|

Navigation
Links
Home Page
Training Website
Win $50 FREE Books
Shop Online
Contact Us
Ordering
Info Links
Shop Online
NEW Usborne Titles!
Mailing/Faxing Orders
Request a Catalog
Estimated Shipping Time
About Usborne Books
Money Saving Tips
FREE Usborne Books
Selling
Usborne Books
Selling
Usborne Books
Info
Commission Structure
Earning Potential
Rewards
Program
Earn Free Usborne Books
Business Requirements
Company History
Who We Are
Sunshine Team Benefits
Starter
Kit Cost
Sign Up Now Online
Program
Info Links
Request a Catalog
Usborne eShow Online
Usborne Unit Studies
Benefits for Libraries
Usborne
Book Fairs
Usborne Fund Raisers
Reach for the Stars
Earn Usborne Books
Product
Info Links
About Usborne Books
Usborne
Book Awards
Usborne
Book Reviews
Recommendations
Features of Usborne
Internet-Linked Books
Accelerated Readers
Usborne Quick-Links
Discounts/Saving $$

|
_____________
"[Usborne Books]...most fascinating,
child appealing books I have
ever seen."
Mary Pride
_____________
"In the field of
information books,
Usborne is unbeatable
for their lively
and reliable productions."
The Guardian
_____________
"Given
the choice between an Usborne book
and another book,
a child will
always select
the Usborne!"
Debbie Lerner
'96 Nat'l Social Studies
Teacher of the Year
_____________
"One of the best gifts you can give
a child is a book, especially an Usborne Book."
Cameron
McKinley
2006-2007 Alabama Teacher of the Year
_____________ |

Usborne Books in
Canada

Usborne Books in
the
European Union

Usborne Books in the
United Kingdom
|
Usborne Books at Home
|
Usborne books - published by the parent
company, Usborne Publishing in London - are available in
the United States through the Educational Development
Corporation in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Educational
Development Corporation was incorporated in 1965 and
presently has two divisions. Educational
Development Corporation began distributing Usborne books
through the Publishing Division in 1978. The Home
Business Division (Usborne Books at Home) began its
operation on March 1, 1989 and has experienced steady
growth since. The Home Business Division distributes
Usborne books through independent consultants who sell
directly to the consumer via Usborne home showings,
direct sales, book fairs, and directly to the school and
library market, as well.
Though Usborne books were initially a supplement to
the corporation's product line, it has grown to become
the largest product line for the company! |
How
Usborne Books Were "Born"
| The following is excerpts from an
article that appeared in the Tulsa Tribune on
October 8, 1986. Peter Usborne of London in one of
the world's leading publishers of children's books -
almost all of them nonfiction. No funny little
bunnies for Usborne, whose contention is that
children like to learn. What they don't like is
being bored. "Educational but great fun, too, is
the idea of all the books we do," Usborne said.
An avid traveler, Usborne said, "You can get an idea
(for a book) just by landing at the airport."
Usborne came to book publishing with a background
of having founded "Private Eye," a British humor
magazine. "My wife announced that she was pregnant,
and suddenly, it seemed the only thing worth doing
in life was doing books for children," he said. But
even though he determined to publish books of
information, Usborne's impish sense of humor set the
tone. "We are selling knowledge and the the idea
that acquiring it can be fun," he said.
The question was how to convince a grade-school
child to delve into a book on business management,
archeology, medicine. Usborne began with two
theories. "I feel equal to my kids," he said. It
made sense to him that children should be addressed
as equals. Also, he said, "My theory is that
children prefer most other media to books."
Usborne evolved a combination of quick, often witty
text, bright colors in lots of cartoons and
illustrations, packaged in 30 or 40 pages as light
as a magazine. The result, he said: "A book
that, at first, doesn't look like a book at all."
The concept was "an absolute shocker" at the
start, he said. But it worked. A survey in England
showed that about half of Usborne's books are bought
by parents. The other half - bought by children.
The pages of all the books are jammed full of
text and pictures. "We pack it in," Usborne said.
"Children love it." Usborne's books are written
by a 70 member staff, and illustrated by hundreds of
artists in London. The books are written for age
groups from preschool up. As it is, Usborne contends
some of his children's books are the best sources of
quick information for grown-ups, too.
"The American people are wanting better
education for their children, " said EDC President
Randall White.
"That stimulates a demand for better
children's books." |
Business
Reviews
| July 1993 - Publishers
Weekly quoted "According to EDC's annual report, the
fastest growing segment at EDC last year was the
home party plan division which saw sales increase
99%..." September 1993 - Special Investment
Situations quotes "The Home Party Plan Division
doubled revenues during FY93...makes EDC the only
multilevel direct selling company in the U.S. to
offer primarily nonfiction educational books for
children and has received enthusiastic response in
all fifty states."
October 1993 - EDC Second Quarter Interim
Report "The Home Business Division recorded 160%
increase this quarter versus the same quarter last
year. Our consultants are becoming much more active,
as indicated by the fact that we had an 11% increase
in active consultants yet a 160% increase in sales."
February 1994 - OTC Growth Stock Watch
"Net sales for the Home Business Division were 95%
over the same period last year. This division
continues to add new consultants as the popularity
of selling books in the home increases."
January 1995 - Fortune Magazine stated "EDC
was listed as the 12th fastest growing stock on
NASDAQ for the 1994 year. Sales by it's Amway-like
unit soar."
February 1995 - Tulsa World "Through at
home demonstrations, representatives should generate
$3.5 million in sales for 1994, more than doubling
the previous year's $1.3 million. And 1995 could
easily bring in $8 million... The Home Party Plan is
the fastest growing of the company's 3 divisions.
...is far from reaching market saturation... The
financial incentive can be substantial for those who
hustle. Last month 3 of the company's at home
marketers were paid more than $5,000 for their
efforts...
August 1995 - Tulsa World - Top 25
Investment Guide "Finger sandwiches and coffee
aren't the key to Educational Development Corp.'s
success. The key is the book-selling parties in
which the refreshments are served. EDC's multilevel
marketing division is growing 180% a year... In
fiscal 1995, which ended Feb. 28, the nearly 3,000
people in the active sales force accounted for 36% -
4.5 million - of the publisher's $12.5 million
sales."
November 1995 - Forbes - The Best Small
Companies in America EDC was recognized as one of
the best!
January 1996 - Investors Business Daily
"Randall White's company is hardly a household name.
But a lot of parents in a lot of households have
reason to be pleased with White and his firm,
Educational Development Corp.. EDC has tapped a
market of parents eager to see their children's
talents and interests blossom from behind books
rather than in front of TV and video game screens.
Earnings at the U.S. publisher...have surged in each
of the last 3 years. Much of EDC's explosive growth
of recent years has occurred in its direct selling
Home Business Division. Sales there jumped 167% last
year. The number of people selling books had risen
from 320 in 1992 to 4,800 now.
August 1996 - Tulsa World - Top 25
Investment Guide EDC was listed as #3. "The company
continues to grow at a 50% compounded rate and
increase its multilevel sales force 100% annually...
volume generated by its 7,000 plus sales force has
increased..."
September/October 1997 - Usborne Books
listed in Wealth Building Magazine - 142 Proven
Direct Sales Firms: "This list represent some of the
most solid companies in this fast growing - and
stable - industry."
November 1997 - Forbes - The 200 Best
Small Companies in America: EDC/Usborne Books was
listed for the 2nd time!
1998 - Wealth Builder magazine listed us
as a proven direct selling company!
2001 - the PRNewswire reported that the
multi-level sales arm of the Company, recorded an
increase of 62%, marking the 12th consecutive month
that the Home Business Division has produced a sales
increase.
May 7, 2003
–
Yahoo Finance online - Educational Development
Corporation (NASDAQ: EDUC) reported today that net
sales for the month of April 2003 were $2.6 million,
the largest April in the Company’s history. The Home
Business Division has recorded sales increases every
month since July 2001, a string of 34 consecutive
months.
|
EDC, and its Usborne Books at Home division
are growing and are here to stay!
|