With the holiday season rapidly approaching, Aya Fair Trade is gearing up to expand their operation. After receiving their second large inventory shipment and going through an exhaustive quality assurance process, the social entrepreneurship company run by Ellen Clauss and Randy England are ready to ramp up sales.
The company, currently composed of two full-time employees and three interns in the United States employs 17 seamstresses in Ghana. The proceeds from each bag then goes to fund the education of 36 children in their village.
With their latest shipment, Aya Fair Trade currently has six different kinds of bags consisting of 150 different styles, totaling just less than 3,000 individual pieces of inventory. Currently, the company is focused on direct product sales, but plan on expanding to wholesale distributors and boutiques at the start of 2017.
The holiday season can be the “most wonderful time of the year” for many social entrepreneurs. According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, a majority of non-profits receive the majority of their donations between October and December of any given year. With Aya Fair Trade, shoppers get a great product and get to support an even greater cause.
“The bags make fantastic Christmas gifts. You’re not only giving a stylish and unique gift to a loved one, but you’re also granting the gift of education and a promising future to a child in Ghana, and you just can’t put a price on that,” said Ellen.
In addition, the company is also looking to expand its fundraising operations. Upon request, Aya Fair Trade will provide some of its best-selling products to organizations for them to sell. After the fundraiser is complete, half of the proceeds go to the club.
Right now, there are multiple ways to get ahold of an Aya Fair Trade bag. The items can be purchased directly from their online shop or Etsy page. Online sales also get a special discount for the holiday season. From Black Friday to Cyber Monday, shoppers will find a site-wide 25% discount on all items.
Aya Fair Trade bags can also be purchased at various craft shows in the region. A full schedule of their appearances can be found on their website under upcoming events.
Also for the holiday season, Aya Fair Trade is offering an opportunity to make direct charitable contributions to the education fund via their website.
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