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ir community, the success of the o sustaining their improved lifestyle. assisted in driving our company forward,”

The authenticity of the vibrant, colourful, intricately woven product line of MayaBags makes it a unique accessory and the line rivals international top name brands such as Coach and Tory Burch among others. “Our price point, rare product ancestry and quality, defines our market.” Since the business was founded, MayaBags has found a highly receptive market. MayaBags was a main floor line of bags for 9 seasons with all the flagship stores for Barneys New York and has also been purchased by England’s Brown’s of London, reaching as far as multiple stores in Japan. Featured on acclaimed websites including Vogue.com, the list of accolades is long for what Rachel Zoe.com describes as “the must have item”. The line continues to infiltrate the international market and has established an exclusive contract in Australia for yoga bags. Arnold promises there is much more in this company’s future. Working closely with Bergsma who plays an active role in the organization, they continually expand the product line and find innovative ways to further enhance the product. MayaBags has launched a line of hand-embroidered hobos with “the chic US store” Anthropologie, and the executive director also anticipates the addition of women’s wear accessories such as scarves and jewellery with crocheted work. The MayaBag is a truly distinct accessory. It is not merely a bag that elegantly graces the arm of the sophisticated bearer, it is an assertion of independence, a declaration of culture, a preservation of livelihood and a bold expression of luxurious style. “When we look back on the past twelve years of MayaBags, our history of responsibility and our success makes us want to dance and celebrate. We’re making a difference in the lives of our artisans and in their families and in their future.”

For the tribal artisans and their community, the success of the MayaBags business is vital to sustaining their improved lifestyle. “Caribbean Export profoundly assisted in driving our company forward,” remarks Arnold. In particular, she noted that partnership with Caribbean Export has “opened (her) eyes” and enlightened Arnold on methods towards improving business strategies. “Attending trade fairs outside of Belize gave us valuable insights to product creation, resource information, marketing strategies and capabilities.” Design Caribbean 2011, which Arnold attended through the assistance of Caribbean Export, was “greatly successful” for MayaBags. Through the experience they “gained more exposure, knowledge of other markets and (an understanding of) what competitors are out there.” At Dominicana Moda, another exhibition facilitated by the export agency. Arnold expressed that this trade fair too was “significant” to MayaBags’ business development, “it gave us education in doing exports within the EU (European Union).” Training with the Barbados-based regional export agency was an opportunity well embraced by the organization and Arnold confirms that MayaBags has employed the use of the knowledge acquired, implementing research methods and providing international customerswith key information on their products before exporting. “Caribbean Export has given us the opportunity to see what the competition is really like in other places and ideas on resources used by others.” Noting as an example that the Agency was able to provide information regarding the duties imposed by various international markets, she appreciated that the knowledge allowed the organization to calculate pricing before hand, a notably valuable asset. According to Caribbean Export’s Manager of Trade and Export Development, David Gomez, “helping to equip regional entrepreneurs with useful information to help them make a better decision is why we have invested so heavily in a new market intelligence system.” Relevant case studies were provided in Arnold’s experience with exporting to Australia and Japan, “getting information on what duties they will incur was a selling point for us, as our buyers were able to make informed decisions on price status, product standards, regulations and customs codes in their own markets before buying.” As a result, export ready capacity for MayaBags has been reviewed and developed into a more refined plan making success more attainable when conducting international business. E-commerce has also influenced the cottage industry organization’s business model. A website that facilitates ordering merchandise and a presence on social media conglomerate Facebook have helped to build international clientele. However, Arnold observed that, “to improve the exports of our products, what needs to be put in place is tax relief on materials needed for the production process.” She suggests that this will allow the luxury brand to be more competitive on the global market with better pricing.

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