Washington D.C.—The Direct Selling Association (DSA) applauds Congress for passing the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that would mitigate any financial hardship on direct sellers across the country from the Covid19 crisis. The bill would provide government resources for companies and salespeople.
 
DSA President and CEO Joseph N. Mariano stated, “For over 100 years, millions of direct sellers have been an important part of their communities. They have provided products to their friends, neighborhoods and relatives though their in-person and face to face interactions, and many have been able to help their families with the additional income their direct sales have generated.  While everyone has had to adjust to the restrictions which have been put in place to protect public health, direct sellers and their in person sales activities have no doubt been particularly affected.  While direct sellers use a variety of ways of to serve their customers and will continue to adjust, the prohibitions on in-person actions could be particularly challenging over the next few weeks and months for direct sellers. The legislation passed by Congress will help the overall economy, and  literally millions of directs sellers and their customers.”
 
Under the legislation, salespeople and companies should be able to access a variety of benefits, including unemployment compensation which has been extended to independent contractors.

They would also be eligible to access loans from the federal government. DSA looks forward to working with relevant government agencies as they issue further guidance on accessing these resources. We will work with government authorities to ensure prompt action that will assist direct sellers, their customers, and communities to gain access to needed resources during this public health crisis.

Click to View the CARES Act Summary