For Megan Alliger of rural Gowrie, Iowa, an investment of $99 and an Internet connection in 2014 started out as a fun side business she could do while at home with her children. A farm wife and now mother of three she soon turned that opportunity into so much more. "I just wanted to kind of try the products. Younique is very mission based to uplift, empower and validate women and that really spoke to me."
Founded in 2012 Younique cosmetics is the first direct sales company to market and sell online almost exclusively through the use of social media. The Younique virtual party business model pioneered the transition from a traditional home party to the huge world of social media. To build her business Alliger communicates with her teammates, receives support and tools from corporate and corresponds with customers through social media and video tutorials while utilizing the Younique ecommerce site.
"This business is completely digital," adds Alliger, "I can work from my phone, my laptop, my tablet. I'm always connected. The reason I am where I am is because I have a very good, reliable broadband connection."
With the flexibility of being online Alliger can work from home while with her children or helping her husband, a grain and livestock farmer. "Working from home is what it sounds like. I am able to be home with my kids and make them breakfast and play games with them and while they're taking a nap I can grab my phone and do whatever I need to do online. I'm doing live videos for my team, make-up tutorials for my customers and I can do that all between loads of laundry."
By July of 2018 Alliger had turned this opportunity into quite a business as a black status presenter with over 1,500 team members looking to her for support. "I plan to expand my business and continue to grow. I have a lot of things I worry about but my Internet connection is not one of them. I have WCCTA."
Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association provides Landline Telephone, Digital TV and Internet service to 16 rural communities on a Fiber driven network just outside the Fort Dodge, Iowa area: Pilot Mound, Boxholm, Lanyon, Paton, Churdan, Farnhamville, Gowrie, Somers, Moorland, Knierim, Barnum, Clare, Thor, Badger, Vincent, and Duncombe. www.wccta.net WCCTA is Gigabit Certified and designated a Smart Rural Community by NTCA: the Rural Broadband Association.