Welcome%20to%20Handmade%20Expressions

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Welcome to Handmade Expressions
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Who are we?
Welcome to Handmade Expressions

• Handmade Expressions is a sourcing partner for
  socially and environmentally responsible
  products, based in Austin, Texas. We work with
  underprivileged / disadvantaged artisans around
  the world and strive to improve their economic
  and social standing by creating self-sustainable
  employment following fair trade practices.
• We partner with grass-root level NGOs/ artisan
  cooperatives and help them create high quality,
  trendy, hand-crafted goods that are tailored for
  international markets. We empower the artisans
  with market and fashion information that allow
  them to create functional products. At the same
  time, we encourage them to use natural fibers and
  recycled material wherever possible. We then
  partner with retailers and socially responsible
  non-profits across North America to provide them
  with these high quality products for conscious
  consumers.

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What is Fair Trade?
A market-based approach to alleviating global
poverty and promoting sustainability

• Fair trade is a market-based approach to
  alleviating global poverty and promoting
  sustainability. It aims to educate and empower
  disadvantaged producers and connect them to a
  market, so they too can participate in global
  trade. It encompasses principles like
•  
• Anti-slave, anti-child labor
• The conservation of the environment
• A respectful relationship between producers
  and buyers
• A fair wage
• A healthy working environment
• Gender equality
• Sustainable development of communities

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Mission Why we do this

• Mission To improve the economic and social
  standing of underprivileged people in the world
  by reinforcing local economies and creating
  self-sustainable employment through just and
  responsible practices.
• We believe that we can make a difference in the
  lives of hundreds of artisans in rural India. We
  provide them with help to design products that
  appeal to a Western market. We then find a
  market to sell their products. On top of that,
  we provide them with help (such as health
  services, energy needs, etc) so they can develop
  their communities. Finally, we want the artisans
  to make artistic products, to keep their
  traditional arts alive. This way, their culture
  does not die out.
• We are a FOR-PROFIT company. We think fair
  trade is NOT charity. It is a practical way to
  make a difference and make a living.

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Our company

• HME is based in Austin, TX. The Austin teams
  consists of
• Manish Gupta, who started HME in 2005 after
  leaving his position in operations management at
  Dell
• Ruchi Agrawal she is trained as a fashion
  designer and designs our new products
• Juan Portillo handles marketing and designs the
  materials
• Mark Ostroth he is in charge of operations and
  IT
• Jennifer Lucas she is the head of the sales
  department
• Scott Yankhe he is in charge of shipping
• We also have a team in India, which is headed by
  Manishs sister, Rashmi Dhariwal. They
  constantly communicate with artisans, make sure
  production goes smoothly, identify new artisan
  groups, and carry out DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
  (please click on the link to learn about HMEs
  development projects). They are a true jewel to
  HME, as they insure quality control before
  products get to us.
• The newest part of the company is you! As a
  sales rep, you are helping us reach new markets.

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Your Role in Handmade Expressions

• Your role in our organization is to help us
  provide socially and environmentally responsible
  alternatives to as many retailers as possible.
  This will help us provide a broader market for
  our artisans, benefitting entire communities.
• You will educate retailers so they learn about
  fair trade, why they should carry fair trade
  products, who benefits from fair trade, and how
  our organization can help them carry these
  products.
• You will make it easy for the customers to
  transition into fair trade. You will also sell
  them something that will benefit their store, so
  as to encourage re-orders.
• You will be the face of Handmade Expressions in
  your region. You will represent a social
  movement with realistic ideals that can benefit
  everyone in society, from retailers to customers.

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Why a Customer Should do Fair Trade

• Sales of eco-friendly and fairly traded products
  are growing in the United States as consumers
  begin to ask where their products are coming
  from, what types of materials they are made out
  of and whether their purchases are making a
  difference in the world. To answer this demand,
  Handmade Expressions works with artisans in India
  to develop high quality gifts, home accents,
  womens accessories and tree-free stationery
  products that appeal to the U.S. marketplace.
• Carrying these fairly traded substitutes and
  eco-alternatives creates a sense of respect and
  loyalty within the retailers customers. At the
  same time, by buying our products retailers
  really are contributing towards improving the
  lives of people.
• In 2006, the global market for fair trade was
  2.17 billion, and in 2007 more than 3 billion
  (And this is only the certified products).
• A 2007 BBMG Consumer Report stated that 87 of
  customers support fair labor and trade practices,
  and 81 identify fair wages and safe working
  environment as a top issue in the world.
• We work directly with artisans from various
  regions. Each region has its unique art forms,
  different culture and means of communications. We
  spend time understanding and establishing a
  connection with them, then use this partnership
  to connect them with the world. This reduces the
  costs for our customers, makes the communication
  faster and makes lead times shorter.
• We are a truly global company with teams across
  the world. Working with us will save you on
  traveling and communications expenses, product
  experimentation, logistics and most importantly
  time.

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Other Things You Should be Aware Of

• It is also good to know that HME is a part of
  the Fair Trade Federation. This is a trade
  association that strengthens and promotes North
  American organizations fully committed to fair
  trade. Manish sits on their board. Also, Manish
  was featured in Entrepreneur Magazine in October
  2008. Click here to read the article.
• Fair trade-savvy customers will sometimes
  question your role as a middle-man or
  middle-woman (middlemen are sometimes seen as
  bad in the industry, since some middlemen have
  been known to take advantage of poor producers).
  It is important for you to know that your role is
  actually helping create MORE work for the
  artisans. Your commission comes out of HMEs
  profits and does not affect the pay of the
  artisans. They are paid long before the products
  reach your hands.

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Marketing Materials Support Sales

• We can give customers a catalog with all of our
  products. The catalog has our contact
  information, and how to do business info.
  Orders can also be placed online at
  www.handmaeexpressions.net. The login
  buyfairtrade will allow customers to see
  wholesale prices.
• Each product has an informational tag that
  explains that the product is fair trade, and a
  little information about where it is made and
  its eco aspects (retailers like this). It does
  not have our contact information (retailers fear
  that).
• We offer posters that tell a artisan stories
  related to the products the customer has ordered.
  They can display this poster next to the
  product, which helps tell the Fair Trade story.
• Our website has ARTISAN STORIES, information of
  WHAT IS FAIR TRADE?, our press coverage, etc.
  Check it and learn it! Itll help you sell the
  product, because what sells is the story behind
  the product as well. Customers are welcome to use
  images and information from our website to help
  sell the products.

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Our Products

• Tree-free journals the paper is made by
  recycling cotton waste rags from the textile
  industry in Rajasthan, India. The hard covers
  are made of the same paper. Manish started HME
  as a handmade paper company. We still sell
  paper, and journals can be created from any of
  our paper deigns. If anyone is interested in
  creating custom stationary, boxes, journals, or
  packaging, put them in touch with Jen. You will
  be paid commission on any custom order in your
  territory. Journals sell really well!!! People
  love the tree-free aspect. Most journals are
  also refillable, making them even more
  eco-friendly. All journals have a paper band
  around them stating that they are Fair Trade and
  tree-free.
• We also have leather-bound journals The leather
  is cruelty-free, since it comes from animals
  that dies of natural causes. They come from an
  area in India that is strictly vegetarian, and
  the animals serve important household roles.
  Custom leather journals can be embossed with a
  companys logo.
• We have a large range of bags Some are
  organic, some are made from recycled materials.
  An important thing to say is that they are all
  made functional, with a North American audience
  in mind. They have pockets, zippers, cell phone
  pockets (in some), etc. By going through the
  product descriptions youll learn more details.
• Accessories very varied selection. It includes
  bells, key chains, bags and boxes.
• Scarves we have scarves made of cotton, wool
  and silk. Again, going through their description
  on the website will help you understand how
  theyre made.
• Jewelry all of our jewelry is made of locally
  sourced materials. Some are locally sourced
  metals/stones, and many are made from polished
  tree-resins. Tree-resins are a sustainable
  material, making the jewelry green. We have
  necklaces, bracelets and earrings.
• Home décor we have wall hangings, cushion
  covers, quilts and more. Again, check our
  website for more information.

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Special Products Customization

• There are some products that everyone likes to
  buy, and they can be cash cows
• Eco shopper This is a re-usable shopping bag
  made of natural cotton and dyed with natural
  dyes. The minimum order is 12 bags, and they
  come completely assorted. It is a beautiful
  alternative to the plastic or synthetic bags
  others offer. It is safe for groceries since all
  the dyes are natural. The words Fair Trade
  Justice Peace Love are printed on the
  inside. These bags can be customized with a
  stores logo, at no extra charge, if they order
  200 bags. The lead time is 8 weeks. We normally
  use the pinkish/red ink as you see in your
  samples, but other colors can be used upon
  request. We can help design the logo if they
  dont have one on hand. Customers usually keep
  our Fair Trade tagline on one side and put their
  logo on the other. These details can be changed
  to their wishes. Nearly all of our customers
  carry these bags. They came about when Rashmi,
  Manishs sister in India, met a man making hand
  block printed bed sheets. He couldnt make a
  living at it since people in India now have
  access to mass produced goods, but we knew these
  sheets wouldnt sell in the states. So, he said
  he had lots of scraps from the sheets and the
  idea of sewing them into a bag developed. Now,
  the production of the Eco Shoppers employs 50
  families in this small village. Best of all, the
  artisans can make a living using their
  traditional artand theyre eco-friendly!
• Newspaper Bags These bags are made of recycled
  newspaper. They are lined with recycled
  cardboard inside to make them sturdy. The
  newspaper is in Hindi, but English Indian news
  can be used upon request. We can print the
  customers logo and messaging on both sides of
  the bag. We typically use the red ink as it shows
  up the best on the news print. Minimum order on
  plain bags is 100, 500 to customize. Again, no
  extra charge to customize and the lead time is
  4-5 months. The Fair Trade tagline is usually
  kept on one side with the store logo on the
  other. Again, this can be changed to meet the
  customers wishes.
• Bound in Leather journals These are the
  best-selling journals. They are not refillable,
  but they have more pages. People love these!

Ruchi can help you with the customization
questions/issues. You can reach her at
design_at_handmadeexpressions.net
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Grab your catalog and lets talk BAGS

• The Color Splash bags are great sellers. They
  are made from textile scraps and come assorted.
  The V bags usually have a red base while the
  square bags vary considerably. A customer is
  welcome to express a color preference. If it is
  possible, we will honor the request, but we never
  know what colors we are getting until they
  arrive.
• All of the applique bags sell well. The peace
  bags are hot right now. In case you dont know,
  applique means that the entire design (Tree of
  Life for instance) is one piece of fabric that
  the artisan has cut by hand and stitched on.
  This is most impressive with the wall hanging (to
  come).
• The Om and Shiva bags are new and are doing well.
  Om is a word chanted at the beginning and end of
  most yoga classes. Its a complicated thing to
  describe, but the sound of Om is said to
  encompass the entire universe. Om is very popular
  with new age retailers and yoga practitioners.
• The Sanskrit Bag comes with the 2 smaller bags.
• The Shanti and Dharma bags are popular with
  younger women. Please note that any bag that
  says assorted means that the fabrics may come in
  a color different than what is shown in the
  catalog.
• The Cosmic Messenger bags can be ordered by
  color.
• The Sufi and Classic Messenger bags are assorted.
• WOVEN THREADS not available!!
• Green Computing bags are ordered by color. These
  are all natural dyes done with hand block
  printing. These are good sellers.
• Paper gift bags are made by our same cotton rag,
  tree-free paper. Small bags come in a set of 5,
  while the wine and large bags come in sets of 3.
  Wine and large bags can be ordered in a paisley
  or earth (leaf) designs. Colors for all bags are
  assorted.
• The Wood Log box is made of our paper. The top
  is rolled and cut paper. This is an example of
  how we can make custom boxes from our paper
  designs.
• Recyceld gift pouches are made from textile
  scraps. Each one looks different.
• Very Special Folding Bags and Cosmetic Case are
  made by a school for people with disabilities.
  They are made with recycled plastic and cotton
  scraps. The cosmetic case has recycled cassette
  tape woven in to make it shiny.
• The Organic Shoppers are new and doing well.
  They can be customized 200 minimum and 3 month
  lead time.

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Purses, Cosmetic and Coin Bags

• The Maya Bead Bags are made of silk with
  intricate embroidery.
• All of the Fine Embroidery bags are also silk.
  They come assorted, though customers can
  specifically order Om bags. Anywhere you see M
  and S next to a code, it means the bags can be
  ordered with assorted mirror work or the spiral
  pattern.
• The Mix and Match series sells well. The
  cosmetic case has one large pocket and four small
  zip pouches. The travel kits 2 largest pockets
  are lined in plastic.
• Coin purses all come assorted.
• The Stitch Sizzle bag is a great seller. Comes
  slightly assorted, no more than the pictures in
  the catalog. Has a zipper closing and an inside
  pocket.
• Mirror work sling bag and evening bags come
  assorted. The evening bags are really fine
  quality with embroidery on both sides. Made with
  silk.

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Accessories and Jewelry

• All dolls and key chains come assorted.
• The leather card holder is a good seller.
• LUGGAGE TAG not available!
• JEWELRY
• The Thread Art necklaces are great sellers and
  are ordered by color.
• The multi ring is made of local white, nickel
  free metal that is made just for jewelry and will
  not cause skin allergies. This is the metal that
  is used for all of our jewelry.
• All of the necklaces sell well, especially the
  Seal Pendant and Half Moon.
• All of the resin necklaces are made from pine
  tree resins. Very eco-friendly.
• Flat Pearl and Bold Bead are great sellers, as
  are all the ear rings, especially Om.

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Bracelets and Scarves

• All of the bracelets are good sellers.
• Night and Day is the best seller
• Whirlpool, Swirl, and Om are right behind.
• All bracelets except the Wood Carvings are
  elastic.
• SCARVES
• Scarves are cotton, wool, silk, or a blend.
  Please note that the following are NOT available
• CWS 206 Shade 5B (code is actually CS 206 B/R)
• CWS 114
• MSS 103
• MSS 106

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Home Decor

• The Hanging Bells are a great seller and come
  assorted.
• The Copper Bells come in 7 sizes and all come
  with a cotton hanging yarn. Also hot sellers
• The Tree of Life wall hanging is our signature
  piece. It is important that the store have a
  place to display it properly, but most stores are
  surprised at how many they sell.
• Cushion covers come unfilled. Any customer that
  wants to order inserts can do so. We buy them
  from Ikea for 4 and sell them for the same.
• Table runners, place mats and pot holders are
  pretty self explanatory.
• The quilt are hand block printed with natural
  dyes, 100 filled with natural cotton (we cant
  say organic because it is not certifies, but no
  pesticides are used on the cotton). King size
  only for now. Very light and warm.

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Journals

• Bound in Leather!! People love them
• Life Comes to Leather come in small and large
  size, refillable. Blue and orange designs sell
  best.
• Cutwork mirage refillable. Top one is Daisy,
  left bottom is Bouquet, and front right is Sun
  Flower.
• Peace journals.GREAT seller.
• All the rest of the leather journals are
  refillable, except the Elephant and Leaf Imprint
  with tie string.
• All hard bound journals not refillable.
• The Toy Garden series is really popular, as is
  everything on page 35.
• Everything on page 34 is made of our tree-free
  paper.
• You are free to use your judgment in making
  exceptions to MOQs (minimum order quantities) for
  new customers who want to try the line, but in
  general we try to keep to them.
• Also, remember that we offer terms to museums,
  universities, hospitals, and established co-ops.
  All others will pay via credit card upon shipment
  unless otherwise approved by Jen.
• Thats the line!

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Challenges Shipping Inventory

• Most of our products are always in stock, and we
  aim to ship out within 3 days of the order.
• However, we do work with artisans that make
  things by hand, so sometimes we might not have a
  product in stock and it will be placed on back
  order. It is important to ask customers if they
  are ok with backorders on their first order.
  That way, we know how to handle the order if a
  product is not immediately available. Jen will
  do her best to keep you updated on any out of
  stock items so you can pass this info onto the
  customer when they are ordering.
• Target or delayed ship dates are welcome. We
  will be sure to notify you if the target is not
  possible.
• We ship UPS for domestic and USPS for
  international . We can ship FedEx if the
  customer wants to use a promotion or their own
  account. The same is true with UPS. If they
  have a UPS account they wish to use, just say so
  on the order.
• Many stores dont know what Fair Trade is or why
  they should carry it. It is your job to educate
  them and help them.

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Support

• For Operations support, you can contact Mark at
  mark_at_handmadeexpressions.net. He knows when
  orders are shipped, and whats in them. He also
  deals with all billing issues. Marks extension
  is 104.
• Your main contact is Jennifer. She can help you
  with most of what you need. She can be reached
  at jennifer_at_handmadeexpressions.net and extension
  101.
• If a customer is asking for support materials,
  like posters or pictures of the artisans, you can
  direct them to Juan. Hell do the marketing.
  Write to him at marketing_at_handmadeexpressions.net.

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Final Words

• We are here to support you. If you are unable to
  reach us in the office, you can always call Jen
  on her cell at 512 529-7422 or Manishs cell at
  734 834-7921.
• We are happy to offer Marketing help we can
  support customers events if they need pictures
  or posters. Tell them to get in touch with Juan
  at marketing_at_handmadeexpressions.net
• Good luck! Your work is making a difference in
  the world!