e-Commerce wave

The world is getting smaller. The American company DubLi starts its frontal attack in E-commerce.

A new, worldwide trade portal which is to be run via network-marketing and to be made known explosively by a special customer recommendation program, has been presented in the setting of a grand opening in Copenhagen. 
There was a striking amount of networkers who hold high leading positions in the networking branch to be seen amongst the approx. 500 visitors at the DubLi opening event. “Markets are developing globally and it is vital we know exactly where future trends are heading” said a well-known networker, who watched the DubLi start in Copenhagen enthusiastically. 
Network-Karriere (Network career) talked to Michael Hansen, DubLi-innovator and founder of the company.

Network-Karriere: Michael Hansen, with DubLi.com you are starting a frontal attack against the billion market of eBay. An intention such as this cannot remain secret for long. Has there already been a reaction from eBay?

Michael Hansen: No, since we are not attacking eBay in particular.
The market leader eBay is a synonym for worldwide internet trade.
There are already several trading portals which are trying to come close to the markets of eBay.
However, this usually leads to moderate success only, because the international factor has, up to now, been put into practice in a restricted manner only. It is exactly here that DubLi sees a large opening. In E-commerce, the world of trade is becoming smaller every day. We will meet international demands by making trade truly possible for all target groups worldwide.
DubLi brings manufacturers and power-sellers as well as private buyers and sellers from all over the world together on one large portal. In the future, different languages and currencies will not play a role at DubLi.

NK: Your portal is designed for the worldwide buying and selling of goods from manufacturers, distributors and private persons. Does this wide range of offers fit together or will there be a large amount of specialised portals?

Michael Hansen: Of course user-specific portals are part of the DubLi concept. DubLi is the roof under which there will eventually be hundreds of thousands of portals, all of which will have the same functions and which will be used for all trade, extending from local to worldwide trade. He who puts his products on DubLi decides with one click which target groups and countries he would like to address. In my opinion, E-commerce simply has to be easy for everyone to use, in the handling of the shop, the shipping of goods and also the accounts. We work together with internationally successful partners who make it possible, e.g. that manufacturers from China can deliver the goods, which the power-seller has sold from his living room, directly to the end-consumers. The distributor doesn’t even take his goods into his hands.

NK: To come back to eBay, eBay has been on the market for twelve years. Many traders think that eBay’s internet technology and processing is getting old. Is this a competition advantage for DubLi?

Michael Hansen: Most of the trading portals work with technology which has been added to many times over the years.
Compare this with the software in a business. Whoever is still using software from ten years ago will, despite many updates, face more and more difficulties. Naturally we have it much easier, due tototally new developed software which has already been designed for the next five years.
Here we were able to learn from the problems experienced by the competing companies.
Our technology is already very scalable and expandable in order to cope reliably with the expected volume of traffic.
This is also necessary. The E-commerce market is experiencing explosive growth daily.
In China alone 500,000 new users per week access the net. 240,000 new products appear on the world wide web within 24 hours. 
It is almost impossible to imagine this growth and these markets.

NK: How did the idea for DubLi come about?

Michael Hansen: I have been busy with two topics for many years: E-commerce and network marketing. More and more product manufacturers, no matter which type, are on the lookout for new ways in which to distribute their products on an international level. The warehouses are full, the markets are sated, so it stands to reason to provide products worldwide. To do this, the manufacturers, as well as traders, private buyers and sellers need an appropriate platform with functioning logistics and a secure payment process. A distribution model in network marketing isideal: local, regional, national, throughout Europe and worldwide. Everything is possible and explicable.

The network marketing advisors can build up an active and passive income as franchisees. Active, by establishing shops, passive from all the sales, which run via the shops and also through business, which has been made via purchases through pure recommendations from shop customers. All the shop customers participate in a DubLi point bonus scheme, which will quickly increase the recommendations from customer to customer. Thus an almost never-ending customer network will be built up for the DubLi Network Marketing advisor, he will continually profit from the sales to thiscustomer network. 

NK: Not every networker is an E-commerce specialist. Does everyone have to be one, in order to be successful with DubLi?

Michael Hansen: Our franchisees do not have to be technology freaks, yet they should bring a certain affinity for the E-commerce business with them. DubLi franchisees will be well prepared for the market, online as well as in regional training centres.

NK: How many network marketing advisors have you earmarked for the German speaking area in the next years?

Michael Hansen: Due to the fact that the market is unending and the appropriate sales can realistically be achieved, we anticipate with 50,000 advisors in 2007, 120,000 in 2008 and we wish to work on the market with 200,000 advisors in 2009.

Let’s move on to the financing of Dubli: Establishing such a company and developing the necessary technology and logistics costs a large amount of money from the beginning. Which sums of money are we talking about, where does the start capital and the security for the follow-up costs come from?

Michael Hansen: In Denmark we also don’t speak openly about concrete investment sums. But you are right, we are dealing with large sums of money, which have had to be invested into DubLi from the beginning. Such amounts are not available from the local bank around the corner, even when you do have a good and comprehensible concept. There is a significant investor family from the Near East behind DubLi, who have committed themselves to invest a multiple of the previous investment sum in the future. To prevent rumours from the start,DubLi is not reliant on the sale of royalties. These fees have only been introduced to ensure that franchisees stand behind their business and do not block the market through inactivity. In addition, the DubLi advisor will receive a valuable consideration at the start, in the form of his own shop, training and massive advertising support through online and TV advertising. 

NK: Can you summarise the advantages that DubLi will bring the future network marketing business partners?

Michael Hansen: The most important advantage of all has to be that DubLi does not take any placement fees. The seller has only to pay a small commission and this only after he has sold his product. With this, the advisor opens every door to a producer, trader and to private sellers. The second advantage is just as simple as it is obvious. Why should someone trade locally when it is possible to trade worldwide without cost risk, without language barriers and logistic problems? It could hardly be easier and more promising to build up a network marketing business.