Country Bunny eyes global market

The Nixa-based direct sales company has come a long way since its 2000 incorporation.

Country Bunny began as a hobby for founder Nancy Bogart, who made lotion bars in her kitchen and sold them at craft shows and women’s expos.

Now, the company employs about 30 people at its Nixa offices and about 1,800 independent sales representatives – 180 of who joined just in the last month – with a payroll that reaches $1 million.

Together, those workers helped Country Bunny rake in $3.3 million in 2005 revenues.

The company’s national presence is nurtured by Bogart’s dedication to traveling the country, speaking about its products and, soon, speaking about empowering women, something she’s seen a need for through working with women in the last six years.

“I think the number one crisis is self-esteem – they have difficulties, they fall apart,” she said. “We don’t just sell products - we are here to improve people’s lives, honest to goodness.”

That seven-city tour, dubbed “Moxiemize Your Life,” kicks off Aug. 19 in Springfield, followed by stops in Denver, Kansas City, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Houston and St. Louis.

Country Bunny’s success also is due in part to Nancy Bogart’s husband, Ron Bogart, who serves as CEO and “takes care of everything inside the building,” she said.

Ron Bogart said the company’s sales are made mostly at spa and home party shows; 15 percent is done on its Web site and roughly 5 percent of sales are made at its showroom in Nixa.

Lately, Country Bunny has been trying to boost its local recognition.

The company is having its Shop the Hutch promotion, encouraging local shoppers to stop in at the Nixa store, sample some products and get pampered, Nancy Bogart said.

Keeping the company local has not exactly been easy, but it was always important to do so, she added.

“We’re in an industrial area, so it’s not like it’s a storefront that we get a lot of traffic,” Ron Bogart added. “It’s kind of a hidden secret, but the people who find out about it wish they had known about it for a while.”

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t still a focus on expansion.

Nancy Bogart said she has a goal to have sales representatives in Canada and Mexico in five years, and she hasn’t ruled out the rest of the world, either.

“We would like to go more international,” Ron Bogart said.

“We’re becoming such a global economy that you’re missing the boat if you’re not.”

With expansion comes challenges, however – namely regulations and language barriers, Nancy Bogart said.

Aside from spreading geographically, she also is aspiring to double Country Bunny’s representative base.

Country Bunny Bath & Body

Address: 1106 Eaglecrest St., Nixa 65714

Phone: (417) 724-9690

Web site: www.cbunny.com

2005 southwest Missouri revenues: $3.3 million

2005 payroll: $1 million