Below is the case study for Just Buy UK Ltd., a craft importer from Kenya to the UK.
| Project name | Just Buy UK Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Location | UK/Kenya |
| Date case study completed | 11/01/2011 |
| Contact for more information | George Blair |
| For more information on this project contact the TBN office at info@tbnetwork.org | |
| What was the problem / opportunity? | Lack of market access for small scale craft producers. |
| What is the Project's vision? | Provide UK market access. |
| How is this vision to be achieved? | Set up import company and market and sell crafts wholesale in UK. |
| What progress has been made to date? | Company operating. Annual sales turnover in 2009-2010 was £26,000. |
| Registered as BAFTS Importer in 2010. | |
| When will the project be self funding, i.e. cost covered by earned income? | 2009 cash costs but not UK salaries. |
| 2012 All costs covered and employ 1 UK person part time (50%). | |
| Impact | |
| What has been the direct and indirect impact of the project to date? | £60,000 of purchases made from producers. |
| Specifically, how many FTE jobs have been created or sustained? | 40 fulltime jobs in Kenya. |
| How much direct and indirect investment has been made to date? | £30,000 |
| Lessons learned | |
| What lessons have been learned? What do you know now that you wish you knew at the outset? | Product specification needs to be very specific. Market research on product design helps greatly i.e. knowing what sells. |
| Expansion and replication | |
| What are your plans to expand or replicate the project? | Currently still developing customer base. Expanding into other product ranges. |
| How many FTE jobs do you expect to have been created or sustained in 3 years? | 100 |
| What help do you need to achieve your goals? | Sales and marketing support and product selection/design expertise. Low cost storage capacity in Surrey area. Or move to lower cost area. |
| Could this project be replicated by others elsewhere? What would be needed to do this? | Yes |
| Are there documents to aid replication in the TBN resource Library? | No |
You can also download this information as a PDF
See the work of Just Buy and the Tabaka carvers involved below: