Donald Trump is synonymous with luxury high-rises, his TV show and his distinctive hairstyle. Now he’s putting his name on a vitamin and health products business whose salespeople make money by recruiting more salespeople.

The ubiquitous Trump is partnering with Ideal Health, a 12-year-old Massachusetts-based nutritional products company, and renaming it “The Trump Network,” though the partners won’t specify what their financial relationship is.

The products will be sold via multilevel marketing — a method of selling products through a network of distributors. Marketers receive commissions for the products they sell, along with a cut from products sold by other salespeople they’ve recruited.

Critics of such programs say that most of the products are bought by the distributors themselves, and that few of the salespeople actually come out ahead in the end.

Trump, characteristically, is blustery in his bullishness. In an e-mail to the Associated Press, he called it a “rescue and recovery program” for people suffering through the recession, offering a shot at extra income. The company hopes the Trump name and image will help sell the products.

Photo by Dano

USANA Health Sciences, Inc. today launched its seasonal Vitamin D supplement. The supplement will be available every year from November to March, the months when many people do not get enough vitamin D.

“Recent reports show that populations around the world are suffering from vitamin D deficiency, and there is also evidence that suggests vitamin D deficiency increases during the winter months because of decreased exposure to sunlight,” said Dr. Tim Wood, USANA`s Executive Vice President of Research and Development. “The problem is widespread and increasing, with potentially severe repercussions for overall health and bone-fracture rates. USANA`s Vitamin D supplement is formulated with maximum strength vitamin D to ensure you get the vitamin D you need throughout the winter months in one tablet.”

Vitamin D is essential to bone mineralization and growth and plays an important role in the maintenance of muscle strength and coordination. Vitamin D also supports cardiovascular health and promotes balanced immune function. The current recommendation of 400IU of vitamin D per day may not be enough to prevent vitamin D deficiency during the winter months. USANA`s supplement has 2000IU of vitamin D per tablet.

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‘Tis the season to start shopping for your loved ones, and just as shoppers try to find special gifts for their family members and friends, Scentsy, Inc. has released its Top Holiday Gifts for 2009.

“What makes us different from a typical candle provider is that our candles are flameless, smokeless and soot-free; this means safer candles for family members, including children and pets,” said John Curtis, vice president of communications for Scentsy. The following are Scentsy’s Top Holiday Gifts for 2009:

1. Holiday-Inspired Scents

2. Scentsy Travel Tin

3. Safari Collection

4. D.I.Y. Scentsy Warmers

5. Renaissance Collection

So, how do you purchase these gifts? By going to home parties or visiting an Independent Consultant’s personal Web site. Curtis says this upcoming holiday season offers a great opportunity for residents to have Scentsy parties in their homes, offering people a new way to entertain for the season.

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Goodbye, door-to-door encyclopedia sets. Hello, Pampered Chef parties.

Locally, there is no shortage of the ever-evolving home-based business. From selling skincare products to posting handmade crafts on popular sites such as Etsy.com, starting out on one’s own might be gaining popularity as traditional full-time jobs continue to be scarce.

“A lot of that is, ‘I’m unemployed, I haven’t found a way to be successful,’” ISBDC coordinator Mary Margaret Maule said. “Our classes have been full every month.”

Benefits to operating a home-based business include the flexibility of creating your own schedule, but – depending on the type of job – also come with the pressure to succeed at selling and time management.

“One of your big challenges is, you are your own boss, your timekeeper, your everything,” Maule said. “And it’s easy to get distracted by the other roles in your life.”

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Cutco Sales Representatives (CSPs) with Vector Marketing Corporation recently returned from a corporate retreat where they volunteered with New Orleans Habitat for Humanity in the 9th Ward. More than 100 sales representatives and employees of Vector Marketing spent the day readying New Orleans Habitat homes for their new owners. Activities included roofing, siding, exterior painting and yard work.

In the weeks leading up to the retreat, the CSPs collected donations from their Cutco customers to donate to New Orleans Habitat through the use of a Bubble Bank, a fun and creative way to save money and collect donations. These donations contributed to a total company donation of almost $10,000.

“This is the first year that we incorporated community service into our annual CSP retreat. The response from our representatives was overwhelmingly positive and fits with the company’s philosophy that in order to be successful, you must first help others to reach success,” said John E. Whelpley, president and COO for Vector Marketing Corporation.

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Two years ago, Julie Champion’s world turned upside down when she was laid off from her corporate job. Julie was blindsided along with 1,300 of her co-workers.

“You have all this great work experience and in a flash like that they let you go, said Champion. “They let everybody go and they tell you by email it was devastating.”

Champion then turned to Arbonne, a company that allows you to be your own boss, selling makeup and skin care products through network marketing. It costs $29 to start your own business. Julie said it’s the best money she has ever spent because it allows her to also focus on being a mom.

“It’s great to know in the morning that I get to wake up and see her and she is making me breakfast,” said Emily, Champion’s daughter. “Getting a chance to talk and having her pick me up from school and drop me off.”

Champions said it is the best career move that she’s ever made and she regrets not doing it sooner.

“I make enough money to make my house payment, pay credit cards. Yes, I can afford to put braces on my daughter’s teeth. Yes, I can do that,” she said.

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When Jo Ellen Soesbee opened Reliable Repairs, it was tough for her to get taken seriously in the home improvement business.

“I’m in a field that’s mostly men, so I don’t get the same respect,” she said. “When I would go to meetings to meet with construction people, they would just ignore me.”

The Pasadena woman had to be persistent in her mission, constantly networking and talking to those in the renovation and repair trades to prove she knows what she’s talking about.

On Sunday, Soesbee will be recognized by those who know what it’s like to be in her shoes.

She will be one of five county business owners honored in Adelphi at the state’s third annual Top 100 Minority Business Enterprise Awards, which recognizes 100 of Maryland’s most outstanding minority and women business owners.

Soesbee, who is MBE certified, is starting to see attention being paid to her business. Surrounding herself with other female owners has helped her stay positive and focused.

“When I first said we were going to do this, people kind of laughed,” she said. “I think it’s hard to convince people that I’m serious about it.”

Soesbee picked up another business in January to help women in similar positions. She is now a consultant for Tomboy Tools, which manufactures tools ergonomically designed for women and donates part of the proceeds to breast cancer.

Tools come in pink, complete with pink tool belts and cases.

Soesbee hopes to do some community service with Tomboy Tools.

“I want to work with women who are owning their first house or victims of domestic violence and getting back out on their own,” she said.

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A large skin care products company with a distribution center in Greenwood, Ind., will pay $30,000 to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.

The EEOC charged in its suit that Arbonne International LLC violated federal law by refusing to hire Lisa Wilson due to her disability (deafness).

In addition to the monetary settlement, the 18-month consent decree provides for Arbonne to comply with prohibitions against further discrimination, post and distribute a policy of non-discrimination, train its employees and report to the EEOC.

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Watkins

Since it first began in 1868, the Watkins name has been synonymous with high quality products made from all natural ingredients. When you work as a Watkins representative, the wide variety of products you are able to sell include: gourmet and organic spices, organic extracts, dessert mixes, soup and gravy bases, sauces, high quality cooking oils, beverages, bread mix, cookbooks, and more.

In addition to a complete line of gourmet goodies, the Watkins product line also includes a variety of home care items, home remedies, bath and body pampering products, gift items, and more. Watkins direct sales associates are able to earn money based on the products they sell and the productivity of individuals they bring in to the business. To get started, it’s necessary to purchase an inexpensive membership package. Associates may also want to start out with additional sample and display items.

Tastefully Simple

Based in Alexandria, MN, Tastefully Simple was established in 1995 and has quickly expanded to be one of the fastest growing direct sales business opportunities in the country. The company is a member of Inc. Magazine’s 500 Hall of Fame. The company’s founder, Jill Blaschack Strahan, was named the Minnesota Entrepreneurs, Inc. “Entrepreneur of the Year” for 2007, and she was also included in Pink Magazine’s list of the top 50 entrepreneurs.

The company’s easy to prepare gourmet food products are marketed exclusively through its network of independent consultants, who can choose to sell through home parties, catalogs, internet orders, fundraisers, expo events, and other venues. Consultants earn commissions on their sales, and also have an opportunity to earn leadership income from individuals they recruit to join the business. Individuals interested in becoming Tastefully Simple consultants are required to begin with a starter kit that contains an expansive assortment of samples, display product, business supplies, and training materials.

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After completing a year in Brazil, MonaVie is testing a new energy drink in that market with the launch of MonaVie EMV™ – the only one available in Brazil through direct sales.

A fusion of guaraná, taurine, açaí and the fruit juice of fourteen fruits, EMV is MonaVie’s bet to grow in the segment. The Brazilian Association of Direct Sales (ABEVD) recorded a significant growth of 18.6% in that segment during third quarter of 2009 compared to the same period last year, totaling revenues of R$2.146 billion.

The company’s flagship, MonaVie Original, reached accumulated sales of R$20 million in Brazil in one year and U$2 billion in the U.S. for the last four years along with other line of beverages.

This year the company debuted in Japan, Mexico, Canada, Australia, England, Poland and the Netherlands. MonaVie Original offers a blend of 19 fruits such as açaí, acerola, cupuaçu, blueberry, cranberry and pomegranate, but the company does not reveal the exact formula.

The main ingredient is açaí fruit from the Amazon. “The company encourages sustainable harvesting of fruits and cooperative partnership” explains Mauricio Patrocínio, CEO of the company in Brazil.

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