Norwex is an approximately 25-year old MLM company and one of the few MLM’s not founded in the United States. The company was founded with the intention of creating sustainable products and cleaning products without chemicals. Today, the company has expanded beyond its original microfiber cleaning towel into personal care products and products for your pets and cars. While Norwex is not a huge company comparatively, it does have a strong following from people who align with their mission.
With tons of MLM companies out there, from Scentsy to Young Living, it’s important to know the details of Norwex to decide if this company offers what you’re looking for. We’ll take a more thorough look in this Norwex review.
What Is Norwex?
History Of Norwex
Norwex was founded in 1994 by Bjørn Nicolaisen and a business partner of his. The way the company got its start is quite interesting. Nicolaisen was an attorney at the time running his own very successful law firm. One of his clients owned a cleaning business and came to Nicolaisen with an interesting new product.
At first, Nicolaisen brushed off the idea because he was extremely busy with his law firm. However, the client pushed him to try the cleaning product which used only water. Nicolaisen agreed, put some water on the cleaning towel, and went to the garage to clean his car windshield. He was amazed with the results and decided that his client was on to something.
Thus, Norwex was born. Norwex is short for the Norwegian Experience, and it is the only Norwegian, multi-national direct selling company. The company sought to improve the quality of people’s lives by rapidly reducing the chemicals in their homes. The original company slogan was “cleaning without chemicals,” and it remains the same to this day.
At first, Norwex was only allowed to sell their products in the B2B market to businesses and schools. However, after a year in business, they finally convinced Norwegian officials to allow them to sell directly to consumers. Once they hosted their first home party, people fell in love with the products and the company took off.
Today, the company has expanded to many countries around the world. Norwex USA has revenues of around $12.5 million annually, and the USA arm of the company has roughly 50 employees. Founder Bjørn Nicolaisen is still active in the company, and they still seek to improve the quality of life and protect our environment.
Company Investigations
Norwex has remained relatively immune from lawsuits and scandals during its lifetime. There have been a couple of product recalls, most recently their rubber broom product. This product was recalled because the broom could break in half and present a laceration hazard. There were no confirmed reports of any serious injury due to this.
The company has also been accused of misleading customers with its demonstrations of their anti-bacterial microfiber cloths. During the demonstration, a counter with raw chicken is wiped with the cloth and a purple indicator is used to show the presence of bacteria. However, the accusation is that the purple indicator shows the presence of animal protein and not actually bacteria. The consensus seems to be that the cloth may remove some bacteria from the surface but does not actually kill any bacteria.
Current Company Structure
Founder Bjørn Nicolaisen still serves as the company’s Chairman today. Since the company has expanded internationally, there are many separate Norwex companies in different countries under the parent Norwex umbrella. For example, Norwex USA is headquarters in Coppell, TX. The company also operates in Canada, Australia, Norway, and several other countries.
With the company being split into so many different subsidiaries, it is difficult to get overall financial numbers for the company. It is also difficult to determine just how many consultants are selling the company’s products around the world. In fact, the company does not even release data on just how many are selling in the U.S. specifically.
Norwex Product Lines
Norwex began with just a single product – the little red cloth. This was a microfiber cleaning cloth that would clean surfaces using only water. Interestingly enough, microfiber had just been discovered by accident about two years prior to the company getting its start.
Microfiber products are still some of the company’s best sellers. They now sell microfiber cleaning products like the rags and floor mops, but they also sell other microfiber products like towels and bed sheets. In fact – the company boasts that it has the only anti-bacterial microfiber on the market. In addition, the company has expanded to other natural products as well.
Norwex offers products in the personal care space such as hand soap and bath soap. They also offer many types of cleaning products for your vehicle, and they even offer pet mitts and pet towels. Even through all these products, their mission has remained the same to “clean without chemicals.”
Company Marketing Practices
Norwex is a big proponent of the home party style of marketing. They encourage their consultants to demonstrate the products so that people can see them in action. The company believes that if people see the product and how well it works then they will want to purchase it.
With the recent proliferation of social media, many consultants have taken to this platform to host virtual home parties. Here, consultants can demonstrate the products to many people without the need to be physically collocated. Social media selling has become popular, although the in-person method seems to still be preferred with Norwex.
Making Money With Norwex
The chemical-free cleaning industry has become quite popular in recent years as people look to take better care of themselves and the environment. However, Norwex is still a small company in terms of annual revenue. So, how much income are Norwex consultants really bringing home?
The truth is that it is hard to put a number on the average earning for a Norwex consultant. Norwex does not publish any kind of Income Disclosure Statement; therefore, there are no actual facts available about consultant income numbers or even how many consultants are out there. The mere fact that they do not publish a document such as this should be a red flag that most consultants are not earning much. The company simply states that they can make no guarantee about potential earnings of their consultants.
How To Enroll
Joining Norwex as a consultant is not as easy as enrolling in many other MLMs. You must first connect with an existing consultant who can get you signed up. If you do not know an existing consultant, you can get connected with one through the Norwex website.
Once you connect with your consultant, you will need to order a starter kit. You can start with the free starter kit which includes only a couple of items. Just pay $9.99 shipping and you will be all set. The other option is the large starter kit which includes many products. This kit is free up front, but only if you sell $2,000 worth of products in your first 90 days. If you do not meet the sales requirement, then you will be billed $200 plus tax.
Compensation Plan
The Norwex compensation plan is basic and straightforward. Consultants earn a 35% commission on personal sales, and they can also earn bonuses and commissions on sales of their downline. This encourages the recruitment of other consultants into the business. At the highest level, a Senior Vice President Sales Leader earns commissions and bonuses a couple of layers deep into their downline. However, all consultants must maintain minimum personal sales volume to be eligible for commissions.
Sales And Marketing Techniques
The biggest marketing technique pushed by Norwex is hosting home parties where customers can see the company’s products in action. Some consultants also have success on social media by hosting virtual parties. The larger the consultant’s following, the larger their virtual parties tend to be. This leads to more sales and more income.
Norwex Comparison To Other MLMs
Norwex seems to be a great company, but not as large as many other MLMs. Like other MLMs, the income earning potential of consultants within the company is quite low. Norwex does have an admirable mission and it is something that many people can get on board with. There are very few complaints about the company, but that could also be because it is smaller than some of the more popular direct selling companies.
Conclusions For Norwex
Norwex is a well-trusted company with strong company values and a mission to protect people and the environment through fewer chemicals. It is a relatively small company in the MLM world, but it is a multi-national company operating in several countries around the world. The income earning potential appears to be extremely low, as Norwex does not even publish an Income Disclosure Statement. Joining as a consultant to get discounts on the company’s products may be worth considering, but people are not likely to earn much money through selling their items.
