Tag Archive for Dsa

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US Direct Selling Grew By 5.5% to $34.47 Billion

by Ramya Chandrasekaran • June 1, 2015 • 0 Comments

The American Direct Selling Association (DSA) today at its 2015 Annual Meeting released new data indicating that retail sales volume among U.S. direct selling companies grew 5.5% between 2013 and 2014 to $34.47 billion. Individuals involved in direct selling increased 8.3% during the same period, surpassing over 18 million (18.2 million) Americans for the first time.

“Direct selling is alive and well in communities across America and continues to grow at a solid pace, because millions of Americans want employment opportunities that work the way they want to,” saidJoseph N. Mariano, DSA’s President. “That’s why direct selling remains attractive to so many people — young parents, caregivers, military spouses, veterans, students, retirees and others — who appreciate opportunities to build a business on their own terms.”

The new data was released in conjunction with DSA’s

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David B. Holl Appointed Direct Selling Association Chairman

by Ramya Chandrasekaran • May 31, 2015 • 0 Comments

At its annual business meeting, Direct Selling Association today announced that David B. Holl, president and chief executive officer of Mary Kay Inc., has been named Chairman of the Board for 2015-2016. Holl succeeds M. Truman Hunt, president and chief executive officer of Nu Skin Enterprises.

“I’m pleased to accept this leadership role at a dynamic time for the American economy,” said Holl. “We have a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate the value of entrepreneurship and small business that our industry represents as part of a healthy marketplace.”

Holl joined Mary Kay Inc. in 1993 and was named chief executive officer in 2006 after several promotions. Previously, he was a Vice President at Citibank, based in New York.

“David is a force in direct selling, and we are pleased that he has accepted this position,” said Joseph N. Mariano, DSA President. “I

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DSA Reacts to Article About Decline of Direct Sales in USA

by Ramya Chandrasekaran • May 22, 2015 • 0 Comments

The Direct Selling Association (DSA) has reacted to an article in The Columbus Dispatch about CVSL company Longaberger’s recent troubles, where an analyst was quoted as saying:

“In our view, the Internet offers a more efficient and lower-cost distribution channel than catalogs……Direct selling, while a great source of part-time income for many, is a slowly dying business model…”

Joseph Mariano, President of the DSA has written the following letter to The Dispatch.

The direct-selling channel in the United States is healthy and continues to grow, contrary to the view expressed in May 17 Dispatch article “Basket maker Longaberger Co. has its critics.”
The proof is in the numbers: Direct selling generated more than $32 billion in revenue in 2013, up from $31.6 billion in 2012 and $29.8 billion the previous year. Ohio realized just over $1

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DSA Appoints Steve Tew To Board

by Ramya Chandrasekaran • May 1, 2015 • 0 Comments

The American Direct Selling Association has appointed 4Life President and CEO Steve Tew to its Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is a group of distinguished executives who share a three-year term to guide the efforts of the DSA.
The DSA works with Congress, numerous government agencies, and consumer protection organizations to lobby on behalf of its member companies, ensuring appropriate representation under the law.
Steve Tew ’s assignment, which will be announced at the DSA Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, in June, came following a vote for new Officers and Directors that took place earlier this year.

“As a member of the Direct Selling Association’s Board of Directors, I am committed to addressing the issues that are significant to home-based business builders,” said Steve Tew.

Steve Tew also holds a seat on the World

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FTC Commissioner Praises Direct Sellers

by Ramya Chandrasekaran • April 21, 2015 • 0 Comments

The direct-selling industry on Tuesday earned praise from a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) commissioner amid calls for greater regulation.
FTC Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen praised the industry’s efforts to improve its self-regulation efforts during remarks at the National Press Club in Washington.

“I commend you for your partnership with [Council of Better Business Bureaus] that has increased awareness and understanding – and appreciation – of the importance that the direct selling industry places as an industry on ensuring it is an ethical and trustworthy marketplace,” she said.

The industry has come under fire from advocates who say more regulations are needed from FTC officials to protect consumers from pyramid schemes and faulty advertising.
But Ohlhausen said that sometimes self-regulation is “the only option for certain advertising practices where government intervention is limited by First Amendment concerns.”
Still, Ohlhausen

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DSAP: Understanding pyramid scams in the Philippines

by Ramya Chandrasekaran • April 16, 2015 • 0 Comments

About 4 million Filipinos are in direct selling. They have dreamt of being entrepreneurs but do not have the capital. Some have found financial and personal freedom, while others have become victims of pyramiding scams.
The Direct Selling Association of the Philippines (DSAP) shares answers to frequently asked questions about pyramiding companies and those that are legitimate and with sustainable compensation plans.
Question: Using layman’s terms, what is pyramiding and what’s the main difference between legitimate multilevel marketing (MLM) and pyramiding?
Max VP for Asia Joey Sarmiento: Network marketing, or MLM, is a legitimate mode of business wherein products are sold via person-to-person selling instead of the traditional way of selling from a fixed retail location. The objective is to sell products to the end-consumers.
The difference between MLM and direct selling is in the commission

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DSAP: Understanding pyramid scams in the Philippines

by Ramya Chandrasekaran • April 16, 2015 • 0 Comments

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“75% Of Irelands Direct Sellers Are Female.”

by Tina Williams • March 13, 2015 • 0 Comments

BusinessAndLeadership.com reports: Figures released from the Direct Selling Association of Ireland (DSAI) have revealed that 75pc of the industry’s 20,000 direct sellers are now female, while 30pc are stay-at-home mums.
Contributing €50m a year to the Irish economy, direct selling is where goods are sold direct to consumers outside of a fixed shop.

Lynda Mills, director general of the DSAI, said: “There is a new type of female entrepreneur emerging in Ireland – women who are selling products they love and building really strong businesses through direct selling.
“We are seeing more and more women being attracted to direct selling because it can fit so easily around other commitments – whether it’s children, education or another job.”

The figures released by the DSAI are based on its survey of its member companies including Amway, Forever Living and

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DSA President Joseph Mariano’s New York Times Letter To The Editor

by Tina Williams • January 25, 2015 • 0 Comments

To the Editor:
Re “Riddle of the Pyramids,” by Joe Nocera (column, Jan. 10):
There is no riddle. Federal law and statutes in a majority of the states clearly define a pyramid as an operation that pays salespeople primarily for recruiting additional members into a network instead of selling products. The Federal Trade Commission further warns that pyramids may require members to buy large amounts of inventory, meaning you couldn’t consume it yourself, or unwanted items.
“Multilevel marketing” is not synonymous with pyramid scheme. The former is an accepted, lawful method of marketing consumer goods and services. The latter is an illegal business operation that should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Hundreds of direct selling firms in the United States (sometimes referred to as multilevel marketers) that are members of the Direct Selling Association are progressive companies with sound business practices that provide opportunities to millions around the globe. These companies, including Herbalife, have committed themselves to the highest level of marketplace ethics and a rigorous self-regulatory code.
We should consider the consequences to the individuals who sell and consume their products — and the communities their parent companies serve — before placing scarlet letters upon their legitimate businesses.
JOSEPH N. MARIANO
President
Direct

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DSA Member Votre Vu Closes Down

by Ted Nuyten • December 20, 2014 • 0 Comments

The following is an email from founder and CEO Harold Zimmerman to the Votre Vu Reps:
Dear Votre Vu Brand Ambassdors,
It is with an extremely heavy heart that I announce that Votre Vu will need to close our doors at the end of this year- 2014.
Even though the value of our products was validated repeatedly by prestigious beauty editors, celebrities, and business authorities, we simply did not gain enough consumer traction to keep our business in operation.
Our sales have been in decline in the past 2 years, and the level of investments made to keep our operations running has reached its limit. Trust me, we have looked every which way to keep this dream alive. It has been my wholehearted focus for the past seven years – and I know all of you and our corporate staff also embraced the Votre Vu vision with the sincerest passion.
I do not view this as a failure, nor should you. We dared to dream. We dared to create something truly unique, and we created quite a stir in doing so. Our brand was given life by YOU, our beloved Brand Ambassadors. \You invoked passion and excitement amongst our consumer base at

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