DSEF & CBBB: Helping Small Business Owners Manage Credit Wisely

Today’s highlighted blog post from the Council on Better Business Bureaus (CBBB)

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Helping Small Business Owners Manage Credit Wisely

BBB and Capital One Managing Credit – Made Simpler Partnership to offer businesses tailored advice and easy-to-follow tips online for free

“Faced with the realities of the economic downturn, millions of small businesses have been forced to take a second look at their finances, including examining their spending habits and how they use credit,” said Stephen A. Cox, President and CEO, Council of Better Business Bureaus. “Regularly examining your business’s finances, including how and why you use credit, is important. BBB’s Managing Credit – Made Simpler provides easy-to-follow tips, checklists, and advice compiled to help small businesses better handle and successfully build their business’s credit record.”

DSEF and Council on Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) fosters 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. Visitwww.bbb.org/us for more information.

Blog

DSEF & FTC: Out with the Old (Computer): How to do it Safely

Today’s highlighted blog post from FTC/NCPW:

December 28th, 2011 by Lisa

Did you get a new computer for the holidays? Wondering what to do with your old one?

Since computers often hold personal and financial information, the most important thing you can do is ensure that its hard drive doesn’t become a treasure chest for identity thieves.

For starters, you should understand how your hard drive works. When you save a file, especially a large one, it is scattered around the hard drive in bits and pieces. When you open a file, the hard drive gathers the bits and pieces and reconstructs them. And when you delete a file, the links to reconstruct the file disappear.

But the bits and pieces of the deleted file stay on your computer until they’re overwritten, and they can be retrieved with a data recovery program. To remove data from a hard drive permanently, the hard drive on your discarded computer needs to be wiped clean.

OnGuard Online.gov has great information on how to clean your hard drive and dispose of your computer to help avoid identity theft. Click on this link to find out more.

Blog

DSEF & CBBB: New Website Provides Health Insurance Price Details

Today’s highlighted blog post from the Council on Better Business Bureaus (CBBB)

VERONICA BROWN

– OCTOBER 11, 2011POSTED IN: HEALTH CARE SERVICES, INSURANCE

As the price of health insurance continues to climb, many consumers are wondering why the changes occur. A new website aims to provide this information for every state beginning Thursday, reports USA Today.

With the passage of last year’s health care law, insurance companies are now required to provide this information to customers. The website, http://companyprofiles.healthcare.gov/, offers information regarding raises in price, as well as the company’s reasons for doing so.

Users simply click on their state, and are directed to a list of all health insurance companies in the area. The site also includes a section for customers to leave comments.

To read the full article, visit http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/insurance/story/2011-10-07/health-insurance-rate-hike-website/50682044/1

Blog

DSEF & FTC: Getting Real Debt Help

Today’s highlighted blog post from FTC/NCPW:

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Getting Real Debt Help

Having trouble paying your credit card bills? Is your home in danger of foreclosure? In this tough economy, many people are struggling with their debts. Ads from companies offering to help may be tempting, but beware – this could be a trap that will leave you worse off than before. You can usually get the same results yourself, for free, by trying to work out something directly with your creditors. In addition, there are places you can go for low-cost or no-cost help if you need it.

For 13 years, the DSEF has been proud to partner with the FTC and other organizations to offer a wide array of education events and resources that encourage consumers nationwide to take full advantage of their rights and make better-informed decisions.

You’ll find a wealth of resources at www.ncpw.g ov that will help you protect your privacy, manage your money, learn more about credit and debt, decipher advertising messages, and steer clear of fraud and scams.

Please take a moment to share the resources on this Web site with others in your communities and companies and, together, we’ll help build a nation of better-informed and educated consumers.

Charles. L. Orr
Executive Director

Direct Selling Education Foundation

Blog

DSEF & CBBB: Five Facts You Didn’t Know About the BBB

Today’s highlighted blog post from the Council on Better Business Bureaus (CBBB)

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Five Facts You Didn’t Know About the BBB

1.) We are not a government agency.

2.) Complaints are handled by the Better Business Bureau office in the area where the company is based.

3.) The BBB is not a consumer watchdog.

Blog

DSEF & CBBB: My Experience With Multi-Level Marketing

Today’s highlighted blog post from the Council on Better Business Bureaus (CBBB)

My Experience With Multi-Level Marketing

By Holly Doering

When I was a little girl, my mom stayed at home to look after us kids while my dad worked. That was just what women did. Especially in a small Idaho town with a limited job market. One day my mother brought home a trunk of cosmetics: almond face lotion, peppermint foot rub. There was even something called “Royal bee jelly”—I think—that was thick and soft but not greasy. The company was called “JAFRA”—Jan and Frank were the owners—and all Mom had to do to make money was to host parties and invite her women friends.

What happened next was what often happens—Mom threw a few parties, went to a few parties, and then the creams and lotions sat in the cupboard for the next decade. (They were really good products though!)

In college, I worked for a fast-food franchise owner who was big into Amway. She bought all their cleaning products for the restaurant. She was convinced that this company was her ticket to early retirement and possibly multi-millionaire-dom. As far as I know, she’s still trying to become a Diamond.

The BBB sometimes gets calls about multi-level marketing (MLM) opportunities. Are they scams? While any particular scenario could be a scam, the short answer is no. MLM is a legitimate business model that has made certain individuals extremely wealthy. However, it isn’t easy.

Many people who get into network marketing don’t have the personality or the tenacity to make a go of it. They chicken out of making cold calls or meeting strangers at Perkins. They don’t want to invest all the time into their home business that would be necessary for it to succeed. Or, they get divorced and end up splitting their downlines.

You see, I worked for a network marketing company for a few years. But not as a distributor—I stayed with a steady paycheck from the corporate offices. It was there that I met a company executive who had gone from abysmal failure—sleeping in his car—to becoming a millionaire with these MLM products. And when he did, his sponsor, the man who recruited him, became a multi-millionaire.

I chose this particular MLM company to work for because their products:

Were environmentally-friendly
Were not tested on animals
Were not significantly more expensive than items in the store
Were something I could believe in

Here are some tips on how to research a MLM company and make sure it’s right for you. Think about:

How transparent is the company? Are you getting real answers to your questions, and not just the run-around or a company line? Do they disclose their financials?
Has the company been around for awhile? (The longer, the better.)
What is the initial investment?
Who will support you? Does your sponsor seem like they will actively coach you and have time for you? Can you meet other people in this person’s downline?
How are refunds—to you and to your customers, clients, prosumers, or whatever they call them—handled? How do they deal with complaints?
Is their technology easy to use or is it kind of a pain?
What is the competition?
Are they aware of or do they subscribe to the Direct Selling Association (DSA) Code of Ethics?

Final thoughts

1) Remember that pyramid schemes, which can look like MLM to begin with, are not legitimate. A genuine MLM opportunity involves product and is not simply mailing cash back and forth.

2) You may not want to make your living from your MLM business—I’ve been to plenty of Cabi, Partylite, Avon, and Pampered Chef parties hosted by friends who just wanted to get these products that they liked discounted or cheaper. Even so, do your homework first. You won’t be sorry you did.

Free e-book “Business Owner’s Road Map to Success.” It has over 50 pages of techniques for everything a small business owner needs to master, from business planning and ethical selling to a success mindset. It’s all there and it’s free for you. To get it, just “Like” our Facebook Page here: http://on.fb.me/KsIN6P Pass it on!

Blog / Teleseminar

DSEF & Money Wise Women: What Pulls Your Trigger? Four Reasons You May Overspend

Today’s highlighted post from Money Wi$e Women Get Smart Teleseminar Series:

What Pulls Your Trigger? Four Reasons You May Overspend

Do you ever feel “triggered”? Do you ever find yourself spending money you didn’t intend to, but you do it anyways? Sometimes we feel almost defiant when we spend. Sometimes we feel numb. But often, there is a deeper trigger behind our less-than-conscious spending. When we know what triggers us, it helps us avoid overspending in the first place and we become better able to analyze our overspending when it does happen. Thinking about our spending triggers also helps us not beat ourselves up so bad. So join money coach and author Mikelann Valterra as she talks about four kinds of spending triggers. Because if you can think about WHY you spend the way you do, you’re less likely to fall into overspending traps. And yes, you can actually use overspending as a personal growth experience!

DSEF proudly sponsors the free Money Wi$e Women Get Smart Teleseminar Series hosted by Marcia Brixey, Founder and President of Money Wise Women Educational Services and author ofThe Money Therapist: A Woman’s Guide to Creating a Healthy Financial Life. The series covers topics related to business and finances and provides women the opportunity to learn from professional experts in a safe, comfortable environment.

To find out about upcoming teleseminars, visit http://www.moneywisewomengetsmart.com/

Teleseminar

DSEF & CBBB: Facebook to Start Charging for New Profile Changes?

Facebook to Start Charging for New Profile Changes?

Will Facebook start charging due to the new profile changes? The answer is NO!

There’s a chain letter spreading through social media saying that Facebook will begin charging due to the new profile changes. It’s false.

It says:

IT IS OFFICIAL. IT WAS EVEN ON THE NEWS. FACEBOOK WILL START CHARGING DUE TO THE NEW PROFILE CHANGES. IF YOU COPY THIS ON YOUR WALL YOUR ICON WILL TURN BLUE AND FACEBOOK WILL BE FREE FOR YOU. PLEASE PASS THIS MESSAGE ON, IF NOT YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE DELETED IF YOU DO NOT PAY

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DSEF & CBBB: Should I Buy Medication Online?

Today’s highlighted blog post from the Council on Better Business Bureaus (CBBB)

Should I Buy Medication Online?

HOLLY DOERING

– DECEMBER 13, 2011 POSTED IN: HEALTH CARE SERVICES, NATIONAL

You gotta love spam. Or maybe not. Either way, an unsolicited email from “CANAD1AN-DRUGSTORE” caught my eye this morning. It promised me “80% OFF CIAL1S-V1AGRA-LEV1TRA.”

Hmmm. I need two bottles of insulin about every three weeks in order to live. Not to mention test strips, syringes, ketone kits, emergency blood sugar tablets and other supplies. These items are very expensive. Worse than a $5 a day coffee habit. Eighty percent off would be fantastic. But…

But me being me, I’m a little leery. Here’s what the U.S. Food and Drug Administrationhas to say about buying medications online:

Good points

It’s easier to get products. This is helpful if you can’t leave your home or live far from a drug store.
You can check many different sites to check out products and prices.
You can ask a pharmacist questions in private.

Dangers

Some web sites:

May not know the cause of your health problem. They could also give you the wrong medicine for your illness.
Some sites will sell you prescription drugs even if you don’t have a prescription. This is against the law.
Don’t protect your private information, like your credit card number.

Some medicines sold online:

Are fake
Have things in them that are could hurt you
Are too strong or too weak
Are too old to work
Aren’t approved by the FDA
Aren’t made using safe standards
Aren’t safe to use with other meds or products you use
Aren’t labeled
Aren’t stored or shipped the right way

How can I buy online safely?

There is a program that makes sure online drug stores are legal and honest. It is called the VIPPS (Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Site). Websites can choose to apply or not to apply to use the VIPPS seal. Before using a website, check for the VIPPS seal.
Don’t buy from sites that sell:

Prescription drugs even if you don’t have a prescription.
Products that are not approved by FDA.

Use sites that have a pharmacist to answer your questions online. Only buy from sites based in the US. It’s against the law to buy prescription drugs from other countries. It could also be unsafe.
Go to your doctor or clinic before using any medicine for the first time.
For more information, you can contact the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, which works with the FDA to ensure drug safety, or the FDA athttp://www.fda.gov/default.htm or 1-888-INFO-FDA.

If I do decide to try to buy diabetic supplies online, it won’t be by clicking on an unsolicited email with suspect spelling, that’s for sure.

Blog

DSEF & FTC: Thinking about Layaway? Know the Fees Before You Shop

Today’s highlighted blog post from FTC/NCPW:

Thinking about Layaway? Know the Fees Before You Shop

November 17th, 2011 by Lisa

As Black Friday draws near, thoughts turn to holiday shopping, and how to get the items you want for a price you can afford. If you choose to buy using layaway, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, has a few holiday tips for you:

First, get all the details about the retailer’s layaway plan in writing before you shop. Look for the terms of the plan — including the time you have to pay for your items, the store’s refund policy for layaway items, minimum payments, and layaway charges or other fees.
Second, it’s useful to compare the costs of using layaway versus using credit. Add up the total amount in fees you will pay at a specific store before you get your item(s) out of layaway. Then, if you have a credit card, determine how much money in interest you would pay if you charged the same item(s).
Third, be sure to check out the store, including online retailers, before you shop there at all. Your state Attorney General’s Office (www.naag.org), local consumer protection agency (www.consumeraction.gov), and your local Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org) can tell you if consumers have filed complaints against the retailer or online service.

Before you hit the stores, take a look at the FTC’s consumer alert on layaway plans. Also, if a store fails to disclose important terms of its layaway plan, it may be breaking the law. If a retailer hasn’t explained its layaway terms, or has otherwise misled you about them, file a complaint with the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357).

Please take a moment to share the resources on this Web site with others in your communities and companies and, together, we’ll help build a nation of better-informed and educated consumers.

Charles. L. Orr
Executive Director

Direct Selling Education Foundation