“What’s your why?” It’s not a question central to every corporate culture, but it’s one displayed on a board in the customer-rep center of Thirty-One. The direct-sales company based out of Columbus, Ohio, offers a line of purses, totes, backpacks and similar items—with the option of a monogrammed personal touch.

Thirty-One Founder Cindy Monroe and her husband Scott, the company’s Chief Brand Officer, extend that personal touch to Thirty-One’s corporate culture as well. They encourage their salespeople to find happiness in the work, whether it be hosting parties or helping others improve their lifestyles through the business. “We say, ‘When you walk through the doors, you can be yourself—and we want you to be better when you leave,’  ” Scott said.

Promoting the happiness of employees and sales representatives has proven a successful strategy at Thirty-One. As it celebrates its 10th anniversary, the company has grown to nearly 2,000 employees, in addition to 115,000 independent consultants across the country. Thirty-One brought in $718 million in revenue last year, placing it at No. 18 on the DSN Global 100 ranking.

The company’s momentum shows no signs of slowing. Thirty-One extended into Canada last year, and just last month launched sister company Jewell.

The newest arm of Thirty-One caters to a higher-end demographic through invitation-only boutiques.

Read more on Thirty-One’s pursuit of happiness and growth here.

 

Entrepreneurship necessarily involves risk, and for many individuals in the developing world the stakes prove too high to chance. One San Francisco-based company is honing a business model that reduces barriers to entry for Uganda’s would-be entrepreneurs.

Living Goods saw an opportunity to enter a new market—and fight the spread of malaria—using a twist on the traditional direct selling model. The company offers aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to sell affordable health products door-to-door. Franchisees also sell necessary items such as cookstoves and solar lamps at a profit to supplement the discounted health products.

The benefits of Living Goods’ micro-franchise model include negligible overhead costs and the ability to build directly upon existing relationships between the salesperson and customer. Additionally, Living Goods’ particular customer base resides in remote areas where limited supply produces high demand. After 5 years in business, the company generated a healthy $500,000 in revenue last year.

Living Goods and other social enterprises around the world are leveraging one of the most powerful aspects of direct selling: simplicity. A quality product line, basic training and flexible business hours place the opportunity of entrepreneurship within reach of those who often need it most.

Read more on Living Goods and other micro-franchises here.

Health and wellness company Immunotec today announced the appointment of Charles L. Orr as its new CEO. After four years serving as Executive Director at the Direct Selling Education Foundation (DSEF), Orr is stepping back into a familiar role as CEO of a major direct selling company. The DSEF stated that it will continue to work closely with Orr through the adjournment of the Direct Selling Association’s (DSA) Annual Meeting in June.

“Charlie’s leadership of and dedication to DSEF have been unwavering and we want to thank him for his years of service,” said DSEF Chairman and Amway Chief Sales Officer John Parker in a statement. “He has served as CEO of a major direct selling company before, and we’re fortunate that he remains in this industry, one he cares so passionately about.”

Orr joined the DSEF in March 2009 as Executive Director over all its programs and activities. His extensive direct selling experience spans 23 years. Orr has served as a director of Quebec, Canada-based Immunotec since 2006.

Orr has formerly taken on various leadership responsibilities across the financial services and computer industries, in addition to serving in board or advisory roles for a range of public and privately held companies. He has been the recipient of both the DSEF Circle of Honor Award (2005) and the DSA Hall of Fame Award (2007). The DSEF Executive Committee will provide full guidance to the Foundation’s staff until the organization names a successor.

Read the full press release here.

USANA is building upon an award-winning first quarter with additional recognition from its home state of Utah. The Salt Lake City-based nutritional supplements company received four Best of State Awards for its dietary supplements, personal care and energy products. USANA has garnered a total of 25 Best of State Awards since 2003, twice receiving the Best of State Statue or BOSS® awarded to the most outstanding medal winner in each division.

The Best of State awards recognize outstanding individuals, organizations and businesses in Utah. Over 100 judges evaluate nominees based upon achievement in the field of endeavor; innovation in approaches or methods; and contribution to the quality of life in Utah.

USANA, named Utah’s best employer in 2010, has long been a favorite among the state’s consumers. This marks the tenth consecutive year USANA has taken the best dietary supplements category and the third year it has received recognition for its health and nutrition products. The company’s Rev3 Energy® drink and Sense™ skin-care line have also consistently received honors at the Best of State Awards.

Read more on USANA’s recent recognition here.

 

Tupperware Brands CEO Rick Goings recently appeared on NBC’s Mad Money with host Jim Cramer. The segment, covering Tupperware’s latest financial report and its sustainability efforts, aired during the network’s Green Week. Justmeans—a platform for learning about entities shaping the world of CSR, sustainability and social enterprise—features the segment on its YouTube page.

Giving a mile-a-minute rundown of Tupperware’s first quarter earnings, Cramer addresses a slight reduction in the company’s four-year earnings guidance, as well as the $1.1 billion cushion left in Tupperware’s buyback authorization program, equivalent to a quarter of the company’s market capitalization. Goings then discusses Tupperware’s sustainability practices, emphasizing that the business grew out of an idea to eliminate waste by producing viable commercial products from slag produced by the refining industry. Currently, the company is promoting its lifetime-guaranteed water bottles to decrease the more than 471 million disposable bottles added to landfills annually.

View the entire Mad Money clip here.

Herbalife continues to gain momentum following its record first quarter earnings. The global nutrition company saw shares fall 43 percent in December after hedge fund manager Bill Ackman alleged that Herbalife operates a pyramid scheme and announced a $1 billion short position in the company. Last week, Herbalife shares climbed above the price they brought before Ackman’s allegations.

One of Herbalife’s strongest supporters has been investor Carl Icahn, who answered Ackman’s accusations by buying up more than 16 percent of the company’s stock. Icahn also defended Herbalife’s business model against Ackman in person during a television program where the two investors debated the charges. In addition, Herbalife’s shareholders recently approved two Icahn nominees to its board of directors. The company has seen a total stock gain of more than 20 percent since April 18.

Read more on Herbalife’s recent stock gain.

As its earnings increase, Herbalife is also receiving international recognition for its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs. The company’s TEAM Herbalife and Casa Herbalife initiatives were included in the 2012 list of the “Best Social Projects of Russia,” a program that brings the state, society, and private sector together to address social policy reform. The program has the backing of several organizations, including the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Agency for Strategic Initiatives and World Wildlife Fund.

Team Herbalife promotes a healthy, active lifestyle by encouraging individuals to engage in sports and fitness on the local level. Herbalife reports that over 4,000 distributors and customers across more than 30 cities took part in activities such as Ski Russia and the White Nights Marathon in St. Petersburg as part of the program. The Herbalife Family Foundation’s Casa Herbalife program, which aims to improve the nutrition of vulnerable children, supported children’s charities in Russia and mobilized distributors to volunteer at various charities throughout the country.

Read more on how Herbalife is impacting Russia.

 

As India moves toward regulatory reform in its direct selling industry, Sweden-based Oriflame is preparing for future growth in the country. Oriflame recently announced the acquisition of a manufacturing facility in Uttarakhand, expanding the company’s reach in India and the surrounding Asian region. This year, the cosmetics maker plans to add 200 new products to the 550 currently available in India.

Read more on Oriflame’s Asian expansion here.

Washington, D.C., residents have a new choice in electricity. Stream Energy announced that it is adding the District of Columbia to the six states where it currently provides energy services. Stream Energy now offers both residential and commercial services in the Pepco area of Washington, D.C. The company sells directly to customers through its network marketing subsidiary, Ignite.

Stream Energy is also extending its services to approximately 41,000 new natural gas commercial customers in Pennsylvania’s Philadelphia Electric Company service area. With its Northeastern expansion, the company has added a total of 300,000 prospective meters.

Read the full press release here.

Smartphones, tablets and similar devices are redefining the term direct selling. Many direct sellers have already adopted mobile technologies that enhance distributor support and customer acquisition and retention.

Custom clothier J.Hilburn offers its style consultants a Style Kit iPad App featuring a “full catalog, individual client profiles, the ability to create style boards, and access to up-to-date stock information.” ViSalus enables iPhone, Android or Blackberry users to “promote the Body by Vi™ Challenge, access and manage your business on-the-go, shop, and enroll others” through its Vi-Net Mobile App. These are just a couple of many direct selling companies integrating mobile strategies.

In an article titled “Tap-To-Pay Smartphones: The Coming Near Field Communications Tsunami,” Forbes recently featured an evolving technology that could soon deliver a literal payoff to mobile-minded companies. Near Field Communication or NFC is the hardware component that enables smartphones to process tap-to-pay transactions. The author asserts the likelihood that Apple will soon include NFC functionality in its iPhone, sparking third-party developers to create apps that increase the capabilities of a mobile wallet. 

Mobile technologies have already enhanced direct selling’s inherently social business model. As tech companies offer consumers increasing ease in mobile transactions, they also offer direct sellers a wide-open space to innovate in helping their distributors build better businesses.

 

On Tuesday, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) released an updated version of its International Code of Direct Selling. The Code, developed in cooperation with the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations, delineates responsible conduct toward consumers. Though it serves primarily as an instrument for self-regulation, courts may consult the Code regarding applicable legislation. The Code also provides standards in countries that have not established their own direct selling laws.

First published in 1978, the International Code of Direct Selling was last revised in 2007. The ICC recommends the Code as a “daily reference source for everyone involved in direct selling.”

Read more on the new ICC Code here.
Download the Code in PDF format here.