Talent knows no borders but borders sometimes determine how that talent flourishes. Everywhere we travel we find people who are doing incredible work with their hands but in some areas despite how good and skilled some artisans may be, they don’t seem to be able to make a decent living from it.
There are many factors contributing to this:
- Economic and Market Challenges:
- Competition from Mass Production: Handmade products often struggle to compete with cheaper, mass-produced alternatives in terms of price and speed. Consumers may opt for factory-made items due to lower cost, even if they lack the unique qualities of handcrafted goods
- Limited Market Access: Many artisans, especially those in less developed countries, lack access to broader markets, limiting their sales opportunities. Shipping constraints may force them to only focus on their local market.
- Income Instability: The fluctuating nature of demand, especially in tourist markets, and a lack of stable business partnerships can lead to unpredictable and unstable incomes for artisans, often keeping them in poverty.
- Financial Constraints: Many handcrafters lack access to financial resources (microloans, grants) for scaling operations, purchasing materials, or investing in better tools and technologies.
- High Production Costs: The use of quality materials, skilled labor, and time-intensive processes often leads to higher production costs for handcrafted items, which can make them less competitive in price.
- Exploitation by Middlemen: Due to a lack of market access and organization, artisans are often vulnerable to exploitation by intermediaries who buy their products at low prices and sell them at a significant markup.
- Tariffs and Trade Policies: Tariffs on imported raw materials or tools can significantly increase production costs for handcrafters, disproportionately impacting small businesses. Recently United States has been instituting a range of tariffs on less developed countries which may make it harder for artisans to access to the US market.
- Marketing and Promotion Challenges:
- Lack of Visibility: Many handcrafters struggle with limited visibility in local and online search results, making it difficult for potential customers to find them.
- Ineffective Marketing Strategies: Artisans may lack the knowledge or resources to develop compelling content, utilize digital marketing channels effectively, or engage with customers on social media.
- Brand Identity and Storytelling: While handicrafts have inherent stories, artisans may struggle to define and communicate their unique brand identity and the cultural significance of their products.
- Difficulty in Pricing: Accurately pricing handcrafted items to cover time, skill, and material costs while remaining attractive to customers can be a significant challenge.
- Lack of Awareness of Traditional Values: There can be a lack of awareness among consumers about the cultural and artistic value of traditional handicrafts, leading to devaluing of the craft.
What Tarooka is doing about it
Tarooka.com is an e-commerce platform that seeks to connect artisans from all over the world to market opportunities in North America.
Tarooka provides bulk shipping and local warehousing withing United States of America. Since shipping costs are usually restrictive with some countries like Zimbabwe, Zambia charging $25/kg, Tarooka helps makers ship their wares in bulk to our warehouses in USA.
The products are then listed on tarooka.com . When a buyer in USA purchases a product, instead of waiting for 2+ weeks for that product to be shipped internationally, they can get it using standard shipping.
Once a product is purchased, the seller can see their account on tarooka.com credited with the amount paid.
Our goal is to ensure that makers have access to the market that values their skill and can share their art with the world.
If you are a maker who wants to partner with us, please register on tarooka.com and Apply to Open a Managed Store
