The Direct Selling Association helped kick off the 19th Annual TODAY Show Holiday Toy and Gift Drive recently by presenting the direct selling industry’s donation live in Rockefeller Plaza.

From the presidential election to the now famous “fiscal cliff,” the last quarter of 2012 brought with it plenty of political positioning and fancy rhetoric. Amidst all of it, though, one thing remained certain: Small businesses, often seen as the “backbone” of the U.S. economy, would play an important role in a post-recession America.

Oct. 19, 2012 marked a milestone for the Direct Sellers Association of Canada (DSA of Canada) as it held its’ inaugural “Celebrating Excellence in Direct Selling” Gala.

Hilary Hinton “Zig” Ziglar, the man of a million motivational maxims who bucked up and cheered on three generations of American business strivers over a 40-year international speaking career, died near his home in Plano, Texas, on Wednesday after a brief battle with pneumonia. He was 86.

Many companies sell products in the health and wellness area, and direct selling companies have led this category for many years.

The best candidate did not win. I still believe that. He had better ideas, would have brought a fresh approach to office, and would have been more moderate and sensitive to business concerns.