Archive for April 25th, 2012

DSEF-Supplied Content Enriching CBBB, Consumers

DSEF-Supplied Content Enriching CBBB, Consumers

Instilling consumer confidence and contributing to a trustworthy marketplace are common goals shared by the DSEF and the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB), one of the nation’s recognized leaders in developing and administering self-regulation programs for the business community.

In May 2010, the two organizations formed a close partnership that has resulted in an 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.

“The BBB, which is one of the most foremost brands of trust and integrity for consumers, is tasked with educating consumers as well as educating businesses about best practices,” says Catherine Landman, Chair of the DSEF Ethics Committee and the Chief Legal Officer for The Pampered Chef. “This parallels DSEF’s goal, which is to educate consumers about direct selling and the best practices direct sellers follow.”

The CBBB, the network hub for BBBs in the United States and Canada, is dedicated to fostering honest and responsive relationships between businesses and consumers. Millions of consumers visit its website each month seeking information that will help them make wise decisions relating to a variety of business practices, services and opportunities in the marketplace. 

“A key goal of DSEF’s partnership with the CBBB on ethics and trust in the marketplace is to provide accurate and valuable information on diverse business and consumer issues, including the direct selling method of distribution,” says Bettie L. Smith, Senior Program Director for DSEF. “Our unique partnership helps pave the way for increased respect and understanding among the 116 BBBs, direct sellers and the general public.”

The general public has been the biggest beneficiary of the partnership.  The DSEF has contributed numerous articles and videos on direct selling, as well as informative blog content, that consumers can easily access from the CBBB site.

Jim Guthrie, Senior Consultant of Advertising and Marketing for CBBB, says “the partnership has brought important, engaging and entertaining content to us that has enriched our website—content from DSEF about direct selling—both about the opportunities to get into the direct selling business and how to purchase knowledgeably through a direct selling channel. It’s the kind of information that the BBB offers to consumers who come on to our site asking about businesses. It’s a wonderful source of information.”

The CBBB tracks the content supplied by DSEF using 25 different metrics that evaluate the CBBB’s ability to deliver content to site visitors. Over the two years that the DSEF has contributed material, the interest in direct selling from consumers has not waned. The rate of engagement with DSEF’s content is at the top of the curve—approximately six times higher than an average message online. On a monthly basis, the CBBB site receives 1.3 million impressions directly related to the DSEF content.

“Consumers are very interested in what we have to offer about direct selling,” says Guthrie. “I think [the economy] is encouraging a lot of people to consider direct selling opportunities.”

Thanks to the efforts of the DSEF, CBBB visitors can find the information they need about becoming a direct seller.

Entrepreneurs in Action Walkathon: Going the Extra Mile for At-Risk Kids

Entrepreneurs in Action Walkathon: Going the Extra Mile for At-Risk Kids


It’s a disheartening statistic: every 29 seconds, one student drops out of the U.S. educational system. Over the course of a year, that equates to 1.2 million young Americans who never graduate—the majority of whom would have continued their studies had the curriculum proved more relevant to their lives.

Sometimes what young people need is a little inspiration and mentoring to show them just how relevant education really is to their future. And that’s where the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) comes in.

Founded in New York in 1987, NFTE currently has 11 affiliate offices throughout the United States that provide programs that inspire young people from low-income communities to graduate from high school and to learn the necessary skills for creating their own business plans—in essence, helping to shape them into the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.

On Sunday, June 3, the DSEF will kick off the Entrepreneurs in Action Walkathon to benefit the Greater Dallas Chapter of NFTE. The three-day event will be held at the Gaylord Texan during the DSA Annual Meeting. DSA members will have the opportunity to support NFTE’s goal of helping at-risk youth find their pathways to a brighter future, and meet some special young people who participate in the organization’s programs.

The walkathon is a first for DSEF, which in the past has hosted a toy drive and organized a beach cleanup as part of its annual charitable efforts. Kate Gardner, Chair of the DSEF Community Partner Program task force and Executive Director of the SUCCESS Foundation, says the walkathon not only allowed DSEF to infuse the entire three days of the DSA Annual Meeting with the message of community partnership, but it also tied in well with its theme: Inspiring Entrepreneurs.

“NFTE inspires kids to complete their education and to go forward, or consider starting, their own businesses,” says Gardner. “The organization is all about teaching the principles and spirit of entrepreneurship. It is a natural tie-in to what the DSA represents.”

Laura Maczka, Executive Director, NFTE Greater Dallas, agrees. “There is a natural connection between what we are trying to encourage our children to do and what the folks in the direct selling business do,” she says. “Our goal is to have disadvantaged youth feel like they can positively affect their future—that they have some control, and through their own businesses change their circumstances.”

Aside from the financial support NFTE will receive from the walkathon, Maczka is just as excited about opportunity for her students to meet members of the DSA. “We are always looking for role models and mentors,” she states. “The people we have met through direct selling have amazing stories that are inspiring to our children. The opportunity for our students to see successful people, hear their stories and hear that they genuinely care about next generation of entrepreneurs is amazing, especially since our students could aspire to be members of the DSA someday.”

DSEF’s support of NFTE is appreciated by top business leaders such as Jim Stitt, President and CEO of CUTCO, who has long recognized the importance of teaching the concept of entrepreneurship to youth. CUTCO is a business that is predominantly college student-oriented, with its focus on young students who can aspire to be entrepreneurs of the future.

“CUTCO has been a longtime supporter of DSEF,” says Stitt. “We think these events are great because they showcase what DSEF does for the industry, and it is a great way for colleagues to get together, learn more about DSEF while working together as well as raise awareness for DSEF.”

The Entrepreneurs in Action Walkathon is sponsored by Herbalife, ALHI, The Pampered Chef, VideoPlus, USANA, CUTCO, 4Life, The Hartford, John A. Parks Co., Inc., Team National, Beachbody, Vantel Pearls and WineShop At Home.

Prizes will be awarded in three categories: Most Miles Walked, Daily Challenges and Most Pledges Collected. The grand prize is a 2-night stay at the Aria in Las Vegas with spa certificates for two. The first place winner will receive a 2-night stay at the Peabody Orlando, and the second place winner will enjoy a 1-night stay at the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs with golf for two.

REGISTER NOW!

Entrepreneurs in Action Walkathon Kick-Off Networking Event

Sunday, June 3—8 a.m. to Noon
Registration Fee: $100 (Tax Deductible)

Don’t miss this opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of our host city’s youth!

Sign up when you register for the Annual Meeting. If you’ve already registered, click here to edit your registration to include the event

For more information, please contact Tamara Ingram.

Can’t Make the Kick-Off Event? You Can Still Participate!

  1. Collect your pedometer at DSA’s Registration Desk after 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 3.
  2. Start walking!
  3. GO THE EXTRA MILE! (Optional) Before the Annual Meeting, ask your colleagues to support you by pledging any dollar amount for every mile you walk. Click here to download the Pledge Form.

Scam Alert: How to Safeguard Your Business

Scam Alert: How to Safeguard Your Business

Small business owners are constantly besieged by tasks that pull them away from the major day-to-day duties inherent in running a successful business. Those tasks can include:

Task 1: Upgrading contact information to directory services

Task 2: Paying miscellaneous invoices

Task 3: Reimbursing customers for overpayments

Task 4: Updating software and passwords

Task 5: Responding to award notifications

Task 6: Checking email

Those seemingly mundane tasks can disrupt the flow of business, and are most often not given the focus they deserve.

And that’s just what scam artists are banking on.

To help small business owners—especially direct sellers—recognize the most common scams and safeguard themselves against fraud, the DSEF has joined forces with the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) to create timely and valuable resources that DSA member companies can share with their salesforces, employees and family members.

“For the small business leader to succeed in our current economic climate, they need up-to-date and relevant resources and tools that will enable them to manage their time, finances and business wisely,” said Bettie L. Smith, Senior Program Director for DSEF. “Through our partnership with CUNA, we are developing an abundance of free financial education resources that individuals can access 24/7 in their home via the Web.”

Those resources include an informative video that identifies the six most common scams experienced by small businesses:

Directory Scheme: The free directory update is not so free after all. You’re billed for listings, services or ads you did not agree to. (Task 1)

Supply Scheme: The miscellaneous invoice you received is for office supplies you never ordered. (Task 2)

Overpayment Scheme:  The customer requesting reimbursement used a fraudulent credit card or check. (Task 3)

Data Breach Scheme: The antivirus software you never installed and passwords you never updated allowed your sensitive business data to be breached. (Task 4)

Award Scheme: The industry award you just paid hundreds of dollars for does not exist. (Task 5)

Phishing Scheme: The email link you clicked on just allowed hackers into your computer system. (Task 6)

Professor Brenda Cude, Director of the University of Georgia Center on Economic Education, says the key to safeguarding your business these days is to stay focused on all aspects of your business operations.

“First and foremost we just all need to be aware and stop and think about what we’re doing,” says Cude, who is a DSEF board member and serves as the Consumer Committee Co-chair. “If we are not sure, take an extra moment to think again or ask someone else. There’s so much that appears to be legitimate today that really isn’t, and sometimes it takes another person’s opinion to help you see where the possible flaw might be.”

According to Jan Garkey, Member Education Manager for the Center for Personal Finance at CUNA, the partnership between DSEF and her organization will capitalize on each other’s strengths to reach new audiences through the exploding social media platform, including sharing personal finance articles from credit unions across the country through Facebook and Twitter. “CUNA is proud to partner with DSEF on our shared mission to improve the financial literacy of our respective members, future members and the general public. It’s exciting to see this partnership evolve.”

“DSEF and CUNA share a common goal of empowering consumers,” says Nu Skin Senior Director of Public Relations Kara Schneck, who is a DSEF board member and Consumer Committee Co-chair. “We look forward to bringing our respective strengths together to help consumers, particularly those involved in direct selling, have the information and tools they need to make wise fiscal decisions and achieve their financial goals.”

To learn more about the specific types of small-business scams and how to protect your business from fraud, view the video created by DSEF and CUNA here.

Create a Unique Story to Promote Your Business

Create a Unique Story to Promote Your Business

A crucial element to a successful small business is the building of relationships with your customers.  As with any relationship, whether personal or professional, each party must bring something to the table to share with the other person.  Sharing details about yourself in even a small way can really go far in creating mutual trust and respect, both qualities that consumers find important when deciding where to take their business.  Here are some suggestions for how you can promote your business by creating a unique story.

  • Remember why you began.  No one takes lightly the decision to go into business for themselves.  Although many things probably factored into your decision, there is most likely one driving reason why you chose this endeavor.  Perhaps you wanted to find a way to stay home with your children during the day, or maybe a loved one inspired you to leave a job you didn’t enjoy to pursue a dream that would make you happy.  When sharing your business with others (friends, prospects, network contacts), make sure to include this personal story.  Tip: Write it out, including any details you remember, and then highlight the most important and personal elements.  What you’re left with will be a memorable story that you can use when building business relationships.
  • Know your strengths and share your inspirations.  What do you have to offer your customers that your competitors do not?  A higher quality product?  Personalized customer service that goes above and beyond?  Whatever it may be, share with others why you think it is so important.  For example, a wedding videographer finds much success by promoting her ability to shoot wonderful videos without being intrusive to the bride and groom.  This is important to her because not only had she been to several weddings where the videographer got in the way, but her own wedding was nearly ruined when the cameraperson nearly tripped her going down the aisle!  A humorous but personal story will make you seem more human, help your customers remember you, and demonstrate your commitment to making them happy.
  • Highlight your accomplishments and how you achieved them.  Accomplishments can be anything from receiving formal recognition within your community to simply landing enough sales every month to turn a nice profit.  Without being boastful, share your journey to the top with others you meet.  Back to the wedding videographer, she would do well with a story about how she perfected the art of taking great videos without being noticed.  People like to do business with others they know who work hard and take pride in that work.  Don’t be afraid to shine the spotlight on yourself once in a while.
  • Reflect on how you learned from past mistakes.  No one is perfect, so if you try to paint yourself as such, you will undoubtedly turn people off because you won’t sound sincere.  When telling your story, include a few downs of your journey as well as the ups.  That wedding videographer didn’t magically become so skilled overnight; she had some weddings in the beginning of her career where she was so focused on staying out of the way that she missed some important moments.  However, watching and studying her own footage as well as studying the methods of industry experts helped her perfect her craft and improve her skills.  After all of that hard work, she’s not afraid to share how she got to be where she is with others.  Customers will appreciate your honesty and be reassured that you do truly strive for their satisfaction.

Identifying and sharing the unique elements of yourself and your business is an effective way to promote it.  The key is in deciding which details to include and which to omit.  Think like your customer when you choose!

Finally, make sure you practice telling your stories. You want them to sound natural and comfortable when sharing them.  Remember that they’re your stories and yours alone, so don’t be afraid to a get a little personal while still staying appropriate.

Do you use unique stories in your business?  Share your ideas below!

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