Direct Selling Journal - Spring 2022

Page 75

GETTING OUT OUR COLLECTIVE UMBRELLAS FOR THE REGULATORY STORM CLOUD By Brian Bennett, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs & Policy, DSA

W

eather is fickle. When we know the storm is coming, we have time to accommodate our plans to minimize the disruption to our lives and schedule. Other times, an unexpected dark cloud suddenly appears, ruining the day we’ve planned outside while we’re caught without an umbrella. Advocacy and government affairs are no different. Issues that adversely affect the direct selling business model can be built throughout the various levels of government for months and years. However, if we’re not prepared for a sudden regulatory storm, we may have little chance to grab our umbrella. Most executives who are involved in advocacy are aware of the regulatory risks facing the direct selling business. Our collective voice on behalf of direct selling needs to be heard as we advocate for a range of issues that include consumer protection and the independent contractor status of our salesforce. If we don’t step up, our legitimate businesses will suffer. DSA’s raison d’être is to protect and promote direct selling. We engage with federal, state, and local policymakers to ensure that they understand the impact onerous regulations will have on the direct selling business. We advocate for consistency, clarity, and reasonableness of law and regulation every day. To ensure members fully understand the impact of DSA’s work, we consistently update them as regulatory events unfold, and we summarize our advocacy activities in DSA’s annual reports that can be found on the DSA website. Like the saying “all politics is local,“ all advocacy is local. Policymakers and regulators engage with us much more readily when we represent your companies and the many small businesses in their hometowns, cities, and states. Working and partnering with our member companies is vital to our regulatory work. We may speak with one voice, but we need the voices of millions to help buttress these efforts.

Most executives who are involved in advocacy are aware of the regulatory risks facing the direct selling business. Our collective voice on behalf of direct selling needs to be heard as we advocate for a range of issues that include consumer protection and the independent contractor status of our salesforce. If we don’t step up, our legitimate businesses will suffer. Over the years, DSA has found success in effectuating a more positive regulatory environment by focusing on the personal experiences and connections that policymakers and regulators have with our business. During a virtual briefing with the Congressional Direct Selling Caucus, the caucus co-chairs reiterated their support for direct selling. “I had a direct selling business in college—and learned a lot through that experience—which has led to my success as a member of Congress. The flexibility the business provides for families in my district, especially those in the military, is a vital aspect,” said Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC). “I value the work that direct sellers do as a huge part of the economy in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. It is important that we keep that success going and share with others what direct sellers do in their communities,” said Rep. Marc Veasey (D-TX). DSA also works to bring these connections directly to members of Congress. DSA hosted five Women’s Entrepreneurship Roundtables with bipartisan members of Congress in just the first quarter of 2022. These events highlight the impact that direct selling has in their districts and for their constituents. The dsa-dsj.org

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Articles inside

Helping Entrepreneurs Get Started in Direct Selling

9min
pages 84-88

Southwestern Advantage: 154 Years of Building Entrepreneurs and Leaders

7min
pages 81-83

Stronger By Association

10min
pages 77-80

Getting Out Our Collective Umbrellas for the Regulatory Storm Cloud

5min
pages 75-76

Direct Selling Gives Back to the Global Community

5min
pages 73-74

What Is Your Company’s Risk Profile?

13min
pages 68-72

Training You Field to be Social Sellers Vs Social Robots

6min
pages 66-67

AVON: Empowering Women for Over a Century Through Direct Selling

8min
pages 54-58

DSA Hall of Fame Perspective Timeless Lessons: Persistence and Patience

9min
pages 50-53

Executive Perspective: Authenticity in the Age of Automation

6min
pages 48-49

The European Spirit of Direct Selling in the Post Pandemic Era

5min
pages 45-47

How to Succeed in Direct Selling in Germany

5min
pages 43-44

Launching a New Business in 2022: Accounting for New Methods While Staying Committed to What’s Proven

10min
pages 38-42

Winning The Gig Game

8min
pages 34-37

Contributors

3min
page 6

This Is Direct Selling

18min
pages 14-21

What’s Going On?

9min
pages 10-13

What’s in a Name?

3min
pages 22-23

The Life Cycle of a Direct Selling Company

6min
pages 24-27

From the Publisher: What It Takes to Start and Grow a Direct Selling Enterprise

3min
page 8
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