

Do you see why nearly 99% of participants in MLMs typically lose money once you have to subtract out your business expenses according to the FTC?

So is it worth it?

If I can be blunt...

The books themselves are worth it for the quality, maybe not so much the price.

Their website is often glitchy, so not worth it.

And the MLM business model they use is CERTAINLY not worth it.

Now, with the right program, it is entirely possible to build a profitable, successful online business.

My #1 pick proves this... and unlike Usborne Books at Home, it actually provides real proof of real success from real people as recently as a few days ago.

Is Usborne Books Scam?

So, is Usborne Books a scam?

Not technically. You can make money with this program, but it’s definitely not as easy as the company makes it sound.

There’s a ton of work to be done upfront, no real guarantee of success, and - most importantly - the actual commissions are pretty small.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with front-loading the work and making the money later.

But if you’re grinding it out for 3 months and then your reward is a $50 commission, it’s not really worth it.

What if, instead, you could do that same 3 months of work (in your spare time), and your reward was a $500 to $2,000 payment that came in every single month?

And what if you actually didn’t need to wait 3 months? What if you could get started today and have your first payment in a week?

And what if you could double it next week?

Well, that’s the power of Digital Leasing.

And, unlike an MLM, you can legitimately do this from anywhere. It’s a true lifestyle business.

Your laptop and an internet connection is all you need.

Some of the most successful students in this program run their entire 6-figure businesses from:

• A camper in the middle of the woods
• A beach chair on the water in Mexico
• A small villa in Greece

They’re able to travel around, living their lives first, and focusing on their income second.

Because even if they stop working for an extended period of time, the money keeps coming in.

So adventure, memories, and experience are the top priority.

And they never have to worry about how to pay for the next trip, or consider asking for time off.

If this sounds more like the type of life you want to lead, just click here to find out more about Digital Leasing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Cost To Join Usborne Books?

Joining Usborne is pretty straight forward. Usborne has two consultant kit options. One is $65 to join and the other is $125.

Kits come with an online business package for 6 months, an awesome branded box, catalogs, additional business supplies, and books! The difference between the $65 kit and the $125 is the number of books that are included! For more information on kits and what comes in them, head here.

Is Usborne Books A Great Way To Work At Home?

Yes.

You can make money at home with Usborne Books, albeit not much money. You do need to put in the time to set up presentations, but it is possible.

Here is what an Usborne Books consultant has to say:

I'm an Usborne Books & More team leader and compared to other Direct Sales companies, we have such high quality products and so many additional perks that really make us stand out from our competition. Plus, the money that I can make as a work at home mom really helps with the day-to-day needs of my family. My kids are still pretty young, so I can make money and do most of my work after putting them to bed for the night. And the best part is that is the giant home library I've built for my children. I believe this is why most people sign up. And lastly, I'm not a salesperson. I am, however, a staunch advocate for literacy and I believe that is the primary reason why people succeed at Direct Sales, that is you love the business and the work you do. - Katie K.

Are Usborne Books Any Good?

Yes, the books are fantastic!

However...

Now, I'm sure the first thing that you'll notice is the full price of Usborne books compared to the same titles that you can purchase more inexpensively from other companies.

So let's take a look at how much more the books cost with Usborne Books at Home. If you signed up with Usborne right now for $65, this would include the following:

If you purchased all these books separately from Usborne Books at Home, it would cost nearly $200. But we looked at these titles individually and found that you could purchase them from other companies for about $120, saving you about $80. So you can see that there is a huge discount when these titles are included in the one-time starter kit fee, but not so much afterwards.

Is Usborne Book And More A Direct Sales Company?

Yes.

Usborne Books & More is a publishing business that distributes its books through Direct Sales (aka, Network Marketing) via thousand of consultants within the US and internationally.

Is UBAM A Pyramid Scheme?

So is Usborne Books at Home a pyramid scheme like many people consider other MLMs are?

So for an MLM company to be considered legitimate and not a pyramid scheme, consultants have to be able to make money through public sales in addition to signing up new recruits.

So, can you make money by selling Usborne books to the general public?

Yes, you can sell these books to the general public. So, technically Usborne Books At Home is not a pyramid scheme, but if you want to make any decent money, you will need to recruit consultants into your team.

But at this point, I'm sure you realize that there are much better programs out there that can help you make A LOT more money than with Usborne Books.

Are There Alternatives To Multi Level Marketing?

There are many different alternatives to Multi Level Marketing, such as:

• Affiliate Marketing
• Dropshipping
• Amazon FBA
• Blogging
• Freelancing

All of which you can make a decent amount of money to a great deal of money.

However, these business models are often too reliant on outside influences, so you frequently find yourself working without a safety net.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could have all the upside potential of an e-commerce business, none of the headaches of dealing with your Network Marketing downline, and all the passive income potential of Real Estate Investing?

What I mean is that there is one business model that allows you all these things.

It’s called Digital Leasing.

What Is ScamRisk's #1 Way To Make Money Online In 2024?

Our review team has spent months researching, reviewing, and vetting dozens of business models and thousands of programs.

While there may be no “perfect business”, the research IS conclusive:

Digital Leasing is the #1 online business model for those just starting out.

Whether you’ve never made a dollar online, or you’ve been in this space for a while but never really “made it,” Digital Leasing is for you.

Why?

1) It’s Flexible: got an hour a day? You can do this. Ready to drop everything else and dive in full time? You can do this. Yes, the more time you put in, the faster you see results. But even with a little time each day, you can move the needle in a Digital Leasing business.

And because this system is so flexible, you don’t have to constantly be working to make more money. It’s called PASSIVE INCOME because if you stop working, the money doesn’t.

Imagine taking 3 months off to just tour around Europe, rent a cabin in the woods to write a book, hike the Appalachian Trail, or live on the beach and surf all day.

This is only possible if you have an income stream that’s not tied to your time.

2) You Own & Control EVERYTHING: With MLMs and Network Marketing, you don’t really own anything. You have no control over the quality of products. You don’t even own your “team”.

Look at the fine print for most of the agreements folks sign when they join one of these companies. At any point, the company can change your commission structure, reduce your profit margins, or kick you out entirely.

With Digital Leasing, you own the assets, which means you have all the power and all the control.

3) Little To No Startup Costs: It’s possible to get into Digital Leasing with zero dollars upfront.

Because, using the strategies outlined in this program, you can get a client to pay you BEFORE spending a penny out of your own pocket...even before you do any work.

Even without getting paid in advance, you can have your first Digital Rental Property up, running, and generating profits for less than $100.

4) No Inventory: Alright, so most MLMs don’t make you buy the products and fill your garage with them anymore (unlike the good ol’ days), but you’re still in a physical products business.

And physical products always have physical limitations. Even if you don’t have to manage the inventory, you still have to deal with supply chain shortages that cause major delays.

Imagine finally landing your first customer, and then losing them after one sale because they had to wait 6 weeks to get their order.

With Digital Leasing, a 100% online business, you never even have to think about that risk.

5) Easy To Duplicate: Ok, here’s the best part: once you have your first Digital Rental Property up and running, you can literally DOUBLE your income with a few clicks, a couple keystrokes, and a single phone call (and you don’t actually need the phone call).

Remember: each Digital Rental Property is worth $500 to $2,000 a month in semi-passive income (over 95% profit). Every time you decide to create another one and increase your income, it gets easier.

Because you have more knowledge, more experience, more results, and more momentum.

If you wanted to double your income with an MLM, you’d have to double your customers OR double the average order size of your existing customers. And, guaranteed that’s a lot harder than a few clicks and a few minutes of your life.

6) Make Money Helping Real People: This part is what makes it all worth it. In an MLM, your “upline” might convince you that what you’re selling improves people’s lives, but deep down, you likely know that’s not true.

Most of the time, you’re either selling a dream or a poor-quality, overpriced product with a fancy label.

And that makes it pretty hard to sleep at night.

But with Digital Leasing, you’re actually helping people by solving your clients’ biggest problem:

Small, local businesses need more customers, and with Digital Leasing, you are unleashing a flood of happy, paying customers for these businesses.

You make money by helping them make money.

Not a big, faceless corporation either...a small business owner who’s using that money to put food on the table for their family, start a college fund for their kids, or take care of a sick parent.

Once you see how Digital Leasing makes a real impact in the lives of real people, you’ll sleep like a baby with a big smile on your face.

Now, the choice is yours.

You could continue browsing, looking at opportunities like Usborne Books which could one day make you money.

You could continue researching, never making a decision.

OR, you could take a look inside, consider what you really want, and join a program that makes your dreams a reality. At the same time, joining a community of over 2,000 successful students that are living life on their own terms thanks to Digital Leasing.

A consistent, reliable, semi-passive stream of income that doesn’t depend on you or your time to keep producing profits.

All while genuinely helping real people who are grateful and happy to pay for it.

If this sounds more like what you want out of life (or if you just want some nice side income), click here to learn more about Digital Leasing.