Findings published in the DSEF Journal of Direct Selling Research show rising positive perceptions and interest in entrepreneurial opportunities.
(WASHINGTON, DC – September 5, 2025) – The Direct Selling Education Foundation (DSEF) today announced the release of the latest Journal of
Professional And Personal Benefits Of A Direct Selling Experience
Professional and Personal Benefits of a Direct Selling Experience researches the impact of a direct selling experience on 14 business and professional skills as well as on 13 personal life skills. A substantial majority of the current direct sellers surveyed, more than three-fourths, agreed that they benefited from their direct selling experience in terms of improved business and professional skills, and that skills gleaned from a direct selling experience transferred to their personal lives. Moreover, there were significant and positive relationships between self-perceived skill levels and self-perceptions of direct selling success and performance in a non-direct selling job.
Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in South Africa: The Role of Information Communication Technology in the Direct Selling Marketplace
Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in South Africa: The Role of Information Communication Technology in the Direct Selling Marketplace reveals how women have used direct selling as a vehicle not only for self-transformation and empowerment, but also for the betterment of their families and communities. Now, coupled with the capabilities of technology, the direct selling industry holds tremendous promise as a potential solution for poverty and gender inequality, particularly within South Africa, where strong technology infrastructure already exists and where a significant percentage of women currently participate in the informal business sector.
Latest News and Articles
Direct Selling Channel Delivers $111 Billion Annual Economic Impact to U.S. Economy, New Study Finds
(WASHINGTON D.C. – September 6, 2023) The Direct Selling Education Foundation (DSEF) today released its 2024 Economic Impact Report. This new study quantifying the annual economic impact of direct selling activity on the US economy was conducted by Professor Robert A
Direct Selling Education Foundation Leads National Discussion on “Building Trust in the Marketplace”
(WASHINGTON D.C. – September 15, 2023) – The nonprofit Direct Selling Education Foundation (DSEF) recently sponsored the “Building Trust in the Marketplace” conference at Emory University. The hybrid virtual and in-person event brought together leading academics, state and federal regulatory
Dr. Caroline Glackin, Fayetteville State University Recognized for Extraordinary Achievement in Advancing Understanding of the Direct Selling Business Model
Washington, DC—June 2023— Dr. Caroline Glackin, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Director of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment at Fayetteville State University became
Dr. Dianne Welsh, University of North Carolina Greensboro and
Dr. Anne Coughlan, Northwestern University
Recognized for Outstanding Achievement
Washington, DC—June 2022— The 2020 and 2021 Educator of the Year Award inductees are Dr. Dianne Welsh, Hayes Distinguished Professor and Founding Director,
Allison Crick, University of South Florida, Named Grant Recipient
WASHINGTON, DC—June 15, 2021—The Direct Selling Education Foundation (DSEF) is pleased to announce its 2021 Sales Doctoral Student Grant Program recipient. Allison Crick, a student at the University of South Florida (USF),
WASHINGTON, DC—May 15, 2019—The Direct Selling Education Foundation (DSEF) is pleased to announce its 2020 Sales Doctoral Student Grant Program recipients. Molly Ahearne from the University of Georgia and Scott Hachey from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa were each
DSEF, in partnership with the U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE), held a Best Paper competition at the USASBE Annual Conference, January 3-7.
DSEF funds research and case studies to advance understanding of the direct selling channel. Eight out of the 12 authors
At the Direct Selling Association's Annual Meeting in June, newly-inducted Circle of Honor award recipients, Drs. Greg Marshall, Linda Ferrell, and Vicky Crittenden, shared the main stage for a dialogue on how direct selling can shape the future of the
Today’s consumers do not want to be sold to: they want to be engaged, educated and even entertained.
In a workshop on how third-party voices can enhance trust and transparency among consumers, Dr. Greg Marshall joined Todd Eliason, Publisher and Editor
At the Direct Selling Association's Annual Meeting in June, DSEF Fellows Drs. Victoria Crittenden (Babson College), Caroline Glackin (Fayettesville University), and Sandy Jap (Emory University) presented their latest direct selling insights during a panel discussion led by former DSEF Board Member, Kerry Tassopoulos, Of Counsel—Government Affairs,
Dr. Stefanie Boyer, Professor of Marketing at Bryant University, and an expert in design thinking, led a group of CEOs in an exercise to bring creativity to strategic thinking for the problem-solvers of the direct selling industry at the Direct
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