The Myanmar Artisan Toolkit is a business training manual designed for the craft sector and creative industries in Myanmar.
Covering topics from production to sales to design, the Toolkit reviews standard business practices and provides practical tools to overcome common challenges, enabling you to build your business—for you, your family and your community.
It is divided into two levels to address your needs, whether you’re new to business or have years of experience:
Starting your business
Introduces new entrepreneurs, producers, makers and artisans with small (often informal) businesses to basic business concepts and focuses on the local market.
Level 1 is organized into seven chapters, the first five of which focus on business basics—the market and business relationships, production, costing and pricing, promoting your business and sales. The last two chapters explore how to grow your business through business planning, finding new customers and developing new products.
These concepts are introduced through the story of Ma Hsu Hsu, a young woman from the outskirts of Mandalay who builds a successful handmade textiles business, finding and overcoming many challenges along the way.
Exercises at the end of each chapter help you apply the tools Ma Hsu Hsu uses and the lessons she learns to your craft business. Templates of tables and other useful forms and resources are below.
growing your business
Provides more experienced artisans and larger business owners with the tools to strengthen your business and compete in local, regional and international markets.
Level 2 is organized into eight chapters, the first five of which focus on business fundamentals: relationships, production, pricing and costing, marketing and sales. The last three chapters explore how to grow your business: planning for growth, developing new products and finding new customers, including in international markets.
The case studies used throughout the Toolkit describe businesses from the three primary craft sectors in Myanmar: jewelry, woodworking and textiles. The businesses are fictive, but many of the details and examples are based on successful Myanmar and international businesses.
The tools used in, and lessons learned from, the case studies can be applied to your business, no matter what your craft.
