Is FM Group a scam or are they legit?

FM Group is a multi-level marketing company sells a variety of perfumes, cosmetics, and other household items. Artur Trawinski founded the company in Belgium in 2004, and since then the company has expanded, with offices in nearly 50 countries. The company features a clear mission to create products that can be shared and give users of those products financial freedom.

The outlook of the company can be hard to predict based on the limited information available about it due to its foreign roots. However, if the past growth of the company is any indication, FM Group should have a bright future ahead of it.

The Good: Minimal start-up costs; extensive product line; kid-friendly products; company still in expansion stages.

The Bad: No direct shipping to North America; variances from country to country; distributors must qualify for training.

Google Trends

Products

The base product of FM Group has always been perfume, but the company has expanded its product line to include cosmetics, cleaning products, beverages, and more. FM Group’s products can be separated into the following categories:

• Perfume – The company’s website lists five distinct collections of perfume products, all with different types of scents.
• Body Care – There are 10 groups of body products listed on the FM Group website. Again, each group is specifically designed for the specific needs and desires of the customer.
• Make Up Cosmetics – There are six lines of make up offered by FM Group, including face, eye, and lip make up, as well as make up remover and cosmetics designed for kids.
• Household Products – Five distinct types of household products including cleaners, home fragrance items, pet cosmetics, and car cosmetics.
• Coffee – FM Group has three lines of coffee: natural coffees, functional coffees, and flavored coffees, all with a distinct set of products.
• Tea – Four distinct types of tea.

Opportunity

The FM Group prides itself on having products that can be sold at all kinds of social gatherings due to the fact that its products can be tested and sampled, making it easy for customers to find something they like. The specifics of the company’s compensation plan are difficult to determine, as they may differ from one country to another. However, there appear to be four methods of earning income:

• Personal Network Marketing – Earning profits for each product sold to customers.
• Volume Commission – An added commission based on the amount of sales made over the course of a month.
• Team Commission – An added commission based on the total sales of a distributor’s team.
• Orchid bonuses – By rising to new levels within the company, distributors may earn the right to take part in a monthly worldwide bonus.

The Good

Although specifics are hard to come by on the company’s website, all indications are that joining FM Group comes with a minimal startup fee outside of the cost of buying products at a discounted price, nor is there a monthly fee or quote to remain a distributor. This is obviously a positive aspect of FM Group, making it simple and easy for distributors to sign up and allowing them to do so without putting themselves into immediate debt. This helps to lower the risk of joining, which is important for a business whose foundations are in a foreign country.

On top of the low startup cost, FM Group also has an extensive product line, which is advantageous to distributors. The company’s high volume of products can help a distributor gain entry into a number of potentially fruitful markets. FM Group even has a number of products that are specifically designed for kids, a market that is often overlooked in the multi-level marketing industry. The presence of kid-oriented products opens up the market for distributors even more and becomes a distinguishing trait of FM Group compared to similar businesses.

Finally, the company’s history and the fact that FM Group is still in the relatively early stages of global expansion also speak to the opportunity it offers for distributors. With more established MLM firms, the market may be saturated in terms of the number of distributors, which can make it difficult to find new customers and develop a team. However, with FM Group still in the process of expanding its footprint, there is plenty of new territory for distributors to conquer, allowing a lot of room for growth (1).

The Bad

Ironically, FM Group’s international presence may actually be a hindrance. There are differences, most minor but some meaningful, in the way the company operates in different countries. The biggest concern for potential distributors in the U.S. and Canada is that the company’s offices in the U.K are handling applications for those in North America. This immediately adds a complication to the process. Moreover, at the moment the company’s U.K. offices are not shipping to the U.S. and Canada. Thus, those wishing to sign on with FM Group need to make arrangements with someone in the U.K. in order to receive products. It’s easy to see why this may make membership more trouble than it’s worth.

Another issue with the FM Group is with regard to its training of distributors. Many have complained that training is only available for those at a certain level of the company. This means that newcomers and those just starting out in the MLM industry may not receive proper training from the company. Obviously, these are the people who need training the most, which can make it difficult to experience success early in their tenure.

Recap

It’s hard to deny that FM Group is a good company with a promising future. It has a global presence, an impressive product line, and may have only scratched the surface of what it’s capable of accomplishing. On top of that, the financial risks of joining the company as a distributor are relatively low, making it a good fit for both casual multi-level marketers and those hoping to carve out a full-time job.

However, the complications of getting on board with a foreign-based company should give you pause. Until the company is able to distribute its products directly to members in the U.S. and Canada, it may not be worthwhile to explore a relationship with FM Group. Unless you’re ready to go all-in with an MLM firm, it may be best to wait and see what happens to FM Group in the years to come.

via http://mlmcompanies.org/fm-group/