If you thought it was tough running a home business yesterday, things just got even tougher. Once upon a time if you ran one and sold a product with an affiliate program, you didn’t have to worry too much about what your affiliates did, within reason. Today, it’s a whole new ball game. The reason, I will shortly explain. The point is, you have to really keep an eye on affiliates and give them specific instructions about what they can and can’t do. This article explains.

Okay, so why the big alarm bells? Well, the FTC just came out with a new ruling that any claims on any sales pages or promotional blogs about any products must be substantiated. Not only do you have to show actual proof, but you also have to state what the average results are that a person can expect to get. To be honest, this is almost impossible to do because how can anybody know what the results are of every person who bought their product? They can’t. So effectively, claims and testimonials are a dead issue.

What does this have to do with affiliates? Quite simple. If you have affiliates promoting YOUR product, they have to also stick to the FTC guidelines, which means that they can’t make any claims on their blogs and also, if they are being compensated for their review of your product (in a way they are by being paid if a sale is made) then they have to disclose this as well. Failure to do so can result in a fine of $11,000.

You’re probably wondering what this has to do with you. I am not a lawyer and don’t play one on TV, but my gut tells me that if enough of your affiliates break this new law, eventually, the FTC is going to come after you as well. I do not know this for sure, but it is better to be safe than sorry. Unless you can afford an $11,000 fine, I don’t think this is something you want to mess around with.

What do you need to do? It’s simple. You need to make sure you contact each and every one of your affiliates and remind them of the new law. Tell them what they can and can’t do. If you’re not sure, read the law. Again, I am not a lawyer so I’m not going to try to interpret it here. But get the facts from the feds if you have to and then relay them to your affiliates.

It’s a new world out there folks and we’re going to have to get used to living in it.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Looking for a solid 4 step plan to building your own business…FREE? Pick up my free report at http://www.stevewagenheim.com/4steps.html and get started TODAY!