Freedom Incentive

USANA Supplements Fortify Undefeated Pro Boxer Mike Lee's Health Regimen

noreply@blogger.com (Freedom Incentive) — Wed, 02 May 2012 22:41:00 +0000

USANA Supplements Fortify Undefeated Pro Boxer Mike Lee's Health Regimen
Others Join USANA's Growing Roster of Product-Sponsored Athletes

SALT LAKE CITY, April 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- USANA Health Sciences, Inc. (USNA), a global nutritional supplements company, today announced that it has partnered with undefeated Top Rank professional boxer, Mike Lee. The up-and-coming light heavyweight's current record sits at an impressive 8-0 with five knockouts, including a fourth round KO at Madison Square Garden, in the Cotto/Margarito undercard, last December.

"We are thrilled to announce Mike as the newest member of the USANA family," said USANA's Chief Communications Officer, Dan Macuga. "Not only is he an exceptional athlete, he's a philanthropist and a hardworking, inspirational individual. He represents the things USANA looks for in an ambassador and we wish him the best on his upcoming fight."

Lee first stepped into the ring as a competitive boxer in 2007 while attending the University of Notre Dame. During his time there, he received Notre Dame's Boxer of the Year Award and was named three-time Bengal Bouts champion. After graduating with a degree in finance, Lee signed with Top Rank Boxing in 2009 and currently trains with the legendary Ronnie Shields in Houston, Texas.

"USANA has been by my side most of my professional career and their products have definitely assisted in my success," said Lee. "My number one goal is to become World Champion and to get there, I have to be both physically and mentally in shape and USANA helps with that. I look forward to working with them and am proud to have them in my corner."

Lee will step back in to the ring June 8th at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas as he faces his first opponent of the year. The fight will be telecast on ESPN2 Friday Night Fights.

USANA also recently partnered with inspirational U.S. Soccer star Charlie Davies, U.S. silver medalist marathon runner Meb Keflezighi, and London Games hopeful, U.S. javelin thrower Mike Hazle.

The company receives several hundred requests each year from athletes wishing to receive NSF and HFL-tested products that USANA insures with a million-dollar Athlete Guarantee.

Jen Groover Joins USANA As Spokesperson

noreply@blogger.com (Freedom Incentive) — Wed, 02 May 2012 22:34:00 +0000

SALT LAKE CITY, May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- USANA Health Sciences, Inc. (USNA), one of America's leading companies in the fields of health and nutrition, today announced business expert Jen Groover will make her debut as a USANA spokesperson during the first ever Successful Women Empowering Entrepreneurs Together (SWEET) Retreat on Saturday, May 19. Groover will also be speaking at USANA's 20th International Convention in Salt Lake City in August. Groover will lend her life coach skills and self-made business techniques to USANA's associates and share how she skyrocketed to success with the creation of the Butler Bag.

"We can't think of a better female entrepreneur to partner with who can speak authentically about self-empowerment and business development," said Dan Macuga, USANA chief communications officer. "We are confident that Jen's business savvy and leadership skills will provide valuable insight, as well as actionable strategies and tactics that will help our associates achieve even greater success."

"My goal as a spokesperson and trainer is to provide instruction on the principles of success that aren't taught in school," said Groover. "What I love about the direct sales world is how important confidence and personal development is to your success. Learning how to get past your self-limiting beliefs and fears allows you to achieve great success."

USANA's SWEET Retreat is a two-day training and empowerment retreat that will feature an array of professional speakers, including Nicki Keohohou, co-founder and partner in charge of marketing for the Direct Selling Women's Alliance (DSWA). The event will be held in Orange County, California, May 18–19.

USANA celebrates its 20th anniversary at their International Convention in Salt Lake City from August 15–18. Groover will be joining other specialists at the event: Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Darren Hardy, Jason Ryan Dorsey, John C. Maxwell, Dr. Libby Weaver, and Denis Waitley.

About Jen Groover
Jen Groover is a highly sought after speaker, author, designer, media contributor, and inventor. She began her entrepreneurial career right out of college in the fitness industry, with a focus in personal training. Her success skyrocketed with the creation of the Butler Bag, the world's first compartmentalized handbag, and hasn't stopped since. Groover has been tagged by Success magazine as a "One-Woman Brand" and a "Creativity and Innovation Guru," and a leading "Serial Entrepreneur" by Entrepreneur magazine.

About USANA
USANA Health Sciences (USNA) develops and manufactures high-quality nutritionals, personal care, energy and weight management products that are sold directly to Preferred Customers and Associates throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, China, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, France, Belgium, Mexico, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

Weight loss reduces cancer risk in overweight women

noreply@blogger.com (Freedom Incentive) — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:49:00 +0000

Weight loss reduces cancer risk in overweight women
Published May 01, 2012
foxnews.com/MyHealthNewsDaily

Overweight or obese women who lose at least 5 percent of their body weight may lower their levels of the type of inflammation linked with cancer, according to a new study.

The findings show that women who dieted, exercised and lost weight saw their levels of an inflammation marker called C-reactive protein drop by 42 percent, and lowered their levels of another inflammation marker linked to cancer, called interleukin-6, by 23 percent over the course of a year.

"Both obesity and inflammation have been shown to be related to several types of cancer," said study researcher Dr. Anne McTiernan, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Studies have linked obesity to an increased risk of cancers of the endometrium, colon, pancreas and kidney. Development of as many as 25 percent of cancers is likely facilitated by a sedentary lifestyle and higher-than-normal body weight, McTiernan said.

The decreases in inflammation seen in the study were larger than anti-inflammatory medications would produce, McTiernan said. Researchers believe that inflammation damages tissues and organs in the body — damage that can result in cancer development, or the progression of existing cancer, she said.

The findings "reinforce the importance of weight control on biomarkers that not only have strong associations with cancer, but also with other prevalent chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease," said Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, of the University of Alabama Comprehensive Cancer Center in Birmingham, who was not involved in the study.

The study is published today (May 1) in the journal Cancer Research.

Cancer and weight loss

The study looked at 439 overweight and obese post-menopausal women. The women were assigned, for one year, to either a calorie-restricted diet, exercise, or both. The goal for each participant was to reduce their body weight by 10 percent. The researchers ran blood tests to measure the women's levels of inflammation markers.

Women who dieted, but were not assigned to exercise, saw drops in inflammation similar to those of the women who dieted and did exercise, the findings showed.

But exercise alone did not affect inflammation levels — a finding that did not surprise McTiernan. Previous studies showed that exercise only reduced inflammation if the person lost a significant amount of weight, she said.

It seems to be that the loss of fat is the critical issue, she said.

Dr. Tim Byers, associate director for Cancer Prevention and Control at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, agreed. "It’s really not surprising that body weight and the amount of weight loss determines the changes in these circulating inflammatory factors," he said.

However, while higher levels of inflammation are associated with an increased risk for certain cancers, a cause-and-effect link between increased inflammation and cancer has not yet been fully established, the researchers noted. According to experts, other obesity-related factors besides inflammation, such as levels of blood sugar and sex hormones, can also increase cancer risk.

What women can do to lower their cancer risk

McTiernan said that women who are overweight should first stop gaining weight, and then increase their physical activity. "At least 150 minutes or more per week of moderate or vigorous level activity — this is what is in the national guidelines," she said.

Women need to get a handle on what they are really eating, she said. Using an online calorie-counter program or old-fashioned food log should do the trick. "Most women should be taking in less than 2,000 calories per day, unless you're an athlete."

For weight loss, a realistic goal is losing one to two pounds a week, and to aim for a 10 percent reduction over a six-month period, McTiernan said.

Large benefits can be expected with even small amounts of weight loss, Byers said. He advised keeping up with exercise to maintain a normal body weight.

Both Byers and Demark-Wahnefried said the results of the study are not restricted to postmenopausal women. "The current data suggest that maintaining a healthy weight over the entire life course is important, regardless of gender," Demark-Wahnefried said.

Pass it on: Losing weight can lower levels of harmful inflammation, and could decrease cancer risk.

Vitamin D supplementation may lower blood pressure

noreply@blogger.com (Freedom Incentive) — Wed, 02 May 2012 03:31:00 +0000

Vitamin D supplementation may lower blood pressure
2012-04-30 11:06:03 CST
privatemdlabs.com

Individuals who have high blood pressure may want to consider blood testing to have their vitamin D levels checked. New research suggests that low levels of this nutrient may contribute to hypertension and supplementation may do as much to eliminate the problem as some drugs.

A team of Danish researchers presented findings at the recent European Society of Hypertension meeting indicating that vitamin D supplementation may be an effective way to lower blood pressure levels, according to the Daily Mail.

In the study, the researchers took blood tests to measure vitamin D and blood pressure readings from 112 patients at Holstebro Hospital in Denmark. Half the group was given active vitamin D supplements while the others received placebos.

The results showed that participants who received the supplements experienced significant reductions in blood pressure, while the researchers observed no such benefit in the placebo group, according to the news source.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that about one-third of adults in the U.S. have low vitamin D levels. Addressing this problem may help individuals avoid hypertension.

FDA: 'Puffing' a Supplement is Misleading

noreply@blogger.com (Freedom Incentive) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 19:30:00 +0000

FDA: 'Puffing' a Supplement is Misleading
naturalproductsinsider.com
March 6, 2012

COLLEGE PARK, Md.—FDA said labeling for AeroShot's "breathable energy" supplement is false and misleading because it isn't clear on if the product should be inhaled or ingested, according to a warning letter the agency sent Thomas Hadfield, CEO of Breathable Foods Inc. Beyond that, FDA said the product raises safety issues because inhaled caffeine—the key component of AeroShots—has not been studied well enough for toxicity.

AeroShots came to public attention when Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) requested FDA review the product; his major concern was adolescents who may mix the product with alcohol.

Labeling

    False or Misleading Language—In the warning letter, FDA pointed out the incongruity of AeroShot's marketing. The agency said the labeling is false and misleading because the product says it is intended for both inhalation and ingestion. FDA noted, by definition, dietary supplements must be intended for ingestion, not inhalation.

    Some marketing on the aeroshot.com and on the label indicates AeroShot is intended for inhalation. For instance, the product label features the claim “BREATHABLE ENERGY Anytime, Anyplace," as well as the instruction, “Puff in." In addition, the website includes headlines that describe the product as “inhalable caffeine" and tout the invention of a “caffeine inhaler."

    Yet, other statements indicate the product is intended for ingestion. For instance, the label characterizes AeroShot as a dietary supplement, and the website describes the product as “ingestible food" and instructs users to swallow the product.

    Missing Information—Further, FDA said the product is also misbranded because its label doesn’t have a domestic address or phone number that a person could contact in case of a serious adverse event.

Safety

    Inhalation—FDA said the false or misleading labeling may also cause safety issues because consumers may try to inhale AeroShots. FDA said it is concerned about this because caffeine is not typically inhaled, and the safety of such use has not been well studied. While the website says the powders are too big to actually be inhaled into the lungs, FDA requested research references to back this claim.
    Age Restriction—FDA also requested safety evidence the company used to determine the product is suitable for children aged 12 and older, per the label claim that says AeroShot is “not intended for people under 12 . . . ." FDA also noted a different statement from the company that said the product is not recommended for people younger than 18.

    Despite these age restrictions, FDA pointed to marketing that said the product is designed to be used when “[h]itting the books" and “study[ing] in the library," activities common to children and adolescents.

    Alcohol—FDA said AeroShot is again contradictory when it comes to combining the product with alcohol. The website includes a posting of a news interview where product inventor David Edwards said he doesn't encouraging the mixing of AeroShot with alcohol. However, the website includes clips of news videos and articles on AeroShot that refer to using the product in combination with alcohol or as a “party drug." FDA said posting these news items on a website that promotes and sells AeroShot publicizes the use of AeroShot/caffeine combination. The agency said using caffeine in combination with raises safety concerns, as peer-reviewed studies show that ingesting these two substances together is associated with risky behaviors.

FDA gave the company 15 working days from the receipt of the letter to outline the specific actions it is taking to correct the violations cited above and to prevent similar violations in the future.

FDA requires clear direction on how a product is to be consumed and requires products to carry contact information. Without clear direction of use, FDA said safety issues are raised about how products are consumed. Further, FDA requested more information on how the company determined age requirements, and said adding news articles that mention mixing the product with alcohol is the same as if the company promoted such use on its own.

More recession-hit workers turn to direct selling

noreply@blogger.com (Freedom Incentive) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 18:56:00 +0000

By Reuters

NEW YORK - More US workers, hoping to make ends meet in the recession, have turned to direct selling, but revenues are not keeping pace with growth in the sales force.

The ranks of people selling wares out of their homes, at parties and door-to-door grew by 100,000 last year to 15.1 million in the United States, but sales dropped some 4 percent, according to the most recent figures available.

"We're seeing a lot of people turning to direct selling, either to replace an income or to supplement an income," said Amy Robinson, spokeswoman for the Direct Selling Association, the industry's trade association based in Washington. However, she said: "We haven't yet see a bump in sales which we generally see." A dip in direct sales

In economic downturns of 1990-91 and in 2001, a jump in direct sellers was followed by a jump in direct sales, she said.

But this recession resembles the mid-1980s downturn that saw a dip in direct sales, the DSA said. Figures are not yet available for 2009, when the economy remained in a slump and the number of Americans losing their jobs continued to grow.

"We anticipate we're going to see that jump in sales either to bear out this year or in the early part of next year," she said.

Direct sales were $29.6 billion last year, the DSA said, down from $30.8 billion in 2007 and $32.18 billion in 2006.

That doesn't mean direct sales aren't worthwhile in tough times, said Dave Gardner, a San Francisco Bay area resident who has turned to direct selling, from vitamins to legal services, when his jobs have dried up or been downsized.

"It gets you out of the house, and it gives you training on how to talk to people as well as it keeps you from being depressed about the fact that you just got laid off," he said.

"And it does give you hope," he added. "Who knows? You might find you like it even better than staying in a cubicle and say the heck with ever going back to a job again."

Dove Chocolate Discoveries, a division of Mars Inc, has seen its sales force double this year to about 2,000 people, said Betty Palm, president of the company whose representatives sell chocolate products not found in stores.

"Take a look at what other options exist"

"If either you or perhaps a spouse, if they were laid off, had reduced hours or if their wages were scaled back, direct sales represented a new income source," Palm said. "The economy has forced people to take a look at what other options exist."

Calculating exact figures for direct sales, which entails selling a product or service person-to-person away from a fixed location, is difficult because most states do not require direct sellers to register, the DSA said. Also, many direct selling companies have short life spans, it said.

However, the DSA said it estimates sales by DSA members account for some 90 percent of all US direct sales.

The most well-known and long-running are Avon Products Inc,, which sells beauty products, and Tupperware, which sells food containers. Avon is known for its "Avon calling" slogan, and Tupperware for the house parties that women would host to show off the wares.

Liz Kowalski, who sells Dove chocolates in the Chicago area, said she is inundated at the holidays with requests for tasting parties that feature such items as chocolate martinis.
She said she has seen a change in who wants to join up. "Before the recession, it was a lot of stay-at-home moms that wanted a little extra money, and that's still an option now if their husbands have been downsized or laid off," she said.

Earning $300 to $2,000 on campus

At Ohio State University, 22-year-old marketing major Kristiauna Mangum said she earns $300 to $2000 a month selling cosmetics by mark, a division of Avon, and helped recruit 150 other sales representatives on campus.

"With the economy the way it is, more people are inclined to listen to 'how can I get into direct selling?'" she said.

In New York, psychologist Shelley Reciniello threw her first house party this year to sell the cowl-like scarves she makes on the side because firms on Wall Street, where she sold them in the past as corporate gift items, have scaled back.

She also has counseled her clients struggling with job loss to try their hand at new projects such as direct selling.

"In this economy there's a lot of things you can do from home," she said. "I say to people, 'You can have a short-term goal of trying to make some money and pay the bills and sell some things and then get back on track when the economy is better.'

"Who knows? Some of these things might turn into businesses," she said.

USANA Probiotic Receives ConsumerLab.com Certification

noreply@blogger.com (Freedom Incentive) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:15:00 +0000

USANA Earns Sixth Stamp Of Approval From Third-Party Testing
Press Release: Fri, Feb 10, 2012

USANA Health Sciences, Inc. a global nutritional supplements company, today announced that its USANA Probiotic supplement has been tested and approved by ConsumerLab.com, LLC, a company that independently tests health products for purity, disintegration and strength to help consumers and healthcare professionals identify the best quality health and nutrition products. ConsumerLab.com has also approved USANA's Coquinone 30, Visionex, BiOmega, Mega Antioxidant and Chelated Mineral supplements.

"Having our products pass ConsumerLab.com's tests means a lot to us," said Dan Macuga, USANA's chief communications officer. "Because we manufacture over 90% of our products in-house, in an FDA registered facility, it's a tremendous honor to receive verification from a third-party organization. It exemplifies our commitment to producing effective and dependable products."

Known for keeping health and nutritional companies honest about their product claims, ConsumerLab.com has tested over 3,200 products since 1999 and freely publishes its testing methods for public consumption.

"Our mission is to identify the best quality health and nutritional products through independent testing so that the general public is aware of what they are putting into their bodies when taking certain supplements," said Dr. Tod Cooperman, ConsumerLab.com's president. "It is to USANA's credit that USANA® Probiotic passed our rigorous testing which many products have failed to pass. It is to USANA's further credit that it voluntarily sought ConsumerLab.com's third-party certification of the quality of this and other products."

"We take our quality control and testing process very serious when it comes to our products," said Dr. John Cuomo, USANA executive director of product development. "Developing each of our products requires extensive research and to receive validation from ConsumerLabs.com for the sixth time demonstrates USANA's dedication to providing trusted nutritionals."

In addition to earning ConsumerLab.com's seal of approval for multiple supplements, USANA has three different NSF Certifications. The manufacturing Facility in Salt Lake is NSF‐certified to follow the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines for Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). Additionally, USANA has obtained Certification of Label claims on six core products, and several products are Certified for Sport, meaning its products do not contain banned substances. Most recently the company obtained the FDA's "Drug Establishment Registration," which allows USANA to manufacture over‐the‐counter (OTC) drugs.

Direct selling business defies advent of Internet and recession

noreply@blogger.com (Freedom Incentive) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:08:00 +0000

By BERNIE CAHILES-MAGKILAT

WASHINGTON D.C. – The direct personal service in direct selling business has defied the advent of Internet and even the economic recession could not do much to adversely impact on this proven recession proof business model, an industry expert said.

Joseph N. Mariano, executive vice-president and chief operating officer of the U.S. Direct Selling Association and chairman of the industry's global regulatory authority – World Federation of DS Associations, told visiting Philippine journalists on invitation by the world's leading direct selling company Amway Corp. that direct selling is expanding on a global basis despite the crisis and the growth of the internet.

"Up to 2007, we experienced 20 years of consecutive growth because of the level of personal service and level of education invested by market players on their people," Mariano said.

Mariano said that some sectors have predicted that the advent of internet would be the end of the direct selling business model because consumers can now shop more conveniently by going online.

"But the internet turned out to be a bust because ultimately what matters are the product and the direct personal service that online transactions cannot provide," Mariano pointed out. Sales of direct selling companies continue to grow. In 2008, industry sales reached $29.6 billion or a flat growth from $30 billion in 2007.

The current global financial crisis is even anecdotal on its part as it has proven the industry to be recession-resistant because direct selling creates opportunities and additional income so more people are availing of these opportunities as a way to supplement income.

"Some people who participated turned out to be full time sellers," he noted.

Mariano noted the high unemployment rate in countries particularly the U.S. at 11 percent has encouraged people to join the direct selling companies.

"This creates an opportunity for us and some companies are not just advertising their products but the opportunities to make an additional income," said Mariano.

In the U.S. alone, there are an estimated 15 million people involve in direct selling from over 1,300 direct selling firms, he said. The top 220 direct selling firms account for 30 percent of total DS industry. The top DS companies include Amway, Avon Products Inc., Mary Kay Inc. and Tupperware Corp.

"The U.S. has remained the biggest DS market but other countries are nipping at our heels like Japan," he said.

The growth of the industry has made it imprimatur upon the global federation to police itself against illegal activities like pyramiding schemes masquerading as legitimate direct selling business and in the end besmirching the reputation of the long-established and reputable direct selling firms.

"Direct selling companies have rules to follow and the federation also imposes disciplines on member companies to ensure their behaviour is acceptable in the market place," said Mariano.

The federation has been vigilant in their job because pyramiding schemes have proliferated unfortunately especially with the growth of Internet. Mariano himself admitted that direct selling is really susceptible to such unscrupulous activities.

"In direct selling, the basis of compensation is the product sales. If the basis of compensation is coming from recruitment then forget about it," Mariano said.

One thing to guard against is if a would be member is going to incur a financial loss upon joining the company.

Direct sales gains luster in dim economy

noreply@blogger.com (Freedom Incentive) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 03:12:00 +0000

By CATHY BUSSEWITZ
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Sunday, February 19, 2012

When Melacha Quirke lost her job as an accountant during the height of the recession, she didn’t know what she was going to do.

She had held that job for 15 years. Her husband lost his job around the same time, and they had two young children to support. They also had a monthly mortgage payment, but that ended also when they lost their home to foreclosure.

“It was basically one thing after another,” Quirke said. “We were surviving on severance packages, and couldn’t keep up with payments.”

That’s when Quirke remembered Passion Parties. She had attended a few gatherings where women bought bath, body and sensual products. She recalled that the attendees bought a lot. And another mom at her children’s school had invited her to become a seller.

“It makes sense for me to be able to do it, because I can work at night when my husband is at home, and during the day I can be at home with my kids,” Quirke said.

And so began a new career for Quirke, and millions of other independent retailers who began selling products to their friends at home parties and other venues as traditional employment opportunities eluded them.

Nationwide, an estimated 15.8 million people worked in direct sales in 2010, according to the Direct Selling Association, up from 15 million in 2007. Women dominate the industry, representing 82 percent of the direct sales force nationwide. Many were attracted by the flexible hours, earning potential and the idea that in this job, you can’t get laid off.

But in an industry where compensation is based largely on commission, in order to make money, you have to sell. And revenues from direct sales didn’t keep pace during the recession. While the sales force grew by 2.4 percent from 2006 to 2010, revenues fell by 1.2 percent, the association said. In 2010, an estimated $28.56 billion was spent on direct sales, a slight uptick since 2009, but not as much as the 2006 peak of $32.18 billion.

Despite the difficulties, just about any product can be bought and sold through direct marketing.

At a Santa Rosa meeting of direct selling women, far more than jewelry and cookware were available. The scent of sweet citrus wafted through the room as Lynn Kwitt, a certified reflexologist who had worked as a social worker for decades, passed around a sample of an “essential oil” that she recommends to relieve colds. Elaine Holtz talked about the difficulties of selling her products, pre-paid legal and identity theft prevention services.

The avenues to sell are just as varied. Many companies encourage party planning, where the saleswoman finds a hostess, and the hostess invites friends. The saleswoman makes a commission on every sale, and the hostess gets a discount or allowance to spend on the products as a reward for inviting her friends, also based on the amount of sales.

At passion parties, Quirke earns 40 percent of the sales price as commission. But hostess rewards come out of her pocket, so that dwindles her take to about 35 percent of sales, still more than most direct sales companies, she said.

On average, she sells about $500 of merchandise per party, earning about $200. She’s hoping to earn about $2,000 this month, with seven parties planned so far. In the last two months of 2011, when she was busy moving out of her house, she only made about $100 a month.

“But now, I’m back on track. We’re settled into a new place, and really starting to work,” Quirke said. “It definitely has the potential to be a supportive income. There are women in the company that are making six-figure incomes.”

Most people get into the business to supplement their income, while about a third got into direct sales to earn full-time income, according to a survey by the Direct Sellers Association. Nine out of 10 direct sellers spent less than 30 hours per week on their business.

In part, incomes depend on how early a saleswoman gets into a company, and how many people she recruits. In many companies, the “upline” sales representative gets a percentage of each sale their recruit lands. Quirke’s “upline,” also based in Santa Rosa, has reached director-level status, and manages a team of 80 people.

Wendy Mikulka, who sells jewelry for a company called chloe + isabel, used to manage 60 saleswomen as a director for the company BeautiControl. But her down-line salespeople weren’t performing very well, or didn’t stay with the company for very long, and she was unhappy.

“When you rise in company, if don’t make quotas, it gets a little bit stressful,” Mikulka said. “It got to the point where I wasn’t happy anymore.”

Eventually, she resigned her director position and returned to sales.

“I went back to what I enjoyed most: being able to do the pampering of women, instead of playing the numbers game.”

Mikulka didn’t get into direct sales to make big bucks. Her job for many years was raising four children, and direct sales was just a way for her to have fun, she said. Surprising her family with a new pool table with money she earned from her first paycheck felt great.

And she didn’t rack up any debt buying products that she couldn’t later sell, like some of her recruits did at BeautiControl, she said.

“I was one of the lucky ones,” she said.

At the meeting, Joyce LaPierre, a consultant with Celebrating Home, led a discussion about effective party-throwing techniques.

“Think about keeping it short, because women don’t have a lot of time these days,” LaPierre said. “They come there to have a little fun, have a glass of wine with their friends.”

That technique doesn’t necessarily work for all direct sales, said Holtz, 71, who sells pre-paid legal services.

“It’s so hard. How do you have fun talking about something that can be negative?” asked Holtz, who at one point sold caskets.

Attendees shared their tips for finding the gumption to pick up the phone to make a cold call. Billye Marie, an independent consultant for Jeunesse Global, which sells anti-aging products, got into the business six months ago to raise money to move from Fort Worth, Texas, to Santa Rosa to be closer to her grandson. She keeps her grandson’s photo close to her phone to inspire her to make difficult calls, she said.

“If you go to a regular job, if you don’t produce every single day that you’re there, you’re out of there,” LaPierre said. “It’s the same thing in direct sales.”

LaPierre had retired from a job as a janitor, and wasn’t looking for work when she went to a friend’s party and was exposed to the idea of direct marketing.

“At the time I truly wasn’t looking for income,” LaPierre said. “I was looking for something that maybe could get me out of the house for one or two days a week to enjoy being with other women.”

LaPierre is paid on commission, and earns about $200 per party, she said. To plan and hold two parties, she generally works eight to 10 hours and earns about $400. Her annual income has ranged from $12,000 to $20,000 for the part-time work.

“There’s no other kinds of jobs that I can go out and get that kind of money per hour, at least legally,” LaPierre said.

In addition to the supplemental income, product discounts and social opportunities, attendees at the meeting talked about the personal growth they had achieved. Quirke feels she is helping people to talk about taboo topics and buy products they might be too shy to buy in the stores.

“I educate women a lot,” Quirke said. “Things are better now really, but ... too many women don’t know about their own bodies.”

LaPierre appreciated how much she learned on the job, without needing a college degree.

“As long as you are a people person and can open your mouth and believe in what you’re doing, and you know you’re helping somebody else, that’s all that matters,” LaPierre said.

Jill Scherer, representative for Silpada, a jewelry company, used to work as a property manager, but got tired of people calling and screaming about their sprinklers not working.

“It’s nice, because people can find a direct sales company that fits their passions,” she said. “There is money in direct sales, it’s just how hard you want to work.”

The modern face of door-to-door sales

noreply@blogger.com (Freedom Incentive) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 02:57:00 +0000

February 20, 2012
The modern face of door-to-door sales

By Louise Lucas
Financial Times

Benly Sritoomkaew has been through a few recessions in her time. The 37-year-old was looking for work in Bangkok in 1997 when the Asian financial crisis hit and “even graduates from the top universities couldn’t get jobs”.

So she did what an increasing number of men and women do when recession hits: turn to direct selling, marketing products such as mops, protein shakes and lipsticks to friends and family.

Reasons for the popularity of the $114bn global industry vary according to region. In emerging markets, shops are few and transport is rudimentary. In Mexico direct sales account for nearly a quarter of cosmetics, fragrance and toiletries sales, according to Barclays Capital. In Brazil the figure is close to a third.

In the UK, money is the spur. “As soon as credit-card bills start dropping we see a lot of people joining to pay off Christmas [bills],” says Roger Fiddle, chief executive at Findel, which sells everything from school books to cutlery, and has its best months between January and March.

Direct selling has moved on from its 1950s roots, when suburban housewives flogged Tupperware containers over vol au vents and cups of tea. Today’s agents are harnessing social media and operating out of offices, spas and cafés. They are grouping together into teams, encouraged by new remuneration structures.

The UK’s Direct Selling Association says there were 26 per cent more men involved in the sector in 2011 than in 2010, and 29 per cent more over 50s.

These agents are increasingly supported by the sort of advertising and promotion once reserved for the traditional retail trade. In 2007 Avon , the cosmetics company, appointed actress Reese Witherspoon as its first global ambassador. Herbalife, which makes diet and nutrition aids, is nutrition sponsor to Barcelona football club.

Ms Sritoomkaew personifies the new breed. Now based in London, she is one of Herbalife’s top sales agents. She earns about £20,000 a month before tax and operates from commercial premises rather than her home – though the room where she works just off bustling Fulham Broadway, with its squishy sofas and wooden Buddhas, is far from office-like.

But while her business card identifies her as a “distributor”, she describes her role as more akin to a dietary consultant: taking client’s measurements, discussing their eating habits and running weekly classes complete with a weigh-in, where those who have shed the most pick up a modest prize.

She leads a team of 800-1,000, all of whom can use the premises for a token fee. “When you’re working at home all day on your own, motivation can be an issue,” she says. “So if one distributor is having a bad day, they can prop each other up.”

Bad days are not unknown in direct selling, both for representatives and their companies. Avon, the world’s biggest direct retailer with more than $10bn in annual revenues, last week reported a fourth-quarter loss on the back of falling sales and rising costs

Natura, the Brazilian beauty products company that sells mainly in Latin America, recently reported margin erosion in its home market. And in the UK two direct retailers – Jo Magdalena and Creative Memories – are closing their operations in the country.

The survivors are the ones that have adapted. In recent years, direct-selling companies have overhauled their commission payment structures. Many have lowered the entry price for would-be sellers. They also allow “leaders” to earn a slice of the sales from reps they bring on board and train – fostering the development of entrepreneurial sub-businesses.

In the UK, where the industry is regulated under a voluntary code of practice, the entry cost is capped at £200, and in many cases signing up is free.

This, says Paul Southworth, director-general of the Direct Selling Association, is one of the factors behind the boom. By contrast, he says, setting up a franchise business would cost an initial £5,000 to £10,000.

But even far smaller sums can act as a deterrent, as Findel discovered. Kleeneze, its household goods arm, launched its “Breakfree” structure in January last year after realising that would-be agents were put off by the £80 entry charge – the cost of buying sufficient catalogues to push through letter boxes. By switching to a system whereby agents can be sponsored by an existing distributor, they no longer need a stash of 50 catalogues but can get away with just five, which they use to show clients. “That’s brought significant volume in,” says Jamie Stewart, managing director of Kleeneze. “So far we have brought in around 8,500 people by this method.” However, he acknowledges the flipside: because it is free to join, some people sign up and then do nothing.

Newcomers to direct selling are also reaping the rewards of these new models. Neal’s Yard Remedies, the UK-based organic skincare range that began supplementing its shops and online distribution with direct sales called NYR Organics in April 2009, garnered 18 per cent of group sales through direct channels in 2010 and a quarter of sales in 2011.

The system the company has chosen is one that it says uniquely rewards every sale made by a leader’s team members, no matter how far down the ladder. Denise Bonner, head of the home-selling channel, says this “prosperity bonus” encourages senior leaders to nurture and train all members – as well as to keep recruiting.

Social media has also transformed the industry. Agents are now able to corral a whole new set of physical and virtual tools into the way they sell, and many are establishing new ways to blend the two worlds.

Thus Stella & Dot, a San Francisco-based purveyor of jewellery and other accessories, has established “trunk shows” – exclusive fashion previews that are publicised online – to display its wares. The company’s website forwards customers to their nearest “hostess”. Agents signing up are also offered full training in setting up on social media.

Since setting up in the UK just five months ago, the company says it counts grandmothers, students, solicitors, midwives, doctors and teachers among its 540-strong team of sales agents. Kathleen Mitchel, who runs the UK operation, tells of a graduate in Liverpool who was on unemployment benefits. “She held a trunk party and made as much as she would on three weeks’ allowance – so came off [benefits],” she says.

USANA Health Sciences Announces Plans to Expand Operations Into France and Belgium

noreply@blogger.com (Freedom Incentive) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 06:25:00 +0000

SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 25, 2011 USANA Health Sciences, Inc. today announced its plans to expand into France and Belgium in the first quarter of 2012. With the addition of these two markets, USANA will have operations in 18 markets worldwide.

According to the World Federation of Direct Selling Association (WFDSA), France is the world's 10th–largest direct selling market, with estimated sales of more than $2.4 billion annually. USANA's Western European office headquarters will reside in France.

Dave Wentz, USANA's Chief Executive Officer, said, "We are very excited about our decision to enter France and Belgium. We currently have a number of leaders and customers, particularly in our North America region, with existing ties to these markets. We expect this new expansion to support positive growth on both sides of the Atlantic."

Polyphenols reduce absorption of toxic by-products of a fatty meal

noreply@blogger.com (Freedom Incentive) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 04:49:00 +0000

Polyphenols are antioxidants found in many plants and foods including grapes, green tea, chocolate, and red wine. They are known to play a role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, but their specific actions are not entirely understood. New research illustrates the beneficial protective effects of dietary polyphenols taken with a meal.

Researchers recently investigated the impact of red wine polyphenols on the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), a natural by-product of fat digestion known to increase the risk for heart disease and other chronic conditions.

In a randomized, crossover study, participants were fed three different meals consisting of dark meat turkey cutlets. The control meal consisted of turkey meat and water. The second meal consisted of turkey meat with polyphenols added after cooking (concentrated wine) followed with a glass of red wine (about 7 ounces). The third meal consisted of turkey meat with polyphenols added before cooking and then followed by a glass of wine.

At various stages of the study, researchers measured blood and urine levels of MDA and found that levels nearly quintupled after the control meal, while increases in MDA levels were completely prevented after subjects consumed the meals with polyphenols.

This study suggests that red wine polyphenols exert a beneficial effect by inhibiting absorption of MDA, a compound toxic to cells. In addition, these results demonstrate the potentially harmful effects of oxidized fats found in foods and the important benefit of dietary polyphenols in a meal.

FASEB J. 2008 Jan;22(1):41-6.

Lost Sleep Can't Be Made Up, Study Suggests

noreply@blogger.com (Freedom Incentive) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 05:17:00 +0000

LiveScience.com Rachael Rettner

If you think staying in bed on the weekends will make up for a weeks' worth of sleep deprivation, think again. A new study finds that going long periods without sleep can lead to a sort of "sleep debt" that cannot simply be undone with a little extra snoozing from time to time.

The study involved a small number of participants, however, so further research would be needed to verify the results.

Such chronic sleep loss may eventually interfere with a person's performance on tasks that require focus, becoming particularly noticeable at nighttime when the body's natural sleep-wake cycle isn't giving you an extra boost.

Anyone who's ever pulled an all-nighter knows how debilitating sleep loss can be in the short term. Indeed, studies show that after 24 hours without sleep, a person's performance can drop to the level of someone who is legally drunk.

But what about if those all-nighters turned into all-weekers? The authors of the current study turned their attention to long-term sleep loss, and examined whether the effects of such constant sleep deprivation could be erased with an extended resting period.

Studying sleep

The researchers put nine young adults on a sleep schedule that a doctor or medical resident might experience on an on-call shift - about 33 hours spent awake followed by 10 hours sleeping, a cycle that is equivalent to about 5.6 hours of sleep every 24 hours. The participants continued on this grueling schedule for three weeks, at which time they were considered chronically sleep deprived. The study also had a control group of eight young adults who were not sleep deprived.

The subjects needed to periodically complete a performance task designed to test their ability to pay attention and their reaction time.

The sleep-deprived subjects generally performed the same as those who had sufficient sleep if the test was given early on in the "day," just two hours after the subjects had awakened from their long rest. This finding held true across all three weeks of the study, suggesting that a long period of shut-eye could temporarily make up for the chronic sleep loss.

However, the subjects performed significantly worse on tests that were given later in the "day," after 30 hours spent awake, as the study progressed in weeks. For instance, the subjects faired poorly on the last test of the day they took during week three as compared with that same test during week 1. While they had a median reaction time of 667 milliseconds in testing during week 1, that increased to 2,013 milliseconds by week 3. The subjects appeared to have developed a sleep debt - all that lost sleep really was catching up with them.

Here's how the results might play out in the real world: An individual who is constantly sleep deprived during weekdays might try to catch up during weekends. While that individual might feel recovered after their sleeping spell, the study suggests the next time they try to go without shut-eye, their performance may start to deteriorate.

The findings also suggest that short-term and long-term sleep loss may actually act on the brain in two different ways.

The sun makes a difference

The sleep debt was also found to be most noticeable during the subject's nighttime. This could be due to the effects of our natural sleep-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm, the researchers suggest.

This cycle goes hand-in-hand with the periods of light/dark we experiences as the sun rises and sets. Our natural tendency to want to be awake during the day may mask signs of sleep debt when it's light out. But this protective effect may go away as darkness arrives, the researchers say.

The findings are particularly applicable to people who work odd-hour jobs that may have them going without sleep for extended periods, such as health workers, truckers and emergency responders. Chronic sleep loss could leave these individuals "vulnerable to accidents and errors," the researchers say. They advise public health campaigns to emphasize the "potentially covert consequences of chronic sleep loss."

The study was conducted by Daniel Cohen, of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Mass., and colleagues. The findings will be published in the Jan. 13 issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Try Pure Rest fast-acting melatonin supplement promotes the body’s natural sleep and wake cycles.

3 Tips To Improve Your Efficiency In Direct Selling

noreply@blogger.com (Freedom Incentive) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:06:00 +0000

Tired organizing your direct selling business? Here's what you should do
by Ronald Lester (OfficialWire) AUSTIN, TX

The direct selling industry is a massive engine of economic growth in the US. According to data available by the Direct Selling Association, over fifty percent of American adults report having obtained services or goods from a direct sales representative. Additionally, one in five American adults says they have been or presently are working as a direct seller.

Many of these individuals are concerned by the flexibility of work hours and the ability to extend personal business connections. Yet, relatively few direct sellers ever attain truly substantial rewards. Part of this is because of the time obligation that is required and the difficulty in selling effectively.

However, a number of new productivity tools extending from online communication administration systems, to sharing your desktop apps and free conference call assistance are most definitely making selling easier for direct sellers. This article handle on three key areas in which direct sellers can work more productively.

Tip 1: Use an e-mail management function

For many direct sellers, e-mail is a serious component of maintaining relationships and prospecting for new ones. We have moved well ahead of the era of mere Outlook mail merge! New offerings by companies such as Constant Contact, My Newsletter Builder, and Email Labs enable direct sellers to produce templates in which preconfigured content can be simply added.

This content could outline declaration about new product availability, incentives for higher routine, updates on shipping schedules, etc. The main point is that these tools enable direct sellers to produce professional looking content using a fraction of the time that previous methods would have required.

The more highly developed offerings provide tracking capabilities. These tracking capabilities can give a range of data from the open rates for e-mails to the click-throughs on links. These services also naturally manage the unsubscribe feature in order to ensure compliance with spam regulations.

Tip 2: Use a free conference calling system

In the last few years, there have been accurately dozens of companies launching free conference calling services. All of them work on the same central standard: they provide you a personal access number and a toll number to call. If all users dial the same number and enter the same PIN code, they are set into the call together. Active direct sellers can potentially save hundreds of dollars monthly by using such systems.

The newer services offer extra functionality applicable to direct sellers. Examples comprise audio recording, listen-only PIN codes for training and education situations, and archiving of content. One such service is Rondee.com, a discussion call system which provides web scheduling.

Tip 3: Use an application to allow desktop sharing

Desktop sharing can be tremendously helpful for direct selling professionals. Whether it's giving out a PowerPoint presentation showing the benefits and features of a new invention or a spreadsheet showing the performance of down-line members, desktop sharing can be quite helpful.

One could simply e-mail out the presentation or addition to all the participants. But a desktop sharing application enables the host to control the presentation and speed of the material. And more sophisticated applications as well as those offered by WebEx or Yugma allow the presenter to switch power over to other participants.

Some users choose a best-of-breed approach and use different systems for conferencing and desktop sharing. Progressively more, however, conference providers are moving to bundle desktop sharing functionality into their core product. Either way, direct sellers can be advantage.

US obesity rate high, but not rising

noreply@blogger.com (Freedom Incentive) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 05:56:00 +0000

By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner, Ap Medical Writer

CHICAGO – Raise a glass of diet soda: The nation's obesity rate appears to have stalled. But the latest numbers still show that more than two-thirds of adults and almost a third of kids are overweight, with no sign of improvement.

According to government data from the years 2007-08 published Wednesday, the obesity rate has held steady for about five years, reflecting earlier signs that it had stalled after steadily climbing.

Dr. William Dietz, an obesity expert with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cautiously called the results promising. "We're at the corner; we haven't turned the corner," he said.

Not only are the vast majority of adults overweight, 34 percent are obese; and 17 percent of children are obese. Even the youngest Americans are affected — 10 percent of babies and toddlers are precariously heavy.

The CDC data were contained in two reports published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

"Even though this finding is certainly good news, the statistics are still staggering," said Dr. J. Michael Gaziano, a contributing editor at the journal.

The new data are based on health surveys involving height and weight measurements of 5,700 adults and 4,000 children, surveys the CDC does every two years.

The results in adults, showing 68 percent are too heavy, have been virtually the same in the last three surveys.

In most age groups, black adults had the highest rates of obesity, followed by Mexican-Americans and whites.

Among children ages 2 to 19, 32 percent were too heavy — a rate that was mostly unchanged. But disturbingly, most obese kids were extremely obese. And the percentage of extremely obese boys ages 6 to 19 has steadily increased, to 15 percent from about 9 percent in 1999-2000.

CDC researcher and study author Cynthia Ogden said it was disappointing to see no decline, and troubling that the heaviest boys seem to be getting even heavier. The study didn't examine the causes, but Ogden cited the usual reasons — soft drinks, video games and inactivity — as possible explanations.

"We shouldn't be complacent. We still have a problem," Ogden said.

Gaziano, a cardiologist at Boston's Veterans Affairs hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, said getting the nation to turn the corner and reduce obesity requires changing many unhealthy behaviors, and getting restaurants, schools, food manufacturers and communities to support the fight.

That's starting to happen, from efforts to pull soda from school vending machines to campaigns by groups like the NFL to encourage physical activity, he noted.

The epidemic is also a top White House priority. President Barack Obama has pushed to make obesity prevention part of health care reform. Overhaul measures pending in Congress include encouraging employer-based wellness programs and requiring large restaurant chains to list calories. And Michelle Obama has made childhood obesity and healthy eating habits a pet project.

People like Darrell Pender are paying attention.

Obesity "is constantly in the news," said Pender, a 42-year-old New York City computer technician who decided to get serious about fighting fat after being diagnosed with diabetes three years ago.

Pender was tempted by a TV ad for obesity surgery, but chose a less drastic option — a nutrition support group that he credits with helping him make healthier food choices. So far, he's lost 50 pounds over several months. At 350 pounds, he's still very obese, but his diabetes is under control and he feels healthier.

Karen Congro, Pender's nutritionist at the Brooklyn Hospital Center, said obese patients in recent years seem more willing to try lifestyle changes rather than quick fixes doomed to fail.

Fifteen years ago, "I would have said this seems almost hopeless. Patients would say, 'I had an overweight uncle who lived to 99,'" Congro said. "Now I almost never hear that."

Reset! can lose five pounds in five days, two pounds a week for twelve weeks

Direct Selling Flourishes in China

noreply@blogger.com (Freedom Incentive) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:29:00 +0000

By DAVID BARBOZA
Published: http://www.nytimes.com

HANGZHOU, China — Roughly 28,000 young women crowded into the Dragon Sports Arena here for a three-day gathering in September hosted by Mary Kay Cosmetics.

Top, Mary Kay sales directors at a seminar in Hangzhou. Above, a sales director, Jin Xianghua, at left, helps a customer.

The goal was to pump up the crowd, and the song-and-dance troupe, the video testimonials about transformed lives and the awarding of the signature pink Cadillac to a top earner had the desired effect.

“I love the corporate culture of Mary Kay,” said Zhang Xiaoying, a 19-year-old woman from Guizhou, one of the country’s poorest regions, as she and several colleagues dabbed on makeup during a break in the event. “This company teaches you to aspire to a higher level.”

Ms. Zhang earns very little in her new job. But the promise of future rewards is what has persuaded her and about 200,000 other women to become “beauty consultants,” or independent sales agents, for Mary Kay in China.

Avon and Amway, two other American companies that use independent representatives, have even larger sales forces here. Avon says it recruits up to 50,000 women a month and now has one million agents.

Indeed, as China’s economic boom unfolds here, door-to-door sales and what is known as direct selling is sweeping the country, breathing new life into old American brands and creating hundreds of thousands of jobs, often for disadvantaged or poorly educated young women.

But that growth has not come without controversy. Many direct sellers in China have been accused of operating sophisticated pyramid schemes and other sales swindles. (In one widely publicized case a few years ago, people were conned into buying stakes in ant farms.)

Even American companies operating in China have been accused of manipulating and misleading sales recruits.

“Some of them recruit people in a deceptive way, like you can become super-rich in a month,” says Chen Defa, chairman of the Chinese Academy of Direct Selling Management.

Because of such concerns, China banned direct selling in 1998, saying that it was often used as a cover for “evil cults, secret societies and lawless and superstitious activities.”

Big direct-selling companies disputed those claims, saying regulators simply misunderstood their business model.

In 2006, after heavy lobbying from American companies, China lifted its ban. And since then, direct selling, with some modifications, has flourished in China, growing into an $8 billion industry that now markets products as diverse as health supplements, cosmetics, toothpaste and dishwashing liquid.

“Direct sellers see unlimited opportunities here,” says Kent Kedl, a Shanghai-based analyst at Technomics Asia, the market research firm. “They see the combination of entrepreneurial sellers and adventuresome consumers.”

Companies engaged in direct selling are succeeding in China by using many of the same techniques that worked elsewhere, analysts say. They often recruit young women and motivate them to sell aggressively, particularly to friends and family members. Companies also use multilevel marketing programs that reward workers for recruiting other agents.

Revenue in China for Mary Kay, which is based in Dallas, has doubled to $600 million in the last three years. “We’re going to grow another 20 percent this year,” despite the economic downturn, says Paul Mak, head of Mary Kay China, despite the global economic slowdown. “People haven’t stopped buying cosmetics.”

The company’s message of female empowerment and femininity seems to resonate in China, a country where young women have few opportunities to start their own businesses.

“The direct-selling industry has quite a low entrance threshold,” says Wang Yi, who teaches at the Beijing Business Management College.

Like other direct sellers, Mary Kay has expanded in China — one of the 35 countries where it operates, generating total revenue of $2.6 billion last year — by working hard to recruit new representatives.

The company operates with a kind of missionary zeal, analysts say, pushing sales agents to invite friends and family members to makeup classes and seminars that quickly evolve into small communities of women who follow the sales gospel of Mary Kay.

Many Mary Kay sales agents say that before joining the company they held low-paying jobs as secretaries, cashiers and rural schoolteachers. Many were also looking for a new focus of their lives. “Because my husband is a businessman, and he is busy, we talked less and less,” says Lu Laidi, a Mary Kay sales director. “I felt my life was boring. I stayed home and barely dressed up.”

While many Mary Kay sales representatives say they earn very little, those who follow the company’s sales and recruiting strategies can become wealthy.

One sales director, Jin Yan, said that after 12 years at Mary Kay, she earned nearly $400,000 last year.

She now drives a pink Cadillac, a reward from the company.

But not everyone succeeds. Shang Qun, a 28-year-old sales agent in eastern Jiangsu Province, said she was pressured to meet unrealistic sales goals and to deliver dozens of names of potential clients to the company during her first months of selling.

“Mary Kay has many direct-selling refugees,” she says. “They claim Mary Kay can make you big money, but their pockets are empty.”

Crayton Webb, a Mary Kay spokesman, defended the company. “Mary Kay is extremely careful in communicating to members of the independent sales force that their success is up to them,” he wrote in an e-mail message. “There are no guarantees and that they should invest in their business carefully.”

Many other agents interviewed in recent months agreed, saying Mary Kay had helped them earn a good living, and also transformed their lives.

Zhang Xiaoying, the 19-year-old woman at the September seminar, said that a year ago she was a cashier in the coastal boomtown of Shenzhen when a friend introduced her to Mary Kay.

Today, she is paid just $200 a month, not much more than she got as a cashier. But, she says, it’s a start.

“I love this company because they give us professional training,” she said.

Bao Beibei contributed research from Shanghai.

College Conspiracy

noreply@blogger.com (Freedom Incentive) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 06:28:00 +0000

Robert Kiyosaki and Network Marketing

noreply@blogger.com (Freedom Incentive) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 06:23:00 +0000

TIME Magazine Interviews: Robert Kiyosaki

noreply@blogger.com (Freedom Incentive) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 06:18:00 +0000

What you should know about direct selling

noreply@blogger.com (Freedom Incentive) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 05:27:00 +0000

* Set income goals. Someone wishing to earn only spending money will have a different strategy to direct sales than someone planning to work more hours.

* Verify the product is legitimate and usable. Watch out for scam products.

* To start selling, direct sellers often must purchase as starter kit, usually around $100, which includes samples, catalogs, order forms and a training manual. Compare the cost of the kit to what you get in return.

* Understand the company's compensation plan. Typically, direct sellers earn 25 to 50 percent of a sale.

*Make sure the company has a buy–back policy on products you purchase to sell. They should pay at least 90 percent of the purchase price inventory bought in the last 12 months.

* Direct sales companies that are DSA members must comply with the group's code of ethics. To find a list of members, visit www.dsa.org.

Source: Direct Selling Association

Direct seller ranks swollen by older workers

noreply@blogger.com (Freedom Incentive) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 04:23:00 +0000

Direct Selling Association reports 29% rise in number of sellers aged 50 and above who 'enjoy the social side' of the work

by Rebecca Smithers,
consumer affairs correspondent (guardian.co.uk)

The UK's army of Avon ladies and other direct sellers has been swelled by record numbers of people aged 50 and above, latest figures reveal.

The Direct Selling Association (DSA), the trade body that represents the UK's major direct selling companies including Avon, Kleeneze and Betterware, reports a 29% increase in the number of sellers in the older age group, forced to find new opportunities to earn money as a result of the recession and worries about their pensions.

It says the trend represents a major new demographic within the industry, whose core direct sellers are predominantly working mothers looking to fit flexible earnings around family commitments.

The direct selling market is worth £2bn annually to the UK economy and is the largest provider of part-time earning opportunities, with more than 400,000 people involved in the industry.

The DSA said 120,000 of those were now people aged above 50, compared with 93,000 in 2009/10.

"Recent statistics have shown that unemployment is falling, but over-50s are struggling to get back into work, with 44% of unemployed over-50s having been out of work for over a year," said Paul Southworth, director general of the DSA.

"From what our member companies tell us, many in the plus-50 age bracket enjoy the social side of direct selling, which allows them to continue to work and network with a variety of people."

Southworth added that the over-50s were attracted by the opportunity to arrange work around travelling or caring for grandchildren, and said that in his experience older people were "less likely" than young people to want to depend on benefits during financially challenging times.

Chris Ball, chief executive of The Age and Employment Network said older workers had a lot to offer these companies.

"Employers comment on the good communication skills of older workers, which are clearly helpful in selling. The retail world has identified that people of a particular age can be particularly useful in speaking to others in the same age range, so this may be an additional factor."

But Ball said many people may not be getting involved in direct selling through choice.

"Older workers may be taking these sorts of jobs despite the fact they don't pay well or offer few prospects, simply because they are desperate to work," he said. "We have met many well-qualified people who didn't want to give up work but found themselves unemployed and willing to take anything rather than a life of idleness or financial struggle."

He added: "Well done to the direct selling organizations – but let's hope that they give older job seekers a chance at higher levels in their organizations too."

"Don't wish it were easier, wish you were better."
Jim Rohn

Exercise May Stave Off Mental Decline

noreply@blogger.com (Freedom Incentive) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 07:11:00 +0000

(HealthDay News) -- Exercise appears to help prevent and improve mild cognitive impairment, two new studies show.

Researchers found that people who did moderate physical activity in midlife or later had a reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment and that six months of high-intensity aerobic exercise improved cognitive function in people with mild cognitive impairment.

Mild cognitive impairment is an in-between state between the normal changes in thinking, learning and memory changes that come with age and dementia, one of the studies explained. Up to 15 percent of people with mild cognitive impairment develop dementia each year, compared with 1 percent or 2 percent of the general population.

The first study included 1,324 dementia-free volunteers taking part in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging. The participants completed a physical exercise questionnaire and were assessed and classified as having normal cognition (1,126) or mild cognitive impairment (198).

Those who said they did moderate exercise -- such as swimming, brisk walking, yoga, aerobics or strength training -- during midlife were 39 percent less likely to have mild cognitive impairment, while those who did moderate exercise later in life were 32 percent less likely to have the condition.

The Mayo team said exercise may guard against mild cognitive impairment through production of nerve-protecting compounds, increased blood flow to the brain, improved development and survival of neurons, and decreased risk of heart and blood vessel diseases.

The second study included 33 adults, average age 70, with mild cognitive impairment. Some were randomly assigned to do high-intensity aerobics for 45 to 60 minutes a day, four days a week. Others were put in a control group that had the same workout schedule, but did stretching exercises and kept their heart rate low.

After six months, the patients who did high-intensity aerobic exercise had improved cognitive function compared to those in the control group. The beneficial effects were more pronounced in women than in men, possibly because the body's use of and production of insulin, glucose and the stress hormone cortisol differed in women and men.

"Aerobic exercise is a cost-effective practice that is associated with numerous physical benefits. The results of this study suggest that exercise also provides a cognitive benefit for some adults with mild cognitive impairment," wrote Laura D. Baker, of the University of Washington School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle, and colleagues.

The studies appear in the January issue of the Archives of Neurology.

THE USANA DIFFERENCE

noreply@blogger.com (Freedom Incentive) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 06:11:00 +0000

Athlete Guarantee Program

Trust is a major issue for athletes competing for a place in the Olympics and other high profile athletic competitions. Taking nutritional supplements to help maintain health shouldn't place an athlete at risk for testing positive for a banned substance. Broadly publicized allegations of contaminants in supplements lead many top athletes to wonder if taking supplements will jeopardize their future ability to qualify for competition. In fact, national Olympic committees have written to their athletes warning them of the potential danger of contaminants, encouraging them not to consume any nutritional supplements.

To date, no nutritional supplement company has stepped forward to assume their portion of the liability that a banned substance contamination would create. USANA offers an ironclad solution through its Athlete Guarantee Program. This confident stance in a high stakes venture strengthens our industry-leading position and affirms our commitment to providing Nutritionals You Can Trust.

USANA is currently reviewing applications for the Athlete Guarantee Program from select members of the Canadian Olympic team who qualify under the terms of the agreement. For consideration the athlete must provide the following:

    Proof of membership on Olympic team
    Proof that the athlete has never tested positive for a banned substance
    Results of most recent test
    Verification of earnings from sport within past 12 months

Upon review and acceptance of the application, USANA will guarantee that, during the term of the agreement, should the athlete test positive for a banned substance included in the WADA list of banned substances as a result of taking USANA® nutritional products, USANA will compensate the athlete with up to two times his or her current annual earnings up to $1 million CAN. USANA will enter into an agreement with the athlete at the Company's discretion. USANA will mail the contract to the athlete with additional product ordering information.

Pharmaceutical Grade-Supplements

Direct Selling – A Way To Overcome A Sluggish Economy

noreply@blogger.com (Freedom Incentive) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 07:13:00 +0000

Direct Selling Has Been a Benefit For People In The Recession
by Judy Standifer (secaucusnewjersey.org)

Direct selling has become a way that some people have survived financially in a faltering economy. For some people, direct selling has allowed them to keep their homes and continue earning income. As the nation’s unemployment has risen to 9.1 percent, some unemployed people and some seniors who have lost retirement income have turned to direct sales as a way to provide for themselves and their families. Mary & Sterling Ottesen from Utah shared, "With the world economy as it is today, having a home-based business is absolutely essential. Where health issues are a concern and job security is scare, being able to build a business and provide stability is a rare gift. With USANA, it is possible to become the CEO of your own lives."

Direct Selling Is Recession-Proof

Neil Offen, president of the Direct Selling Association says of the direct sales industry, “We’re recession-resistant in the sense that more people come to us during economic hard times for supplemental income or replacement of a lost job.” The prolonged recession has acted as a tool that direct sellers have used for recruitment purposes. Large direct sales companies like the makeup and clothing giant, Avon, and Silpada Designs, a jewelry manufacturer, are encouraging their sales consultants to inform people that direct selling is a tool they can use to keep producing income even when the economy is performing poorly.

Companies Offer Direct Selling As An Opportunity

According to Geralyn Breig, Senior Vice President of Avon, “…our direct selling opportunity is really the No. 1 product that we have to sell.” Elizabeth Leyba agrees. In 2008, she had her hours cut at her job and wanted to find a way to provide additional income to make up for the lost wages. Now 41 years old and living in Munster, Indiana, she told USA Today that she has a desire to work her Avon business full-time at some point in the future, stating that, “Even though there’s a recession, even though the economy is bad, my business has continued to grow.” Direct selling has worked well for her.

Direct Selling Continues To Grow In Popularity

In today’s article, you learned that direct selling is a way that people can overcome the sluggish economy. People do not have to rely on a traditional job any longer. They can choose to work for themselves in direct selling and create additional income. Self employment through direct selling is legitimate work that people can do to earn part-time or full-time income. According to the Direct Sellers Association, there were approximately 15 million direct sellers in 2007, and there are approximately 16.1 million in 2011. The industry is continuing to grow, even in difficult economic times. Some people respond to economic trouble by being proactive and becoming direct sellers.

GET STARTED!

The five Ps for business success

noreply@blogger.com (Freedom Incentive) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 07:04:00 +0000

by Tricia Phillips, Daily Mirror

Looking to start your own business? Direct selling could be a way to achieve this goal with flexible hours and low initial investment. Paul South worth, Director General of the Direct Selling Association, says: “Many retail companies refer to the three Ps of their success – Product, Price and Promotion. “Although recognizing the importance of having quality products, correctly priced to offer value for money and then promoted professionally, I believe the real success of
direct selling lies in five different Ps and these would be my key success tips for anyone wishing to start their own business.”

PICK: Ensure you pick and choose to join a company that is ethical and sells products you
relate to. Look for a company that is a member of the DSA as they have to follow a strict code of
conduct which is approved by the Office of Fair Trading. Member companies offer a vast array of products that include cosmetics, jewellery, books, home ware, and vacuum cleaners.

PRIDE: Have pride in the company you belong to, the products you sell and the work you do. Be proud of who you are and your ability to succeed. This kind of pride will instill confidence and be transparent to everyone you come into contact with.

PEOPLE: Direct selling is first and foremost a people business and the more you have empathy with the people you become involved with the more successful you will be. People are your greatest asset, so always show respect and be ready to offer help.

PERSISTENCE: Expect that not everyone will say ‘yes’ – you will often hear the word ‘no’.
This does not mean failure. Think of it as another reason to move onto the next ‘yes’.

PASSION: Always be passionate about the product or business opportunity you are offering.
Passion is infectious and people love to be around someone who displays commitment and
belief.

WHAT IS SUCCESS TO YOU?