Ecobloks, eco-friendly toys for children
Use of sustainable scrap Mahogany and Pine wood to produce eco-friendly buidling blocks for children.
Ecobloks toys packed in eco-friendly canvas bags
Small businesses in woodworking in the Philippines not spared from global economic crisis since 2008. To help idle woodworkers and find use to wood scrap from companies making furniture and wooden slippers, two mothers developed unpainted toy building blocks for children called Ecobloks.
Eco-friendly and local angles became unique propositions for Ecobloks as other mompreneurs and other like-minded institutions supported the venture.
Facts
2009
| Two years ago: | 0 |
| Last year: | 0 |
| This year (forecast): | 3,685 |
| Year 2 (forecast): | 34,639 |
| Year 3 (forecast): | 62,241 |
| Two years ago: | 0 |
| Last year: | 0 |
| This year (forecast): | 353 |
| Year 2 (forecast): | 7,692 |
| Year 3 (forecast): | 11,326 |
| Two years ago: | 0 |
| Last year: | 0 |
| This year (forecast): | 3 |
| Year 2 (forecast): | 5 |
| Year 3 (forecast): | 5 |
Finance needed
| Finance needed for fixed assets (buying of machines, buildings, ...) | 2,000 |
| Finance needed for working capital (salaries, stock, rental, leasing, transport, ...) | 15,000 |
| Total finance needed (US$) | 17,000 |
How do you expect this to be financed? Please note: the total amount mentioned here should be equal to the total finance needed at the previous question.
| Own Contribution in cash | 0 |
| Loans (debt) | 15,000 |
| Share capital that you seek from investors (equity) | 0 |
| Other sources | 2,000 |
| Total finance needed (US$) | 17,000 |
The Business
Ecobloks a brand of toy building blocks for kids that is made of scrap mahogany wood. Boasting of Filipino craftsmanship, Ecobloks promotes open-ended play and parent-child bonding as it helps in saving the environment.
Currently composed of seven different shapes in two SKUs: pack of 19s for beginners and pack of 52s for advanced builders.
A trend towards using “traditional” wooden toys that last longer than usual plastic, commercial and disposable toys.
Ecobloks pioneering the local toys category for the growing eco-savvy market.
Initially sub-contract production of toy blocks using scrap wood to a minimum of 2 entrusted partners. Partners should already be existing users of mahogany and pine wood and should have sustainable supply of scrap.
Partner with community of impoverished mothers in Taguig City to make product packaging (sewing and labelling) and sort different blocks. Packaging material: muslin or katcha.
Ecobloks is a strong brand: Eco-friendly toys, building blocks of creativity.
Activities: Press releases, social networking sites and in-store displays.
Availability at present in 10 retail shops: Hobbes & Landes, Echo Store, and Wonderworld. Participating in bazaars and supported by 8 mompreneurs selling online aside from site (lootfairy.multiply.com).
Potential to reach more distribution points, including Rustan's and Toy Kingdom.
Primarily directed to parents extremely involved in their child's development. Secondary market: learning institutions (pre-schools, playschools). Both markets value eco-friendly toys.
Aim to reach young children more exposed to different learning aids due to recent trends in education (free flow play, special education, home schooling).
Ecobloks initially tapping the high-end parent market.
Main competition are imported branded wooden blocks such as Melissa and Doug, Wonderworld, and Plan Toys. These brands priced at a premium and mostly available only in high-end stores.
There are local manufacturers of wooden blocks but are generally positioning their products as school materials. Local wooden blocks sold in bookstores and toy stores posses a generic look due to lack of differentiation.
Ecobloks is in itself an advocacy: eco-friendly, open-ended, social enterprise, Philippine-made. Still no top-of-mind Philippine-made brand of wooden blocks in the market.
While green entrepreneurs mostly hinged on personal hygiene, household items, fashion, eco-bags and organic food, Ecobloks creates a new avenue in the toy segment and gives an old-school toy an added boost by highlighting on the use of scrap wood.
Partnership with like-minded institutions and individuals such as ECHO Store, Hobbes and Landes, and parents endorsing open play helped in generating public interest on Ecobloks even in less than a year.
An opportunity to grow the business in its existing retail distribution points through better availability (more stocks) and more attractive shelves display. To tap mainstream stores such as Rustan's and Toy Kingdom by late 2010 and in 2011.
The Entrepreneur & Management
Ma. Lourdes Molina: Started the name Ecobloks and marketed it successfully. Owner of the company Loot Fairy Toys & More.
Ma. Mina Lacson: Made and designed wooden blocks. Consultant to Ecobloks while based in Cebu. Open to setting up a company as joint venture to manufacture Ecobloks by 2012.
Sub-contractor: Kraftek using scrap mahogany and pine wood. Experienced in making furniture and Montessori-type materials. Owned by a former educator.
Ma. Lourdes Molina: Owner of a home-based business selling toys and party loot bags (lootfairy.multiply.com). Worked as Brand Manager and Advertising Executive for 10 years in multinational companies.
Ma. Mina Lacson: Educator with experience locally and abroad. Former owner of a pre-school and currently a pre-school directress. One of the initiators of Museo Pambata. Exposed to the furniture industry as family engaged to this business.
Ma. Lourdes Molina – Over-all head: 30 hours/ wk managing the Ecobloks business.
Ma. Mina Lacson: consultant status at the moment for research and development.
Development
Find use to scrap wood and use of eco-friendly materials such as muslin (katcha).
Maximize potential of craftsmen to create wooden blocks for kids at par with imported products.
Promote traditional, eco-friendly and open ended toys to Filipinos.
Provide income to housewives and laid off workers affected by the economic slump. In the long run, provide not just income but permanent jobs to indigent Filipinos.
