Retailers using a business model similar to Tupperware parties or Avon’s door-to-door selling are expected to see strong growth in the UK this year. According to a story in the Retail Gazette, an independently sourced news organization covering the UK’s diverse retail industry, the UK Direct Selling Association (DSA) said it expected to see strong growth within the […]

A recent story by the Chicago Tribune noted two direct selling companies—Hempworx and Zilis—that are giving moms new side hustles selling CBD oil. According to the article, CBD oil is the latest in a string of products that women, many of them mothers, are selling and recruiting others to sell. In the U.S., the availability of CBD products grew by […]

In our January 2019 issue of Direct Selling News, we published a story on some best practices to employ when responding to misleading facts about your company or negative criticism of the industry. The article illustrates that sometimes it’s better to leave things alone because it can just bring more attention to the story. But, there are times when […]

Vigilance, continuous learning are industry’s best defenses against cybercriminals. It has become a painfully common headline: “Cyberthieves breach company’s system, steal credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, birthdates, passport numbers . . .” High-profile corporations such as Target, Equifax and Marriott all have been robbed of massive amounts of valuable consumer data in recent years, proving […]

Some years ago, on this page, I wrote about a “defining moment” for direct selling. And during last year’s DSA Annual Meeting, I spoke of the changes that were taking place in direct selling, and those changes I predicted we could see over the next few years. Now, as we move full ahead into 2019, […]

Last week, Washington state Attorney General Robert Ferguson filed an injunction against LuLaRoe, Inc., which the Attorney General described as an unlawful pyramid scheme. The complaint alleged that the LuLaRoe plan violated the Washington state Anti-Pyramid Promotional Scheme statute, made false and misleading earnings claims to potential and existing participants, and otherwise violated the state’s […]

The US Direct Selling Association (DSA) has announced that its Board of Directors unanimously approved the establishment of a third party self-regulatory program. The Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (Direct Selling-SRC), which will be administered by the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB), is designed to ensure high standards of integrity and business ethics which remain the guiding […]

LegalShield recently announced that it has promoted Don Thompson to co-president of the firm’s Network Division, effective immediately. Thompson will report directly to LegalShield CEO Jeff Bell. In his new role, he will be responsible for creating and driving sales and network marketing strategies that elevate LegalShield in the marketplace. He will play an instrumental […]

Whether or not there’s such a thing as bad publicity has been a matter of various opinions for decades. There’s less disagreement, however, about whether a company facing negative press should respond to the media’s challenges. Media relations professionals to whom Direct Selling News posed the question “When do you meet criticism head on, and […]

When I worked at my first job on the Hill, I had the privilege of working with Neil Offen, the DSA’s president at the time. He was kind enough to help young staffers envision where our professional lives would lead. He encouraged us to become involved in the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). Years […]

With over 37 million people, Canada has excellent potential for continued development and expansion. Given the close geographic and cultural relationship between the U.S.A. and Canada, it is no surprise that many U.S.-based direct selling companies have a long and established presence north of the border. Add a number of successful Canadian and international companies […]

As is true with any membership, you get what you put into it. You reap the richest value from organizations when you become an active participant. Association membership works exactly the same way: DSA is a crucible in which relationships are fused and ideas forged. The return on a company’s membership investment can only grow when members […]