Tuesday, July 1, 2008

my PP report

There are many Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) companies in Singapore. Some of the companies are however, a Pyramid Marketing company that requires a higher investment to get monthly returns. Most people in Singapore are still unable to differentiate the difference between a pure MLM and pyramid company.

MLM company participants are to invest their capital in the mode of buying and selling of products. The returns then calculated in the total sales points accumulated from the personal sales and personal group sale required by the individual MLM Company.

However, a pyramid scheme or pyramid system is a non-sustainable business model that involves the exchange of money primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, usually without any product or service delivered. It is known to come under many guises. Some famous examples including the massive Albanian Pyramid Schemes of 1996 were technically not Pyramid schemes but Ponzi schemes.

Albanian Pyramid Schemes was a crisis faced by the Albanian government in the financial year of 1996 to 197 when at least two-third of the nation had made an investment through the scheme. The political and the social consequences of the collapsed of the pyramid scheme were profound. There were uncontained rioting, fall of the government, resulting descended into anarchy and a near civil war where more than two thousand people are killed.

The Albanian Pyramid Schemes are known as the Ponzi schemes. A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation that involves paying abnormally high returns to investors out of the money paid in by subsequent investors, rather than from net revenues generated by any real business. It was name after Charles Ponzi. A man whom was the most influential and top convicted person that created and cause the Albanian 1996 financial crisis.

Pyramid schemes are illegal in many countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Malaysia, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Iran. These types of schemes have existed for at least a century.
A MLM company otherwise, also known as Network Marketing is a business distribution model that allows a parent multi-level marketing company to market their products directly to consumers by means of relationship referral and direct selling.

Independent unsalaried salespeople of multi-level marketing referred to as distributors (associates, independent business owners, franchise owners, sales consultants, consultants, independent agents, etc.), represent the parent company and are rewarded a commission relative to the volume of product sold through each of their independent businesses (organizations).

Independent distributors develop their organization by either building an active customer base, who buy direct from the parent company and / or by recruiting a down-line of independent distributors who also build a customer base, expanding the overall organization. Additionally, distributors can also earn a profit by retailing products, which they purchased from the parent company at wholesale price.

Distributors earn a commission based on the sales efforts of their organization, which includes their independent sale efforts as well as the leveraged sales efforts of their down-line. This arrangement is similar to franchise arrangements where royalties are paid from the sales of individual franchise operations to the franchisor as well as to an area or region manager. Commissions are then paid to multi-level marketing distributors according to the company’s compensation plan. There can be multiple levels of people receiving royalties from one person's sales.

One company that I will be focusing is a MLM company that I have seen a good opportunity for me to start my business that I have already decided to take path on for my future career and successful earning.

The company that I will concentrate on is ELKEN Sdn Bhd, a company that was set up in Malaysia and have gone globalised throughout ASIA.
Since 1995, ELKEN has been helping millions of people realise their dreams. They have established a network that spans the international arena and they manage their operations professionally in strict accordance with the world-class ISO: 9001 certification.
The extensive ELKEN network represents a mutually beneficial partnership of more than 300,000 enthusiastic independent distributors in seven countries, with more partners joining them every day. Significantly, the amazing ELKEN marketing plan enables a distributor to accrue wealth and health faster than any other.
Through ELKEN, I believe I will have unlimited opportunities to capture a market as big as the world of more than 1,352 million people. The ELKEN network is truly a proven avenue to the lifestyle that we all aspire.
Vision

"Enriching Lives Together"


The name ELKEN is synonymous with innovation, quality and aspiration. ELKEN's vision of a better tomorrow is driven by the aspiration of the distributors and the trust of millions of consumers around the world who use their products every day. They share our dream to live a fuller life. While sharing the rewards of ELKEN's innovative technological advances in health and beauty care, they also provide a rewarding global business opportunity for those who dare to follow their dreams.
As they move forward together with the distributors into the rough uncharted seas of the 21st century, ELKEN's vision is still firmly grounded in their belief that every person can take control of his or her life if he or she is given the right knowledge and opportunity. In addition, such freedom comes from true mental and spiritual growth.
At ELKEN, they believe in knowledge empowerment. Success in the ELKEN business requires the development of skills, and continuous self-improvement and commitment. In the mature market that they operate, more than 2,000 ISO-registered skill enhancement-training sessions and events are conducted every year to unleash the entrepreneurial spirit and full potential in the distributors, who come from diverse strata of society. Access to our training is limited only by the desire to grow. Besides economic independence, ELKEN is able to grant the distributors a sense of self-actualisation.
They also believe in fostering unity in work and life regardless of status, race and belief, thereby creating a truly Global ELKEN Community. Their belief is that unity among ELKENIENS will bring about immense development, growth and prosperity in the most harmonious manner. It has been repeatedly proven that only through team spirit unity we are able to unleash the power of duplication, from individual to individual, network to network and country-to-country, hence making ELKEN a truly global business opportunity for all.
Create the life of abundance, freedom and meaning you have been searching for through ELKEN. Because ELKEN is much more than just product and opportunity. It is a culture and a passion for life.

Mission

"To be a leading global direct-selling organization providing opportunities, quality products, services and knowledge"

Core Values:

Quality
They have high standards and they offer value to their customers by providing them with high quality products, extraordinary service at a fair price. They also define quality by evaluating the ingredients, freshness, safety, taste, nutritive value and appearance of all of the products we carry.
They promise to continually work to enhance the quality of the products and services that they offer through their unceasing commitment to improve the value proposition to our customers and to do it right the first time.
In their pursuit for excellence, they have a passion for continual quality improvement to create new value by aiming high, demonstrating a pioneering spirit, and consistently striving for greater achievements.
Integrity
Integrity is their hallmark of wholeness, personally and professionally. They earn their reputation by adhering to the highest ethical standards and conduct as they work consciously to uphold trustworthiness and business ethics to meet the needs of those we, the distributor, serve.
They place fairness, honesty, and objectivity at the forefront as they assess their own policies, practices, and behaviours to ensure that they make credible the actions taken to enhance quality improvement in both their brand value and promise to all their stakeholders.
Respect
At Elken, they are committed to a diverse workplace that respects and values all of the unique characteristics of their employees, stakeholders and the community they have their operation. They also recognize that diversity is an asset that improves working relationships and productivity.
Respect for each other and warmly embracing these differences is the basis of their collaborative success. They seek to discover the extraordinary in each other to enable them to attract and retain the highest calibre people to meet and surpass corporate goals.
They respect our environment and recycle, reuse, and reduce their waste wherever and whenever they can. Managing with respect is critical to their continued success and to their goal of Becoming the MLM of Choice in this industry.
Passion
Their unique Heart2Heart business philosophy distinguishes them to be the best above the rest. At Elken, they are passionate to provide their employees and stakeholders with high-quality experiences and innovative solutions. They also go to great lengths to satisfy and delight their customers.
With passion in each of their individual heart, they endeavour to serve their customers competently, efficiently and knowledgeably. Being passionate inspire them to constantly create new value for the organization's stakeholders and keep them focused on leading the organization to new dimensions of performance.
Their passion to do well is matched by their desire to do good. They believe the best way to achieve those parallel goals is to harmoniously align their business and global citizenship strategies. They celebrate success and see failures as opportunities for growth while always welcoming change as an opportunity for improvement.
The network
Today, ELKEN has established footholds in various regions at an unprecedented pace, and continues to do so as the rest of the world waits in keen anticipation for ELKEN's arrival. They have firmly established 19 offices in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei, Hong Kong and India.
ELKEN's network of distributors and stockists is rapidly expanding throughout the Asia Pacific region, forming a strong and efficient web enveloping the entire region.
R&D and Manufacturing
ELKEN’s success and international reputation can be attributed to its world-acclaimed products that reflect the time, effort and financial resources ELKEN has invested in developing them. Further, ELKEN is constantly upgrading and expanding its range of products with the aim of continually improving the lives of consumers.
So committed is ELKEN to product quality that it took a bold step in 1998 to establish Narisia Sdn. Bhd. to manufacture its own Reverse Osmosis technology water treatment system to assure the desired standard of quality. Their system, the Bio Pure R.O. Water Purification System, is a Malaysian initiative using component parts produced by the world’s leading manufacturers – a strategic, synergistic move that has proven to work successfully in the quest for the best quality pure water.
They added another feather to their cap in 2001 with the establishment of their own manufacturing plant, Elepac Sdn Bhd, which compliance to the well-recognised Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standard have been granted a manufacturing license by the National Pharmaceutical Council Bureau (BPFK) to be a Traditional Medicines and Over The Counter (OTC) manufacturing site.
Year 2002 marks remarkable milestones as they officially became a member of the American Nutraceutical Association (ANA), received HALAL Certification by Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM), and were awarded the ISO9001:2000 Certification by TUV-Pfalz Certification Body.
Through their commitment to continual excellence through compliance to international standards, they aim to share the same values and objectives with their members, to whom proven efficacy and safety of health food and dietary supplements are of the highest priority.
These are the certification they have till today:

Milestones of Success
Since commencing business in 1995, ELKEN has chalked up an enviable record of milestones in corporate growth, expansion, manufacturing, research and development, product excellence, people development and distributor success, to name a few aspects. With the support of their loyal customers, distributors, staff and business associates, they are confident of achieving further milestones, not only in the ELKEN business arena, but also in reaching out to people and for the people whose lives have been touched by ELKEN in one way or another.
Some of their significant ELKEN milestones are as follows:
v 1995
Ø Establishment of ELKEN Sdn. Bhd.
v 1997
Ø Earned top ten status among Malaysian Direct Selling Companies, as reported in “Today” magazine
v 1998
Ø Establishment of Narisia Sdn Bhd, a manufacturing arm for production of state-of-the-art Reverse Osmosis (R.O.)
Ø Became the First Direct Selling Company in Malaysia to be accredited ISO 9002 certification
Ø Achieved monthly sales turnover of RM10 million
v 1999
Ø Establishment of ELKEN Indonesia
v 2000
Ø Acquired property for Head Office measuring over 100,000 sq.ft
Ø Establishment of ELKEN Thailand
Ø Establishment of ELKEN Medan
v 2001
Ø Established a GMP Factory
v 2002
Ø Established of ELKEN Hong Kong
Ø Established of ELKEN Hatyai
Ø Established of ELKEN Brunei
Ø Established of ELKEN’s first retail outlet EK One
v 2003
Ø Established of ELKEN India
Ø Top 5 best People Developers
Ø Upgraded ISO9002 to ISO 9001
Ø Listed in Malaysia Book of Records
Ø International Honesty Enterprise Keris Award
Ø Outstanding Entrepreneur Award
v 2004
Ø Honoured as “Largest Blood Donor (Private Sector)”
Ø Asia Pacific e-Entrepreneur Award
Ø 5S Practices Certification
v 2005
Ø Largest Blood Donor in the Private Sector
Ø Re-certification of ISO
Ø Establishment of ELKEN Kuantan
Ø Elken 10th Anniversary
Company’s view in terms of Quality

ELKEN stands for Quality. As a reputable organisation, they are committed to Quality in everything they do and offer their customers, from extraordinary products to exemplary service. Their commitment to Quality goes beyond word-of-mouth advertising. It is backed by the seal of approval and recognition from international authorisation and certification authorities.
As the first Direct Selling Company in Malaysia to be accredited ISO 9002 certification in 1998, ELKEN was also the first to upgrade its system to ISO 9001 in 2003. ELKEN is proud to operate in strict compliance with ISO 9001 standards.
They believe in and practise good Business Governance. ELKEN is proud to be a responsible corporate member of the direct selling industry, and abides by the relevant government regulations and associations' Codes of Conduct governing members' operations and conduct. ELKEN is an active member of the Direct Selling Association of Malaysia (DSAM), the Direct Selling Association of Singapore (DSAS) and the CTFA (Cosmetic Toiletries of Fragrance Association).
Quality in Products

Product quality is one of the competitive edges to ELKEN. Many of ELKEN's products have been conferred prestigious awards by quasi-government bodies and associations; certified by international accreditation organizations; and clinically proven by reputable institutions, some of which are laid out below:
Quality in Service

Their aim at Elken is not to provide a one-time sale but to develop a long-term relationship with customers, to the extent that they become more a partner than a customer. Their customers decide the growth and success of their organisation. This is why they are committed to a Total Customer Satisfaction (TCS) approach.
They want to satisfy customers not just by providing quality products but also quality services. With this in mind, they offer not only occasional gifts, personalised service but also speedy delivery services and an efficient Customer Service Department. In order to understand customers’ needs, they also conduct surveys to constantly improve and meet customer expectations.
In fact, they have established EK One retail outlet, a one-stop shopping centre at their branches. Decked with the latest selections of our products, customers may shop conveniently with product information written in prints or their outlet personnel ready by their side to assist them.
Customers who want to try their beauty products or have a makeover can enjoy an exclusive experience at Elken Beauty Gallery. The spacious Beauty Gallery is furnished with posh sofas, amenities and fitting rooms.
The relationship with customers does not end after a product is sold or the warranty period has expired. They have established a company, Elken Services Sdn Bhd, formerly known as Narisia Sales and Service, to concentrate on attending after-sales services to their customers. Elken services not only installs and repairs R.O. Purification System, but also takes care of the maintenance of the R.O. Purification System that customer bought. Elken Services has a team of dedicated personnel who had have gone through a special training programmed, namely the K-Tech program.
Distributors can log on to ELKEN On-line any time anywhere to check sales volume. The latest updates are just one click away. In addition, ELKEN SMS service will update distributors on their sales volume top-up. The SMS is a crucial assistant to the busy distributor who is always running on tight schedule.
ELKEN’s impeccable customer support facilities are also available for the convenience of their distributors. They offer an exclusive discussion area, tastefully furnished lounge, a training hall and meeting rooms for distributors to conduct recruiting and group discussions. In addition, ELKEN has established an extensive network of branches and stockist centres that provides wide coverage to ensure convenient accessibility to products.
In respect of achieving TCS, They have gone a step further by advocating a World Class Service standard. They assure an extensive and similar standard of service across all cultures, regardless of national boundaries.
All this is because they want everyone to be proud for choosing ELKEN.
Community Outreach
Ethical and professional business comes with responsibility, and ELKEN is proud to assume its role as a corporate citizen. They aim to help make the world a brighter place for their customers and distributors, their employees, and the communities they operate in. They practise a win-win relationship, and they acknowledge they ultimate success is dependent on the well-being of all groups of people that they interact with. This belief is reflected in the number of charitable activities that ELKEN has undertaken a responsibility they take seriously and which they have chosen to undertake annually.
List of Companies I have joined before I knew ELKEN:
1) Luxor Pte. Ltd.
2) Amway
3) 4Life
4) Sunshine Empire
5) CNI
6) Avon
7) Pharmanex
8) Nu Skin
These companies have of about the same products of needs and benefits with different technologies and variety of choices with more recognised products in the market. Some of the companies stated also have more products than ELKEN and to a certain extent; their products have more variety and benefits.
Like for example, Luxor, they use sea cucumber, or its scientific term is Stichopus horrens, which is believed to have magical healing powers and wide usage by people for centuries. In addition, they have their own sea cucumber farm that not only produce the sea cucumber water but also preserve and breed the sea cucumber with the help of graduates from Malaya University of Technology. And 4Life Company have products that use early fermented cow milk that has high nutrients that can help to heal and revitalise your skin naturally.
However, throughout all my life in the MLM industry, the quality, the opportunity and the benefits that my family and I have received from ELKEN has overcome all the under-satisfaction that we have faced with other company.
Furthermore, I also believe that with the system and technology that ELKEN has will not only improve my financial possibilities but also will help to improve my life physically, internally and externally.