Guide to Marketing Labor Laws

Multi-level marketing is a kind of marketing practice that uses connection or network in doing business. It is also commonly known as �network� or �matrix� marketing. It is a form of selling goods and services through distributors and recruits.

The profit from multi-level marketing comes from commissions. The commission of a multi-level marketer can come from two sources: their own sales and the sales of their recruits. The whole process continues up to the last recruit.

The strength of multi-level marketing lies in the distributors and their ability to get recruits. The more recruits you have, the more profit you�ll get. It is just a matter of utilizing your communication and persuasion skills.

Marketing laws are continually evolving, adapting to new technology and international trade policies. Before digging deeply into marketing laws, one should know first the principles of marketing.

Marketing is a complex subject that requires continuous study and research. A tutorial on the principles of marketing is beneficial for students, teachers and business people. Entrepreneurs, particularly those who are just starting-out in their business and who lack understanding of the key marketing concepts, terminologies and processes should also review the principles of marketing to be more equipped and efficient in managing their business and increase sales.

Here�s the link to KnowThis.Com�s principles of marketing tutorial to put you on the right track.

Marketing efforts are pointed towards developing satisfying and mutually-beneficial relationships between the organization and customers. This is the main reason why marketing serves an important role within most organizations and the society as a whole.

Marketing benefits society in more ways than one. Some of these benefits include:

1. Marketing develops products that satisfy people�s needs and enhance society�s quality of life
2. Marketing encourages a competitive environment that helps lower product prices
3. Marketing builds demand for products that require organizations to hire more personnel
4. Marketing raises social awareness and helps change negative social behavior (e.g., anti-smoking advertising, family planning advertising)

by: Christine Zafra

Since the rise of internet’s popularity over time, companies have turned their heads to its direction. The internet indeed is a good vehicle if you wish to sell your products worldwide. Indeed many companies have tried different computer programs to create colorful banners, integrated their welcome pages with flash designs and so on and so forth. The problem with this is, some people tend to disregard the written texts or maybe click on “skip intro” just before the flash design starts.

Net Audio Ads has provided a new breed of marketing strategy on the internet. Instead of written ads (text), companies can now have their ads converted to a 5 second audio file. What’s good about this is that internet users can create an account in Net Audio Ads so that they could get the HTML coding of the ads player (played randomly), and paste it on their personal websites. Now you ask, why would they do that? Why would they want audio advertisements played on their websites? What benefit can they get from it?

The answer is simple. Net Audio Ads will pay you for every (paid) audio played on your website. That means, every time your website gets a “hit” (or page view/visit), Net Audio Ads pays you. Isn’t that sweet?

Photo taken from http://www.sellingppp.com/

People give flowers for many reasons. Fresh flowers that may come in many forms and arrangement are mostly given during special occasions such as birthdays, Mother’s day, Valentines day and holiday season, among others.

ProgressiveGrocer.com reports that floral sales during the holiday season last year registered a slight drop. This was disclosed by a survey conducted by Produce Marketing Association (PMA) wherein over 60 percent of respondents admitted they did not meet their sales expectations. The decline was said to be due in part to bad weather and people’s concern about the economy.

Hopefully, 2008 will be a better year for the floral industry despite the not-so-bright outlook for the US economy this year.

According to an article from MarketingToday.Com, a survey of US senior executives conducted by the Institute of International Research (IIR) indicates that marketing will be �the most important area of expertise for the next-generation of leaders.�

The IIR survey focused on the key areas of leaders and gathered that marketing is the top choice. Among the choices, marketing took the lead by getting 31 percent of votes, with operations and financial expertise tailing at 20 percent and 16 percent, respectively. They were followed by sales at 11 percent and engineering at six percent that were deemed the list critical areas for leadership.

For the link to the article, click here.

The green concept is now a trend that is here to stay. In fact, more and more businesses are joining the bandwagon that capitalizes on recycling to preserve our natural resources. However it is easier said than done.

Most businesses fail to comply with environmental marketing practices. This often results in misrepresentation and deception. For instance, when a company claims that a product such as a shopping bag has environmental benefit, the specific nature of the benefit should be clearly defined. They should be able to tell if it�s recyclable and the degree by which it can be used again.

Here�s the complete guide for the use of environmental marketing claims as provided by the US Federal Trade Commission.

Promotion is one of the four areas of marketing. Sweepstakes, games of chance and skill contests are collectively referred to as promotion. There are federal, state and local laws that govern the conduct of these games.

The three elements of an illegal promotion are:

1. prize
2. chance
3. consideration

According to an article from MarketingPower.Com, one of the three elements above has to be eliminated to legalize a promotion. Otherwise, a promotion will be illegal and can earn legal consequences on the part of the marketer.

The article also laid down the tips to ensure the legality of promotion law practice. For the link to the article, click here.

It’s a basic need for all employees to know the basic labor laws in their specific industry. You must also consult your marketing company handbook on the different rules and regulations. Being informed empowers you, and makes you more conscious of your rights and what you’re entitled to. You might not always be a victim of mistakes or intentional abuse, but being in the know will help you defend yourself under unpleasant circumstances like these. Don’t be afraid to make inquires of your accounting and personnel departments when you feel that you’re not receiving what you should be receiving. If you feel you’ve been abused and management fails to act on it, you might want to consider talking to a labor lawyer to assess your options.

They may work on the same premises but operate in totally different norms, such should always be the case when it comes to dealing with your people in a business. Contractuals are bound by their contract and so are employees but on a more permanent basis. Contractuals often perform their duties based on their agreed time frames, normally if they are hired on a per/project basis. They may perform the same duties but should be dealt with if distinct groups for they are different and conflict may arise should you fail to separate them. Regular employees have the right to claim benefits but contractors on the other hand may have perks and bonuses as defined by your agreement (should also be in the contract).
Isuue different clothing for your contractuals for any act they perform for customers while under the impression that they are full employees would fall under your coverage or responsibility. Keep regular employee materials such as employee handbooks, training materials and memos separate issuing distinct ones for the contractuals. This defines the lines they bound and ensures they know their place in the business. Meet with contractuals in a different manner as opposed to team or employee meetings that include all your regular staff. With these factors in mind you would have a clear boundary that defines your contractuals and regulars making it easier to deal with both.