Below: Inventory for export
Angelica's first product was embroidered tablecloths. She was an artist with a treadle machine, able to make very elaborate designs, but without a market.
Together, we were able to sell one tablecloth before giving up. So then we moved on to woven purses.
Angelica is an excellent seamstress, but her style of woven purses never quite caught on. We gave up, and she turned her leftover materials into the most expensive shower curtain ever seen in San Miguel Escobar.
Undaunted, she started making burlap tote bags. They caught on, and sales grew. Female volunteers gave a hand in designing new styles. Sales went through the roof.
Today, Angelica's bags are featured in three Antigua retail stores. She now owns four sewing machines and produces approximately 3,000 totes per year.
With the success of her business, Angelica has just hired her eighth employee, most of whom are moms, working from their homes and able to earn twice minimum wage. She is a legal sole proprietor with a legalized accounting system and tax payer ID number. She maintains inventory of both finished products and raw materials. She is the head of production, quality control, accounting, and human resources.
Angelica has been financially independent from As Green As It Gets™ for more than a year and has already made her first export to the US.
