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As we celebrate five years of publishing Direct Selling News, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who have made this publication possible.That would include you, our readers, to whom we dedicate each issue! We are also deeply grateful for our advertisers who trust us to convey their messages through a platform that now reaches beyond the borders of our country. We thank all of you who contribute for your advice and feedback. And we are grateful for the team of people who labor each month to bring you a publication that keeps you updated and informed on the happenings within an industry that is not only a collection of incredible enterprises and micro-enterprises, but also a force for good on the planet!
For me, personally, this experience became much more than I would ever have anticipated. I have not been a part of Direct Selling News for the entire five-year period and have those before me to thank for paving the way and creating what I took over as publisher and editor in chief in January 2006. Since then, each month has been as much an education for the entire team as it is a responsibility. As I reflect on what we have been privileged to research and write about, I often think of the themes we used to convey a story in the most appealing manner. In March of 2006, our cover story was titled “A Future without Boundaries,” and the story predicted that just about every consumable and or useable product and key service imaginable would be sold through direct selling in the years to come, and this has certainly happened.
In November of the same year, we did our first story on nutritional beverages and predicted a surge in the liquid beverage category. MonaVie was the Young Company Focus that month, and today, not only does the nutritional beverage category represent some of the hottest products in the industry, but our Young Company Focus star in November of 2006 is one of our more successful new companies of the past five years.
In March of 2007, our cover story discussed “Tools of the Trade,” which shared the innovations and improvements taking place in tool usage and the expected improvements in message consistency. I must say that today, tools have never been more important to a company’s success; they continue to evolve and are becoming the competitive advantage in many cases. In October of 2007, we did our first cover story on social media, as we foresaw a movement toward widespread use of this functionality. We have come a long way since we published that story in October of 2007, and my personal prediction is that this functionality could very well be an industry “game changer,” as companies begin to use and experience it more. We will offer more coverage on this topic in future issues.
In December of 2007, we ran one of my favorite cover stories, “Personal Development—the Fuel that Drives Direct Selling.” I have always believed that people make the difference in our industry. There are many great products and services; this industry, however, is one fueled by hope and the promise that goals can be achieved and dreams can come true for people from all walks of life when a few basic business and life skills are learned and applied effectively.
In March of 2008, Direct Selling News expanded to Europe under the guidance of friend and former Avon colleague Paul Southworth. The European team has developed a bimonthly publication that now reaches more than 2,000 executives throughout Europe. In the following month (April 2008) the industry breathed a “sigh of relief” when the Federal Trade Commission revised its proposed Business Opportunity Rule. The proposed rule, in its original format, would have dramatically changed the way direct selling companies conduct business. We were proud to carry this as our cover story and acknowledge the work of the Direct Selling Association and all who were involved in encouraging the revision. This was definitely the big story of 2008!
As we moved toward the closure of 2008, all focus went to the state of the economy. The economy was, by far, the No. 1 news story in America and in most mature markets around the world. The ripple effect took its toll on many companies. Our cover story in September of 2008 was “Navigating a Turbulent Economy.” In the past, many of us in the industry took the position that economic recessions typically mean “good times” for direct sellers. But this time we saw something far more severe. Even though recruiting numbers continued to grow, sales were down as productivity numbers appeared to be difficult to maintain.
In reflection, the past five years have created a foundation for this publication that now allows us to think even bigger in terms of how we can better support the industry. We will explore new uses of technology and look to expand our information sharing to be more inclusive of global happenings for the benefit of all. Just a few days ago, some analysts stated that the economy has hit bottom and the recession is over. I am not one to buy into the first words of encouragement, but I am certain that many wonderful stories are in store as we look toward the last four months of the year. Some companies certainly used the most challenging of times to thrive and continue to grow, and we can’t wait to bring you their stories!
Thanks again for making a fifth anniversary possible!
Enjoy the issue!
John Fleming
Publisher and Editor in Chief
