Establishing an Effective Work Routine for Success

Dealing with the unexpected comes with the territory of being a direct seller, but in order to set yourself up for success, it is important to establish an effective routine. Routines allow you to be efficient, thorough, and comfortable with your job. Of course, any routine must be created with your personal work schedule and lifestyle in mind, but check out our list below to help you get started.

Create your to-do list the night before so you’re ready to go for the following day. If you wait until the beginning of the day to make an agenda, then you wind up wasting precious time thinking about your tasks instead of completing them. Some even find it helpful to create to-do lists for the entire week and then break them down day by day before the start of the work week. Do whatever works best for you, but preparing your list the night before will help you get a jump on those tasks and responsibilities right away.
Organize and prepare necessary supplies for the next day. For example, if you have an opportunity meeting, gather your notes, any printed materials from the company, some sample products if applicable, business cards, etc. Pack everything up so you can simply grab it and go. Also, consider packing your lunch the night before and choosing your wardrobe before you go to sleep. This is another strategy that will reduce your stress and make you feel less rushed first thing in the morning.
Get started earlier. Do you find that you are perpetually running 5-10 minutes behind schedule? Do yourself a favor and wake up a little bit earlier. Your energy level won’t be affected, as your body won’t notice waking up a mere 15 minutes earlier. However, you will be allowing yourself that extra time to decompress with that first cup of coffee or rehearse that sales pitch one more time before you begin your day. Give it a try for at least 2 weeks, taking mental note of how it positively affects your productivity.
Make a schedule and stick to it. Scheduling your time is one thing, but adhering to it can prove to be quite difficult, especially with other personal and professional obligations thrown into the mix. Do your best to stick to your schedule, and even when something doesn’t go as planned, go back to your written schedule and rearrange it to make up for whatever time was lost. This way, you won’t always feel like you’re putting things off.
Make quicker decisions. This mostly applies to more trivial decisions like what you will eat for lunch or which font to use for your blog. Deciding faster about minor things will help you build and maintain your daily momentum as well as increase productivity.
Do the hardest task first. Tackling the most difficult task or project first prevents procrastination. Furthermore, if you save it for last, it’ll be on your mind the whole time you’re working on other things, which can take away your focus from where it needs to be. Get the hardest one out of the way, and when it’s done, take pleasure in knowing that it’s one less thing to worry about.
Check email at the end of your to-do list. If you’re like most people, the accumulation of emails in your inbox can become overwhelming if you don’t stay on top of it. Make it a point to check your email and take action on pressing business after you’ve finished your daily to-do list. This allows you to start the day with a clean inbox (hopefully) and use your time sticking to your pre-set schedule.
Reward yourself. Time management is hard work and requires self-discipline. This is not to be taken lightly, so when you’ve achieved your goals for the week or month, reward yourself as a motivator to continue your effective routine. Splurge on lunch by ordering a sandwich from your favorite deli, stop for a manicure on the way home at the end of the week, or see a movie with friends on the weekend. Anything that you will look forward to and won’t hinder your goals or progress will serve as a meaningful reward.

An effective work routine is as important as the job itself. Your reliability, independence, motivation, and self-confidence will all improve as you create and perfect your routine. What did you find most helpful from our list? How do you establish your own routine? Please share your thoughts in our comments section below!

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Easy Ways to Build Great Habits For Success

Easy Ways to Build Great Habits For Success

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” This statement penned by author Jim Ryun speaks to how you can find long-term success in both your professional and personal life. It takes time to make something a habit, and it certainly is a difficult thing to do. In the spirit of making resolutions for the New Year, we give you a few suggestions to help you make a habit out of your desired behaviors.

Make time to do it. As obvious as this idea may seem, so many people neglect to take this important first step. For example, if you plan to make exercise a part of your daily routine, you need to set aside a specific time to do that. Look realistically at your schedule and lifestyle to set yourself up for success. Someone who has the most energy and motivation at the beginning of the day would do well to carve out the first 15-30 minutes of the morning for a workout. Establishing the time beforehand will encourage you to stick to your goal and encourage you to continue.
Connect habits you already have to new habits you’d like to adopt. If your exercise goal is to spend 20 minutes on the treadmill once a day, then incorporate that into something you already do every day. If you always sit down to watch the 5:00 news every night, then spend that time on the treadmill in front of the television instead of sitting on the couch. Or if you always check your email at a certain time, work your exercise into, before, or after it. You’ll have a better chance at sticking to your desired behavior this way.
Make it as convenient for yourself as possible. If you want to exercise first thing in the morning before work, set out your clothes and equipment, fill your water bottle, and cue up your music the night before so you can roll out of bed and get right to it. You’ll have less of an excuse to skip it if it’s easy and convenient to accomplish.
Keep a calendar to chart your progress and reward yourself for meeting milestones. In order to stay motivated, you need to set goals and keep track of your progress. Set some benchmarks ahead of time and record them on a calendar, either digitally or on paper. Every time you reach a milestone, reward yourself in a way that will encourage you to keep going. Make the reward enjoyable and guilt-free so that you continue working toward your next benchmark and reward.

When developing good habits, do everything you can to set yourself up for success. Plan ahead, be realistic about your lifestyle, and track your progress. What great habits would you like to build in 2015? Which of our suggestions will be the most helpful to you? Please share your ideas in our comments section!

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Get Your Head in the Game and Succeed!

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Get your head in the game!”? It means that aside from being physically ready for a challenge, you must mentally prepare yourself as well. Mental strength is just as important a skill for success in your direct sales business. In today’s post, we offer some suggestions to help you strengthen your mind and equip yourself with the tools you need to face all that your business has to throw at you.

Set aside the things you have no control over. Dwelling on things over which you have no control will only bring you down and take precious time and energy away from doing the things you CAN control. Make a conscious choice to set aside what you can’t help, and move forward. Is your company retiring your favorite product that happens to be your personal best seller? Ok, you might take a slight hit at first, but you’ll find something else to put in the spotlight of your presentations. Spend your time finding that product and creating a new pitch around it. Bottom line: don’t sweat the small stuff.
Always act like you are in control. Sometimes, you just have to fake it ’til you make it. Even if you don’t know exactly what you are doing, always act like you do. Your confident demeanor will demonstrate professionalism, knowledge, and trust to your customers and colleagues. For example, let’s say you are in the middle of your presentation at a home party when some latecomers arrive. The hostess gets up to greet them, gets them a drink, and gives them a catalog. The newly arrived guests also say hello to the other guests and start some small talk as they haven’t seen each other in awhile. You try to regain the floor a few times with no success. Instead of acting flustered, as you probably feel inside, just pretend that this is part of the normal protocol and wait until everyone is situated. You won’t be able to control when guests arrive and how they act once they do, but you can control how you react to the situation. Always remain professional, and act calm and collected, even in a harrowing situation.
See your mistakes as lessons in life and business. Mistakes are inevitable; once you accept this fact, you will be able to take them in stride and recover quickly. Realize that mistakes are part of the journey, and use them as an opportunity to learn. Figure out where you went wrong, how to fix it, and what you can do to prevent the same mistake from happening again. This goes for your professional and personal life. You will be a much happier person with this attitude, and a more successful businessperson as well.
Celebrate the successes of others. No matter what you happen to be dealing with at the time, if your upline, downline, friends, or relatives are having success, be active in your role as someone who congratulates them. Don’t hesitate to give credit where it is due to a job well done, and you may even go so far as to learn from others’ successes when possible. Act as a supporter to those around you.
Don’t feel sorry for yourself. It’s okay and completely normal to feel down in the dumps when things aren’t going your way. However, don’t dwell on those negative feelings, as they tend to bog you down and keep you from achieving your goals. Acknowledge your own feelings, but move forward to what’s next. This will help you keep a steady momentum going in your business even when the unexpected happens. You will also strengthen your ability to bounce back from adversity.
Focus on improving with every step. Even when things are going better than you could have imagined, don’t lose focus or get over-confident. Always remember that there are ways to improve, and there is someone out there doing it better. With this mindset, the sky is the limit, and your mental readiness for a successful business will be within reach.

Just as a star athlete never stops conditioning his or her own body, you should never stop conditioning your mind. Mental strength can take you through the ups and downs of your direct sales business.

Which of your suggestions do you find the most helpful? Please share your comments below!

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How to Build Your Business on the Cheap

How to Build Your Business on the Cheap

One of the many advantages of a direct sales business is that for the most part, the initial investment is minimal, especially when compared to a traditional startup. Whether your startup cost is $100 or $1,000 though, it is important to keep costs down when you are just starting out or looking to grow your business. The good news is that it’s not necessary to spend a lot of money up front in order to build successfully. Here are some tips for building your direct sales business on the cheap.

Don’t pay for marketing. There has never been an easier time to market your business for free. Start with your social media presence. Most social networks allow you to create a page for your business. Take advantage of this option, and engage your contacts by regularly posting content that sparks an online dialogue. Check here for some effective ideas to get started on the most popular social networks. Aside from marketing online, however, you can easily market your business in more traditional ways. Always keep yourself looking professional when you’re out and about town, and arm yourself with business cards and some catalogs. Consider wearing a button advertising your business or if applicable, a noticeable product itself. People may ask you about your business, resulting in instant bookings or at least requests for follow-ups. Finally, don’t forget to post information about your business in community bulletin boards and similar places. Many businesses will also allow you to leave a catalog in their waiting rooms or reception areas as well.
Use the power of word of mouth. Get used to talking about your business in ways that are relevant to the conversation. Relay anecdotes, discuss how or why you got started, and what you’ve accomplished so far. Encourage other satisfied customers to do the same, as people take great stock in user reviews, both written and oral.
Before you spend money on something, ask yourself if the return is worth the expense. You’ll of course have to spend money on certain things, but make sure the return will be worth it. Although it may be tempting to buy a ton of promotional merchandise with your company’s logo and your contact information on it right away, it isn’t necessary to get a good start. Those types of purchases are best saved for when you’ve already started making a profit. Always think of your potential expenses as a possible risk. Think seriously about whether or not spending the money is worth the risk, and as your business grows, your needs and “risk factors” will change. Adjust accordingly.
Spend the least possible money to get your products/services to the market. When you do pay for getting your products to your market, do some research and comparison shopping to make sure you aren’t overpaying. For example, a friend has booked a home party for your direct sales jewelry business and is expecting a large amount of guests. If you are just starting out and don’t have a large inventory of samples, you might be worried that the guests won’t order as much as they would if they were able to try on the pieces. Instead of hurrying to order more from your company, ask your upline if you can borrow a few pieces for this one party since there will be so many people there. By getting creative and using resources available to you, it is possible to find ways to spend as little money as possible to get the results you want.

Building your direct sales business on the cheap is an effective way to maximize your investment and set yourself up for long-term success. What other suggestions do you have for building your business in an affordable way? Please share your ideas below!

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Four Quick Tips to Stay on Task

Direct sellers need to have a strong sense of self-discipline in order to succeed. When you are answering only to yourself, it is crucial to eliminate distractions and stay on task for both your daily and long-term projects. Here are our four simple suggestions for doing just that.

Get involved with activities that help your business. This means everything from professional development workshops held by those in your upline to more informal lunches with colleagues or prospects. Find ways to incorporate your business into things you already enjoy doing. For example, Heather, a direct sales consultant for a company that provides fitness programs and equipment, integrates fitness into her daily life. Aside from working her business, she follows her company’s exercise programs regularly and once a month, invites a few friends over for group workouts. She leads a small group of friends to try a new workout, then serves healthy snacks and bottles of water afterwards. By doing this, she is able to stay healthy, work her business, and make time to socialize with her friends all at the same time.

Make sure that your business utilizes your strengths and passion. Heather already had an interest in health and fitness, so it made sense for her to choose a wellness company to sign with. She enjoys learning about how to create and maintain a healthy lifestyle, and she is passionate about educating others who struggle with this to do the same. Because she gets so much joy out of helping others achieve their fitness and nutrition goals, it’s easy for her to stay on task. Even when it gets hard to stay the course, her passion for what she does and her ability to do her job well prevent her from getting off track.

Focus on small positive improvements. When there are things you want to improve about your business, it can be overwhelming to figure out where and how to begin. Start small to build momentum. It can be as simple as re-organizing your desk or purging a filing cabinet drawer, but once you get a few small tasks accomplished, you will be motivated to take on bigger, long-term projects.

Make sure the business gets you excited. As with any job, if you don’t enjoy what you do, it will be that much more difficult to succeed. Tap into your interests and passions to get excited about your business. When you can do this, you can get others excited about what you are offering and build lasting professional relationships.

The longer you work your business with focus and passion, the easier staying on task will become. Involve yourself in business-related activities, make small improvements, and create excitement within yourself about what you’re doing. What would you add to our list? Please sound off in the comments section below!

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Three Tricks to Improve Your Communication

The advantages to living in this digital age are nearly endless for your direct sales business. It only takes a few seconds to send an email or text to a customer or colleague. However, face-to-face communication is still an extremely important part of how you interact with others. Emails and text messages are convenient, but they cannot convey tone of voice, emotion, and other non-verbal cues. As you continue to build professional relationships, make it a priority to improve your face-to-face communication skills.

Bring a friend or partner for confidence. Meeting a friend, acquaintance, or even a stranger for a sales presentation or opportunity meeting can be intimidating and anxiety-inducing. Don’t be afraid to ask a friend or colleague to tag along for moral support. For example, you are about to do your very first home party hosted by someone you only met one other time. All the guests at this party will be strangers to you, and you don’t feel completely comfortable going it alone. Ask someone in your upline or even a close friend to accompany you. Introduce him or her as your assistant, for instance, and you’ll not only have someone to help build your confidence, but you’ll have someone to help you set up, pass out catalogs, and answer questions if appropriate. Sometimes just the feeling of having a friend in the room can boost your self-esteem and make you appear confident to others.
Practice your conversations. This can be done alone in front of a mirror, by recording yourself on your smartphone or tablet, or even by role-playing with a friend. A direct seller named Vanessa always rehearses the introduction of her sales presentation in her bedroom mirror right before she leaves for her parties. In doing so, she pays attention to her facial expressions like making sure she’s smiling, and her tone of voice to make sure it stays warm and light-hearted. Another benefit of doing this is that she will notice before it’s too late if anything about her outfit interferes with her presentation or just doesn’t look and feel right. Find a way of practicing that is comfortable for you, and make a habit of doing it often.
Make eye contact naturally without staring. Eye contact is an essential part of face-to-face communication, as it signals to the other person that you are in fact listening and giving your undivided attention. Looking directly into someone’s eyes can be intimidating, however, so use some techniques to avoid staring. Tip: Look directly in between the person’s eyes instead of right into the eye when talking. It won’t be detectable by the other person that you’re not looking into the eye, and you will feel more at ease while giving your attention. As with any skill, you will become more proficient and comfortable with practice and experience.

Possessing strong communication skills will serve you well in any career. When you can appear confident, demonstrate good listening, and use proper eye contact, you can begin to build and maintain the relationships that are so important to your business.

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Three Ways to Reach New Customers

Growing your business and achieving success requires you to continually increase your customer base. Retaining existing customers and acquiring referrals alone will not translate into long term success. One of your goals should be to introduce more people to the benefits of your product or service. Here are three ways to start finding new customers right away.

Find a new niche and build a market around it. Within your obvious target market, there likely lies a smaller, specialized one that has potential to become the spotlight of your business. Find out what this is, and make it the center of your customer search efforts. For example, after a few months working for a direct sales company that sells women’s fitness products, one consultant met a pregnant guest at a home party who purchased a starter kit in preparation for shedding her pregnancy weight after the baby arrives (under her doctor’s supervision, of course!). This gave the consultant an idea for how to market some of her products to this very specialized population of potential customers. She chose a select handful of products that were deemed safe for post-partum women to help them ease back into a safe and effective fitness regimen. In order to build a market around this niche, the consultant used word-of-mouth and chose a few places to advertise where expectant and new moms could be easily reached (the fitness club child care room, Mommy & Me classes at the local library, etc.). Concentrating your efforts on a niche market can have long-reaching benefits for your business.
Use events and gamification to engage people. Your social media presence can be a very effective tool with which to engage people and start conversations about your business. Hold contests on your Facebook page that require people to share in some way, from which random winners will be chosen. Amazon Mom, a program from Amazon that allows members to save on baby & children’s products, frequently holds themed photo contests. Members post a photo relating to the theme (one recent theme was May Flowers). They choose a “Top 20” list where each winner’s photo is featured on their page for their hundreds of thousands of followers to see. Get creative with how you engage people, and keep in mind that you don’t need to spend money or give something away to do so.
Do things differently to generate curiosity. Thinking outside of the box will almost always serve you well in this industry, so create a bit of mystery around a new product, perhaps, that will get people interested and talking. One direct sales consultant ends her presentation with a question and answer session. Before she starts, she asks guests to retrieve their cell phones because the questions will be asked via text message. This piques guests’ curiosity, and after the Q & A ends, she instructs them to add her phone number to their contact lists so they can reach her if they have any questions, concerns, or want to reorder. Furthermore, she reminds them that she also now has each of their phone numbers as well to make getting back to them and reaching out much easier. When seeking feedback about the party afterwards, this text message Q & A is what people report as the most memorable and fun part of the presentation. Use your unique qualities and have fun with finding different ways to do things.

Reaching new customers doesn’t always require casting a wider net. Look within your existing base for niche markets, engage people in innovative ways, and think outside the box. In doing so, you move your business forward and come closer to achieving your long-term goals.

What would you add to our list? Please share your ideas below!

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Leveraging Your Strengths and Advantages

Because the direct sales industry is such a people-centered business, it is extremely important that you find your motivation and ambition from within. Tapping into your interests and desires will give you an advantage over your big business counterparts by allowing you to connect with your clients and recruits on a personal level. If you are just starting out in direct sales, looking to reinvigorate a business that has reached a plateau, or seeking to maintain your success, find ways to use your strengths and advantages to achieve your goals.
Choose a product/service…
• you can be passionate about and maintain focus. Finding your passion is where it all begins. If you choose something that doesn’t evoke a strong feeling, the chances of success with that product/service are slim. Having been a public school teacher for close to a decade before staying home to raise her children, a prospective direct seller named Robin knows she is passionate about education. She has been researching several popular direct sales companies for which many of her friends are consultants. Robin enjoys attending these parties and shopping the catalogs of these companies, but since her true interests lie in the education field, she decides to sign with a company that specializes in educational books and other materials. Because she is already knowledgeable in this area and cares about providing children with quality literature, Robin can grow a profitable business by focusing on her passion.
• in which you can be an expert. Robin chose something in which she has solid expertise, and that can be a great foundation for a business. Even if you have been a direct sales consultant for a long time already, find a product or service within your company to learn as much about as possible. If you become an expert in this item, your sales presentations and opportunity meetings can include an emphasis on it. Prospective customers and recruits will notice how proficient you are on the subject and can feel comfortable looking to you for guidance about it.
• in which you have a strong community. Ask yourself: how can this product/service build ties to my community or strengthen existing ones? One of the innovative ways that Robin gets involved in her community is by volunteering to be a guest reader at local elementary schools. She chooses books that align with the curriculum and plans a themed activity to connect to the book. It’s a wonderful way to give back to the community while simultaneously using her strengths to help educate children and gain some exposure for her business. Find ways to build your own community ties with your product/service by using your existing strengths.
Your passion for the product/service that you offer should be the foundation and motivation for all you do in your business. Your expertise will help you take the action needed to achieve your goals, and a strong community will allow you to grow. If you have all three of these, you’ll be unbeatable.
What other ways do you think you can leverage your strengths and advantages? Please share your ideas below!

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Four Ways to Make Sure You Perform at Your Best

In order for you to work up to your potential, you must be in good physical and mental condition. The demands of a successful career in direct sales can sometimes be stressful, mostly because there is usually no one else to share the workload. You are not only your own boss, but also your own employee. If you find yourself feeling sluggish, unmotivated, or just disconnected from what you want to accomplish, here are four ways you can get back on track and create a ritual that will help you reach your full potential.
1. Eat foods that make you feel good and are healthy. This is often easier said than done, but eating a balanced and nutritious diet is beneficial in so many ways. You will look better, feel better, and have more energy. When all of these things are happening, you are free to concentrate on achieving your business goals. Tip: To accommodate a busy lifestyle, consider planning your meals a week at a time. Pick one day of the week to plan out meals for yourself and your family, shop, and prepare or cook what you can ahead of time. Freezer-friendly meals and slow cooker recipes are great for both healthy eating and convenience.
2. Get your body moving. Some people enjoy weekly yoga or spin classes at a fitness club, while others incorporate less formal exercise into their day. For example, put on your favorite song and dance in the kitchen as you get breakfast ready. Find a parking spot farther away from the building, take stairs instead of elevators, or take a walk on your lunch break. Physically active people enjoy better overall cardiovascular health. Think of how much more productive you could be with your blood flowing properly and your energy level steady throughout the day.
3. Write down your achievable goals for the day. Instead of a regular “to-do list,” jot down what achievable goals you’d like to accomplish for the day. Thinking in terms of “goals” rather than “tasks” puts more importance on how your daily tasks contribute to your business’ success and gives you a feeling of true accomplishment at the end of your day. Furthermore, by writing these goals down, you give yourself direction and will be more able to limit your distractions.
4. Focus on something that inspires and motivates you. Take some time for self-reflection to figure out what genuinely inspires and motivates you to be the best that you can be. Is it your children? Your quest for financial independence? A desire to positively affect others? Identify your inspiration and make it your focus each day. Use it to keep you on track and strive to do your job to the absolute best of your ability.

Keeping yourself strong in both the body and mind as well as staying connected to your emotions will serve you well in your professional endeavors. Incorporate these things into your life in ways that allow you to sustain them long-term. You are the only one who can do it, so believe in yourself.

Do you have anything to add to our list? Please share your ideas below!

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Twist on Check Scam Targets Direct Sales Reps

Twist on Check Scam Targets Direct Sales Reps

By Emily Patterson

Reps for direct sales companies like Avon, Thirty-One Gifts and Mary Kay are finding themselves the targets of a new take on the classic check scam. Scammers pose as new customers and try to con consultants out of hundreds of dollars.

How the Scam Works:

You are a consultant for a direct sales company, and you receive an email or text message from a potential customer. The exact details of the situation vary. The “new customer” may simply request to purchase a few products, but some scammers provide an elaborate back story. In one recent version, the scammer alleges to be working on a movie filmed nearby and urgently needs makeup for the actors.

The request seems like an easy sale, so you prepare the products and receipt. Then, your new “customer” sends you an urgent message. There was some mix up, and she/he accidentally sent a check for far more money than the purchase amount. The customer suggests that you fix the mistake by depositing the check, keeping the money for the purchase and wiring the remainder to someone else.

The stories given vary. Sometimes you are asked to wire money to a “doctor.” Other times, you are supposedly sending cash to the daughter’s wedding planner. No matter the tale, a few things are for sure. The check is a fake, and, if you withdraw money against it, you are out those funds.

Tips to Avoid Fake Check Scams:

Whether you are a professional direct sales consultant or simply selling a few items on Craigslist, check scams are common cons. Here are some tips:

Be wary of checks received from unknown individuals: When selling to someone you don’t know, it is safer to accept cash or credit card payments.
Do not accept overpayments: Don’t take checks for more than the sales price, no matter what convincing story the buyer tells you.
Do not wire money to anyone you do not know: Wired money is extremely difficult to trace, and you will not be able to recover these funds. The same goes for pre-paid debit cards, a new favorite payment method for scammers.
Confirm before you withdraw cash: A check can take several days to clear, and, until then, you are responsible for any funds withdrawn against it. To make sure the check cleared, call your bank… not the telephone number listed on the check.

For More Information

To find out more about scams, check out BBB Scam Stopper.

DSEF and the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) foster honest and responsive relationships between businesses and consumers—instilling consumer confidence and advancing a trustworthy marketplace for all.

About the Better Business Bureaus
As the leader in advancing marketplace trust, Better Business Bureau is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Every year, more than 87 million consumers rely on BBB Business Reviews® and BBB Wise Giving Reports® to help them find trustworthy businesses and charities across North America. Visit www.bbb.org/us for more information.