Consignment:
Early in the game, I'll send my sim to the grocery store and buy a couple hundred of the cheapest fruit and cheapest fish. My sim will sell about 50 at a time each day for several days in a row at the consignment store. This quickly raises their consignment reputation so they get better prices for things that take an effort and time to create and sell. Then on the Skill Journal (type J in game), complete as many of the challenges for consignments. And soon as possible, get that happiness reward for Suave Seller. In your situation, I'd do the grocery store trick, then you can really get a good reputation of being a seller. Everything my sim brings to the consignments sells fast and quickly gets greater profits. (rags to riches or elixir doesn't matter -- it's unified reputation)
Social groups... ah sorry I have not yet tried to max any of them yet so I don't have first hand tips for that one.
