by LOUISE MACKENZIE DING dong, Avon calling, has been a familiar phrase in suburban neighbourhoods for 125 years.

Its motto “the company for women” has helped many women, and some men, to work flexible hours while looking after children.

It claims one woman in three in the UK is a customer and six million British women see a brochure every three weeks.

A thousand new products a year are produced from its research and development laboratories in the US, all free from animal testing.

Founder David H McConnell pioneered the idea of a women only door-to-door sales model, offering complete flexibility of working hours and financial independence, before the US government had even given women the vote.

Avon’s global revenue for 2010 was £6.6billion and it has 6.5 million reps worldwide.

Walking towards the school gates, Avon sales leader Vicky Pavitt appears like a local celebrity.

There doesn’t seem to be a person she doesn’t know, as one woman nods to her and another waves as we walk past.

“They’re all on my Avon books,” says Vicky. “It can become a nightmare when I pick my kids up because when I start chatting sometimes I can’t get away.”

Although a problem at the school gate, Vicky’s outgoing personality and enthusiasm for the job saw her make record sales figures in her First year as a sales rep.

Vicky, 32, who lives in Colchester, is married with four children aged 11, six, four and two.

Her story is made even more incredible as three years ago, she suffered severe post-natal anxiety which left her housebound.

As we walked back from school with her children, Vicky told me about her life with the illness.

Vicky says: “At my lowest point I was too scared to leave the house.

“I had very high anxiety about anything happening to the children, like them falling down the stairs or hot tea spilling on them.”

A friend introduced Vicky to Avon as she thought it would be good for her confidence.

She says: “I was in recovery when I started Avon, but I was still very nervous about going outside.

“I would cling to the Avon book when I left the house. But it gave me more confidence. Gradually, as I started speaking to more people, I started to come out of my shell.”

With just a £15 start-up fee for materials before someone can become a rep, it was ideal for Vicky. She says: “I had grown up with my mum buying Avon products and so it was something I immediately took to.

“There are no overheads, like there would be if I was starting up my own business, and with Avon you can make it as successful as you want if you put the work in.”

Back at the house, Vicky takes me into her “office”, which has a series of storage boxes all neatly packed with products and folders.

She says: “Being a mum, I have to keep my work things very organised. It’s like a military operation.

“First I check the products and check for damage, then I bag them up in orders before I take them to my customers.”

Sitting on Vicky’s lounge floor, surrounded by cosmetic products, it is like girl heaven.

The Avon packaging and products have come a long way in the past decade and is now sleek and enticing, without the high-end brand price tags.

The £3 Nailwear Pro enamels are a huge hit, with two bottles selling every minute in the UK.

Vicky tells me her biggest selling product by far is the Fergie perfume, fronted by the Black Eyed Peas singer.

Vicky says: “I love make up.

“I like to try out a lot of the products so customers can see it on me before they buy it.”

There are some products that have not changed though. The ever-popular Skin So Soft range, which was launched in 1961, has not altered.

Once Vicky’s husband is back from work and can look after the children, it is Vicky’s chance to head out on her Avon round.

She covers a large part of Colchester and up into Harwich, but as Vicky explains, the rules on Avon territory are strict and she would not dream of stepping on anyone else’s toes.

She says: “We all respect each other’s territories and there are enough customers to not need to go into someone else’s area. Out pounding the pavement, we head towards first customer, Dawn Smith, 37, who is married with two children.

We are invited into Dawn’s house to have a chat while she pays for products she has ordered.

Dawn says: “Usually we will sit and talk for ages.

“I’ll have a look through the catalogue and then probably spend about £8 a month on products.

“Vicky knows what I like now, so she will recommend things to me like eye shadows and foundation.”

Once we are done at Dawn’s we head on to Julia MacMillian’s home, just up the road.

Julia, is 42, and a married mother of two.

She is another regular customer who knows what products she likes.

She says: “I tend to buy the soaps and shampoos from the catalogue because I know I like them.

“Occasionally I will treat myself to a lipstick or something.

“It’s a lot more fun getting the Avon package than it is picking up a lipstick in the shop.

“Sometimes I’ll open the package expecting just soap and get a nice surprise when there’s something for me!”

Back on the street Vicky admits she loves going to see her customers.

She says: “It’s great to be outside exercising and socialising.

“Christmas slows me down, though, because everyone asks me in for a drink. Last year, I only made it to customer number two, I was so drunk!”