Comments on: Shopping in Hoi An, Vietnam. http://www.jadeleonard.com/blog/shopping-in-hoi-an-vietnam Tue, 13 Dec 2011 22:39:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Mai Kim Quyen http://www.jadeleonard.com/blog/shopping-in-hoi-an-vietnam/comment-page-1#comment-1070 Mai Kim Quyen Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:11:02 +0000 http://www.jadeleonard.com/blog/?p=156#comment-1070 Hello Jade, Thank you for including Reaching Out on your blog entry about "best places to shop" in Hoi An. We always appreciate positive coverage. I would like though to clarify that Reaching Our is NOT a charity, but rather a Fair Trade social business. We do not seek donations, but rely on our successful business practises and the quality and uniqueness of our products to prosper. In a social business like ours, all profits are channeled back into the business. No dividends are paid. Our profits have allowed our staff to grow to 50 people and we look forward to hiring and training more people of disability as our profits grow. By developing a Strategic Plan and an annualmarketing plan and filtering all business decisions through our framework of core values, including people before profits, we are able to meet and exceed our customers' expectations. These expectations are clearly delineated in the feedback which we make a point of soliciting formally on an on-going basis. Fair Trade means that the workers are paid a fair wage and this is true for Reaching Out. All of our staff, artisans, team leaders and sales staff earn a basic wage which surpasses the average wage paid in Hoi An for similar work. They also can earn bonuses through reaching and exceeding production, sales and creative improvement targets. In addition we are proud of the fact that Reaching Out staff all have a benefit package including health insurance, pension, unemployment insurance as well as initial skills training and on-going training in skills such as English language, sign language and leadership skills. Because our aim is to provide an environment where people of disability can attain independence and integrate fully into their communities, it is paramount that we all earn our living and do not rely on handouts, thus the social business model, which encourages empowerment and involvement. I hope that this information will help you and your readers to understand the aims of a social business. Our website www.reachingoutvietnam.com is fairly comprehensive and will give you even more detail about our business and our people. Thank you again sharing the story of Reaching Out on your blog. Yours truly, Reaching Out Mai Kim Quyen Sales and Marketing Manager Hello Jade,
Thank you for including Reaching Out on your blog entry about “best places to shop” in Hoi An. We always appreciate positive coverage.

I would like though to clarify that Reaching Our is NOT a charity, but rather a Fair Trade social business. We do not seek donations, but rely on our successful business practises and the quality and uniqueness of our products to prosper. In a social business like ours, all profits are channeled back into the business. No dividends are paid. Our profits have allowed our staff to grow to 50 people and we look forward to hiring and training more people of disability as our profits grow. By developing a Strategic Plan and an annualmarketing plan and filtering all business decisions through our framework of core values, including people before profits, we are able to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations. These expectations are clearly delineated in the feedback which we make a point of soliciting formally on an on-going basis.

Fair Trade means that the workers are paid a fair wage and this is true for Reaching Out. All of our staff, artisans, team leaders and sales staff earn a basic wage which surpasses the average wage paid in Hoi An for similar work. They also can earn bonuses through reaching and exceeding production, sales and creative improvement targets. In addition we are proud of the fact that Reaching Out staff all have a benefit package including health insurance, pension, unemployment insurance as well as initial skills training and on-going training in skills such as English language, sign language and leadership skills. Because our aim is to provide an environment where people of disability can attain independence and integrate fully into their communities, it is paramount that we all earn our living and do not rely on handouts, thus the social business model, which encourages empowerment and involvement.

I hope that this information will help you and your readers to understand the aims of a social business. Our website http://www.reachingoutvietnam.com is fairly comprehensive and will give you even more detail about our business and our people.

Thank you again sharing the story of Reaching Out on your blog.

Yours truly,

Reaching Out
Mai Kim Quyen
Sales and Marketing Manager

]]> By: Jade Leonard http://www.jadeleonard.com/blog/shopping-in-hoi-an-vietnam/comment-page-1#comment-1051 Jade Leonard Tue, 19 Jan 2010 07:06:55 +0000 http://www.jadeleonard.com/blog/?p=156#comment-1051 Thanks so much for the additional information Elaine! Jade x Thanks so much for the additional information Elaine!
Jade
x

]]> By: Elaine Head http://www.jadeleonard.com/blog/shopping-in-hoi-an-vietnam/comment-page-1#comment-1039 Elaine Head Mon, 18 Jan 2010 06:25:28 +0000 http://www.jadeleonard.com/blog/?p=156#comment-1039 Hello Fiona I am a volunteer at Reaching Out and would like you and your readers to understand that Reaching Out is not a charity, but rather a Fair Trade, social business, meaning that all profits go back into the business. The workers are indeed paid a set wage, which is above the average in Hoi An for similar work, BUT more importantly they have a full benefit package AND do indeed earn bonuses based on production, sales and creative improvements. The aim of the business is primarily to enable people of disability to lead independent lives and integrate fully into society. We measure our success in these terms. Hello Fiona
I am a volunteer at Reaching Out and would like you and your readers to understand that Reaching Out is not a charity, but rather a Fair Trade, social business, meaning that all profits go back into the business.
The workers are indeed paid a set wage, which is above the average in Hoi An for similar work, BUT more importantly they have a full benefit package AND do indeed earn bonuses based on production, sales and creative improvements.
The aim of the business is primarily to enable people of disability to lead independent lives and integrate fully into society. We measure our success in these terms.

]]> By: Jade Leonard » Blog Archive » The Definitive Guide to Hoi An, Vietnam. http://www.jadeleonard.com/blog/shopping-in-hoi-an-vietnam/comment-page-1#comment-1028 Jade Leonard » Blog Archive » The Definitive Guide to Hoi An, Vietnam. Sun, 17 Jan 2010 07:58:55 +0000 http://www.jadeleonard.com/blog/?p=156#comment-1028 [...] Shopping in Hoi An. [...] [...] Shopping in Hoi An. [...]

]]>