From 2019 to 2023, the multi-level marketing (MLM) industry experienced both periods of resilience and significant downturns, shaped by external economic factors, shifting public sentiment, and increased regulatory scrutiny.

In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were over 3.5 million distributors across 314 MLM companies, yielding a combined turnover of 98 billion yuan.

Despite global economic uncertainty, approximately one million new members joined the sector each year, countered by 400,000 to 500,000 dropouts annually.

However, the vast majority realized little to no sustainable profit, with only about 27% of distributors earning any commission.

Nearly half of all MLM-generated revenue was spent on distributor commissions, accentuating the system's reliance on persistent recruitment and high turnover.

The pandemic was a particular catalyst for MLM recruitment, as economic hardship and high unemployment drove many—especially young adults and new graduates—toward what appeared to be flexible, remote, and entrepreneurial work.

Companies rapidly shifted their outreach to social media and other digital channels, sustaining network growth when in-person contact was impossible.

Nonetheless, as income realities became widely known and negative participant experiences proliferated online, skepticism and attrition rates soared.

Viral commentary on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, along with media exposés, fueled a growing awareness that the likelihood of earning meaningful income in MLMs was very low.

Concurrently, governments around the world intensified regulatory pressure.

For instance, India amended its direct selling rules to strictly separate legal product-focused direct sales from illegal recruitment-heavy MLM operations.

These legal changes, accompanied by enforcement, contributed significantly to a decline in aggressive MLM recruitment practices and prompted some companies to change business models to minimize regulatory risk.

Financial performance among high-profile MLM companies further illustrates the industry’s contraction.

Herbalife’s market value fell by 64% in 2022, while Nu Skin and USANA endured substantial double-digit losses.

Tupperware’s stock value eroded by over 90% in five years, ultimately leading to warnings regarding possible bankruptcy.

Avon, once a global direct selling powerhouse, experienced continued revenue drops and after being acquired by Natura, sold its North American operations to LG Household & Health Care.

Avon’s North American business was then restructured away from the traditional MLM model toward direct sales, minimizing the recruitment element to comply with regulatory and market demands.

Other major companies have similarly scaled back or eliminated the recruitment tier of their compensation plans for compliance and to rebuild consumer trust.

The past few years have also seen several prominent MLMs exit markets, announce closure, or abandon the MLM model outright.

Tupperware serves as a concrete example: after sustained financial decline and massive loss of market value, the company openly warned of bankruptcy risk and has drastically reduced its MLM operations.

Similarly, Avon’s North American segment, now under new ownership, abandoned the multi-level recruitment approach and operates as a straightforward direct selling business, reflecting a broader industry pivot away from controversial practices.

Despite global contraction, some regions demonstrated short-term growth, particularly in pandemic years.

India’s direct selling sector, which includes both traditional MLMs and hybrid models, grew over 12% in 2022–23, substantially driven by wellness and nutraceuticals.

Notably, this expansion occurred alongside—and arguably because of—increased regulatory efforts to distinguish legitimate direct selling from illegal pyramid schemes.

In such markets, the ability of companies to rapidly adapt their business models to meet new legal standards determined their capacity to avoid bans or mass departures.

In sum, recent MLM trends reveal a cycle in which temporary surges in participation—driven by economic downturns and amplified through digital recruitment—gave way to overall decline as negative publicity, regulatory action, and the exposure of poor distributor earnings mounted.

Several iconic companies, such as Tupperware and Avon’s North American division, have either exited the MLM space or switched to a direct sales model with no multi-level recruitment.

Meanwhile, the majority of legacy MLMs face declining revenues, public distrust, and intensifying legal scrutiny, driving many to contract, restructure, or fundamentally abandon the classic recruitment-based MLM structure in favor of simple, product-focused sales.

From 2019 to 2023, the multi-level marketing (MLM) industry experienced both periods of resilience and significant downturns, shaped by external economic factors, shifting public sentiment, and increased regulatory scrutiny.

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Content: Customer experience is critical to business success. CX drives over two-thirds of customer loyalty, outperforming brand and price combined. Delivering an easy and convenient interaction experience creates a good impression, but not one that lasts, according to Gartner in a recent report, Creating a High-Impact Customer Experience Strategy.

“Companies expect their CX teams to outperform their competitors and deliver a world-class customer experience,” the Gartner report said. “Moreover, 63% of business leaders believe that to build customer loyalty, their CX teams must be primarily focused on creating new and innovative experiences for their customers.”

A thoughtful, dynamic CX strategy is critical to the success of any organization’s CX effort.

Define the Why

A clear articulation of the heart of the company’s approach to customer experience is the critical initial component of a business' CX strategy, said, adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at Purdue University and managing director of Alignmint Growth Strategies. “Since retention is grounded in how customers feel about their experience with a company, articulating and incorporating that 'why’ is vitally important."

Retention is essential, Cudby said. “Companies that prioritize growth must implement churn reduction strategies, so they keep the customers they’ve worked so hard to win. Churn is the ultimate leaky bucket. No matter how many new customers go into a bucket, if there are holes that lead to churn, it will be hard for any company to fill the bucket and hit key revenue targets.”

Define CX From the Customer's Perspective

“The customer experience is defined by the customer — not some executive or institutional belief in what it is,” said Howard Pyle, founder, ExperienceFutures.org and former senior vice president, global CX and design at MetLife. “I’ve heard so many leaders say they know their customers, but really they just know their business. Once you objectively look at each customer through a lens of data and research, CX metrics become points of alignment — a common objective that short circuits internal politics.”

Related Article: What Is Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)?

Align Your Cross-Functional Teams With the Customer Journey

Those involved in helping to develop and maintain CX invariably come from across an organization, not just from the CX or even from the wider marketing team. “Teams that align themselves with the customer journey are by definition cross-functional,” Pyle said. Think about most CX in a digital era — there are apps, social, websites, and other channels all built with common platforms, data, and design. The customer experience isn’t one of those teams, it’s all of them together.

“Clients can improve the customer experience by working with their CX provider to journey map the experience from beginning to end, added Julie Casteel, CMO and chief strategic accounts officer at Ibex. “Consider what is the path the customer has to go down to get their issues resolved. What tools and technologies does the customer service agent have to solve that issue? Often they’re mismatched. To fix those breakage points and begin to deliver an optimal experience in which the customer feels truly valued, those need to be mapped together.”

Related Article: Are Your Customer Experience Metrics Setting You Up For Success?

Be Consistent and Reliable

A company’s CX strategy should include consistency and reliability in customer service, said Vivek Astvansh, assistant professor of marketing at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. “Reliability refers to customers having the same experience, regardless of the day and the time, whether they are in physical store or the webstore, whether they are in pre-purchase or post-purchase stage, whether they are interacting with a live agent or a bot, etc.,” Astvansh said.

Since customer experience is mostly driven by employees — who are bound to have idiosyncrasies — CX is far less reliable than what companies and customers want it to be. What makes reliability critical is companies’ gradual adoption of robots and AI apps for serving customers, Astvansh added. Unlike a live agent, a chatbot does not experience emotional labor while responding to an angry customer. Instead, the chatbot can learn from the caller’s past conversations and speak in a way that is most likely to offer a superior experience to the caller.

"A single tone of voice can be used throughout the entire customer interaction with advanced solutions,” added Jennifer Kline Shernoff, ADA senior vice president of product and design. If the conversation needs to be transferred to a live agent, the hand-off is seamless and efficient. Whether it’s a human agent or advanced AI responding, customers and prospects will feel that they’re getting 100% of the brand’s attention throughout the interaction.”

Ensure You Have Sufficient Resources

Closely related to consistency and reliability is availability, according to Astvansh. Customers want their issues handled quickly, efficiently and correctly, or they will seek out a competitor. “Availability refers to how much effort a customer must make to receive information from the company,” Astvansh said. “The company must be available at 'all times' to serve customers. The fluidity of workdays/hours in contemporary times makes availability in time critical. Next, a company should — ideally — make itself available where the customers are, rather than ask customers to move to a different website/app. Again, the contemporary world of messaging apps makes availability in space critical. For example, a company’s chatbot must reside at these apps and not on its own app or website.”

The Gartner report also emphasized the need for a CX strategy to be mindful of their customers’ time and needs, with touchpoint innovations allowing automated completion of many CX needs.

Related Articles: A Look at Customer Effort Score and How It Can Help Build Better CX

Employees Critical to CX Success

It’s important to empower agents to raise their hand and volunteer their ideas so they can spark positive change, Casteel said They see the same issues over and over again. And they often have great suggestions to improve the customer experience. “Empower agents to make positive changes,” Casteel said. Among the questions to ask in developing a CX strategy: Do your call center agents feel empowered? Agents are on the front lines.

“[Don't] forget that great customer experience (CX) starts with satisfied employees. In fact, a 5 % increase in employee engagement has been shown to lead to a 3% jump in revenue. And companies with happy employees also see 81% higher customer satisfaction. Knowing that, it’s no surprise employee satisfaction is a priority for many executives,” said management consultant firm West Monroe Partners publication.

A customer’s experience is ultimately tied to employee actions. Even in an automated world, employees must have a path to deliver a great experience to customers so that the relationship grows over time, Cudby added. “Companies want to sell more of their suite of solutions, deeper into the company, for longer engagements.  The key to this rosy future is realized when a company creates and engrains specific and actionable processes that employees can implement consistently. That’s the smart of CX.”

Include Measurability

The CX strategic plan should include ways to measure the success of (or lack thereof) of the strategy. Otherwise, a company could continue to follow a strategy that isn’t working, said Rick Kelly, Fuel Cycle chief product officer. Among the measurements to include are how are you performing against objectives and which areas are doing well and which need rectifying,

“Develop CX metrics to evaluate the quality of your experience. By setting goals and objectives for constant improvements, you’ll be able to meet customer needs,” Kelly said.

Be Dynamic

Market conditions change, a factor demonstrated by the COVID-19 pandemic as companies went to remote or hybrid customer service support, shifted more to ecommerce, made major shifts to digital interactions and dealt with other changes that greatly shifted marketing, CX and business practices.

“Businesses need to ensure their CX strategy is agile and adaptable because the market and customer demands are constantly changing,” said Katrina Klier CMO at PROS. “Technology needs to play a critical role in any CX strategy as online selling has opened up a large amount of new data to marketers. Successful marketing leaders must take advantage of insights from AI and data analytics to understand their evolving customers from as many angles as possible. Change can be scary, but having a solid technology stack in play will drive better business, growth and profits during times of uncertainty.”

Marketing and sales continue to evolve and grow more digital, Klier added. The limited online contact many companies have with their customers puts marketing teams in a more difficult position to drive sales and maximize outreach. Therefore, talent that can manage within the uncertainty and fluidity that is the new market normal is key. Employees that are digital natives or have learned digital fluency will continue to be a necessary and key asset to organizations.

In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were over 3.5 million distributors across 314 MLM companies, yielding a combined turnover of 98 billion yuan.

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Content: [Street Industry Watch] In the Year of the Pandemic, many people joined the "marketing" to pull down the line, but nearly half of the revenue was used to pay "multi-level" commissions.
Photo Credit: Central News Agency
What we want you to know is
At the same time, the body product channel and product spokesperson can further bring the "offline", which is the start of expanding the business and crossing the threshold of receiving commissions.
But this threshold seems easy, but not everyone can climb, because whether it is old or new distributors, most of them only contribute to the commission of the supporting role......
In the summer of 2020, it is supposed to be the graduation season of college students and the time when social newcomers are pouring out of the cage, but I saw a youthful face at a few lively junctions in the business district of Banqiao, and started the work of “listing people ” for housing construction.
Single-handed advertising placard, carrying a backpack leaning against the road light pole, the other holding a thin, seemingly split reference book, on the hot sun, earning the card holder's hard hourly salary, and paving the way for future job hunting.
When a PT (Part Time, Part-time, Part-time, Part-time) job that was originally labeled as a middle-aged, second-degree employment face, there were many young faces, can not help but make people shiver in the heat of the day!
The virus has hit households and disrupted the job market, affecting youth employment.
We have to admit that the epidemic has disrupted the pace of new people entering society and seeking jobs. Although it is at a time when the virus has not really invaded the door, the job market has been chaotic.
According to the Ministry of Labor ’ s “Youth Employment Status ” report, there are about 280,000 college graduates in 2020, a decrease of 5.4% compared to 2019. This reflects not only the decrease in the number of children and the decrease in the number of college students, but also the explosion of life extension in 2020. If further deduction is further deducted, the number of people who can work (including military service) is a low of nearly 5 years (223,000), a decrease of 12% compared to 2019. And...
As of the end of January 2021, only 68.3%, about 152,000 people, of the post-secondary students who graduated in 2020 and are working people, joined the ranks of labor / agriculture / public insurance, which is not only a low point in the past five years, but also a decrease of 24% compared with the previous year.
In other words, there are many college graduates, after more than half a year of job search, still have not successfully entered the workplace; the pressure of job search and living economy, so that they have to make very choices in this extraordinary period.
The job market is cold, and marketing continues to expand its organization, becoming a potential employment option for new people in society.
In 2021, the virus officially "invaded the door" in May, before graduating from college in the new year.
The alert of the epidemic, so that this year's job market has a cold wind, but also the unemployment rate in July this year (4.53%), blowing up the same period of high in the past decade, recently graduated social fresh people, inevitably have to face the fear of graduation, namely unemployment.
However, there is a saying in the workplace: Despite the economic downturn, business jobs such as insurance and distribution are always recruiting.
If this is not true, we can try to turn off or turn on the query function of the above industries on the job search platform to achieve a full personal experience.
However, in 2020, the number of people registered for the personal insurance business survey (85,000) increased by 5% compared to the previous year, and the number of new entrants to the marketing business is also a million people.
This is the type of occupation that people need to earn life, some people are joining is no retreat, but some people are carrying a dream forward, but the dream is very rich, the reality is very bones, when we dream in the winter, do not forget to pragmatically understand the mode of operation of the industry.
Today, let ’ s talk about selling!
Most people's stereotypes of marketing remain in the "brainwashing" of marketing conferences, constantly inculcating that this is a "personal business," getting rid of being hired as social animals, and directly attacking the freedom of wealth, and in addition, trying to give individuals the self-esteem and ability to think independently, suggesting that "thinking for themselves, not having to discuss with others."
Perhaps, some people have experienced this process of marketing to pull members off the line, some people join, some people feel that it is a "cult", but making money, quality of life, and self-empowerment (Self-empowerment) these material and psychological skills, is indeed for most people have a certain hypnotic effect.
However, most of our understanding of marketing is just the “recruitment ” discourse, and we do not have a deep understanding of how it works.
Perhaps, when we understand the logic of the industry, we can better understand why the so-called brainwashing conference is a starting point for marketing recruitment.
Multi-level marketing requires multiple distributors as sales and marketing channels
According to the Fair Trade Commission ’ s “Multi-level Marketing Business Development Survey ”, nearly 3.5 million distributors (each“ individual ” who joined members or purchased goods is an independent distributor) of 314 marketing entities (such as Anli, Ruxin, etc.) in 2020 generated a turnover of 98 billion yuan, a slight increase of 5% over the previous year. In contrast to the population over 20 years of age (more than 19.4 million people), about one in six people join the ranks of distributors.
Since all distributors replace all types of retail channels, they not only have the function of the channel, but also have the function of marketing, that is, word-of-mouth marketing, so whether they emphasize themselves as retail (sales) orientation, product recommendation (head-pulling) orientation, or emphasis on membership, they are ultimately based on "people" and "organizational hierarchy".
And the product channel and marketing costs saved by the marketing business are converted into the commission of the distributor.
Therefore, when we contact distributors and ask them why they are involved in the marketing industry, they will almost unanimously reply, "The product is great!"
Distributors continue to pay for new members by pulling down the line, expanding the organization and expanding the commission
That being said, it ’ s one thing to see how great a product is in the domain of a distributor, and constantly adding new blood is the highest goal for continuous marketing, expanding the organization, and increasing revenue and commission revenue.
Similarly, according to the Fair Trade Association report, the number of new entrants to the market in 2020 is about 1 million, and for the past five years, the number of new entrants has remained at around 1 million each year.
And in 314 marketing businesses, 96% of the joining system is to take "conditional join", of which, the most important is "order goods" (62%), "pay a deposit or membership fee" (59%), so "conditional join" is not only contributing to the marketing business and the top level of the sales (the one who pulls you in), but also contributing to the level of the commission.
In contrast, if someone joins, someone exits. The number of MLM merchants who quit in 2020 is about 450,000, and the number of exits in each of the past five years has been around 400,000 to 500,000.
The main reason for exiting is “non-renewal of contract ” (83%), which means no longer operating, no longer consuming, and the product is no longer considered“ great ”.
However, in this process, there will always be new blood distributors who will contribute to the expansion of the organization and the commission generated after the consumption of the product.
Whether old or new distributors, most are only supporting players who contribute commissions
As has been mentioned, the distributor at the same time with the product channel and product marketing (endorsement) people, their own recognition of the product, use, and purchase, to become a new member of the body and teaching.
Of course, once you can further bring in new members, new distributors, or offline, it is the beginning of expanding your business and crossing the threshold of receiving commissions.
It seems that the threshold is easy, but not everyone can climb it.
According to a survey conducted by the Fair Trade Association, 222 of the 314 marketing businesses (about 70%), and more than 60% of its distributors will make stable orders to the company; however, only 27% of all marketing companies (about 960,000 people) receive commissions, and the average commission per person is 45,000 yuan.
Therefore, most distributors who order goods either maintain their status as distributors by buying products, or sincerely recognize and continue to use the products; and by bringing in new distributors, order sales, and achieve a commission threshold, and can earn a stable salary or even become rich in this industry, not only are rare, but also the successful cases seen in various conferences or education and training survivors. "The Beautiful Misunderstanding We Have".
It doesn ’ t matter if the product is worth the price
In addition to the threshold, this kind of personal marketing and sales channels, to achieve the "multi-level" (that is, constantly expanding the organization down the line) of the business of distribution, not only eat personal interpersonal skills, "multi-level" commission distribution will indirectly increase product prices.
According to a survey conducted by the fair society, the import cost of the pyramid scheme business accounts for only 28% of the turnover, but the commission accounts for 44% of the turnover, in other words, the real cost of selling a commodity of $100 is only $28, $44 is used as the commission of the pyramid scheme business, and the remaining $28 is the administrative expenses and profits of the pyramid scheme. Whether the essence of a product is value for money is one thing, the marketing business will compress its own profits, expand its commission expenditure, and recruit and expand the organization with a strategy of large is beautiful, so that we can find: there are so many people who have joined the ranks of marketing!
Marketing has always been a very special industry, in which a small number of people have been able to earn their fair share of commissions, and become the mainstay of business operations, but the vast majority of people are only a supporting part of this multi-level marketing structure, and by paying membership fees, buying and using products, they become a part of the source of commissions.
Back to the intention of writing this article, no matter how difficult the job search for new people in society during the epidemic, I hope that by understanding the operation mode of an industry, I can assess whether to use the marketing industry as the first job to enter the society.
Through the Fair Commission report, we have gained a profound understanding, no matter how many of these people successfully earn high commissions and create successful careers, this data is hinting at us: if this industry is the main occupation, not only requires a certain degree of interpersonal relationships and skills, there may be a period of social novices can not understand life or career experience.
Source: Ministry of Labor “Youth Employment Status ”, Fair Trading Commission“ Multi-level Marketing Business Development Survey ”
Extended reading
Editorial responsibility: Ding Zhaojiu
Editor ： Weng Shihang
Tags:

Despite global economic uncertainty, approximately one million new members joined the sector each year, countered by 400,000 to 500,000 dropouts annually.

However, the vast majority realized little to no sustainable profit, with only about 27% of distributors earning any commission.

Nearly half of all MLM-generated revenue was spent on distributor commissions, accentuating the system's reliance on persistent recruitment and high turnover.

The pandemic was a particular catalyst for MLM recruitment, as economic hardship and high unemployment drove many—especially young adults and new graduates—toward what appeared to be flexible, remote, and entrepreneurial work.

Companies rapidly shifted their outreach to social media and other digital channels, sustaining network growth when in-person contact was impossible.

Title:

Content: Introduction to ERP Systems in the Post-Covid-19 Era
The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the global economy and the way businesses operate.
As a result, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems must adapt to the new challenges and requirements that emerge during this turbulent period.
ERP solutions are designed to integrate various business processes, such as finance, human resources, supply chain, and customer relationship management, into a unified software platform that enables businesses to streamline operations, reduce complexity, and improve performance visibility.
In the post-COVID era, there are several factors that make ERP systems even more important for businesses.
Remote work is becoming the norm, digital transformation is accelerating, and enterprises are under greater pressure to optimize supply chain and inventory management.
To meet these challenges, the field of ERP is evolving rapidly, and new trends and innovations are driving change within the industry.
Challenges faced by ERP systems during the pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced businesses to re-evaluate their ERP systems and identify areas for improvement.
Some of the major challenges that have emerged during this period include
• Teleworking: With the sudden shift in teleworking, businesses are having to adopt digital tools and collaboration platforms to stay productive.
Traditional on-premises ERP systems may not provide the necessary flexibility and accessibility to remote teams, leading enterprises to start exploring cloud-based and mobile solutions.
Accelerating digital transformation: As businesses rush to adapt to the new normal, the need for digital transformation becomes inevitable.
ERP systems play a central role in helping businesses modernize their processes and need to be updated and integrated with other technologies to keep up with the pace of transformation.
Supply Chain Disruptions: The pandemic has exposed weaknesses in global supply chains, making it imperative for businesses to have robust and flexible ERP systems that can handle unexpected disruptions.
New strategies, such as repositioning and proximity, require ERP systems to quickly adapt to changing supplier networks and demand patterns.
• Financial stress: The impact of the pandemic on the economy increases financial stress for businesses.
Therefore, enterprises must carefully examine their ERP systems to ensure effective resource allocation and cost control.
Adopting flexible, scalable ERP solutions becomes a top priority for businesses to optimize operations in uncertain environments.
Trends affecting the development of ERP systems
The challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic are the driving force behind several key trends in the ERP industry.
These trends are shaping the future of ERP systems, enabling businesses to overcome barriers and take advantage of new opportunities:
Cloud-based solutions: Cloud-based ERP solutions gained huge traction during the pandemic because of their flexibility, scalability, and remote accessibility.
These solutions enable teams to access data and collaborate anytime, anywhere, and are therefore increasingly favored by modern distributed employees.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning: Artificial intelligence and machine learning are rapidly becoming an integral part of ERP systems.
By leveraging large volumes of data and analytics patterns, these technologies can provide valuable insights and predictive capabilities to help businesses make informed decisions and improve processes.
In addition, AI-driven automation simplifies time-consuming tasks, increases efficiency and saves costs.
Mobile Accessibility: As remote work continues to permeate the post-COVID-19 era, mobile accessibility has become an important part of ERP systems.
By enabling employees to access data and perform tasks on their mobile devices, companies can ensure seamless collaboration and communication – no matter where employees are located.
Industry-specific solutions: Businesses increasingly need industry-specific ERP solutions that meet their unique requirements and challenges.
Customized ERP systems provide tailored capabilities and insights that enable businesses to optimize operations and achieve competitive advantage.
Integration with other business systems: To thrive in the post-COVID era, businesses need to make the most of the potential of their technology stack.
Seamless integration between ERP systems and other tools, such as CRM, HR, and project management solutions, is critical to maximize efficiency and align processes across the organization.
Companies are increasingly looking for ERP systems that facilitate interoperability and can easily connect to other important systems.
Opportunities for ERP solutions in the post-COVID era
The post-COVID-19 era offers numerous opportunities for ERP solutions to help businesses thrive in a changing environment.
As businesses continue to embrace digital transformation and remote work, the need for efficient, integrated and data-driven solutions is higher than ever.
Here are some key opportunities for ERP solutions in the post-COVID-19 era:
Enhance remote collaboration and communication
As remote work becomes more common, ERP solutions tailored for decentralized teams can build a bridge between geographically dispersed employees.
With easy access to real-time, centralized data and collaboration tools, ERP systems enable employees to stay connected and make informed decisions even when working remotely.
In addition, the integration of communication and collaboration tools further simplifies workflows and increases productivity.
Better decision making with data-driven insights
Data-driven insights help companies identify trends, optimize processes, and make better strategic decisions that ultimately improve their competitiveness and resilience.
Advanced ERP solutions leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies to analyze massive amounts of data, detect anomalies, and provide important insights for accurate decisions.
Increase automation and optimization
The automation of daily tasks and workflows is a major advantage of many ERP systems.
In the post-COVID-19 era, businesses are looking for ways to increase efficiency, reduce operating costs and increase flexibility.
ERP solutions employing advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotic process automation (RPA), and the Internet of Things (IoT) help organizations achieve automation goals while maintaining a high level of accuracy and control.
Strengthen supply chain and inventory management
Supply chain disruptions during pandemics reveal the importance of resilient and adaptive supply chain solutions.
Post-COVID ERP systems should provide enhanced supply chain and inventory management capabilities that enable businesses to track and monitor real-time inventory levels, reduce waste, and quickly identify and respond to any potential bottlenecks or disruptions.
Greater focus on industry-specific ERP solutions
Industry-specific ERP solutions provide businesses with tailored capabilities to meet the unique needs and requirements of their industry.
Post-COVID ERP systems should emphasize customization to provide targeted functionality to meet the specific requirements of different industries.
How AppMaster can help you build custom ERP systems
AppMaster is a powerful no-code platform that helps businesses create customized ERP systems based on their specific needs and requirements while reducing development time and cost. AppMaster offers numerous advantages to businesses looking to develop their own ERP systems:
Accelerate the development of no-code
The AppMaster no-code platform enables rapid development, enabling enterprises to quickly create and deploy ERP solutions.
Businesses can leverage AppMaster ’ s user-friendly interface to design, test, and deploy their ERP applications, saving time and resources typically used to hire developers or external vendors.
Develop customized industry-specific ERP solutions
AppMaster enables the development of industry-specific ERP solutions by providing a flexible platform that can be easily customized to meet the unique needs and requirements of individual enterprises.
Through this, businesses can create custom modules, workflows, and integrations to meet the specific needs of their industry. AppMaster
Reduce costs and strengthen controls
Compared to traditional coding methods, building a custom ERP system with AppMaster can greatly reduce development costs for enterprises.
In addition, the AppMaster platform provides more control over customization, enabling enterprises to fine-tune their ERP systems to their specific requirements without the need for extensive coding knowledge.
Eliminate technical debt through regeneration
AppMaster eliminates technical debt by regenerating the application from scratch every time a requirement is modified.
This ensures that the generated software is always up to date and efficient, and that there are no legacy issues due to outdated or unused code.
Conclusion
The post-COVID-19 era presents many challenges and opportunities for businesses, and ERP systems play a vital role in helping businesses adapt to the new normal.
By embracing digital transformation and leveraging advanced technologies, ERP solutions can better handle remote collaboration, improve decision-making, increase automation, and enhance supply chain management.
With AppMasterno-code, businesses can quickly and cost-effectively create customized, industry-specific ERP systems to meet their unique needs, boosting growth and resilience in a post-COVID-19 world. AppMaster offers powerful and flexible solutions to help your business stay ahead of the changing business landscape.

Nonetheless, as income realities became widely known and negative participant experiences proliferated online, skepticism and attrition rates soared.

Title:

Content: Markets
MMM

The Key Numbers 3M Needs to Improve

3M's (NYSE: MMM) management raised its full-year sales guidance midpoint but lowered its earnings during its third-quarter earnings report. Its earnings highlighted one of the themes of the current earnings season. Underlying demand is good, but there's pressure on costs and the ability of companies to meet that demand.

In such an environment, it's becoming increasingly important for companies to raise prices, but unfortunately, 3M had some bad news on that front. Let's look at the details behind the third quarter, and why its margin performance is so important.

3M's guidance

Looking at the changes in 3M's guidance through 2021 says a lot about the industrial sector this year. 3M started the year in recovery mode. However, in January, management gave some pretty broad guidance for sales growth, something reflective of the uncertainty over the pace of the reopening of the economy.

Image source: Getty Images.

Fast forward to the summer, and 3M significantly upgraded sales guidance and nudged earnings guidance higher too. The reason for the sales guidance hike comes down to a generally better-than-expected economic recovery. In contrast, the relatively milder earnings guidance hike reflects the growing pressure on costs from rising raw material prices and increased supply chain costs.

Of course, the two things (raw material and supply chain costs) come from a common source. As a result, demand is coming back strongly. However, supply is struggling to keep pace due to a combination of many factors. These include cutbacks and a shortage of investment spending during the pandemic, the disruptive effect on spending trends caused by COVID-19, and the difficulty in reopening offices, schools, and factories with the pandemic still in place. Simply put, demand is outstripping supply for many vital materials and services right now.

In such an environment, it becomes increasingly important to increase productivity, raise prices to offset cost increases, and take advantage of strong volume demand. Unfortunately, the latest guidance from 3M (full-year sales guidance increased but earnings guidance cut) suggests the company is struggling to do so. Changes are in bold.

3M Guidance As of October As of July As of April As of January
Organic local-currency sales growth 8%-9% 6%-9% 3%-6% 3%-6%
Earnings per share $9.70-$9.90 $9.70-$10.10 $9.20-$9.70 $9.20-$9.70
Free cash flow conversion 90%-100% 90%-100% 95%-105% 95%-105%

Data source: 3M presentations.

3M's price and cost relationship

When discussing margin performance, 3M's management highlights two essential items that help move margin. The first is the contribution to margin from "organic volume/productivity and other." This combines the change in margin from increases or decreases in volumes and the costs and benefits from productivity. In the current climate, volume growth is strong, but it's more than offset by increased costs due to supply chain challenges.

The second is "price/raw material" -- in other words, the contribution to margin from the difference in price movements and costs.

The movements are measures in terms of basis points, where 100 basis points (bp) equals 1%, so the 290bp move (see chart below) in the margin in the third quarter represents the year-over-year decline in margin from 22.9% to 20%.

The chart shows how substantial volume increases offset increased supply chain costs and a decline in price/raw material in the second quarter. However, supply chain costs surged in the third quarter despite increasing prices by "140 basis points in Q3 versus ten basis points in Q2" according to CFO Monish Patolawala on the earnings call, and price/cost was negative again.

Data source: 3M presentations.

A disappointing performance

Frankly, it's a somewhat disappointing performance. 3M certainly isn't alone in facing cost pressures, but price/raw material has been negative for the last three quarters, while it appears 3M needs substantial improvements in volume to generate a positive contribution to margin from volume/productivity.

There was some more slightly disappointing news from Patolawala. He disclosed that 3M now expects the restructuring actions announced last year would now result in "pre-tax restructuring charges of $300 million to $325 million versus our original expectations of $250 million to $300 million."

Moreover, as a reminder, 3M has been restructuring its business over the last few years. However, it's not showing up much in its numbers just yet.

Image source: Getty Images.

Looking ahead

Trading on 18.4 times estimated 2021 free cash flow and 18.2 times its estimated 2021 earnings and sporting a 3.3% dividend yield, 3M remains a decent value investing option. However, for the stock to move meaningfully higher, its management will have to demonstrate better pricing performance and some productivity improvements in the future.

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Viral commentary on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, along with media exposés, fueled a growing awareness that the likelihood of earning meaningful income in MLMs was very low.

Title:

Content: 'Direct Selling' - Avon, Tupperware - Is Extinct

Nov. 18, 2022 11:25 AM ETHLF, MED, NTCO, NUS, PRI, TUP, USNA3 Comments
Robert FitzPatrick
394 Followers

Summary

  • Direct Selling became obsolete generations ago. So how is it that millions today get recruited for "income opportunity" in "direct selling" and billions are traded on "direct selling" stocks?
  • Avon and Tupperware are cited by "multi-level marketing," or MLM, promoters as "proof" that MLM, e.g., Amway, Herbalife, is "direct selling."
  • Usable data on actual income and churn rates of MLM "direct sellers," market saturation, and retail sales to actual customers are not provided.
  • In fact, Avon and Tupperware for years have been walking dinosaurs, still trying to do "person-to-person" sales to end-users with commodity products, while MLMs hype "unlimited" income.
  • The shrunken and devolved state of Avon and Tupperware today reveals that direct selling is extinct. MLM is not, and never was, direct selling.

It is generally accepted that "direct selling" was killed off generations ago by mass merchandising, big box stores, mail-order and then the internet, among other societal changes. The "Fuller Brush man" is long gone. No one's at home. No one wants or needs or has time for a "personal" salesperson. Everything's in stores or online. And, even when "direct selling" still lived, no one ever went into that tough line of work thinking they would get rich from it.

Yet, each year, millions are recruited, and pay thousands, for the "opportunity" to work as "direct sellers," with promises and expectations of "unlimited" income. The number involved today is many, many times greater than ever worked in that "extinct" field decades ago. Billions are being traded on Wall Street for shares of "direct selling" companies. How can this be?

In my book, Ponzinomics, the Untold Story of Multi-Level Marketing, I document the death of "direct selling" and the 1945 invention of "multi-level marketing," or MLM. I describe how "MLM" falsely assumed direct selling's revered old identity. I trace MLM from its Adam, a little California-based company called "Nutrilite," to today's "industry" led by Amway, Herbalife (HLF) down 64% YTD, Nuskin (NUS) down 31%, USANA Health Sciences (USNA) down 49%, Primerica, Inc. (PRI) down 13%, and Medifast (MED) down 45%. MLM's financial solicitations for consumers to become "direct sellers" have reached into – and led to losses for – virtually every household in America.

In the newly invented "MLM," the main source of revenue shifted from end-user customers to the salespeople themselves who are incentivized to "be their own customer" by buying their own products. Obviously, no one makes money purchasing their own inventory, but MLM offered a unique reason to do so – "unlimited" income potential.

No More Need to Knock on Doors

All MLM "direct sellers" can potentially gain "unlimited" income by recruiting an "endless" chain of other "direct sellers." No need to pound the pavement and get rudely rejected at front doors any more. Each "direct seller" on the chain has to meet a quota to "qualify" for future rewards from their recruits who, in turn, are their "own customers" and recruiters too, ad infinitum. The chain can grow without continuous personal effort. The qualifying quota can usually be met by just making a personal monthly purchase of inventory. "Commissions" on all these transactions, all the way down to the "last ones in," flow up the chain. In the MLM pay plan, most of the total commissions go to the top 1%. So, all new "direct sellers" try mightily to recruit (and buy) their way to those top ranks. Of course, only a tiny few can ever be at the top.

Some people argued this is a pyramid recruiting scheme, inherently unfair and deceptive, and a counterfeit of direct selling. In the design and the pay plan, bottom ranks – the vast majority – will inevitably lose. They said constantly adding salespeople in any area destroys profitable retail selling potential, if any exists to start with. They cited data on 90-99% loss rates and huge churn rates among new "recruits" and asked, where are the retail "customers"?

While offering no data on retail customers or salespeople losses or market saturation, MLM promoters offered "proof" that MLM is direct selling by pointing to two long-established and respected direct selling companies in their ranks, Avon and Tupperware (TUP). Both companies were members of the Direct Selling Association, DSA, and both were "direct selling" icons, Avon for its "ladies" and Tupperware for its "parties." To any pyramid scheme accusations, MLM promoters indignantly countered: "Are you calling Avon and Tupperware pyramid schemes?"

Walking Dinosaurs

The truth for both companies is very different from the MLM-spin. Avon and Tupperware used to have differentiated products and real consumer demand. Their salespeople made money from their own retail sales. But moving into the 21st Century, Avon and Tupperware became walking dinosaurs, vestiges of the extinct era of "direct selling." They were still trying to base their businesses on their historical brands and on person-to-person retail sales to real customers, as direct selling companies always used to do.

Despite MLM's citing Avon and Tupperware, and thereby bestowing legitimacy on the "MLM" members of the Direct Selling Association, deep differences between those icons of the old era and MLM burst into public view in 2013-14. The two companies publicly quit the Direct Selling Association, charging ethics violations and DSA-member connections to pyramid schemes.

Avon's Long Good-Bye

Avon had been a true direct seller for decades before MLM was invented. But as the door-to-door model faded, Avon began a long decline. In 2000, Avon began shifting its focus to "incentivizing" salespeople to recruit more salespeople and getting them to buy inventory, MLM-style. In 2009, during the Great Recession, Avon ran its most expensive ad in history, on television during the Super Bowl. The ad never mentioned any Avon products! It only solicited "salespeople." Still, global revenue dropped continuously over the next 10 years. Avon stock value fell from over $30 to just over $3.

Finally, Avon split off its faltering North American business and sold it to the Korean company, LG Household & Health Care. Avon claimed to have 250,000 sales representatives in North America. The remaining global business was later sold to the Brazilian MLM, Natura (NTCO) down 50% YTD, which also owns the retailer, Body Shop. Though Avon global was much larger, Avon shareholders traded 3 shares of Avon for just one in Natura.

The Korean-owned segment of Avon in North America is now classic MLM, selling the proverbial MLM "income opportunity" along with "health" supplements, make-up, jewelry, clothing, scented candles, even toothpaste.

On the Canadian Avon website, Avon promotes the "income opportunity," urging prospects in large bold black type: "Think big. Sell Avon part-time, full-time, you decide how much! It’s your business, your way!"

A disclosure (legally required in Canada, but not in the USA) appears midway down a long webpage in tiny, barely visible gray lettering: "The 2020 earnings of a typical Avon Leadership Representative was between $0 and $2,620 in commissions and bonuses." That's $0 to $50 a week, before subtracting all costs! And the "disclosure" does not break out how much of that tiny return comes from personal sales or the "downline."

Avon quietly rejoined the Direct Selling Association. The Brazilian company, Natura, which took over Avon's global business in 2020, has lost over 60% of its stock value in the last year.

Tupperware on the Brink

Tupperware was one of the first "party plan" companies, which are technically a small subset of MLM. They employ an "endless" recruiting chain, but are more rooted in retail sales transacted at "parties." Tupperware used to have a popular brand with innovative, differentiated products. But, as true direct selling began to disappear, Tupperware went into decline. It added MLM-type "health and beauty" commodities to bolster recruiting appeal but then deleted them. This year, it began also selling its products in Target department stores. Its kitchen-related goods are generally not distinct from other brands. A 10-months "Income disclosure" for Canada (not published in the USA) showed that half the "party planners" were classified "inactive," earning less than $30 for the period on average. 94% of the "active" ones reportedly received about $12 a week on average, before expenses.

In the last 5 years, the stock value of Tupperware has dropped over 90%. Its latest financials warned investors the company may violate loan agreements, setting off speculation Tupperware might declare bankruptcy.

The shrunken and devolved state of Avon and Tupperware, the most famous brand-icons of "direct selling," makes citing them as a defense of "multi-level marketing" as extinct as their old business model.

This article was written by

394 Followers
Robert L. FitzPatrick is the author of the new book, Ponzinomics, the Untold Story of Multi-Level Marketing (2020),the first comprehensive history and analysis of the "MLM" phenomenon, addressing its political influence, propaganda techniques and use of cult persuasion. FitzPatrick is an expert in examining and revealing deception and fraud in Ponzi schemes, pyramid schemes and bogus home-based businesses. He served as expert or consultant in more than 30 court cases involving pyramid schemes and multi-level marketing. He is co-author of False Profits (1997), an examination of the values and beliefs that support the delusions of pyramid schemes. He was featured on NBC Dateline, ABC World News, and CBS 60 Minutes, the documentary film, Betting on Zero and the podcast, The Dream.He has been quoted in many newspapers around the world, including the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. His booklet, Pyramid Nation, has been translated to Chinese and used by government regulators in writing China's first laws on pyramid schemes. His booklet, "The 10 Big Lies of Multi-Level Marketing", has been translated into four languages and posted on numerous websites. His White Paper, "The Main Street Bubble", which details the extensive influence-buying of the direct selling industry was featured in a CNBC Documentary, Selling the American Dream. In 2005, he delivered a seminar to in Colombo, Sri Lanka to central banking representatives from that country as well as India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives and Nepal. Robert FitzPatrick has developed informational resources for consumers, journalists, academics and regulators including a multi-media PowerPoint presentation and a statistical analysis of the losses suffered by participants in pyramid selling schemes. He also published a widely read booklet on the landmark federal case brought against the Amway Corporation. He is a expert network member of GLG Research, and Coleman Research Group, as well as other networks of experts who are referred to clients for consultation, speaking and report writing. In this capacity, he has provided expert consultation to financial many analysts who sought information about multi-level marketing companies and pyramid and Ponzi schemes. Robert FitzPatrick co-founded and serves as president of Pyramid Scheme Alert, the first international organization to expose and prevent pyramid scheme fraud. He personally responds to hundreds of consumer and news media inquiries each year. He has served as consultant and expert witness for Attorney General or State Attorney offices in four states, the US Dept. of Justice, and in numerous cases involving distributor fraud and pyramid schemes. Robert FitzPatrick is not an investor in multi-level marketing companies. He has never owned and never plans to own stocks of multi-level marketing companies. He has never been compensated based on any stock's performance. He does not offer investment advice and he is not an attorney.

Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Additional disclosure: This article is for educational purposes only. It discusses fundamentals of the "direct selling" business model and the evolution of "multi-level marketing."

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Concurrently, governments around the world intensified regulatory pressure.

Title:

Content: Introduction to ERP systems in the world after COVID
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the global economy and business practices.
As a result, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems had to adapt to the new challenges and requirements that emerged during this turbulent period.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has forced organizations to reassess their ERP systems and identify areas for improvement.
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Traditional on-premises ERP systems may not provide the necessary flexibility and accessibility for remote teams, which has led companies to look for cloud and mobile solutions.
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ERP systems played a central role in modernizing processes, and keeping up with them required upgrades and integration with other technologies.
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New strategies such as reshoring and short-range shoring have required ERP systems to adapt quickly to changing supplier networks and demand patterns.
• Financial stress: The economic impact of the pandemic has increased financial pressure on organizations.
As a result, enterprises had to carefully analyze their ERP systems, ensuring efficient resource allocation and cost control.
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For instance, India amended its direct selling rules to strictly separate legal product-focused direct sales from illegal recruitment-heavy MLM operations.

Title:

Content:     The Economic Times daily newspaper is available online now.

    Direct selling industry grew 12% in 2022-23, crosses Rs 21,000 crore in turnover: IDSA

    Synopsis

    Indian Direct Selling Association and Kantar's report revealed a 12% industry growth to Rs 21,282 crore turnover. The sector aims to strengthen with government support, distinguishing from fraudulent schemes through regulatory amendments.

    India’s direct selling industry grew over 12% year-on-year in 2022-23, clocking an overall industry turnover of Rs 21,282 crore, an annual survey report released by the Indian Direct Selling Association (IDSA) and compiled by market researcher Kantar said on Wednesday.

    The report noted that the sector grew 8.3% by CAGR in the four-year period between 2019-20 and 2022-23.

    According to the report, wellness and nutraceutical products contributed 73.5%, while cosmetics and personal care accounted for 11.3% of the industry’s overall turnover. The number of active direct sellers touched around 86 lakh from 84 lakh in 2021–22, the survey said.

    Vivek Katoch, chairperson of IDSA, said in a statement: “The direct selling industry is poised to strengthen further in the years to come on the back of a promising regulatory framework by the government.”

    India ranked 11th in the global direct selling ranking in 2022, up from 15th in 2019.

    Direct selling companies sell to consumers through direct-seller members and not through retailers. Amway, Oriflame, Herbalife and other direct selling companies have been pushing for tighter regulation and clarity from the government, to differentiate them from multi-level-marketing ponzi companies.

    Mid last year, the consumer affairs ministry modified the Consumer Protection (Direct Selling) Rules, 2021, through a notification, to distinguish between fraudulent pyramid and money-circulation schemes and legitimate, direct-selling players. IDSA executives have said further clarity is needed in the definition of 'network of sellers'.

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These legal changes, accompanied by enforcement, contributed significantly to a decline in aggressive MLM recruitment practices and prompted some companies to change business models to minimize regulatory risk.

Financial performance among high-profile MLM companies further illustrates the industry’s contraction.

Herbalife’s market value fell by 64% in 2022, while Nu Skin and USANA endured substantial double-digit losses.

Tupperware’s stock value eroded by over 90% in five years, ultimately leading to warnings regarding possible bankruptcy.

Avon, once a global direct selling powerhouse, experienced continued revenue drops and after being acquired by Natura, sold its North American operations to LG Household & Health Care.

Avon’s North American business was then restructured away from the traditional MLM model toward direct sales, minimizing the recruitment element to comply with regulatory and market demands.

Other major companies have similarly scaled back or eliminated the recruitment tier of their compensation plans for compliance and to rebuild consumer trust.

Title:

Content: The global E-learning market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.22% during 2022 –2027.

E-learning is a method of teaching students using electronic media such as videos, audio, e-books, etc. e-learning refers to training, teaching, and testing services conducted or shared through the internet.

Lyon, FRANCE

New York, July 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "E-Learning Market - Global Outlook & Forecast 2022-2027" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05289135/?utm_source=GNW
Comprehensive training requirements for students and professionals, fueled by trends such as globalization, talent migration, and consistent advancements in corporate skills and individual talent grooming, have expanded the scope of e-learning.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE GLOBAL E-LEARNING MARKET
• North America’s e-learning market revenue crossed USD 94 billion in 2021. Similarly, APAC leading in the second position, generated a revenue of more than USD 69.47 billion in 2021. The lowest revenue was produced by the Middle East and Africa
• However, the highest growth is expected from the majorly populated APAC region. It is expected to showcase a growth rate of about 17.70% during the forecasted period. The high growth rate can be attributed to many middle-income groups in developing countries like India, a preferred market for vendors.
• The Middle East also proves to be a significant market as the middle east countries usually have gender disparities, thus creating scope for e-learning platforms in the region, especially for women as they typically show a keen interest in developments and upgrades.
• An increase in internet and smartphone penetration is the fundamental driver of e-learning market growth. This has revolutionized content delivery mode and evolved the method by continuously improving bandwidths and reducing data prices.

The following factors will drive the global e-learning market growth during the forecast period:
• Demand for Internet-Enabled Services
• Growing Need for Strong Workforce Skills
• Digital Transformation in Learning & Training
• Continuous Investment in Digital Learning
• Introduction of 5G Technology
• Enhancement In Connectivity Infrastructure and Smartphone Penetration

IMPACT OF COVID 19 ON THE GLOBAL E-LEARNING MARKET

The education of over 1.2 billion children worldwide got adversely affected by the pandemic, and hence there was a sudden shift in the way education was delivered after that.
Even before COVID-19, education technology was seeing rapid expansion and adoption, with worldwide edtech investments crossing USD 18 billion in 2019 and the online education market crossing over USD 350 billion by 2025. After witnessing the abrupt shift from the classroom in many parts of the world, there are high chances of online learning popularity to continue post-pandemic. Such a shift is expected to affect the global education industry.

E-LEARNING MARKET SEGMENTATION
E-learning encompasses various courseware and content delivery services for various end-user applications. The most prominent ones are packaged content, LMS, and other emerging learning avenues, including serious games and gamified mobile applications. Other essential education models increasingly gaining prominence are video-based learning, virtual classrooms, social learning, gamification, and simulations. Of all these, gamification and virtual classrooms stand out owing to their high engagement level and perceived effectiveness.

In the instructor-led type, the course already has a decided pace set and usually cannot be altered as per convenience. Self-paced learning mode is one of the most preferred choices. The self-paced study is a specific method that allows the learner to learn at one’s schedule and time. It enables the learner to control the amount of material they use, and the time they need to do so. The global e-learning market in 2021 was dominated by self-paced learning, holding a share of above 61%, and is also expected to witness a higher CAGR than instructor-led learning during the forecast period.

In terms of e-learning market share, the corporate e-learning market occupied the maximum share of 32.24% in 2021, which is significant, driven by increasing emphasis on talent up-gradation and retention. In addition, globalization is mandating a different set of functional and language skills for the critical workforce as companies expand their business presence across geographies. Due to increased federal budgetary allocations in the education sector, as they invest in improving digital connectivity and ensuring high-quality education to acquire resource competitiveness, the K-12 and higher education segments accounted for approximately the second and third highest share of revenue in the e-learning market.

The training function facilitates the learners with lectures (live or recorded) along with necessary notes or other relevant content. Testing plays a vital role in measuring the grasping capacity of a learner. It also certifies how well a student has learned a particular subject or course. Training functions dominated the global e-learning market in 2021.

Segmentation by Delivery Mode
• Packaged Content
• LMS
• Others

Segmentation by Learning Mode
• Self-paced
• Instructor-led

Segmentation by Function Type
• Training
• Testing

Segmentation by End-user
• K-12
• Higher Education
• Corporates
• Government
• Vocational

OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGE ANALYSIS
INCREASING USE OF VR & AR APPLICATIONS

Over the past few years, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) has substantially improved toward becoming popular consumer technologies. A decrease in cost is one of the most important factors concerning the adoption of VR and AR for education. Technology will become more accessible for consumers and businesses as the cost of software and hardware decreases. Developers are leveraging existing technologies such as smartphones to provide widespread and more affordable options for using VR and AR.

VR and AR are increasingly being adopted to deliver training. Virtual reality technology enables deep understanding by reducing risk and immerses learners in a new environment. Augmented reality provides just-in-time education by offering training to learners at their fingertips. AR and VR applications are increasingly being adopted in the remote learning space as they provide solutions to practical needs. Virtual reality is being used for performing intricate procedures and handling high-risk tasks. VR and AR solutions enable learners to connect with the content. They address one’s needs and help learners develop a highly immersive learning experience.

INADEQUATE INTERNET BANDWIDTH IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

E-learning is tried to be simplified as much as possible; there are a few essential prerequisites that are must-haves, such as a decent internet connection and at least a smartphone to use as a medium to access online content, which is not so easy for the people belonging to specific sections of the society especially those belonging to developing countries such as India and underdeveloped countries like Africa. In Sri Lanka, the government initiated providing common lectures on Math, Science, and other subjects through the TV for those who did not have access to smartphones or the internet.

GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS
With a revenue share of 44.17% in 2021, North America was the largest market for e-learning solutions, owing to efficient educational infrastructure and the development of innovative learning methodologies. The US and China were the world’s two largest e-learning markets in terms of revenue. However, APAC, particularly, the e-learning market in India and the Middle East & Africa, is predicted to have tremendous development potential. Though North America has the most robust infrastructure, APAC is the fastest-growing region in terms of infrastructure development and technology adoption as there is a rise in middle-income groups in these regions that are known to be ambitious and willing to spend money to get better experiences, especially for the children concerning all aspects of life. About 69% of the total population of APAC falls inside the age bracket of 15 to 64 years which is the population that can best make use of e-learning by creating the most of it.

Segmentation by Geography

• North America
o US
o Canada
• APAC
o China
o South Korea
o Japan
o Australia
o India
o Singapore
o Indonesia
• Europe
o UK
o Germany
o France
o Nordics
o Spain
o Italy
o Russia
o Benelux
• Latin America
o Brazil
o Mexico
o Argentina
o Chile
• Middle East & Africa
o GCC
o South Africa

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Academic and business end-users have different expectations and learning requirements, and each has various marginal utilities for services supplied. Furthermore, both academic and business end-users have distinct purchasers and end-users. While academic courseware should include highly configurable platforms that allow instructors to change content dynamically, corporate courseware often consists of courseware and content structures regularly distributed online to a bigger audience. Distinct forms of education need different marketing and operational resources. Thus medium-sized providers should concentrate on only a few. Over the previous seven years, the Latin American e-learning market has seen significant mergers and acquisitions. Several companies focusing on one or two segments, such as K12 or secondary education, have expanded their offerings and portfolios by acquiring smaller start-ups in distance learning, on-campus post-secondary education, and corporate or government workforce skill training.

Key Vendors
• Apollo Education Group
• Blackboard
• British Council
• Oracle
• Pearson
• Aptara
• Adobe
• Skillsoft
• NIIT

Other Prominent Vendors
• Cisco
• Instructure
• GP Strategies
• Thomson Reuters
• Docebo
• McGraw Hill
• Desire2Learn
• Edmodo
• Cengage
• Macmillan Education
• Cornerstone
• Educomp
• Cogna Educacao
• Telefonica
• edX
• Estacio
• Coursera
• SAP Litmos
• Open Education
• Veduca
• LinkedIn (Microsoft)
• Simplilearn
• Think & Learn (BYJU’S)
• upGrad
• LeQuest
• FutureLearn
• L2P (Learn 2 Play)
• Chegg
• Bright Little Labs
• Aula Education
• WhiteHat Security
• Blinkist
• Age of Learning
• Learnetic
• Elearn Australia
• 360Learning
• Udemy
• Skillshare
• Udacity
• Pluralsight
• Alison
• Babbel
• Treehouse
• Unacademy
• Duolingo
• Tracxn Technologies
• IGNOU

KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED
1. WHAT WILL BE THE SIZE OF THE GLOBAL E-LEARNING MARKET IN 2027?
2. WHAT IS THE GLOBAL E-LEARNING MARKET GROWTH RATE?
3. WHICH REGION WILL ACCOUNT FOR THE LARGEST SHARE IN THE E-LEARNING MARKET BY 2027?
4. WHO ARE THE KEY PLAYERS IN THE GLOBAL E-LEARNING MARKET?
5. WHAT ARE THE FACTORS DRIVING THE GROWTH OF THE E-LEARNING MARKET GLOBALLY?
Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05289135/?utm_source=GNW

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The past few years have also seen several prominent MLMs exit markets, announce closure, or abandon the MLM model outright.

Tupperware serves as a concrete example: after sustained financial decline and massive loss of market value, the company openly warned of bankruptcy risk and has drastically reduced its MLM operations.

Similarly, Avon’s North American segment, now under new ownership, abandoned the multi-level recruitment approach and operates as a straightforward direct selling business, reflecting a broader industry pivot away from controversial practices.

Despite global contraction, some regions demonstrated short-term growth, particularly in pandemic years.

Title:

Content: With the US financial report coming into the week, the focus of the market has gradually shifted to the corporate financial results, and the current profit performance is generally better than expected, which has reinvigorated investment confidence.
Street Investment said that in the future, there are many heavyweight companies such as Netflix, IBM, Tesla and Intel released financial reports, which will be the focus of investors' attention.
Financial reports, represented by financial stocks, show that the performance of large banks and financial institutions from JP Morgan, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, MS, flowering period to Goldman Sachs and other performance were better than expected, driving the market sentiment to improve, and investors are optimistic about consumer spending and financing momentum driven by the recovery of consumer and corporate sentiment.
According to Refinitiv data, 83% of the 41 S & P 500 companies that reported third-quarter results exceeded expectations for earnings per share; the market currently expects the S & P 500 to grow by 32% in the third quarter.
Corporate earnings showed that earnings were still better than expected.
Delta Airlines, the first airline to report earnings recently, said that although third-quarter operating figures were better than expected, rising fuel costs and other expenses will put pressure on its profits in the fourth quarter, but the company is still optimistic about the slowing airline demand, and expects its fourth quarter capacity to return to 80% of the same period in 2019, compared with 71% in the previous quarter.
In addition, boutique leader LVMH said that revenue growth in the third quarter was 11% higher than before the epidemic, which was better than market expectations, and sales in Asia and the United States continued to maintain double-digit growth compared to 2019.
Looking ahead, the company said it expects growth rates to continue as the world moves away from the coronavirus pandemic.
# World # Corporate Reports # Better Than Expectations # Focus # Gradual

India’s direct selling sector, which includes both traditional MLMs and hybrid models, grew over 12% in 2022–23, substantially driven by wellness and nutraceuticals.

Notably, this expansion occurred alongside—and arguably because of—increased regulatory efforts to distinguish legitimate direct selling from illegal pyramid schemes.

In such markets, the ability of companies to rapidly adapt their business models to meet new legal standards determined their capacity to avoid bans or mass departures.

Title:

Content: Resignation ｜ I 've only been working for 1 year and want to change jobs? The same is true for senior positions. Visual interview is the key.
Author: The Manager
Published: Updated:
How long will you stay until you leave if you find that the job content or treatment doesn ’ t meet your expectations?
According to a LinkedIn survey, more and more people find themselves unsuitable for a job and will quit within a year. George Anders, a senior editor at LinkedIn, calls this ultra-short work experience a “quick quitting. ”
Starting in August 2021, the proportion of employees leaving within one year of their new job is increasing and peaked in March of this year.
According to Anders, in general, “rapid departures ” occur more often in Generation Z, who are on lower salaries, are new to the job market and uncertain about their future career development, and are also the largest in terms of numbers, but he also found that the short-term departures rate of senior executives has increased significantly.
Related articles: Quiet dismissal? Quiet dismissal? In the end, it is a toxic way to hire and hurt each other.
+ 15
Video interview leads to disapproval of new entrants
LinkedIn ’ s survey charts show that short-term turnover rates for workers in different positions have risen since mid-2021, and diverging curves only after September.
The group rate of new entrants to the workplace changes between 0% and 5%, and the turnover rate of colleagues, supervisors, managers, and even deputy general managers in senior positions continues to rise, and by February 2022, the turnover rate of managers has even reached 20%, and it has gradually slowed to about 10%.
In the first half of 2022, the rapid turnover rate of senior executives at the vice president level fluctuated between 8% and 16%, and as of August, it remained at 13%.
According to Anders, the use of video interviews during the pandemic may be a major reason for the rapid rise in turnover rates.
These interviewers do not have the opportunity to visit and observe the office environment, and similarly, they will not meet new colleagues in the future, which may allow new people to enter the company, only to find out and their own thinking is not the same, and quickly leave the job.
The epidemic has increased the pressure on management positions, leaving senior executives out of their posts.
Another important reason may be that some industries directly affected by COVID-19 are under severe stress.
For example, data on the health industry points to a rapid increase in the number of hospital CEO departures.
In the absence of branches, a total of 440 CEOs resigned between January and April last year, and this year, it has grown to 518, an increase of 18%. Due to the impact of the epidemic, some people choose to retire or switch to other high-level positions (such as consultants) to look for other opportunities.
Other organizations, including those in the medical field, also have many reports of managers expressing excessive stress and dissatisfaction; they are caught between executives, families, and personal mental health who are eager to push for organizational change.
These huge and invisible pressures are harassing frontline managers during the pandemic.
In addition, Fortune cited research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which found that one of the reasons for the increase in the turnover rate of mid-level executives is a toxic work culture, which is 10 times more likely than low pay.
For supervisors, changing hybrid work rules, as well as upward and downward workplace management, accelerate burnout in supervisors.
If there is a shortage of labor, there is no harm in saying anything naked.
Anders also observed that some industries have higher rapid turnover rates than others.
For example, in August, data showed that the arts and leisure services sector increased by about 12% compared to the same period last year, traditionally defined as white-collar high-paying workers in technology, financial and professional services, due to high market demand and rapid turnover rates.
Dave Carhart, deputy general manager of employee management software Lattice, told Fortune that in the active labor market, workers have realized that if companies can ’ t meet their needs or expectations, they don ’ t need to stick around for more than a year.
Despite the downturn, and even the news that big companies are laying off employees and stopping hiring, the labor market is still strong, and news of talent shortages or talent grabs is everywhere.
According to Forbes, as of the end of July, there were 11.2 million job openings in the United States, which means that on average, there are about 2 job openings per job-seeker, which means that human resources are leaning toward the seller market, which is why more and more people are leaving jobs quickly.
In the face of rapid turnover, employers should pay attention to the job experience
In order to offset inflation, many people seek higher-paying jobs; although companies may raise wages, the increase is mostly not keeping pace with inflation, Forbes analysis.
In the post-pandemic era, many people have experienced dramatic changes in their lives, where work is no longer a priority and they are reluctant to tolerate poorly managed or unhealthy work environments.
Studies have shown that hybrid work is also the key to employee retention. If employers return to physical work, two thirds of people will choose to find a new job.
Once the workplace environment is not as expected, they will no longer be hesitant to stay for a year.
"Inc." said that rapid departure is not a new phenomenon, in the past to the present, there are many examples of people leaving soon after arriving at the job.
However, there has been a recent increase in the rate of rapid departures, which deserves further attention from employers: some bosses may misunderstand employees who leave quickly, or expect them to show loyalty to the company or make extra efforts without providing corresponding feedback and investment.
Therefore, if employers want new employees to stay, they also need to create a good employee experience, otherwise they are likely to become part of a rapid departure.
“Employers want me to make a good first impression within 90 days of joining, and I want them to do the same, ” one entrepreneur summed up the position of many employees.
(Extended reading, more workplace advice)
Resignation ｜ There are always signs that colleagues are ready to leave …
+ 6
Is it the first time you quit your job as the final answer?
10 Things to Consider Before Leaving
+ 18
[This article is reproduced with the permission of the "Manager".]

In sum, recent MLM trends reveal a cycle in which temporary surges in participation—driven by economic downturns and amplified through digital recruitment—gave way to overall decline as negative publicity, regulatory action, and the exposure of poor distributor earnings mounted.

Several iconic companies, such as Tupperware and Avon’s North American division, have either exited the MLM space or switched to a direct sales model with no multi-level recruitment.

Meanwhile, the majority of legacy MLMs face declining revenues, public distrust, and intensifying legal scrutiny, driving many to contract, restructure, or fundamentally abandon the classic recruitment-based MLM structure in favor of simple, product-focused sales.