:Title:    Sept/Oct 2007: Ned Uganda
:Author:   Mark Grimes
:Date:     Mon, 17 Sep 2007 17:07:04 PDT
:URL:      http://www.ned.com/group/neduganda/news/6/

Can someone share more about the new Gulu location that's currently being renovated, what the community is already planning for that space?  When will the space be ready?

Beyond an internet café (downstairs?) what other business models would the Ned Uganda team like to explore in the same space?  It would be great if any new business model for a product or service each had a team of 3-5 people working to make it profitable and sustainable.  Does that make sense?

What can be learned from the other internet cafes in Gulu?  What would make more people want to visit the Ned/Uganda/Gulu internet café?   Can someone start to spec out the startup costs for the café:  computers, electricity, connectivity, gas generator, etc.

Would Ned/Uganda t-shirts sell well?  Ice cold Rwenzori bottled water?  Dried fruit or meats?  Microfinance loans.  Paper beaded bracelets.  Liquid soap is one, I know.  What other products or services would the Ned/Uganda/Gulu coop community like to sell that could be profitable in a short period of time?   I can help guide, offer ideas, share online, but members on the ground in Gulu need to unleash the entrepreneurial spirits.  How soon is the retail space going to be open for business?  Can we see some picture soon? That'd be great.

Can each business unit/model being considered be budgeted for cost of goods, marketing, expected sales, and team members in the unit?

We don't necessarily *have* to have the physical space open to explore some of the models.  If three people think selling t-shirts is worthwhile, and there would be a need for 100 to start, that could be something possibly started without the retail space.  Each business unit should have enough potential revenue so each worker would earn 2,000 to 6,000 shillings a day, cover expenses, and have excess profit that goes back into the coop for other models (and coop wide profit sharing).

Assuming 2,000 shillings per person a day, at three team members, at 90 days, loosely figure $279 in labor/pay for three months.  Assuming startup costs for WIDGET/PRODUCT/SERVICE is $250, that's $529 combined...round it up to $600 USD...for giggles (ok, miscellaneous expenses really).    If a business unit could be profitable in 90 days, paying expenses, earning a living for that units members, putting some funds back into the coop (first to recoup investment funding (for reinvestment, not return on investment), then to startup other models)...that'd be a great thing.   Ned/Portland has the capacity to fund a minimum of 3-4 of these business units as soon as they are ready to go (If we get some Ned.com Chip-in, Facebook, Razoo matching funds, we might be able to finance twice as much).