Nature’s Sunshine Review

Of course, one massively popular market segment of the MLM industry is nutritional and health supplements. Nothing is stronger than the combination of a repeat client with a product that makes us healthier. The aging population, a growing awareness of health and a strong desire to look and feel better will lock in any reputable nutritional company as a solid opportunity.

Nature’s Sunshine has that and more.

I always love reading and reporting how a company is born. From the interesting personal stories of the leadership to the realization that distributing through a distributor network can create hyper growth, the beginnings of a company can be a compass for the future. So when Gene Hughes, a Utah school teacher, began experiencing a nagging stomach condition in the 70s, he took the advice of a neighbor who suggested cayenne pepper for his discomfort. Gene began feeling much better, but swallowing a spoonful of cayenne pepper not his idea of a permanent solution. Gene’s wife, Kristine, suggested putting the powder into capsules. Gene began to do just that. Gene and Kristine soon enlisted the support of family to begin a family business, selling encapsulated cayenne and other herbs to health food stores.

They realized they wanted to touch more lives with their products, expand the business and began searching for a way to pull that off. Their search naturally led them to direct marketing. The MLM business model allowed them to inform and educate their clients and many of those clients became not only cheerleaders for the company, but direct distributors as well. Today Nature’s Sunshine Products (NSP) can be found in 30 countries, represented by nearly 600,000 distributors.

Not a bad start.

Beginning in 2001, NSP began an exponential rise in the industry and has several notable achievements as of late:

Nature's Sunshine

• In 2001, NSP was recognized as one of the best public companies to work for by Utah Business Magazine. Their criteria on employee benefits, compensation and a host of other factors.
• Business Ethics has listed Nature’s Sunshine in its Top 100 Corporate Citizens from 2003 to 2006.
• In 2002, Nutritional Outlook magazine named NSP Manufacturer of the Year for its outstanding quality and manufacturing excellence.
• In October 2004, Selling Power ranked NSP number 8 in America’s 500 Largest Sales Forces—Direct Sales.

NSP grabbed the ultimate brass ring for many companies by becoming listed on NASDAQ. Their press room announced that Common Stock to Begin Trading on NASDAQ Capital Market Monday, October 12, 2009.

Douglas Faggioli, President and CEO recently stated in a press release this past November, “Despite the recent economic challenges, Nature’s Sunshine continues to make progress,” “Nature’s Sunshine Product’s domestic sales increased during the current quarter compared to the same quarter last year. Key markets, such as Japan, Russia, Ukraine and Mexico, experienced lower volume, due both to adverse business conditions and unfavorable currency fluctuations related to the strength of the dollar. Finally, the return of our Company’s common shares to the NASDAQ Capital Market is another indication of the progress we are making.”

If you are a high-level distributor in Japan, Russia, the Ukraine or Mexico, you have your work cut out for you. Fortunately, you have a company who is dedicated to supporting you. As a US distributor, you now have a NASDAQ listed company that has demonstrated agility and growth in good times and bad.

Sounds like the sun is shining no matter where you are.

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