Call for Applications CEIP2014

              Craft Afrika would like to invite applications to the 2nd intake of the Craft Enterprise Incubation Program [CEIP].

CEIP class in session

Why CEIP?

The Craft Enterprise Incubation Program was created to provide participants with the tools, skills and information necessary to run sustainable craft enterprises.
The craft sector has often been defined along very narrow and traditional terms that fail to recognize the innovation taking place within the sector. Within this definition, the sector is considered a low priority socioeconomic option and therefore no infrastructure is developed to catalyze its growth.
Against this background, Craft Afrika developed a number of products and services to recognize and support young craftpreneurs who are challenging the old mindset associated with the sector. One of these services is the training program, CEIP.

What is CEIP?

Kristin of Calla [R] going through a product critique

Following an evaluation exercise of the pilot program by consultant Ross van Horn, we restructured the program and developed a leaner, more responsive curriculum. The revised program now runs for             12 weeks [19March - 6June2014] and features the following
*5 modules that cover [a] an intro to craft entrepreneurship [b] product development [c] market access [d] wealth creation and [d] protecting creativity through copyright
*Field trips
*Invited guest talks
*Access to business funds through our partner Kiva
*An exhibit at one of Kenya's top craft fairs, Bizarre Bazaar craft festival
*A 6month structured mentorship program that kicks off immediately after the training
These components work together to provide an experiential learning approach, with participants being encouraged to gain and experiment with knowledge in real time.

How to join CEIP

The program accepts a maximum of 10 students to allow for one on one interaction.
To join the program:
* You must be currently running a craft enterprise
* Availability to attend classes Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, [10am - 4pm] including the exhibition scheduled for mid June                                                        
* The ability to work as part of a team as well as take on leadership responsibilities
* An open mind and a willingness to learn
* Financial capacity to pay the course fee of 30,000 Kenya shillings

To access the application form, click here. Download the form as a word document, fill it out in its entirety and send it back to craft@craftafrika.org by 31January2014 at midnight. Interviews will be conducted 13/14February2014 and successful applicants will be notified by 19February2014.

Scholarship opportunity 

Larrissa of Zamoyo- a student of the first CEIP

Through the generous support of our partner Biz Baz Events, we are able to offer 5 partial scholarships worth 10,000 Kenya shillings each.
These opportunities are open to all interested although preference will be given to practitioners with innovative craft products or who are working within the "growth opportunity" sub sectors including ceramics, glass, children's toys and games, bath and body products, ethnic jewellery, woodwork and home decor items. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list and we encourage you to apply for the opportunity if you feel you have an innovative product.

CEIP alumni comment on the program:

Gillianne Obaso - Ma Phoebe's sauces & relishes "It [CEIP] was a wonderful ambiance of generosity, vulnerability and sharing. The first module was on self-analysis because apparently [and this came as a shock to me] your business practices are a reflection of who you are! It has been a mind bending, eye-opening, gut-wrenching experience and I absolutely loved it!!"

Carol Maina - Estiira Designs "The program was an eye opener in so many aspects; what i am doing, why i am doing it, what I want out of life, what my main focus is..."

Deborah Wanjugu - cultural advocate"CEIP has saved me at least five years of aimless wandering, because i would never have had this clarity of mind and laser sharp focus without this course. Please apply to be in the next cohort. I promise you, it will be worth every penny!" 

Larrissa Muthoni - Zamoyo "My progress is mostly marked in the change of my mindset. I have learned to appreciate my craft and believe that it could be a sustainable career and not a by-the-way hobby. The cultural link to what I do everyday and the responsibility I have as an artist to use my chosen medium to contribute to the preservation of our cultural heritage is what has most resonated with me out of the whole course." 

For more images from our first CEIP, click here

We look forward to receiving your application and best of luck!

13 Marketing Ideas Before Your Next Craft Event

 The last quarter of the year is a busy one for craftpreneurs. Christmas fairs are aplenty- big and small, churches and charity organizations alike... the pick is yours.
One of the things i have always encouraged is individual responsibility for creating buzz around an event.
Too often, we leave the work of hyping up an event [that we are participating in!] to the organizers.
But what if you were the only exhibitor? Wouldn't you let everyone on your different mailing lists, Face book and Twitter accounts know that you will be there? So imagine a situation where ALL the exhibitors did just that. What kind of numbers would we see walking through to the event?
As much as the organizers put up street banners and send out invitations, i am of the opinion that we would [individually and collectively] enjoy more success if we owned the event, and therefore did more to promote it.
In this article, the author discusses 13 great [and low budget] ideas that take you from passive bystander to active participant at your next event.
Here is a challenge for you- try at least half of them before your next craft fair.
It will make a difference.

 "13 last minute actions to promote an exhibition, event, craft fair, trade show, open studio..."

You have spend all your time preparing for a major event.  You made all your work. Spend ages on the presentation, finding the right plinths, the right lighting.  Been focused entirely on the making and creation of your work.
 And now, a week or on the day (!) of the show, you realize you need to do some quick fix promotion.
Some quick marketing techniques to get those punters in, to get visitors to attend your show, to get people to buy.
You might even be at a show and realize that it is a bit quiet on the visitors front …
This is a quick fix list of promotional activities that you can do – right now!  No costs or very low budget, and crucially very limited time involvement required from you!

For full article click here.

How I Create Success Everyday

          Success is extremely powerful motivation for getting up every morning- and despite the fact that there are a myriad ways to achieve it, certain principles hold constant. One of them is that success comes as a result of the decisions we make on an everyday basis, therefore making it a process rather than an end product.
So how do some of the most successful creative entrepreneurs of our generation create success on a daily basis? 

Meet Anne Mpinga [left], owner of fashion brand Kipusa. I have always been fascinated by Anne- her easy smile, funky hairdo but most of all how she has catapulted Kipusa into an internationally recognized brand in less than 3 years.
I caught up with Anne during her European tour a few weeks back and asked her the *ONE* thing she does on an everyday basis that contributes to her success.

"I pray... a whole lot.
I have this quote that i love "let each morn be better than its eve" which comes from my faith. I am a Baha'i by religion and one of the things we are taught is to bring ourselves into account each day when communing with God. Our merit as human beings lies in virtue and service to others.
Early 2013 saw me put together a check list of things that I wanted to achieve in my business. I wrote down plans, including my desire to travel to Europe for brand exposure on a different scale.
I went through all sorts of plans on how to make it happen but despite all my strategies and prayers, nothing was happening; all my plans were fruitless. I felt that maybe i needed to give these plans a rest, be a little patient. 
A day after i made this decision, i received an email from Legendary Gold, an international events company. It was a call for African designers to showcase at the World Fashion Week, Paris. I remember thinking, i have nothing to lose- the worst they can do is ignore my email in which case i will just move on. 
Within a week of responding to that email, i received word that i had been selected to represent Kenya! 
I had a wonderful time in Paris, it was a bold step on my part and i enjoyed every bit of my experience. 
For me, work is worship so whatever frustrations i get in my business, i put God first. It opens the doors to so many things and has allowed me to spend time with business mentors who continue to inspire, guide and support me- the ultimate blessing for which I am forever thankful:)"

Is Your Product Past Its Expiry Date?

         Yes indeed, your craft product does have a 'best by' date! Just like in the biology of life, craft products have a life cycle from the time they are created, to the time they lose their appeal.
For many craftpreneurs, missing this science can lead to frustration at continued low sales despite all the marketing efforts.
The product life cycle is perhaps the most important element when it comes to product design. It is what guides how and when to bring new products into the market.

"The goal of understanding your product's life 

cycle is to enable you to maximize on its value

 and by extent its profitability." 

  

The product life cycle is divided into four:

1. Introduction

This is when the product enters the market. Revenue at this stage is low, although investment is heavy on distribution and promotion. As it is fairly common for most products to fail at this stage, you need a clear plan on how to enter and win in the market. Common entry strategies include penetration pricing, where you deliberately set low prices for rapid establishment and price skimming which involves setting relatively high price points to attract an exclusive target market. 

2. Growth

This is the boom time for your product, and your goal should be to stay here as long as possible. At this stage, your product is relatively well known in the market and your sales have peaked. There is brand recognition and you begin to attract competition. As such, marketing campaigns must go beyond brand awareness, involving strategies that hinge on customer loyalty. You want to retain existing customers as well as attract new ones.

3. Maturity

Of the four, this stage stretches out the longest, sometimes for decades. It is a stage characterized by severe competition and declining profit margins.

As other players with cheaper and better products enter the market, focus should be on defending existing market share. This involves constantly looking for ways to remain relevant. The savvy designer will keep production costs to a minimum so as to maximize on profits, focus on product design and development and come up with new products to replace those on the decline.

4. Decline

This is technically the product's 'sell by' date. At the decline stage, the product's revenue trickles to a minimum and it is no longer financially viable. There is little interest from consumers and hardly any competition.
In the unlikely scenario that you have only one product, and that product is at the decline stage, you can see you would be in serious trouble. This stage can be likened to a product's saturation point, and while there are many ways to recover from it, a more sustainable strategy would be to have several product lines. Keep a keen eye on where each is on the life cycle. The craft sector is arguably one of the most competitive and taking expired products to the market is a sure way to bury your business.

Want to read more on the subject? http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newSTR_80.htm

(Sources: The Open University- Money and Management, Wikipedia. Image mybizoflife.com)

Christine Gitau.

Has Your Craft Product Hit A Saturation Point?

I came across this article from about.com by Maire Loughran on the concept of saturation points- that is when there is too many people churning out the same product, or in other words, when supply far outweighs demand. She goes on to give tips on how to manoeuvre such a situation to your advantage...

  

Working Around Saturation Point by Maire Loughran

      It happens to us all, one day you’re sitting there running the UPS driver ragged shipping your orders, the next, the phone has stopped ringing and while you have good traffic on your website, nothing is moving. What’s up? Could be any number of issues: seasonal, economic or shift in spending patterns. The constant research a business owner must do will give you a heads up when these conditions are coming into play.
However, a major cause for a decrease in sales is that your art or craft has hit a saturation point. By that, I mean that too many crafters are making the same type product or you’ve totally covered the market with your product. Here are some determiners of saturation and what the savvy craft business owner can do to work around the problem.....

For full article, click on this link.

Policy Changes In The Creative/Cultural Industry Long Overdue

As someone who is so passionate about the arts- and crafts in particular- it baffles me that it has taken so long to initiate a policy paper on the creative and cultural industry.
This is an industry that has massive potential for employment creation, national cohesion, social inclusion, foreign exchange, cultural regeneration- the list is endless.
So why is it that we are not giving these industries due attention? I have to be quick to add that this seeming lack of interest is not unique to Kenya- many developing countries around the world are struggling to identify and harness their potential.

We recently hosted a sector (crafts) focus group during an industry mapping process facilitated by the The Kenya ICT board and carried out by an IBM CSC team. Reading through the just released proposal document, it occurred to me that the most important recommendation put forward was "to raise the profile and increase recognition of the creative industries" (theme 1), and to achieve this through "public declaration of support of arts and creative industries sector as a key contributor to Kenya's economic development and Vision 2030".

The reason i think it all starts from here is because our political system is still recovering from decades of top down leadership- which means that a public declaration is sometimes all you need to set the ball rolling. Couple this with a willingness to "implement government policies that support creative industry growth and its measurement" (theme 2), and you score a home run. Everything else will fall into place. Does it sound too simplistic? I dare say no- because the truth of the matter is, we (as practitioners in the industry) have been making inroads in the industry- showcasing at international fashion shows, creating world class games, gunning for top film awards- without this kind of public support anyway. In other words, i believe that if the creative/cultural industry was made a priority sector, Vision 2030's goal of maintaining a sustained economic growth of 10% per year from 2012 and beyond is achievable. Forget the oil and other mineral reserves lying undiscovered in Lokichoggio or some such place. We have a resource that is as much a part of us as is our very being- our creative and cultural heritage.  It is a resource that can never be depleted no matter how much we exploit it. And it is a great equalizer- no nation on earth can claim monopoly. We all have it- and may i go on to add- Kenya and Africa as a whole has trillions of tonnes in reserve. Create the necessary support structures, and watch the industry take off.

Interested in the full Creative Industry Roadmap? Access the full document here.

Market AccessII: Craft Fairs Aug-Dec'13

After a relatively quiet first half of the year, the craft/design calender is filling up pretty fast. And as usual, we endeavor to bring you all the details that pertain to these market access events.

P.S These events are not listed in any order whatsoever.

The Christmas Fair- Ngong Racecourse
Since 1976, the Christmas Fair has been showcasing the best of Africa's art and craft- last year hosting exhibitors from as far of as Zimbabwe. It is arguably the biggest and oldest craft fair around- and this year they are back on 7 & 8December2013 at the Ngong Racecourse. Applications are currently ongoing. See website on how to participate.

Bizarre Bazaar
Organized by BizBaz Events, this craft fair happens 16 &17November 2013 at Karura Forest. For details on bookings email info@bizbazevents.com or call 0701 395 902. Look out for the revamped website, as you can register online once it is up.

Spring Valley Bazaar
Organized by Geraldine and Deborah Evans, this is one of the smaller yet busiest craft fairs in Nairobi. All gate and raffle proceeds go to ANDREF, and this year the event will be held at 12 Bendera Lane, Spring Valley on 30Nov-1December2013. The email address you need is zawadiafrica@gmail.com or 0721 307 232, 0722 510 932.

Xmas BoX 2013
This boutique event happens over three days; 22-24November 2013 at Marula Manor in Karen.
With tent charges varying from 30-105,000 shillings, this promises to be an exclusive event.
Applications close 30August.
Email info@thebox.co.ke or see the website.

Kikapu Market
The Kikapu Market is a monthly open air market that takes place every second Saturday of the month from 11am to 9pm. The July market just happened this past weekend at Prestige Plaza.
To get a slot in the August market, contact kikapumarket@gmail.com, 0723 387 134. Also be sure to check out their Facebook page.                                                                      

Fashion With A Difference  This annual fashion is planned to coincide with Kenya’s 50years of independence, with the theme being ‘united colors of diversity',  based on the cultural and ethnic diversity of Kenya.
There will be a number of fashion & arts market stalls for exhibitors. If interested in showcasing- info@fashionwithadifference.com, 0705 607224 or check out website. 

Green Corner at the Village Market 
This is a special themed showcase for producers in the recycled/upcycled sub sector. It happens every first and last Tuesday of the month at the Village Market, Gigiri. For more information on how to participate - pr@villagemarket-kenya.com, 020 712 2488/2490, www.villagemarket-kenya.com.

Yaya Soko 
The Yaya Soko is back after a short hiatus. Curated by Mary Stannah of Inside the Baobab (craft shop at the Yaya Centre), the soko happens once a month- over 4 days (Thursday-Sunday), the third week of every month. Cost for the four days is 7500Kshs.
The July soko starts tomorrow, and inquiries are already storming in for the August one. So get calling...0725 451 155 or email insidethebaobab@gmail.com
Terms and conditions apply.

October Women Festival The one day October Women Festival happens at Karura Forest, 2November 2013, 2-11pm. Put together by Queen Mashie, the event aims at celebrating talent in women. See the website for details on how to apply or call 0726 130 657.

Design Indaba

The playground for the big boys and girls of design... An annual event held in Capetown South Africa, Design Indaba has easily become Africa's foremost design event. Applications are now invited for exhibitors to the Design Indaba Expo 2014, running from 28February- 2March 2014. All details on the how, when, where available here.                                                                                                                        

Driftwood Malindi Christmas Craft Fair 
The Christmas craft fair on the beach is on at Driftwood Malindi, 21December13. Email

reservations@driftwoodclub.com or telephone 0721 724 489/ 0734 747 133

Vipingo Ridge Craft Fair- Kilifi
Vipingo Ridge will once again host a Christimas craft fair on 14December2013, 10am till late.
Price tags for exhibitor space start from 7500Kshs. For more, telephone Gail on +254 732 009 599 or email reservations@vipingoridge.com
Check out Vipingo Ridge on facebook.

German Charity Christmas Bazaar
Once again the German Embassy will play host to the annual charity event. Venue will be at Riverside Drive 113 and the date to remember is 30November13.
Rates for tables start at 3000Kshs.
Get in touch - 020 4443262, office@kirchenairobi.org. The office requests that you observe office hours while doing so i.e Mon, Wed, Thurs [0830-1330hrs] and Tue, Fri [0930-1530hrs].

KSPCA Annual Shaggy Dog Show
The KSPCA dog show is happening Sunday November 3rd at the Ngong Race course, 10am onwards. There will be a craft market running alongside the main agenda of the day- a dog show. Contact info@kspca-kenya.org, 0733-571125.
Look out for the craft market hosted by KSPCA Mombasa as well, 9-10November 2013 at Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort and Spa. Contact details are kspcamombasa@yahoo.com, 0733 728 356. www.kspca-kenya.org

Curated by Christine Gitau|Craft Afrika

The 5 basic steps of setting up a craft business

Setting up a craft business is exciting stuff. The trend usually goes something like this; you start off by making some pieces-jewellery, clothing, ceramics, dolls etc-for yourself. Your friends and family see them, wow at your talent and proceed to buy some. While they are busy choosing through the assortment, they urge you to not only make more so they can gift their friends, but make a whole lot for sale. In other words, they urge you to make a business out of it. Many of us, buoyed by the recognition others are giving our talents, jump right into "making a business out of it", ignoring the basics of starting a craft business. Soon after however, we realize that we need more than the enthusiasm of friends and relatives to run a business. So, what are the basics?

1. What is your product?
It is quite a different story creating a set of earrings for yourself and those close to you and creating for the wider market. When you are creating for people whom you have probably never met, how do you predict what they want? What colors will appeal to them? How much are they willing to buy your jewellery for? The answer is research. Here is the truth-there is no substitute for research. Just because your sister, her friends and your best friend fanned over your creations doesn't mean the rest of the world will. You must be able to engage your target market in a conversation that will reveal what they are willing to buy and for how much. Which brings us to the next point-who are you targetting to buy your creations?

2. To whom are you selling your product?
A piece of advice that proved worthwhile to me when i was starting out was that there has never been a great brand that appealed to everyone-a great brand must be able to attract and repel at the same time. What does this mean? Simply that you must create your product with a target market in mind. For instance, if you are going to use crystals combined with similarly expensive stones to create your jewellery line, you are in effect defining your market as those who have enough disposable income to buy a pair of earrings for a few thousand bob. So, do not make the mistake of peddling your wares at the local college craft exhibition because it is unlikely that the person you are trying to target shops there. Define your brand well. What do you want your brand to represent? What is the packaging of your brand? Taking all your costs of production, level of detail and workmanship, how much will you cost your creations? In answering these questions, you answer to whom you should be selling your product to.

3. Why are you in business?
I have met three categories of people in the crafting business: those that do it as a side business. This category will usually have a job someplace else but will also work hard to realize supplementary income from their craft. The second category does it purely as a hobby. They create when the mood strikes and will rarely worry about the bottom line. For them, it is a favorite past time and nothing more. Then there is a third category-those to whom their crafting business is a full time job. It is especially important for the first and third categories of crafters  to put systems in place that support their objectives of earning substantial monies from their craft.

4. How will you establish your craft business?
Assuming that you are setting up your business as more than a hobby, here are some considerations into the how-to's of starting a craft business.
Find a name for your creations-this is the beginning of creating a brand. How would you like to be identified? Come up with a few sample names and test them on potential customers. Better still, ask them to assist you in the process of coming up with a name. Whichever way you go about it, the golden rule is to keep it simple. Once this is done, register your company as a legal entity. It is fairly easy these days to register a company-my advice would be to go for a sole enterprise at the beginning and change legal status as the company grows. Of course if you want to go into partnership with someone else, there is provision for that. Make sure to get your book keeping in order right from the start. I cannot emphasize this enough-keep your business and personal finances separate. I guarantee it will be the single most important thing in determining the success or failure of your business. Finally, consider where you will set up shop. There is validity in setting up a workshop at home-if only to keep your overheads low. Convert your veranda or a spare room into a working area. Make sure it is comfortable, well lit, inspiring and cut off from the rest of your home. It is important that customers visit your workshop without feeling like they are intruding into your privacy.

5. Where will you sell your creations?
Once all your friends, relatives and neighbors have bought their fair share of your creations, what next? How do you go about creating awareness of your brand? The first thing (simple enough yet rarely done), is to create some promotional material. The cheapest format is paper and to this end, i see lots of people with printed cards that detail their names, telephone numbers etc. I have to be honest and say business cards will not do much for your business. A business card with your name and address doesnt say much about your brand. Most will argue that these cards bear the URL addresses to their websites or Facebook pages, and clients will automatically find their way there, right? wrong! Most customers--unless they are completely blown over by your creations--will not go that far. Save your potential customers the hassle and give them a peek into your work with an A6 flyer that bears image designs of your work. That way, you will always have your 'display unit" with you and clients can pick a design right there. In other words, turn every meeting into a potential sales opportunity. Reinforce this with a well laid out online studio. There is no excuse why a brand should not have an online presence. With the free and easy-to-design websites such as kbo.co.ke, social sites Face book and Twitter and free blog sites, craft entrepreneurs are spoilt for choice. Establishing and maintaining an online presence is crucial in communicating with clients who do not necessarily have time to physically visit your studio space.
But what about those who do have the time, but will still not come to your studio? How do you make contact with them? Through craft exhibitions. These platforms provide great avenues to sell your work. In a later post, i will go into details of the different craft fairs held in Kenya. But for now, let me say that you have to think very carefully about which craft fair to attend. Most importantly, base your decision on your target market-find out which exhibitions they frequent, and strive to be a vendor there.
You also have the option of displaying your items at the various shops that sell craft items including Spinner Web, Banana Box, Blue Rhino, Goodie's just to name a few.