MANILA, Philippines — Dr. Dora Hoan, co-founder and group CEO of health and wellness company Best World Lifestyle (BWL), started working straight out of college as an account executive. “One day, I got a chance to host a direct selling party and the money I made was [equivalent to] my one month salary,” she recalls. Although she continued with her day job, Hoan worked part-time direct selling household ware.

Six months later, the cosmetics company she was working for closed down. “I advised my boss to convert to direct selling [and we did]. I worked there for seven years [and gained] a lot of experience.” Hoan worked in another direct selling company for four years before deciding to set up her own.

Taking charge

Before she established BWL with business partner Dr. Doreen Tan, Hoan’s 13 years of direct selling experience proved that the industry provides people the opportunity to start a business without capital and without experience. “They can learn and, as long as they work hard, they can make more money—you decide how much you want to earn,” Hoan says.

A self-confessed introvert, Hoan shares that after getting involved in the business, “I became very positive and confident. You know, character and personality can really change and transform. I wanted to have a good company [that would] help people and build a positive image in the industry. [In addition], we look for the best ingredients from various parts of the globe so we can develop the best quality products for the whole world.”

When asked why she chose to market beauty and nutrition or lifestyle products, she readily replies that, “These are important to people. When your [facial] skin is not nice, you don’t look nice. When your skin is healthy and radiant, you become happy and confident.”

Hoan acknowledges that this is an everlasting industry. “We all like to look good,” she says, “and our motivation is to make good skin care products to help people solve their [skin] problems.”

Health is also important, she points out. “Before you develop a problem, do preventive care,” she says.

Growing the company

BWL was started with a capital of SGD200,000. “We did it step by step,” Hoan recalls. “The money we made goes back to product and people development,” she says, adding that this has helped the company survive the financial crisis from 1997 to 2000. “We believed in the business and never gave up. We talked to the staff, tried to find new markets, and worked harder,” she adds.

From its creation in 1990, BWL has evolved to become the first and only listed direct selling company in the Singapore Stock Exchange. It is a recognized company in 20 countries and has become an emerging global player in the direct selling industry.

“We have subsidiaries and lifestyle centers in most of the ASEAN countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Myanmar, and also in Asia-Pacific countries like China, Hong Kong and Korea,” she says. “And every time I see our distributors, they transform; they are prettier and happier. I see them become successful and I thought, why not [also bring the products to] the Philippines? That’s why we’re here now.”

Hoan leads her company’s vision and strategy for global expansion by driving BWL’s business and marketing plan. Having a PhD in Business Administration from the United States, Hoan is instrumental in the creation of BWL’s distinctive commission scheme called Enterprise Network Programme (ENP), a platform for business associations to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams and fulfill personal goals of financial wellness.

Standing out

“We have two things in common with other good companies—we have a good marketing plan and we have good quality products,” shares Hoan. “(But) what makes us different from others,” she points out, “is that we are very focused. Some companies have a lot of products, they sell thousands of items, while others sell just one. We are in between and focus on product quality and efficiency.” She also adds that the fast results clients get from using BWL products also sets them apart from other companies.

BWL helps its sellers succeed by providing them with an education system where they are trained to first become familiar with the products they sell before they recommend—not push—them to others. “We train our people to be professional, have a strong knowledge background, and have good values. We want them to treasure relationships and become better persons.”

Giving back and

looking forward

In 2001, Hoan partnered with Lianhe Zaobao, a major Singapore newspaper, and initiated the Singapore Promising Brand Award (SPBA). This is an annual recognition that emphasizes the value of corporate branding as a key strategic tool for global business integration. At the time, she was also serving as president of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises in Singapore.

Hoan’s hard work has already been recognized as she was named one of the Outstanding Women Entrepreneurs in Singapore and won the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2006. She was also presented the ASEAN Most Outstanding Woman Entrepreneur Award in 2008. Last October, Hoan was appointed the Chairperson of Association Services Committee for the World Federation of Direct Selling Association (WFDSA), which makes her in charge of raising the standards of 60 DSAs worldwide.

Aside from helping start the SPBA, which promotes brand consciousness and helped Singapore SMEs get a lot of exposure to grow and compete in the international arena, Hoan reveals that they do a lot of charity work. In 2008, after the China earthquake, she recounts helping raise funds to build seven schools, as well as raise funds for scholarships so they can bring Chinese youngsters to Singapore through a student exchange program. “In time, we may expand this project in other countries [where BWL is present],” Hoan says.

Hoan further reports that BWL’s growth has been consistent, and that for the next five years, they aim to focus on Asia “because we believe there’s better growth here.” She mentions India and Japan as their next probable targets.

All indicates that she—and the Filipinos that might join BWL—will succeed. “Your fighting spirit is important. No matter how hard, try to think out of the box, be innovative, do more, and be more positive,” she emphasizes. “I always believed that the bigger enemy is not outside, not other people, not the environment, but yourself. If you easily lose confidence and give up, then you cannot succeed,” she says, “[so] don’t lose faith. That’s important.”