The Beginning
QNET was founded in 1998 in the aftermath of the Asian Financial Crisis, and the heels of the dotcom crash that turned many local Asian economies upside down. It was a time of turmoil in more ways than one for a group of young Asian entrepreneurs who were reeling from having just discovered that an American Direct Selling company they were associated with, had disappeared overnight. They were left with liabilities upward of $250,000 and a team of 1,500 people who had put their trust in them.
Out of this crisis, the seed of the idea for a new company to support their team, was planted. That was the beginning of the company that came to be known as QNET.
The Founders and the Philosophy that Drives QNET
Vijay Eswaran and Joseph Bismark didn’t quite start off wanting to build a company to change the world. But when faced with an impossible situation, they powered through to take forward the aspirations of those who had put their faith in them to change their lives. Since then, they have overcome innumerable obstacles to build a business that has become a vehicle of change for thousands of people around the world.
Vijay Eswaran and Joseph Bismark may have come from very different backgrounds— one a trained economist, and a product of Corporate America, the other a former monk, with no formal education; and yet the purpose that brought them together has been at the core of the organisation they built — RYTHM, an acronym for Raise Yourself To Help Mankind. This is the principle that lies at the heart of QNET.
Inspired by the life and teachings of the humanitarian and peace activist Mahatma Gandhi, the Founders were unwavering in their vision to build an organisation that would help empower people, to raise them to see beyond their limitations, and to inspire them to not just change their lives, but also impact their communities in a positive way.
Today, while the Founders are no longer involved in the operations of QNET, their vision and continued mentoring drives the company forward as it enters its third decade.
Who is QNET?
QNET was one of the earliest companies in the industry to merge the tried and tested model of direct selling with the then emerging model of e-commerce, providing customers with access to unique high-quality products and services from around the world. This also allowed the customers the opportunity to become distributors by building a borderless sales business that helps connect people, products, and communities.
Today, QNET is known as a pioneer of the direct selling industry in many emerging economies; a company that has enabled a diverse global community to rise through solutions that empower entrepreneurship and enhance lifestyles. A company that has made dreams come true for hundreds of thousands of aspiring young men and women from Malaysia to Mali, Indonesia to Istanbul, and Kazakhstan to Cote’ D’Ivoire.
QNET is headquartered in Hong Kong and is a member of the Direct Selling Associations of Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, and UAE. The company’s central operational base is in Malaysia, with global logistics hubs in Malaysia, Turkey, India, Dubai, Russia and Togo, and offices and agency partners in 25 countries.
QNET’s Products — Absolute Living
As a direct selling company that specializes in Health, Wellness, and Lifestyle products, QNET aims to help people take charge of their lives— live healthier, focus on personal development, improve the quality of their relationships with their family and friends, and plan for a secure future for their children.
Based on the concept of Absolute Living, these products and services have the overarching goal of making complete wellbeing accessible to all. The company’s research and development teams work with an international panel of experts as well as a scientific advisory board to source and develop the highest quality of products to help customers live holistic lives. These include home care products such as air and water filtration systems in developing countries, personal care solutions for both men and women to combat the stressors of modern life, university accredited e-learning courses for aspiring entrepreneurs, and nutrition and wellness products designed to make holistic living easy and accessible to all.
QNET also works with small and medium enterprises in many countries to source local products for that market, thereby helping to promote small local businesses. Some of the countries where QNET has successfully implemented the local first model includes India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey and Russia.
Giving back
QNET’s founders have always advocated the need to work towards a goal beyond financial success. They believe that money is just a by-product when people work towards driving lasting change in their lives. These ideals have grown to become the lifeblood of the RYTHM Foundation which serves as the social impact initiative of the company.
The Foundation is guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which provides the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.
QNET works closely with RYTHM Foundation on several projects in developing countries to make a difference in local communities. These include support for literacy programs for young girls from low income families in Sub-Saharan Africa, skills training for economic empowerment for women in rural India, a school for children with special needs in Malaysia, and life skills training and Community Capacity Building in Indonesia, among others.
The Future
With the rise of the gig economy, there are many more opportunities available today for those looking to make an additional income with control over their time. Direct selling companies the world over find that they are competing with the influx of flashy new companies that offer side hustles. However, recent research has shown that despite its much-touted flexibility, the gig economy isn’t much of a place to build a career.
QNET recognises this and is focused on continuously improving its product offerings, customer experience, marketing and sales strategy, and compensation plan, to help people build a business that lasts. The QNET business is not just about earning an income, but about building a community.
Many American and European companies are now discovering the potential of the vibrant, youth dominated Asian markets, a secret QNET has been onto for two decades. As a pioneer in direct selling in many new developing countries, QNET hopes to continue leading the way as more countries discover the power of direct selling. If the last 21 years are any yardstick to go by, the next 21 promise to be an equally exciting story of growth and empowerment.
