​​Direct Selling: Breaking Down Barriers for Female Entrepreneurs​

EMEA, March 8, 2023 – The number of women determining their own success by becoming their own bosses has increased over the last decade with an estimated 252 million females running their own businesses*. With this number continuing to climb, it’s clear that more women than ever are feeling empowered to become entrepreneurs, giving them the opportunity to enhance their incomes and achieve their lifestyle goals.

For many women, especially those with caring responsibilities, the traditional world of work is often inflexible, resulting in a balancing act of many tasks, which can make navigating a successful career challenging. However, becoming a business owner can offer women the flexibility to bypass some of these impediments and is a prospect that appeals to many. In fact, a recent survey from leading nutrition company, Herbalife, of 9,000 women across 15 countries**, found that a massive 72 % of women want to own their own business.

Whilst starting a business from scratch can be appealing, it can also feel daunting and it’s often difficult to know who to turn to for help and advice. By contrast, companies like Herbalife that sell their products via a global network of independent distributors, offer a great option for those who want to begin their entrepreneurial journey with a reassuring element of safety, support and protection.

Building a recognised brand takes years and capital investment. For many entrepreneurs, this is simply too big a task to crack, especially if you need to generate an income quickly. By contrast, working with an established direct selling company allows you to build on the success of a brand that’s already established, well known and with a significant share of the market – a supercharged start for those who want to be their own boss.

Direct selling gives you the flexibility to take control of your own career by building a business that you can fit around other demands, freeing you up to work in a way that best suits you and your lifestyle choices. Over half of Herbalife’s independent distributors are women which reflects the fact that Herbalife provides the ideal entrepreneurial opportunity for women worldwide who want the flexibility, confidence and opportunity to start their own businesses.

Entrepreneurs can feel lonely at times without the comradery and support of a team or peers, however, the beauty of joining a multi-level marketing company like Herbalife means help and support from the day you join.  Herbalife gives its independent distributors on-going training and development to empower them on their business journeys – ensuring that they have the right skills to tackle whatever challenges come their way. This includes product and sales training, marketing and social media training. All of this is delivered at in-person seminars, online and via specially designed apps.  These vital skills are also portable and can be used in any other business ventures you might wish to enter into – now or in the future.

Generating the start-up capital to start a business can be one of the biggest barriers for anyone thinking about starting their own business. At Herbalife, you can start earning money immediately without the need for a huge investment or start-up loan. Our new member starter pack only costs around 900.00 ZAR (South Africa) which includes our leading Formula 1 Meal Replacement Shake and educational materials. You also get access to online training and the opportunity to set up an online shop, free of charge.

In fact, we lead the direct selling industry with our 'Gold Standard' protections, including a 12-month, 100 % refund guarantee on both the cost of becoming a distributor and all unused products. We’re also a member of the direct selling associations in the markets where we sell our products and SELDIA (the European Direct Selling Association) both of which demand high standards of ethics and conduct from their members.

The popularity of this direct selling can be seen in SELDIA’s recent survey that found that 88 % of direct sellers are women, demonstrating how this flexible way of working is helping women to break down the barriers that often keep them from traditional entrepreneurship. Direct selling isn’t a new concept, but it has never been more relevant in meeting the needs of the modern workforce.

* https://www.gemconsortium.org/reports/womens-entrepreneurship

** One Poll, 2020