Marketplace Development of Indigenous Handicrafts for Poverty Alleviation

The products are: hand textile, ornament, furnisher, show piece, toy, wood work, etc. those items are produced by the indigenous people and have great demand in local markets and abroad. Now, they compel to sell their products to the local market at lower rates as they have no alternative.

The services offered is the opportunity to sell products on profit sharing basis (i.e. 75% profit will go to the beneficiaries poor artisans).

The services will satisfy both the customers and producers. It will help the customers in getting products at fair price and the producer to receive higher benefit through this direct marketing system.

The indigenous handicrafts shop would be a project of Unnayan Uddog (development initiative), a national NGO (charity) of Bangladesh. It coordinates a network of about 50 NGOs (see www.unnayanuddog.org). It will develop a network among the indigenous beneficiaries of those NGOs and collect their products to sell through its outlet.

And who will agree to sell products through us will be provided with training on quality, design and marketing.

A dynamic marketing strategy will be followed to sell out the products/ service. Locally it will follow a advocacy based advertisement to attract the customer (indigenous population are a priority group), globally it will use the fair trade movement. Emphasis would be given to sell out the products through fair trade outlets around the globe. And for the purpose it will become members of fair trade movements.

Locally we want to sell the products and service to the customers/consumers directly.

Internationally we want to reach the consumers directly through fair trade movement and want to catch the consumers indirectly through international private retailers only.

Local retailers of handicrafts would be the primary competitors. They procure the products from the indigenous artisans at very lower price and sell at higher price keeping a big margin. As the beneficiaries will get most of the benefits (75%) here the OUTLET would be an unique and thus can over come the competition. Internationally, there seems to be no competitors.

It is different/better because it promotes the indigenous products only. There is no such business of this kind. So, if a customer hope to buy indigenous products she/he must have the first choice to come here.

It is innovative because it will create scope to sell the products of indigenous artisans like through a cooperative shop. Second, it is new of its kind in the country that will draw the attention of the consumers with less effort. Third, as government and donors want to promote the indigenous population, the business would be able in getting grant to develop quality of products that will reduce the investment cost of business.

Primarily through opening chain OUTLETs at other district towns. Second, it will draw more customers by developing the quality and increase the volume through export.

The entrepreneur obtained MA from University of Dhaka in 1986. Received training on `Export Marketing of Leather & Leather Products' arranged by Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industries in 1998. Currently working as Executive Director of a charity and involved in small enterprise development activities. Initially, the Executive Committee of the charity will look after the mangement as the business entity is owned by the charity.

My long experience to work (charity jobs) with the indigenous population and understanding about them.

30+ hours per week.

Indigenous population in Bangladesh are discriminated and extreamly poor with low rate of education, lack of training, access to credit, and other resources. This business will able to address their root cause of the povery and thus quite be helpful to improve their living standard through livelihood development.