From For a Change magazine by Adriano Costa

By ADRIANO COSTA

People are the most valuable asset of any business,' says John Stephenson, an international business consultant who advises Colombian artisans. As a result of his work last year over US$ 1 million worth of craft products from 30 workshops were exported to customers in 11 different countries.

Originally from Britain, married to a Colombian, Stephenson has spent over 25 years working as a marketing director and general manager for multinational companies in Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela. 'The key to good management is getting the very best out of people,' he says.

Seven years ago Stephenson went into partnership with his old friend and former boss, Paul Gervis, who had started a ceramic business in Colombia. While Gervis managed the manufacturing side, Stephenson looked after the commercial. They had hardly completed the construction of a new workshop when the economy took a nose-dive. 'We decided if the business was going to survive we needed to develop an export business.'

Quite early on a potential client asked for help in sourcing other artisans' products from Colombia. 'Exporting artisan products made by other people quickly became a key part of our business.'

Currently Stephenson works with over 30 workshops which produce a wide variety of products including blown glass, ornamental and forged iron, colonial style furniture, ceramics, candles and textiles. Most of the workshops employ less than ten people. 'The owners do a fine job of designing and making their products but have very little idea of how to distribute or export them,' says Stephenson.

Apart from helping craftsmen evaluate their export potential and identify their clients, he exhibits their products at the international Ambiente and Tendence fairs at Frankfurt. 'I encourage the artisans to go to the fair as well so they can see at first hand who they are competing with internationally,' says Stephenson.

The exports generated have transformed some of the workshops' business. Four years ago, for example, Oxidos was a tiny business making ornamental iron, employing two people and with sales of less than US$30,000 a year. Their sales have increased tenfold, they employ 15 people and have moved into a new workshop.

'For me personally it has been most rewarding to use the skills acquired in international business to help other people make a success of their enterprises,' says Stephenson. 'In my previous jobs any one of dozens of people could have done the job just as well or even better than I. But in this case if I had not done the job it probably would not have been done and the workshops would not have made the progress they have.'

This report first published in For A Change magazine,http://www.forachange.co.uk April-May 2002.