Women who want to find a balance between their career and family life are finding more independence through direct and home-based sales, according to Oklahoma newspaper the Norman Transcript.

Unlike many other business sectors, the direct selling industry is driven largely by women, according to the Direct Selling Association, which recently reported that 81.8 percent of direct sellers were female in 2010, the Transcript stated. That year, there was an estimated $28.56 billion in direct sales, of which a majority were person-to-person and party or group sales. Some of the top companies include Avon, Arbonne, Amway and Tupperware, which are all spurred by mostly female sellers.

Despite the prevalence of women in direct sales, many different types of people thrive in these companies, according to the news source. Direct sales have been found to be appealing to mothers with young children, college students who are looking for extra income and full-time employees who start a home-based company on the side for supplemental income.

Many direct selling companies are beginning to evolve their businesses to cater to those who use social media, which younger direct sellers in particular might find appealing, reported the Financial Chronicle. Mary Kay and Amway recently made plans to implement marketing plans on Facebook by the end of the year to appeal to younger users and reach a wider range of audiences.