Ecuadorian Green Trade. Natural Baby Clothes Line.
This Natural Baby Clothes Line is hand knitted by needy pregnant women in Ecuador using natural fibers like alpaca and cotton.
Families in first world countries who are expecting a child can help poor expecting and single mothers in Ecuador by purchasing high quality hand-knit natural wool clothes for babies and toddlers. These pregnant women in Ecuador will be trained, will have the opportunity to earn income while working from home and will receive information about different aspects related to having a good and healthy pregnancy. Help that goes from mother to mother!
Facts
2008
| Two years ago: | |
| Last year: | |
| This year (forecast): | 30,000 |
| Year 2 (forecast): | 40,000 |
| Year 3 (forecast): | 52,000 |
| Two years ago: | |
| Last year: | |
| This year (forecast): | 8,000 |
| Year 2 (forecast): | 12,000 |
| Year 3 (forecast): | 20,000 |
| Two years ago: | |
| Last year: | |
| This year (forecast): | 5 |
| Year 2 (forecast): | 7 |
| Year 3 (forecast): | 10 |
Finance needed
| Finance needed for fixed assets (buying of machines, buildings, ...) | 5,400 |
| Finance needed for working capital (salaries, stock, rental, leasing, transport, ...) | 8,500 |
| Total finance needed (US$) | 13,900 |
How do you expect this to be financed? Please note: the total amount mentioned here should be equal to the total finance needed at the previous question.
| Own Contribution in cash | 2,500 |
| Loans (debt) | 0 |
| Share capital that you seek from investors (equity) | 4,000 |
| Other sources | 8,500 |
| Total finance needed (US$) | 15,000 |
The Business
We offer high quality hand-knit wool clothes for babies and toddlers made with local, non-synthetic yarn that is dyed using natural products.
This clothing will be knitted by expecting women who have been rejected by their partners or families because of their pregnancy and who have to face this period with little or no money. We will use the highest qualilty Alpaca yarn from indigenous comunities in the Highlands that get the wool sustainably.
One out of ten babies and toddlers in the USA develop skin alergies to synthetic fabrics. More parents are switching to natural and sustainable products that are made in a socially responsible way.
We will organize a group of 20 pregnant women and single mothers. They will be trained in high quality hand-knitting. We will provide them with non-synthetic yarn from local comunities in the highland. This yarn will be dyed with natural products. The women will be able to work from home and bring their finished product to our office for qualtiy control. The clothing will be boxed and labeled with the fair trade seal before shipping.
Our product will be marketed as socially responsible, sustainable and non-synthetic clothing. It will be certified as fair trade and bear the seal. It will be sold through our website and on-line store (ebay) and shipped directly to consumers in the USA. Also at Natural Health Stores and Supermarkets like Whole Food Market, Wild Oat and Co-Op America in the USA. We will attend events like GreenFest in San Francisco and other fair trade events.
Future parents in developed countries interested in natural clothing and socially responsible products. Baby clothing stores, natural clothing stores, toy stores.
Manufactures of baby clothing that offer bland, cheap and generic products without caring very much for each individual product or the people who make them. People who sell fair trade clothing but use synthetic materials. People who sell products made with organic cotton but are not certified as a Fair Trade business.
The social and emotional quality of a product made by a future mother for another future mother. The fact that consumer and artisan have a connection through the wonderful state of pregnancy.
Our product is hand made with no-synthetic materials, using the best alpaca wool from the highlands of Ecuador. By purchasing our baby clothes the customer helps directly the women in need and the indigenous comunities while making sure that the baby wont be in contact with synthetic clothing that might cause allergies.
We will focus on reaching more customers through the internet. We will keep a customer list and send them newsletters and special offers. We will contact websites and magazines especializing in infant care and advertise withing our budget. We will participate in Fair Trade events and Natural Products shows in the USA.
The Entrepreneur & Management
Isabel Chiliquinga, manager of the Baby clothing line of Ecuadorian Green Trade has a degree in Agriculture and works at a sustainable company in California.
Luis Chiliquinga has a degree in Business Administration and experience in fair trade.
Patricia Castillo, Social Worker 20 years of experience as comunity organizer.
Mercedes Castillo, Midwife 25 years of experience.
Nathaniel Frey, Web master 10 years of experience in online stores.
We have assembled a team with many years of experience in business management, trading, social work, internet sales and infant care. Two of the members of the team live in the USA, work at a sustainable business and mantain contact with people involved in that area. The Social Worker and Midwife will ensure the wellbeing of the women paricipating in the project. Our team has a great combination of experience, energy, creativity and enthusiasm.
40 hours
Development
Our business will empower women who have to face their pregnancy with very little or no money. It will also provide them with important health information and a supporting environment. Our business will also promote the work of indigenous communities of the ecuadorian Highland who work hard at raising Alpacas sustainably, protecting the land of their ancestors and producing the best wool.