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Pushed by Pandemic, New Companies Enter Social Selling Space
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Pushed by Pandemic, New Companies Enter Social Selling Space

Opportunities and obstacles are the name of the game as companies compete and e-commerce explodes

By:  David Rauf

“If I’m a traditional manufacturer of consumer packaged goods and always sold in retail stores, but now because retail stores are closed revenue is cut, I had better be looking at every single channel and opportunity to keep my product in front of consumers.”

—Kerry Tassopoulos, founding member,

The Tassopoulos Law Firm PLLC

There are companies right now doing the type of accelerated growth they have not seen before.”

—Mike Sheffield, CEO, Sheffield Group

When the coronavirus outbreak started spreading across the globe earlier this year, executives at The Body Shop, a U.K.-based skin and beauty product retailer, had some decisions to make.

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November 1, 2020 0 comment
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Independent Contractor Classification May Finally Find Clarity
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Independent Contractor Classification May Finally Find Clarity

U.S. Department of Labor attempts to tackle issue once and for all

By:  David Rauf

“Once finalized, it will make it easier to identify employees covered by the Act, while respecting the decision other workers make to pursue the freedom and entrepreneurialism associated with being an independent contractor.”

—Eugene Scalia, Labor Secretary, U.S. Dept. of Labor

“The goal would be to properly classify the field as independent contractors not subject to any test.”

—Will Miller, attorney, Buchlater

Under a new proposed Trump administration regulation, direct selling companies could finally gain some clarity on which workers may be classified as independent contractors.

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November 1, 2020 0 comment
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US Companies Dodge a Bullet in Trump’s WeChat Ban
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US Companies Dodge a Bullet in Trump’s WeChat Ban

Wildly popular messaging and commerce app crucial for direct sellers in China

By:  David Rauf

China is the second-largest market for direct selling behind the United States, accounting for almost $24 billion in sales last year. And nearly all e-commerce in China flows through WeChat.

A new Trump administration ban on the China-owned app WeChat has been narrowed to only bar its use in the United States, as opposed to a potential worldwide prohibition that would have devastated the ability of direct selling companies to compete in the highly-lucrative Chinese market.

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October 1, 2020 0 comment
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Neora to Resume Case Against FTC in Texas
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Neora to Resume Case Against FTC in Texas

Dismissal of case in Illinois allows company to fight in preferred venue

By:  David Rauf

“Neora and Jeff Olson look forward to challenging the FTC’s overreach. As we said from the very beginning, we intend to defend ourselves and stand up for our industry with vigor.”

—Neora company statement

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by Neora, in which the company asked for a ruling  against the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for  trying to enact a pyramid scheme law that doesn’t exist. Neora claimed the act was outside the FTC’s statutory authority.

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October 1, 2020 0 comment
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Public Company CEOs Share Results
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Public Company CEOs Share Results

By:  David Rauf

“I think we can turn this into a positive thing. There’s no real replacement for that in-person connection, but you can get pretty close with a series of video meetings.” 

—McKinley Oswald, President Global Sales, Verb

 

Herbalife

Boosted by a surge in North American sales, Herbalife Nutrition reported record revenue during the second quarter, as the company handily beat Wall Street expectations amid the nearly all-digital sales environment companies are navigating during the COVID-19 era.

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October 1, 2020 0 comment
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Getting Real with Xendurance CEO Jason St. Clair
CEOExecutive InterviewFeaturesGetting Real InterviewsInterviews

Getting Real with Xendurance CEO Jason St. Clair

His thoughts on the power of social selling

Launched: 2006/re-launched 2019

Executive: Jason St. Clair

Location: Scottsdale, AZ

Website: xendurance.com

 

This month, SSN interviewed Jason St. Clair, part owner and CEO of Xendurance, a performance supplement company. 

SSN: Will you share your background and how you got involved with Xendurance?

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October 1, 2020 0 comment
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Supreme Court to Weigh In on FTC Authority to Order Monetary Relief
Cover StoryDirect SellingFeatures

Supreme Court to Weigh In on FTC Authority to Order Monetary Relief

Recent court decisions concerning Section 13(b) of FTC Act could change decades of precedent

By: David Rauf

The FTC has taken the position that the injunctive relief permitted by 13(b) allows it to disgorge revenue from scammers and corporations as well as regain restitution for victims.

“There’s an existing process outside of 13(b) for the FTC to pursue monetary relief, but it is cumbersome and requires more due process, which is why the FTC doesn’t like it.”    —Larry Steinberg, Chair, Multilevel Marketing Industry Group, Buchalter

This could dramatically affect the relationship between the direct selling industry and the FTC.     —Larry Steinberg, Chair, Multilevel Marketing Industry Group, Buchalter

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) can continue to seek monetary rewards when it sues scammers and firms accused of deceptive business practices, setting the stage for a ruling that will have wide-ranging ramifications for the direct selling channel.

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September 1, 2020 0 comment
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Direct Sellers Grapple with Supply Chain Challenges
Cover StoryDirect SellingFeatures

Direct Sellers Grapple with Supply Chain Challenges

Despite strong sales, pandemic creates some disruptions for companies

By:  David Rauf

“This was felt everywhere and in everything; the immediacy of things shutting down in a manner of days was extraordinary.”

—Brian Kraus, VP Global Manufacturing, Amway

“We were fortunate that we had some plans in place to be able to respond as quickly as we did. It’ll be interesting to see, as an industry, how this changes things in the coming year.”

—Brian Kraus, VP Global Manufacturing, Amway

Already faced with a variety of new challenges in the coronavirus era, direct sellers are dealing with another major hurdle affecting their daily business: supply chain disruptions.

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August 1, 2020 0 comment
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