As we entered 2015, the tanning industry faced two major challenges originated at the FDA: the proposed restricted device classification, which we had been forewarned the agency is considering; and amendments to the performance standard which the FDA has been working on for well over a decade. Twelve months later, there has been no apparent movement on either.
We may never know for sure whether or not the case we made at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) – that the FDA was destroying thousands of small businesses through over-regulation – either slowed or derailed the process. However, after a year with no action, we have to assume our efforts, as well as calls and letters from Capitol Hill, have had the desired impact.
While we may never decipher the inner working of the Federal government, we do know one thing. Without the financial support of hundreds of tanning businesses across the U.S., our industry’s case could never have been adequately made to officials at the OMB or the FDA and the government would have interpreted our silence as acquiescence.
As 2015 winds down, I will take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported the ITA over the past year. We cannot achieve long-term progress and success without working together. For our current association members and everyone who attended the Tanning World Expo, we deeply appreciate your support and commitment to the ITA.
If you are not an ITA member, please join our ranks. Every penny from dues and profits from the trade show pay for our outreach to Capitol Hill and the federal and state regulatory bodies that oversee our industry. The ITA fights hard every single day to protect your business and working as a united industry we can succeed and prosper.
On behalf of the ITA board, we send you our best for the Holiday Season.
Thanks,
John Overstreet
The EMV Liability Shift is Here: Is Your Salon Ready?
By Jamie Dickerson, First Data
There are important dates in the life of a small business that every owner remembers: the day you made your first dollar, the day you served your 100th customer, or the day you opened your storefront for the first time.
But there’s another important date that you should remember: October 1, 2015.
That was the day that your business became liable for fraudulent charges if it isn’t equipped with the right hardware to process EMV payment cards. EMV cards, also known as smart cards or “chip cards,” make it virtually impossible for thieves to present a counterfeit card at the point of sale. That’s because with every transaction, the EMV card gives the card reader a unique, secret code that validates the card as authentic. It’s easy to think of the chip as a guard inside the card, making it so bad guys can’t present a phony card or fake a transaction at the point of sale – protecting your business against fraud. And if you think card fraud only happens at big businesses, think again. Ninety-percent of data breaches impact small businesses, according to Trustwave’s Global Security Report. In 2013 alone, card fraud resulted in over $7 billion in losses.
But a loss that’s a tiny blip on the radar to one of the big guys could mean a week’s worth of revenue, or three, or more, to you and your small business – not to mention the damage a data breach or card fraud can have on your reputation. In fact, nearly three out of ten fraud victims will avoid certain merchants as a result of being victimized. Getting ready for the liability shift is critical, but it’s also easy and affordable.
Whether you need a simple hardware add-on or a complete point-of-sale system upgrade, contact your credit card processor. The date for the EMV liability shift has come and gone. You need to protect your business today.
