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FROM: Teresa Fritschi

What NEED does this meet?
Increasing market opportunities for cottage industry products (sole proprieters, small manufacturies, family owned businesses) made in Scotland. Percentage of net profits to be reinvested in various philanthropic efforts to preserve, protect or restore aspects of Scottish culture, history or architecture. The concept has multiple benefit in that it provides an outlet for the continuation of work by skilled artists to utilise renewable (organic) resources, enhance their incomes (fair trade) and ensure reinvestment in under-financed aspects of Scottish national interest.

What is the APPROACH?
There are 35 million descendents (globally) of Scots forced to leave their native lands during the Highland Clearances. Many individuals in this group proudly proclaim their heritage and belong to various organisations such as St. Andrew's Societies, Herbridean, Celtic and Gaelic organisations. There is an aubundance of retail outlets focused on the delivery of kilts and clan jewelry but none that collectively addresses the preservation of a culture while embracing commercial outlets.

What are the BENEFITS to people?
Increased income for participant artists from a market that is cohesively approached through both catalogue and web sales. Reinvestment to national treasures ranging from the re-forestation of the Scottish Highlands (through appropriate not-for-profit already engaged in this effort) to preservation of ancient Pictish forts and rare breeds farms.

What is the COMPETITION?
Not one. This will do for Scotland what has been done so successfully in Ireland, tap a population with disposable cash and strong emotional ties to their "homeland" driving purchases of thoughtfully made products and tourism alike while enhancing the over physical well being of a country.

What BUDGET & LOGISTICS are required?
First Phase includes product sourcing (underway) and production samples for developing imagery for both web and physical catalogue, database development (underway), web development, legal set up, packaging, fulfillment partnership. With the successful sale of a single round of products (identified) to a targeted and respective audience (identified)-- 150,000 GBP should cover all start up costs including computer hardware and software purchases.