Chance Dh75 discovery leads to business franchise

Dubai: Chancing upon a bottle of "liquified chlorophyll" for Dh75 was how it all came together for Anacleto Lumapas to embark on the road to entrepreneurship.

Lumapas now heads an eminently successful business selling health tonics under the Edmark label. "The opportunity came in 2004, although at that time I did not realise it was one," Lumapas said.

"A salesman gave me a bottle of Splina and said it had health benefits.

"Of course I left it [in] a far corner of the house and completely forgot about it for a week, until my wife complained that her muscles ached and decided to give it a try.

"We were surprised to find that the product actually worked." From that moment on, Lumapas was an instant convert.

He ventured into business and earned enough to buy an Edmark franchise in Sharjah, through which other enterprising members, including his family, now earn a sizeable income each month — by marketing health products through an extended network.

Launched in 1999 as a multi-level marketing company, Edmark now has branches in the Middle East and Africa. Though they have received their share of flak over their compensation schemes for distributors and the constant need to generate new sales or recruits, multi-level marketing companies operate with legitimate business credentials.

Edmark franchises have already spread into Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the Philippines, Sudan and other African markets.

Did Lumapas ever envision himself as a successful entrepreneur? He responds in the negative. Venturing into business on one's own is a huge leap from his planned career, he said.

His family helps him run the office in Sharjah. His son, a dentist by profession, immersed himself in the business.

His wife also helps with the marketing. "She was running a beauty salon, which allowed her to introduce the products to her customers," he said.

But does network marketing really work?

"The secret to wealth is leverage, and network marketing gives you leverage because you multiply your earnings through your network. Even if you are not working, other people are working for you."

Edmark products are approved for distribution in the UAE by Dubai Municipality and the Bureau of Food and Drugs.

Splina — or liquid Chlorophyll — is derived from the alfalfa plant.

It contains lots of vitamins and minerals like zinc, selenium, Vitamin E, Vitamin A, protein, biotin, Vitamin C, iron, folic acid, panthotenic acid, calcium, chromium, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium, among others.

Its key benefit lies in the fact that it cleanses, balances, nourishes and rejuvenates blood cells.

Top three tips

• The network. Is the network stable?
• Get the best out of the product. Is it useful or beneficial?
• Finetune the marketing plan. Does it work? Is it advantageous?