Should You Become a Norwex Consultant? [Full Review]

Norwex offers regular folks an “opportunity” to earn money selling their range of eco-friendly products at “home parties”.

And according to the website (norwex.biz), as a Norwex consultant, you are “helping friends, family and people you meet to create safe havens” in the process.

Sounds like a great opportunity.

But is Norwex legit, and if so, is this a worthwhile endeavor?

Well, the good news is, Norwex is not a scam or pyramid scheme. It is a legit company with legit products, and there is money to be made as a consultant. With that being said, no company is perfect, so there are drawbacks to consider before joining.

Read on for the full review.

Company Overview

Norwex is a multilevel marketing (MLM) company that specialises in environmentally-friendly cleaning and personal care products.

The company was founded in 1994 by Norwegian man, Bjorn Nicolaisen. Which at the time, was known as Eidsvoll Miljoprodukter.

Five years later in 1999, “Norwex Enviro Products” opened its doors in Canada, which was a success. So Norwex continued expanding operations into countries like Australia (2008) and the United States (2011).

Today, Norwex generates $50 – $100 million in global yearly revenue, employs over 400 full time employees and works with over 90,000 consultants worldwide.

So there’s no denying that Norwex is dominating the eco-friendly MLM space.

But does this mean it’s a good business opportunity for you?

Maybe, maybe not. To answer this we need to dig deeper.

What’s the Business Opportunity All About?

The Norwex “business opportunity” allows consultants to earn money in one of two ways:

• By selling products (direct selling aspect)
• By recruiting others into your downline who sell products (MLM aspect)

Selling products is pretty straightforward. The idea is to host “home parties” where you demonstrate the products (features, benefits, how it works etc) and generate sales as a result.

The “recruiting” aspect is where the MLM side of things comes into play. And it’s where things get a little more complicated.

The idea with recruiting is to not just focus on selling products, but to also work on recruiting others into the business opportunity. So that you can earn revenue off of whatever they sell.

In doing this, you are building a team (or network) of consultants under you. And the more money your referrals earn, the more money you can potentially earn.

The way this works is similar to companies like Avon, LuLaroe and Tupperware for example. Which are MLM companies that also embrace the “home party” business model. Of course they do sell different types of products, but the business model is very much the same.

What’s the income potential like?

Given the nature of the business model, there really is no limit to what you can earn.

The more product you (and your team) sell, the more money you can make. So it ultimately comes down to the level of effort you are willing to put in. As with any business.

Related: Can You Make Real Money Selling Norwex?

The specific details (such as commission rates) can be found within the Norwex compensation plan (AKA “Success Builder” as they refer to it). And I’m going to be walking you through this in a moment.

But before we get to that, let’s take a closer look at the products.

Norwex Products- Do They Live Up to the Hype?

Norwex is best known for its innovative and environmentally friendly cleaning products.

For example, the EnviroCloth which cleans surfaces (wet or dry) without the need to use harsh cleaning chemicals. Simply dampen the cloth with water and start wiping to achieve a clean and 99% bacteria free surface.

And you can use these cloths in the kitchen or bathroom, on floors and glass. Pretty much anywhere you would use a regular cloth or mop to clean a surface.

Another unique aspect of these Microfiber towels is what Norwex has dubbed “BacLock”.

BacLock is a silver-based antibacterial agent that is embedded into certain Norwex Microfiber cloths. And its purpose is to help keep the cloth itself clean and germ free.

Despite some common misconceptions, BacLock does NOT kill germs on the surface you are cleaning. Rather, the silver ions inhibit new bacteria and mildew from growing on the MicroFiber cloth itself.

So the EnviroCloth physically removes bacteria from the surface you are cleaning, given its MicroFiber material. And that bacteria then dies off on the cloth itself, over time.

Or as SuperFoodly.com puts it:

“Even though it doesn’t kill the bacteria on contact when wiping a counter, many or most of the microbes will adhere to the microfiber cloth. Then as time passes, those on the cloth will die off. That’s how BacLock works.”

Either way, it certainly seems like an innovative product.

The idea is that, by using these products, you can keep your home clean and germ free, without using harmful chemicals. Which is better for you, your family and the environment.

Aside from MicroFiber cloths, Norwex sells other cleaning products for times when water alone doesn’t cut it.

For example laundry detergent, cleaning paste and bathroom cleaner. And in keeping with the company’s eco-friendly brand, these are apparently less harmful to the environment than regular cleaning products.

And the company recently started selling a range of “personal care” products. Products such as facial cleansers, body lotions and hair care products to name a few.

On one hand, these products do fit into the “improving quality of life” motto Norwex embraces. And it does represent more opportunities to earn as a consultant. On the other hand, they are moving away from their core brand here, so time will tell how successful they are.

Do these products really live up to the hype?

It depends on who you ask.

If you ask a Norwex consultant, they’ll probably tell you how amazing the products are. And without some form of third party lab testing, it’s hard to know for sure how legit these are.

With that being said, I did find what I believe is an unbiased and thorough review of the Norwex products from a woman named Annie Pryor, Ph.D (AKA Dr. Annie).

She systematically tests the Norwex EnviroCloth and compares the results against a range of competing cloths, which you can see in this YouTube video:

I’m not sure if she’s a consultant or not, but this is an interesting and helpful video either way.

Compensation Plan Breakdown

The Norwex compensation plan outlines the ways in which you can earn as a consultant. And in this section, I am going to break this down for you so you know what to expect.

Hosting Home Parties (4-Star Host Program)

This is a free program that allows anyone to host a “party” to sell Norwex products.

You do not need to become a Sales Consultant to participate either. You just need to invite some people you know and connect with a Sales Consultant, who will join you at the party and bring some products to demonstrate.

The reward for hosting a party is free product. And basically, the more product you sell, the more free product you will receive.

The reason they call it the “4-star” host program is because there are 4 ways you can earn free product by hosting a party. Each “star” represents a different way you can earn free product.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the different host rewards:

1 Star

• 3 customer orders qualifies you for free shipping on your personal orders
• 5 customer orders qualifies you for above product, plus a free EnviroCloth
• 8 customer orders qualifies you for above products, plus a free kitchen cloth
• 10 customer orders qualifies you for above products, plus a free body pack
• 13 customer orders qualifies you for above products, plus a free dusting mitt
• 15 customer orders qualifies you for above products, plus a free Chenille hand towel

2 Star

This allows you to earn “host dollars” (AKA credit you can use receive free Norwex products).

You will receive:

• 8% of all sales in free product when you make up to $249.99 in sales
• 10% of all sales in free product when you make $250 – $749.99 in sales
• 12% of all sales in free product when you make $750 or more in sales

For example, if you host a party and sell $500 worth of products, you will receive $50 “host dollars” that you can use to purchase whatever Norwex products you want.

3 Star

This gives you a free window cloth for each party you book.

4 Star

The fourth way you can get free products as a host, is with “Host Specials”.

When you make $350, $500, $750 or $1,000 or more in sales across 3 or more customers at a party, you qualify for this bonus. And each higher dollar sale amount I just mentioned, qualifies you for more free products.

Exactly which products you receive, and how many, change from month to month. So it’s totally pointless walking you through the individual products you can receive. The “Host Rewards Flyer” on the company site (norwex.biz) shows you the latest product combinations for each of the above qualifying sale amounts.

Becoming a Norwex Sales Consultant

To become a Norwex Sales Consultant you need to visit the Norwex website and click on the “join” tab:

And you must join through an existing consultant. You can either type in the name of whoever referred you, or punch in your postcode and Norwex will connect you with a nearby consultant. Either option is fine.

From here, you simply follow the steps to register and become a consultant.

How much does it cost?

The cost to become a Sales Consultant is $200 (plus tax) for the Starter Kit and $9.99 for shipping and handling.

However, you don’t actually pay for the Start Kit upfront, you just pay the shipping and handling fee.

And if you generate $2,000 or more in product sales during your first 90 days, you never have to pay that $200 Starter Kit fee. It’s yours to keep. If you do not meet that sales quota during your first 90 days as a Sales Consultant, you will be charged the full $200 plus tax for the Starter Kit.

In addition to this, there is a $9.99 per month fee for Consultant Office Plus. Which is essentially your back office and gives you the tools you need to run your business.

Is there a monthly sales quota to stay active?

Yes. Like most MLM companies, you need to make a certain amount of sales each month to remain active and qualified to earn commissions.

To remain active, you must maintain $250 in total retail sales within a rolling 3 month period. Which works out to roughly $83 in sales every 30 days.

If you don’t meet this quota for 6 consecutive months, your account becomes “dormant” and to re-qualify you need to pay a re-activation fee.

And if you don’t meet this sales quota for a full 12 months, you are removed from the organization completely.

How much can you earn as a Sales Consultant?

As a Sales Consultant, you will earn 35% commissions on personal sales you make. Which is actually a pretty good commission rate for physical products.

In addition, you can earn $300 in free product for every Sales Consultant you recruit, who makes $2,000 in sales within their first 90 days.

That’s pretty much the extent of earning for the “Sales Consultant” rank. The majority of your revenue will come from selling products to retail customers at home parties.

Norwex provides the following example of how much you can earn by hosting home parties in the compensation plan:

They claim you can earn $175 per party you host, based on selling $500 worth of products on average per party.

I personally think that’s a bit on the high end for the average person. You would really need to have a decent network to achieve this, and be reasonably good at face to face selling.

So if you want to earn the “big bucks” you will need to progress in rank. Because this is when you begin earning commissions off of those you recruit, instead of just product sales commissions.

Advancing In “Rank” to Increase Your Earnings

There are 8 “affiliate ranks” within Norwex:

• Sales Consultant
• Team Coordinator
• Sales Leader
• Executive Sales Leader
• Senior Executive Sales Leader
• Vice President Sales Leader
• Executive Vice President Sales Leader
• Senior Vice President Sales Leader

Each higher rank offers higher income potential and becomes harder to qualify for.

For example: to achieve the rank of “Team Coordinator” you must maintain $250 in sales each month, and recruit 3 Sales Consultants who do the same. Doing so qualifies you to earn the same as a Sales Consultant PLUS a 3% commission off of whatever your personal recruits sell each month.

The more people you recruit, and the more sales you and your recruits make, the higher your rank will be and the money you can potentially make.

That’s how MLM works.

I’m not going to go into each individual rank, but you can check out the compensation plan I linked to earlier to learn more.

Is Norwex a Scam or Pyramid Scheme?

No. Norwex is not a scam or pyramid scheme.

This is a legitimate company that has been around since the mid 90’s that sells real, tangible products. Products people will continue to buy well into the future.

A pyramid scheme is where you signup for a fee, don’t get any tangible products and the whole thing is about recruiting others into the system, who recruit others and so on. The whole thing is about chain recruiting as oppose to selling real products to real customers.

And that is not what is going on here from what I can see.

Also worth noting is that the company has an A+ rating on the BBB website. And very few complaints within the past few years considering the size of the company.

I’m not saying you should rush out and join.

Not at all. I’m just saying that as far as MLM companies go, Norwex is about as legitimate as it gets. Real products, ethical marketing and a fair, product focussed, compensation plan.

Verdict- Should You Become a Norwex Consultant?

Whether or not you should become a Norwex Sales Consultant is ultimately up to you.

What I can say, is that Norwex is a legitimate company. And one that offers you the chance to start a real home-based business.

If you love the products and like the idea of hosting home parties, this could be a good opportunity for you. For the right person, there is definitely the potential to earn good money by selling products and building your organization.

But there are drawbacks to consider.

And probably the biggest drawback in my opinion is the business model itself.

Selling at home parties may work well at first. But unless you know a LOT of people, you are going to be relying heavily on your family and friends to make sales. Which is never a good strategy and to be honest, can get very awkward, very quickly.

I’ve been there (with a different MLM company) and it sucks.

The alternative is to refer people to your replicated website and generate sales and referrals this way. Which is the smarter approach and the one that will allow you to reach a much larger audience. This is how I earn 6 figures per year doing affiliate marketing.

With that being said, I’m not sure what training (if any) Norwex provides in the way of internet marketing. Which is an essential skill to develop if you want to leverage the internet to build your business.

Either way, those who succeed in this business are those who are constantly hosting new parties and recruiting new people. It’s a numbers game.

So you will need to go (well) beyond friends and family if you want to be successful at this. Which is absolutely possible. Just know that it’ll take you time, effort and persistence, as with any worthwhile venture.

Whatever you decide, I hope you found this review helpful!