2002 Catalogers of the Year

3. Sourcing products from overseas is challenging enough. But buying from small workshops and individual artisans in developing nations is particularly problematic. To meet this challenge, Eziba forecasts relatively far in advance, especially with artisans who can’t ramp up production quickly. Another strategy that seems to work well: Eziba contracts with artisan co-ops in countries such as South Africa, India and Indonesia. This helps the catalog rely less on individual artisans and more on groups of production personnel. “As demand for their crafts grow, the co-ops can increase their artisan membership,” Miller explains.