Business Profile: Jabu Bags
Business Profile: Jabu Bags
How the Company Got Started:
My friend had bought a cloth purse while traveling through Thailand and it was something I thought would look great with an African print. I started to get a few made for friends back home who loved the look and realized this could be a great project for local women. It could be something that is not just about shipping bags, but could also contribute to social awareness.
Since that time, I have found a group of rural women who sew the bags, stores in both South Africa and Swaziland to sell the bags, and am in the process of a developing a business plan to create a fully functioning socially responsible business that sells locally and overseas.
The Reason Behind the Company:
At the time I was in between internships and thought this could be a great project to get involved with. As the idea started to take shape, I knew this could be something that contributed to people’s lives in a positive way and have a larger impact on women’s empowerment in Swaziland. I decided to follow my intuition and see how far this idea could go. Once that happened, people kept coming into my life that really supported the idea and I knew I was onto something that could be successful in terms of both business and human security.
The Biggest Obstacles to Overcome:
The most difficult part of this process has been lacking a business background. Having studied political science at university it is easy to relate the concept to sustainable livelihoods, but knowing what steps to take first or what should be in place in order to run a successful business is not as easy to figure out.
The other issue I face right now is trying to put a framework for a business in place in order to attract funding. Many people have ideas and I need to prove that this one can work and can have a positive affect on the country and the women I employ.
Advice for Others:
Trust your intuition. Good ideas come and go, but sometimes there is something that pulls you towards it. I would say trust that even though it may seem impossible at the time. People are very supportive of business that is meant to help others, and are more than willing to share insight and contacts. Once you start meeting people that support your project more things will fall into place. Take things one day at a time and try not to get too worked up about the amount you have to invest in the project for it to take off.
What North America Can Do:
We need North American NGO’s or businesses that have loans or donations for grassroots business overseas. Costs here are much less so the amount would be minimal compared to what a business would need back home to get established, but the funding is essential for these projects to continue.
Obvious and open distribution channels are also important. Right now I only have a few stores to contact, so knowing where to look for distributors and having them be open to handmade products would greatly help business move faster.
What’s Next:
Looking ahead to the next few months Jabu Bags will be more established with a solid business plan, more groups of women joining the project and increasing production, and solidifying funding. In the next year I see marketing & sales becoming a major focus as more women become involved and production increases.
Business Profile Jabu Bags - To learn more about this author, visit Jabu Bags 's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
Jabu Bags founder Megan Yarema talks about why she began her company, the challenges she faced, and her advice for other entrepreneurs.
How the Company Got Started:
My friend had bought a cloth purse while traveling through Thailand and it was something I thought would look great with an African print. I started to get a few made for friends back home who loved the look and realized this could be a great project for local women. It could be something that is not just about shipping bags, but could also contribute to social awareness.
Since that time, I have found a group of rural women who sew the bags, stores in both South Africa and Swaziland to sell the bags, and am in the process of a developing a business plan to create a fully functioning socially responsible business that sells locally and overseas.
The Reason Behind the Company:
At the time I was in between internships and thought this could be a great project to get involved with. As the idea started to take shape, I knew this could be something that contributed to people’s lives in a positive way and have a larger impact on women’s empowerment in Swaziland. I decided to follow my intuition and see how far this idea could go. Once that happened, people kept coming into my life that really supported the idea and I knew I was onto something that could be successful in terms of both business and human security.
The Biggest Obstacles to Overcome:
The most difficult part of this process has been lacking a business background. Having studied political science at university it is easy to relate the concept to sustainable livelihoods, but knowing what steps to take first or what should be in place in order to run a successful business is not as easy to figure out.
The other issue I face right now is trying to put a framework for a business in place in order to attract funding. Many people have ideas and I need to prove that this one can work and can have a positive affect on the country and the women I employ.
Advice for Others:
Trust your intuition. Good ideas come and go, but sometimes there is something that pulls you towards it. I would say trust that even though it may seem impossible at the time. People are very supportive of business that is meant to help others, and are more than willing to share insight and contacts. Once you start meeting people that support your project more things will fall into place. Take things one day at a time and try not to get too worked up about the amount you have to invest in the project for it to take off.
What North America Can Do:
We need North American NGO’s or businesses that have loans or donations for grassroots business overseas. Costs here are much less so the amount would be minimal compared to what a business would need back home to get established, but the funding is essential for these projects to continue.
Obvious and open distribution channels are also important. Right now I only have a few stores to contact, so knowing where to look for distributors and having them be open to handmade products would greatly help business move faster.
What’s Next:
Looking ahead to the next few months Jabu Bags will be more established with a solid business plan, more groups of women joining the project and increasing production, and solidifying funding. In the next year I see marketing & sales becoming a major focus as more women become involved and production increases.
Business Profile Jabu Bags - To learn more about this author, visit Jabu Bags 's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
| |||
 |
No article feedback found. | ||
|
Leave Your Feedback | ||
|
|||
 Business Profile: Jabu Bags
| |||
| Jabu Bags founder Megan Yarema talks about why she began her company, the challenges she faced, and her advice for other entrepreneurs. |
|||
|
Men and Cosmetic Surgery
| |||
 Not that long ago I talked about a new study that found more and more women are becoming addicted to Botox. Now I read that men are fueling a boom in cosmetic surgery and other treatments. |
|||
|
How To Reduce Waste At Shopping Malls
| |||
| What do you do with outdated seasonal banners at shopping malls? Typically, throw them out. In Vancouver they've taken a greener, much more beneficial path. And I have suggestions for them to go even further... |
|||
|
The triumph of the banal
| |||
 It's true: the vast majority of successful products are hardly remarkable.
|
|||
|
Businesses that provide what is needed and wanted
| |||
| What would happen to your business if:
- you knew what the market needs and wants
- you knew what they were willing to pay for it
- you knew how to deliver it to the market and make a profit
In this article, I i... |
|||
| |||
|
My entry | ||
|
Re: Congratulations GT | ||
|
Free Business ebooks | ||
|
Re: How can we replace plastic grocery bags? | ||
|
Ron Popeil Interview | ||
|
Re: Congrats Shri! | ||
|
Re: Hello, I'm brand new | ||
|
Change avatar | ||
| |||
David BarrDavid Barr is the President of Venture Opportunities, Inc. David has been a professional business broker/intermediary since 1980 focusing on General Business Brokerage and Mergers and Acquisitions representing client transaction value from $400,000 to $20,000,000. Mr. Barr has handled the sale of over four hundred and fifty companies. David earned a university degree from the State University of New York majoring in economics and business. David holds the Mergers and Acquisition Master Intermediary and the Certified Business Intermediary designations from the International Business Brokers Association. He is also a Senior Business Analyst and a Texas licensed Real Estate Agent. For more information about David and Venture Opportunities, visit www.bizdealmaker.com. - Visit David Barr's Website |
|||
Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
|||
Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
|||
Casey GollanCasey Gollan, Business Coaching & Mentoring Programs. Add $1 Million to $10 Million in the next 1 to 3 years. Since 1996 Casey has to added hundreds of millions of dollars to businesses. Watch a free video see client results Business Coaching website. - Visit Casey Gollan's Website |
|||
Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
|||
Bernard ReberBack in late 1992, MS Access hit the streets. About that time the company I managed needed new software to handle their growing client base and I decided to try this new product. I had little difficulty writing and adapting a database to suit us and discovered a hidden talent for programming. A business was born. With business studies and 25 years of management experience in three different countries under my belt, I could offer a unique combination of skills and my customers agreed. From these humble beginnings my software 'invoiceit' emerged in 1999 and has since been taken to 49 states (hello Wyoming, won't you join us?), all across Canada and more than 70 other countries. From the very beginning the program included cashbook accounting, the simplest form of keeping financial business records. The Dictionary.com defines 'cashbook' as "A 'book' in which to record money received and paid out". For 'book' substitute 'simple software' and that's what I'm about. Now I have published Simple Accounting, an inexpensive spreadsheet solution which even you can master. For just $14.95 it costs less than a takeout meal! More at http://www.scrambled-card.com/simple_accounting_main.htm - Visit Bernard Reber's Website |
|||
Dr. John OdaJohn Oda Ph.D NLP is a business peak performance expert, an author, and speaker frequently called upon to provide corporate training, workshops and seminars for many companies in the United States. He is an expert in coaching sales and business professionals in overcoming the behaviors and obstacles that may impede their sales results and affect their bottom line. Since 1995, John has created a speaking bureau such topics, which include: time management, sales training, human diversity, leadership programs and etc. He provides companies with a strategic plan to increase their bottom line by over 25 percent yearly. - Visit Dr. John Oda's Website |
|||
Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 |
|
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
 |
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
 |
 | ||
 |
||
 |
||
|
||
|
| ||
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
|
 |
 Purpose of Value Propositions SEO Today Startegic Plan Creation Branding The Product Intentional Leadership Integrity |
|
 | ||
 |
Top 50 HR Blogs 2009
Top 50 HR Blogs 2009 | |
 |
Top 50 Political Blogs
Top Political Blogs of 2008 | |
| ||
 |
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
