Back in the Netherlands again, and we look back to a very successful and inspiring trip to Ghana.
Our objectives were:
1. To set up the local organisation (legal, office, storage, distribution, personnel)
2 Do research for marketing plan and production of promotion materials
3. Definite selection of products for pilot
4. Research shipping possibilities
5. Meet with MicroFinance Institutions
6. Meet with possible partners/investors
7. Research into local payment methods (installments, loan, microcredit etc)

This was ambitious, because there was not much time in Ghana. But thanks to SIFE Ghana we managed to get a lot of appointments, and we talked to investment companies, producers of goodgets, microfinance organisations, NGO’s, shipping companies and more.

Almost all meetings were very positive, with everybody wanting to cooperate. We got a lot of feedback on the plan, and this made us decide to make a change in the original plan.
We will add another link in the chain. We intent to set up a one-stop shop or a so called flagship store in Accra where all our products are displayed in the different categories (water, solar, other renewables, agriculture, health, transport etc).
The reason for this is that we found that not only the BoP are interested in the products, but also the (lower) middle class in the city. With the flagship store we can display our products to both groups, and also we create a fixed place where people can go if products are not working (this was a very important outcome of our research).
The flagship store will function as a basis for the future microfranchisees who go into the countryside (to the BoP) with a range of goodgets. In time the store can be copied to other cities and places (think Apple store).
Also, the store really gives us the opportunity to do some serious branding of the Goodget name and service.

In the mean time Goodget Limited is almost a fact – this means we have set up a local company in Ghana! There is a lot of work to do, but our target is to start the business in the beginning of 2013!! Thanks everybody who has helped us so far. If you want to be involved as a volunteer, please contact me asap at elvira@goodget.org at goodget.org