Network Marketing in Belgium: Legality and Top MLM Projects
Belgium is closely integrated into the EU's trading network, thanks to its location between France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Registering a company here is a strategic decision for projects looking to conquer the European market. Read the article on the peculiarities of the Belgian mentality and nuances of promoting MLM business in this country.
What Belgium's Economy Looks Like
Belgium is a wealthy post-industrial country, whose economy has been shaped by its central geographical location, developed transport network, diversified industrial and trade base. This country ranks sixth in the World Bank's Logistics Performance Index, making it one of the most convenient countries for trade.
Despite the conservatism of European society, there is a growing demand for e-commerce among Belgians.74% of the population shops online.
If you have experience in promoting projects in Eastern Europe, where online sales are at their peak demand, it will be easier for you to attract the attention of local consumers.
Characteristics of local consumer behavior
Belgium is a country of small businesses, investors, and entrepreneurs. Success, in the understanding of local residents, is not a luxurious car and a mansion with a panoramic view of the sea, but stable work and respect from the people around them.
When considering Belgians as potential partners, you will have to accept their independence - they are individualists, do not like working in teams, and prefer to take responsibility only for themselves. Therefore, local networkers focus on sales and personal turnover, rather than recruiting new people into the structure.
When thinking about Belgians as customers, two things are important to them: simplicity and price. They will prefer a project that saves their time, allows them to buy everything in one place at any time of the day, and compare prices and features with one click.
To win consumer loyalty, a company must conduct business transparently, guarantee the quality of its product, provide convenience and fast delivery. Belgians prefer to make payments using PayPal and Bancontact, although bank transfers are also popular.
Also, the Belgian online market has a distinctive feature - the vast majority of people (around 90%) make purchases from desktop computers, despite the global trend of traffic from mobile devices. Therefore, local players pay special attention to developing and improving the interface of the desktop versions of their stores.
Legality of Network Marketing in Belgium
The conditions for legalizing Belgian network companies correlate with the laws concerning multi-level marketing throughout the European Union. Additionally, there is the Direct Selling Association (ASML) operating here, which is a member of the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations (WFDSA).
Just like in most countries, pyramid schemes are also prohibited in Belgium. All network companies must operate openly, provide information about their market positions, sales volumes, and payouts. It is also necessary to provide a license and guarantee for your product - otherwise, you risk violating the law on direct marketing practices.
We have previously discussed how to distinguish an MLM company from a pyramid scheme in the article Network Marketing vs. Pyramid Schemes.
Top MLM Companies in Belgium
Considering the mentality and values of Belgians, many of them do not favor large corporations and prefer to make purchases from small entrepreneurs and acquaintances. Analyzing the popularity of MLM companies among the local audience, the most well-known network projects in the country are:
Herbalife
Project website - herbalife.be
Year founded and country - 1980, USA
Product - food products, dietary supplements, cosmetics
Herbalife produces products for weight loss, skin care, and healthy nutrition, and they were among the first to attract specialized professionals (doctors, dietitians, cosmetologists) into their partner structure.
PM-International
Project website - pm-international.com
Year and country of foundation - 1993, Germany
Product - food and cosmetics
PM-International markets products under its own brand FitLine. They are also an official supplier of products to various sports teams and associations.
ESSENS
Project website - essensworld.be
Year and country of foundation - 2011, Czech Republic
Product - cosmetics, household care products, food products
Being experienced networkers even before creating their project, the founders of Essens very skillfully approached testing the demand and expanding the range of their product. Starting with the sale of exclusive home fragrances, they gradually scaled up and took leading positions in the European market, immediately in several niches.
As we can see, among Belgians, products in the niche of food, personal care, and home care are in demand, and if you are willing to work on understanding potential consumers, this country can be an excellent platform for business growth
About the specifics of conducting network business in other countries, you can read in the articles listed below:
- Features of network marketing in Ukraine;
- Features of network marketing in Poland;
- Features of network marketing in Romania;
- Features of network marketing in Finland;
- Features of network marketing in Japan;
- Features of network marketing in Austria;
- Features of network marketing in Spain;
- Features of network marketing in Kazakhstan;
- Features of network marketing in America;
- Features of network marketing in China;
- Features of network marketing in South Korea;
- Features of network marketing in Bulgaria;
- Features of network marketing in Turkey;


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