REPORT ON SELF HELP GROUP

INTRODUCTION:

Our visit to the Mathi Bazar which was held in Mother Teresa Association, Nungambakkam. The exhibit was for a period of one month . The exhibition had several stalls put up by the self-help groups from all the districts of Tamil Nadu. Each stall exhibited the unique products which they produce. These exhibitions help the self-help groups to show cast their products and these exhibitions also serve as a medium of advertisement for these SHGs. These exhibitions helps in women empowerment. And our visit to this exhibition gave us an opportunity to gain practical exposure understand the problems faced by women and the other entrepreneurs of rural areas.
SELF HELP GROUP:

Self help group which we choose belongs to THIRUNELVELI district. The name of the SHG isKALAIVANI, the group consists of twenty women who are financially backward, they were supported by a NGO initially to start a self help group among them and they were thought to do handicrafts products then later on they started to do it as a business.
MARKETING TECHNIQUE USED:

They are producing handicrafts products, decoration items, electric lamps etc.. By weaving thread from aloe vera. The products are priced at a very affordable price ranging from twenty rupees up to three hundred and fifty rupees. They are personally approaching the hotels ,corporate offices and many other places and getting their orders and they also displaying their works in many handicrafts trade shows which are organized by the government and other NGOs. Their products are welcomed by many hotels and by corporate offices for decorations.
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES:

The major challenges faced by them is non availability of raw materials and, they were not able to produce in large quantities due to shortage of raw materials. The another challenges faced by them is shortage of human resource. The women in their district are not willing to learn this art since the products are made by human resource without any machines. They can expand their business in a big way by starting their own retail outlet and advertising about the usefulness of the products they produce,and they can also collaborate with other self help group so that they can get the human resource they need for the production. Suggestions to the Self-Help Group 1) They must create innovative designs than the traditional ones by catering to the current trends.

2) They must make arrangements to display their products in colleges during college festivals and various other places like corporate offices, hotels etc which will be a great promotional tool. Suggestions to the Organizers: The organizers must take necessary steps to make the people more competitive by giving them more training. They also should help to learn various marketing techniques, promotional tools and other strategies to enhance and develop their business.

Rural marketing
Report on self help group KALAIVANI from tHIRUNELVELI district

Submitted to Prof maria joseph

Submitted by 12-PCO-11 12-PCo-41