Business Plan

Claybrane reusable transportation and filtration bag in rural areas of

Mathura District in Uttar Pradesh, India

December 2018

Written by​ ​Team #1

Renaud Barrette BARR02029207
Frédérick Bois-Chassé BOIF20039600
Amélie Moyart MOYA19619704
Divya Vinod M09235746
Sheffi Tiwari M10201789

Presented to
​Mr. Neil Choudhury
Dr. Jocelyn Desroches
Dr. Constantine Polychroniou
Mr. Tobi Rodrigue

ESG6221 ​- ​Entrepreneuriat social et enjeux globaux (UQAM – U. Cincinnati)

INTB 3094 - Social entrepreneurship: Sustainable solutions to Global Challenges

Executive Summary 1

Business Overview 2
Company Description 2
Why Mathura? 2
Government Regulations 4
Product 4
Materials 6
The Market 7
Market trends 7
Pricing and distribution 7
Risk factors 7
The competition 9
Main competitors analysis 9
Competitive Advantages 10

Product’s Impact on Social entrepreneurship 10

Why is your product good for Social Entrepreneurship? 10
Scaling Up 11

Sales and Marketing Plan 12

Customers 12
Suppliers 13
Promotion 14
Distribution 14
Pricing Strategy 15
Customer service policy 15

Operating plan 16
Our supply chain 16
Equipment & Technology 16

Human resources plan 17

Organizational structure 17
Action plan 19

Appendices: 20
Appendix A: FINANCIAL PLAN 20
Appendix B - Market Analysis (PESTEL, SWOT) 24
Appendix C - Principal Stakeholders 27
Appendix D - Product specification 29

Bibliography 31

1
 Executive Summary
Claybrane, as a company offers to provide access to safe drinking water through water
filter bags which can be inserted into clay pots while taking into consideration the cultural
practices of our customers and social benefits for women.

Our team at Claybrane looks forward to ensuring that children do not suffer from
water-borne diseases and women have an easy and convenient access to clean water without
compromising the cultural and traditional values of clay pot.

Our company shall be headquartered in New Delhi, India and shall have operation
inputs from both United States and Canada.

Our clients are women from the age of 13 to 50, who run families and engage in
fetching water from miles away on a daily basis. We look forward to providing services to
these women who will see both short and long-term benefits from our product.

Across the country of India, the usage of claypots has been prominent. Our market
research has shown the area of Mathura district in Uttar Pradesh to be the most favorable
market due to several aspects like population, location, history, etc.

While there are comparable products in the market, our product has certain
competitive advantages over the other products in terms of pricing, preserving the culture,
conserving the clay pot industry, durability, and affordability. Our product specifications are
designed in a way that looks at the best possible combination to penetrate the targeted market.

Based on the size of our market and our defined market area, our sales projections for
the first year are $17,147. We project a growth rate of 14% the first year then 12% then 3%.

We are seeking an investment of $25,000 to finance our first-year growth. Together,

we have invested $ 25,000 and we expect to gather $6,940 from friends and family to meet
working capital requirements.

2
Business Overview
Company Description
Claybrane is a company that is working to provide safe water for families in rural
areas by providing a product that single-handedly tackles two issues: 1) the membrane will be
used to contain the water inside of clay pots in case they break and 2) the detachable filter
will be provided to filter the water before drinking. Established in September 2018, we are a
growing company in Cincinnati and Montreal that is currently catering to rural populations of
Mathura District, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Our Vision

Our vision is to provide safe water accessible to rural families to help them achieve
their maximum potential and elevate their socioeconomic standing.

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide a solution for all people in rural villages in developing
countries to address the limitations of clay pots and high prevalence of waterborne disease.
We plan to address the lack of clean water and the burden of transportation in a culturally
responsible way by providing a bag that can capture otherwise lost water and providing a
filtration method to remove the water contaminants that affect the lives of rural villages.

Our Values

Our social enterprise has three I values:

Impact: we want to maximize our social impact

Integrity: we will always keep our customer in mind

Innovation: we will bring the best product to our customers

3
Why Mathura?
Demographic Factors

The usage of claypots is an age-old tradition and is quite prominent throughout the
villages of India to transport water. We decided to keep our target market to the villages in
the district of Mathura, Uttar Pradesh in India based on several factors such as the large rural
population of Mathura, the historical cultural significance the clay pot holds in the area, the
high incidence of water-borne diseases, and the proximity of the district to other highly
populated villages. Mathura district has a total of 285,578 women1, who will be our primary
customers for our market.

Sociocultural Factors

On an average, an Indian women in a village spends about 6-9 hours a day fetching
water from places ranging to 9-10 kilometers or even higher. Many women lose liters of
water in the process, due to the breakage of pots, as they try to manage several pots on their
heads, stacked on top of eachother.2

Additionally, the water collected by these women is of poor quality and causes several
water-borne diseases, such as diarrhea, typhoid, etc. The total number of water-borne diseases
in the state of Uttar Pradesh in a year has been close to 1,059 cases, which is an alarmingly
large number. Just recently, in 2017, Mathura had an acute Diarrhea outbreak, causing illness
in several villagers. Our product aims to address these problems that have been severely
under-addressed over the past hundreds of years.3

With Claybrane, we aim to provide the women in the villages with a more reliable
method of transporting water, which not only saves them time and efforts, but also takes a
step towards protecting the families falling sick. Our biggest challenge in providing a solution
was developing a solution that maintains and encourages the cultural practices in use for
obtaining water. With Claybrane, it was ensured that the cultural aspect of the market is taken
into account as, we offer a bag which goes inside the claypots. This ensures that the historical
tradition of clay pots continues, while making the enhancing the lives of many. Claybrane
also ensures that the pottery industry, which dates back to 9,000 years ago4 and is one of the
biggest sources of income for many villagers, does not go out of business.

1
​http://ncw.nic.in/pdfReports/WomenandWater.pdf
2
​http://ncw.nic.in/pdfReports/WomenandWater.pdf
3
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/60d1/20f4f2c68aca5d7ba52545d96ebf35543be0.pdf
4
h​ ttps://ceramics.org/about/what-are-engineered-ceramics-and-glass/brief-history-of-ceramics-and-glass

4
Economic Factors

The average rural monthly household income in the villages of India is about Rs.
7,000 ($100)5, and the number is similar in the district of Mathura as well. Keeping in mind
the income of the families in these villages, our product shall offer a long-term, cost-effective
solution to the illnesses that riddle the villages and cost each family a large sum to treat.
According to a health survey, families affected by water borne diseases end up spending
more than Rs. 2,000 ($30) for treatment6, for which some of them even have to travel
hundreds of miles to receive. With our product, not only will the families save up on the cost
of medical treatment, but also on the labor days that goes vain during the treatment time.

Government Regulations7
The World Health Organization categorized the colloidal silver as a “U” compound
and recommended a guideline value of silver for 10 grams per lifetime. They continue to say
that “it is unnecessary to recommend a health-based guideline value for these compounds
because they are not hazardous to human health at concentrations normally found in
drinking-water”.

The WHO also addresses that fact that silver can be used as a disinfectant to maintain
the bacteriological quality of drinking water. Under this circumstance, the guideline states
that “high levels of silver, up to 0.1mg/L could be tolerated in such cases without risk to
health”. These regulations have been echoed by other agencies such as the United States
Environmental Protection Agency. As a result, the guideline appropriate for our filter, which
is closely modeled after the Potters for Peace filter, will be 0.1mg/L in the filtered water.
There has been concern regarding the use of colloidal silver in treatment of water by the
United States Food and Drug Administration. However, the United States FDA’s regulations
of colloidal silver does not apply to the ceramic filtration methods because “the US FDA
does not deal with disinfection agents...as long as... the filters are treating animals or humans
for disease, and does not state that the colloidal silver is an antibiotic, the product is not
regulated under the US FDA”. In this case, “treatment” refers to pills or any substance to be
purposely not injected. This does not refer to materials used in the process of disinfection.

5
​http://iasir.net/AIJRHASSpapers/AIJRHASS17-124.pdf
6
​http://iasir.net/AIJRHASSpapers/AIJRHASS17-124.pdf
7

http://web.mit.edu/watsan/Docs/Other%20Documents/ceramicpot/PFP-Report1-Daniele%20Lantagne,%2012-0
1.pdf
5
Product
The Claybrane is a membrane which is going to be sold separately from the clay pot
itself and will fit into any type of clay pot (round, slim, etc.). The goal with the Claybrane is
to provide women with the opportunity to carry water safely from a water source to their
home and provide clean drinking water to their families. Thus, to better answer the needs of
women in India's rural regions, our product would be made in two separate parts. The first
one is the bag it self that the women will carry with them on their trip to a water source. The
second part is the detachable water filter that can be left at home to reduce the weight the
women have to carry.

The flexible membrane will be placed inside the clay pot before adding any water. To
fill the Claybrane (which is now inside the clay pot) users have to ​roll down the top of the
bag onto the rim of the pot to provide an exact fitting to the pot. Women can then drag the
claypot into the water source. ​Once the water is inside, they will have to roll the top of the
bag, clip it, and push the top into the pot before stacking the next pot on top. ​This will
eliminate water spillage and prevent contaminants for entering the water on the walk back to
their homes.

One of the prominent aspects of the Claybrane is directly related to the water-borne
diseases in rural India. To avoid them, the Claybrane package contains one ceramic water
filter. To attach the water filter to the bag, users only have to zip the two parts together. The
next step is to turn the pot upside down so the water can clear it self by gravity. When a
certain amount of water is out, they will take the bag out and grab the safety strap a the
bottom of the bag, lift it up, and hang the bag to continue filtering the water. 8

8
​For more specification about the product, please refer to Appendix D
6
Prototype

Materials
The Membrane

The goal of Claybrane is to create a durable product that can resist the breakage of a
clay pot if dropped while obtaining water. For the durability and resistance of the product, we
chose to go with a membrane made of nylon and polyester. The nylon is resistant to UV and
its quality does not deteriorate. Nylon is a strong, flexible and water-resistant material that
dries quickly to avoid risk of moisture in the bag9. The polyester is a cheap and durable
product. The combination of nylon and polyester is ideal for a quality, cost-effective bag. To
avoid water spillage and contaminants from entering the Claybrane, a roll-and-buckle system
will be used at the top. This system is user-friendly and has minimal risk of breaking if
dropped. As previously mentioned, the roll-and-buckle system is also flexible enough to push
into the clay pots once it is rolled. To attach the water filter to the membrane, we will use a
water-repellent zipper. This zipper is also flexible enough to adapt to the rolling system.

9
​https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/220706/view/nylon-fabric-items-used-in-everyday-life
7
Water Filter

Selling the product at the lowest cost possible while

making a 4-5% profit requires a rustic and effective technology.
The new technology available for water purifiers and filters are
expensive and cannot be used to produce an affordable product
under a social entrepreneurship structure. That is why we
decided to use the proven technology developed by “Potters For
Peace”10. Potters for Peace designed a ceramic filter that filters
bacteria (99.98%), protozoa and bigger particles. The filter will
be 25 cm in diameter. The filter is made of ceramic and mixed
with sawdust to create holes in the ceramic when heated. The
filter is then brushed with colloidal silver. The bacteria and particles will be captured in the
holes and the colloidal silver will kill the organisms. As discussed in the government
regulations, the World Health Organization and US EPA determined that the colloidal silver
falls significantly below the limit allowed for people before effects of toxicity begin to form
and is thus, perfectly safe for use in the filter11.

The Market
Market trends

India is a growing country which is rising in the international market. However, the
living conditions for the inhabitants are not satisfactory in the rural areas. It is hard to create a
change in the practices of people because they are attached to their traditions. The
government will likely be an ally in our project as they have also been pushing for change in
some of the practices to improve the health and living conditions of their citizens. Moreover,
the country is looking to improve its economy so India is a good place for new entrepreneurs.
Uttar Pradesh has one of the best State economies of the country, which is why we chose to
start in this district12.

Pricing and distribution

We worked to get the best product at the lowest cost possible. Taking into account our
target segment we had to adapt to their purchasing power which is why we propose a product
at less than $5. The distribution is also a challenge in our market, so our strategy is adapt to

10
​http://pottersforpeace.org/?page_id=63
11
​https://s3.amazonaws.com/PfP/alethia-report-1.pdf
12
See appendix A
8
their needs and resources. For example, we will work with Panchayat13 and sales
representatives.
Risk factors

We have identified several risks related to the market itself. India is a cultural country.
Like we already said, the Indian population is attached to their traditions and it is hard to
make any changes. That is why our product does not interfere with any of the traditions and
will be more accepted by the communities we are targeting.
Another risk is distribution. India is a large country which is allows for a large market
but it also makes distribution more difficult. Villages are scattered and we need to have a
good strategy to reach everyone. That is why we will use sails representatives to go into each
village and talk with community leaders and inhabitants.
Other competitors are also a risk to our product because we are a new company who
will arrive in the Indian market. There are already a few companies trying to do address water
transportation or filtration Our advantages is that we combine both while considering the
traditions of the people14.

13
​https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gram_panchayat
14
Cf. Appendix A
9
 The competition

Main competitors analysis

After an analysis of potential competitors present in rural India, we found the

following indirect competitors. They are considered indirect because they only address one
aspect of our product: either filtration or transportation. Day One Waterbag address
transportation and filtration but is catered more directly to relief after natural disasters and
thus, still remains an indirect competitor.

Indirect competitors

Name Price Capacity Effect Strength Weaknesses

Claybrane $5 14L Bacteria -Transportation - Capacity

Protozoa -Usewith
Heavy metals claypots
-Filter lifetime
-Low Price

Day One Waterbag $70 10L Virus - Transportation - High price

Bacteria - Can be use with - Capacity
Protozoa claypots - Filter life time
Heavy metals - Filter effect
15

WelloWater16 Non- 45L Not listed - Transportation - No filter

profit - Capacity included
- Can’t be
purchase

TataSwach17 $19,34 18L Bacteria - Filter effect - High price

Virus - Don’t allow
Protozoa transportation
Heavy metals - Filter life time

15
https://businessconnectworld.com/product/dayone-waterbag/
16
http://www.wellowater.org/products.html
17
https://tataswach.com/products/tata-swach-cristella-plus
10
Competitive Advantages

2 in 1 system
Tata Swach,​ a company based in India, is made by a very prominent business which is
making this filter to cater to families in rural India. This product is targeted to the rural
families but is designed be placed in the house with limited need for movement. This filter
does not assist in the transportation of water from the reservoir to their houses. Another
example of this is ​Wello Water which only provides a mode of transportation using the wheel
barrow method but does not provide any water filtration. The Claybrane allows women in
rural areas to transport their water safely and filter their water in one product.

Culture Preservation
Our product works to limit the challenges that come with using clay pots without
hurting the clay pot industry which thrives in India’s market. Unlike other products, our
product is the only one in the market that creates an insertion for clay pots and thus continues
to support the market. ​Wello Water is making a rolling barrel for water which is not made
from clay and that does not support this important industry. The same can be seen for ​Tata
Swach and ​Day One Waterbag which also do not show any inclination for cultural
preservation.

Low cost
Claybrane is $10 less than its closest competitors, ​Tata Swach,​ which only provides
filtration and costs $19. The other closest competitors related to the specification of the bag is
the ​Day One water bag and this product is $65 higher than our price. Taking into
consideration that the monthly household incomes in rural area is around $100, selling our
product at the cheapest price is very important and gives us a competitive advantage.

11
Product’s Impact on Social entrepreneurship
Why is your product good for Social Entrepreneurship?
Claybrane answers a deep social need in rural India. There are currently 500 children
under the age of five that are dying every day from water-borne diseases18. Additionally,
women spend hours a day obtaining this water and do not have time to find other work when
their pots break or they have to stay at home to attend to sick family members. The Claybrane
team is focusing on solving these very relevant social issues by:

● Decreasing time spent obtaining water

● Decreasing incidence of waterborne illness
● Maintaining cultural and economic value of clay pots

Ripple effects
Because we will be saving women time by preventing repeated trips if the pot falls
and breaks, we will be giving them more time to get an education, continue other jobs, and
elevate their social status. By providing safe water to the entire family, we will be helping
them save money that is normally used for medication, children will be able to go to school
more regularly, and adults will be able to go to work more regularly. This will increase the
socioeconomic status of the families while fostering respect for their culture.

18
​https://businessconnectworld.com/2018/01/11/water-crisis-in-india/
12
Scaling Up

We plan to penetrate the Indian market, during our first 5 years as indicated by our
action plan. With our own manufacturing plant we will have more ability to focus expand
completely into India’s vast market.

Nearby countries could also benefit from our scaling up but further analysis will need
to be done during our third year to better understand our market and ensure that we provide
the same care to our potential customers in those areas.

Our distribution plan will also evolve with time.

While at the beginning we will be placing all of our
distribution efforts into the sales representatives, we
would like to develop a partnership with the Indian
government who wants to change the water conditions in
India. This will be a great partnership because the Indian
government is currently working on projects related to
providing safe water and elevating the status of women
in India. We will also maintain and improve our
relations with the NGO’s on the ground so they can
become an intermediate between our company and the villagers as we continue to establish
ourselves in more villages.

13
 Sales and Marketing Plan
Customers
Our customer profile is of the average women living in one of the 216 villages in the
district of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. This person is a women or girl aged between 13- 50 who
uses claypots to transport water over miles everyday. She has a family of 4-6 people which
she has to provide water for by walking 9-10 kilometers.

Suppliers

Bag parts Description Price/ units Supplier District

Bag + buckle Best Collapsible $1.30 Quanzhou Fujian,

Water Container Portable Topwell Import China
Folding bucket Bag for & Export Co.,
Camping Water Storage
Ltd
Container for Car Washing

Safety strap High Quality 2.5 cm Belts $0.11 Wendy Lu Guangdong

Nylon Strapping Webbing Hongyu Plastic , China
For Backpacks; Thickness : String Co.,
1.5 mm; Length : 30cm Limited

Water repellent zipper Water resistant nylon zipper $0.30 Dongguan Guangdong
waterproof zipper roll Pingjia zipper , China
co., Ltd

Ceramic Water Filter Ceramic Water Filter ~$1 Potters for Gujarat,
Machines Peace India
Initial amount spend for the
machine is $50 000

Name : ​Ge silicone 2+ $0.20 Mourya Telangana,

kitchen & bath caulk Marketing India
FDA approved, water
resistant and food friendly.

Glue

14
Promotion
From the promotional aspect, some ground work needs to be done for the product, to
involve educating the villagers about how beneficial our product is and how they can reap
long-term benefits. One very efficient way of doing is to reach the heads of the villages,
called the ‘Panchayat’, which consists of five members of the village. Most, villages across
India listen to the advice of the Panchayat which makes them a great promotional avenue.
They will act as Product Ambassadors after the sales representatives reach out to them and
give free product samples. The sales representatives will then ask them to use our product and
share their experience with the residents of the villages to encourage them to buy our product.

The sales representatives will also reach out to local teachers in these villages about
why they should be using our product and why they should encourage their students to use
our product. As one of the few educated people in the villages, the teachers will be an
excellent medium to get out the social benefit of the product and convince children and
families to buy or product.

The involvement of local NGOs working in Mathura, like the “Mahila Kalyan
Sansthan” which works for the welfare of women, would be add to the promotion of
Claybrane because they are already well established in our target villages. As the NGOs think
in the best interest of the people, and have a very wide reach, we will use their contacts, to
contact the Panchayat and help us promote our product to the villagers.

Keeping in mind that modern day luxuries like internet have not reached the villages
yet, their only source of entertainment and touch to the outside world is the radio. An
advertisement will be run on the radio which the villagers will be able to listen and learn
about our product from.

We will also be relying on word of mouth as it is one of the major promotional

avenues in India due to heavy interaction between the villagers. Our satisfied customers, in
future, can act as a helpful resource in promoting our product to their friends and
acquaintances. To take advantage of this, we will be offering discounts to regular customers,
which will make the pricing more lucrative and promote long-term use.

Distribution
8 sales representatives

The major challenge in the distribution of the product is that there is no one source of
distribution due to how large our market is and how it is organized. Villages are scattered and
we need to adapt our strategy to reach everyone. Our main method of distribution will be

15
through Sales Representatives. In the beginning, we will hire eight representatives who will
go from village to village selling our product. We pay them at the minimum salary with
commission. 50% of the net profit will be split at the end of the year based on the number of
sales made which will be the incentive used to maximize their sales.

Pricing Strategy
We will sell our product at $4.97 which allows us to make a 40% gross margins on
our manufacturing cost of $2.98. Those margins help us pay our sales representative with a
good salary and provide the incentive of 50% of our net margins depending on the volume
they sell. Thus, our sales force will be more aggressive which will allows us to sell more
bags.

Taking into account the monthly revenue of a typical Indian household in rural areas,
which is the equivalent of a $100 US, we really want to sell our product at the lowest price
possible. Our product is the equivalent of 5% of the monthly salary and the price of our
cheapest competitors, such as Tata Swach, is the equivalent of approximately 20% of their
incomes. When looking at the purchasing power, it is much more burdensome to expect rural
families to pay one fifth of their monthly income on a water filter when they have other basic
needs to fulfill as well.
Customer service policy

Research on the Potters for Peace water filter determines that the “filter can be
maintained indefinitely provided that users scrub the filter regularly to prevent build-up of
particulate matter on the surface of the filter” however to ensure optimal function a
recommendation of replacement after 24 months is recommended19. With this information,
our sales representatives will be educating the customers on how to clean our ceramic disc
filters to ensure effective filtration. Additionally, because our modified product will be
filtering more water per surface area compared to the original Potters for Peace design, we
will be recommending a replacement of the filters after 12 months of use.

Because we will need to make yearly visits to the villages, the Claybrane sales
representatives will be equipped with the filters as well as surveys and questions to help
gauge customer satisfaction. This will be a time during which our customers can
communicate their concerns directly with our representatives. However, if they do have
concerns when a sales representative is not present, they will also be able to communicate
with their Panchayat who will have access to our sales representatives throughout the year.

19
PFP filter can be maintained indefinitely provided that users scrub the filter regularly to prevent
build-up of particulate matter on the surface of the filter that impedes the flow of water through the filter
16
Operating plan
Our supply chain

For our operating plan we will work with different suppliers in China and India for
much of the materials20. We have our own factory for the ceramic water filter in Gujarat and
will work with Norquest Brands Private Limited21 to assemble the pieces to form our product.
They produce bags and are also located in Gujarat which will minimize our transportation
costs. Finally we will distribute everything in Mathura using our sales representatives.
Equipment & Technology
We will produce our own water filter. In the beginning, we will have to invest
$50,000 in order to have our factory and the equipment needed (presses and machines), but
then we will gain money on the production by paying only $1.00 per filter. All other parts of
the bag will be bought separately and the assembly of the materials will be outsourced.

20
See suppliers page 13
21
​https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/nylon-backpack-6851233891.html
17
Human resources plan
Organizational structure

Key staff

International Coordinator & Financial Analyst: Renaud Barrette

Renaud’s main role is to put all of his practical background into action. He works to
unite the Claybrane team and the stakeholders that will play a major role during Claybrane’s
launch in the Indian market. He uses his vast network of professionals developed through his
own ventures and networking to elevate the success and impact of Claybrane.

Lead Designer: Frédérick Bois-Chassé

Frédérick has a strong background in small businesses. Currently working with
multiple small businesses in the Montreal area, he is in charge of R&D and design for
Claybrane. With all his knowledge, he works to ensure that Claybrane offers the most
practical solution to our target market. Frédérick also works with our research and
development team to develop the most innovative materials and techniques.

Strategic Planner, Operation and Logistic Management : Amélie Moyart

18
 Amélie has a very analytical mindset when it comes to business planning and strategic
orientation. Born and brought up in France, she has various experiences in international
communities as a social worker in a refugee camp. She has put her multiple degrees and past
experiences to use in the strategic planning of Claybrane’s business model.

Human resources coordinator : Divya Vinod

Divya, just like Renaud, is in charge of coordinating the Claybrane team and the
Claybrane operations. She is in charge of the production team as well as implementing new
products developed by Fredérick’s team. With her strong knowledge on the technicalities of
the filter and operational division of Claybrane she works to maximize the impact and
efficiency in the making of the product and the product itself.

Marketing Specialist: Sheffi Tiwari

Sheffi, recently moved to the United States from India, has a lot of knowledge
regarding the geopolitical field of our target market. Sheffi also has strong presentation skills
which she uses to maximize the effect of our presentations as we share our marketing
strategy. She works to ensure that the right marketing strategy is used to reach our target
audience and maximize our social impact.

Accounting: Serene Accounting

Based out of Montréal this firm is specialized in cloud accounting. This small
business offers a very competitive rate and has experience in international accounting. Serene
Accounting will be in charge of our accounting locally as well as working overseas with local
accounting firms to be developed over time.

Legal: Mr. Thomas Dumouchel, LL.B

Thomas Dumouchel is specialized business attorney with a lot of startup experience.
He has excellent knowledge of North American laws and will be in charge of our legal team
overseas as well as locally.

Distribution: Sales Reps

We will hire 8 sales workers to do our distribution, all of whom will be from Uttar
Pradesh so that they know the culture and will be more trusted by villagers. They will be
motivated by our social goals and will have ownership of the product through various
incentives.

19
Action plan

Pre-Production

5 year Action Plan

20
Appendices
Appendix A: FINANCIAL PLAN
Projected performance of the company

21
Balance Sheet

22
Sales Forecast 3 years

23
24
Appendix B - Market Analysis
SWOT Analysis

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
- ​New product: some indirect competitors - New company so we are not well-known
but we have several competitive or established
advantages. - The distribution is going to be difficult in
- Well thought out design for the a country where villages are scattered
functionality of the product
- Indian people in our team which helps in
understanding the culture.
- Our product supports the presence of the
clay pot so we respect the tradition and
support local pottery industry

OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
- ​We chose India which has a large market - ​Other competitors already implement
for our product
- There is a real need there to transport
water and limit the incidence of
water-borne illnesses
- Importance of the culture in our market

Our SWOT analysis evolves with our project. For example, at the beginning, the
importance of culture in India was a threat because of how much it can restrict acceptance of
new products in the market. However, now it is an opportunity as we have formed a way to
cater to the importance of tradition and culture with our product design.
Also, even though we offer a complete new product and we do not have direct
competitors, there are still companies whose propose is to sell a product to carry or purify
water. Our strength is that we did a lot of research on our market and our product is
affordable and addresses both transportation and filtration.

25
PESTEL analysis

Political22

India is a Federal Republic in South Asia composed of 29 states. It has the most
popular type of democracy in the world: a parliamentary republic with a multi-party system.
The Prime Minister is Narendra Modi and the president is Ram Nath Kovind who was elected
in July 2017. It is governed under the Constitution of India so it is a constitutional republic
and representative democracy, in which “majority rule is tempered by minority rights
protected by law.” The power is distributed between the central government and the states
(with a strong center and weak state). The Indian government is stable, and the country is
ranked 76​th out of 176 countries for the corruption (according to Corruption Perceptions
Index). While corruption can make distribution difficult, the fact that we are catering more to
rural regions minimizes the effect it will have. Due to history, India is in some conflict with
neighboring countries such as China and Pakistan. These conflicts are primarily at the borders
of the country and do not affect our target market. Based on current initiatives being taken by
the government to support clean water and the elevation of the status of women, we believe
the current government would be supportive of the initiative to address health issues in rural
villages.

Economic

India is one of the world’s fastest-growing economies and is considered a newly

industrialized country. In 2017, it was the world’s 6​th largest economy by nominal GDP. But
there are still inequalities and poverty. In 2006, India contained the largest number of people
living below the World Bank’s international poverty line of US $1.25 per day.
We count 513.7 million workers in India in 2016. The service sector makes up 55.6%
of GDP, the industrial sector 26.3%, and the agricultural sector 18.1%. India has 300 million
consumers with high purchasing power – a market comparable to that of the United States.
The economy of Uttar Pradesh is the fourth-largest state economy in India. Agriculture and
service industries are the largest parts of the state’s economy, but it is also the most
tourist-oriented region in India (for local attractions such as Taj Mahal). ​The large economy
of Uttar Pradesh and the growing economy of India is good for Claybrane as more consumers
will be willing to purchase the product which will in turn increase our profit so that we can
expand to a target market with less economic growth in the future.

Social23

India is the second-most populated country with over 1.2 billion people and
population growth of 1,60 % per year. It is a large country and the density is 394.02
inhabitants / km². Inside India, Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state (with over 200

22
​https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/dossiers-pays/inde/presentation-de-l-inde/
23
​https://www.populationdata.net/pays/inde/
26
million inhabitants). For a long time, there was just 1 girl for 2 boys due to cultural aspects in
India, but in 2011 it was 940 females per 1000 males. Life expectancy is at 68 years and the
median age was 27.6 years in 2016. The caste system is illegal but still present. Arranged
marriage is still a prevalent part of the culture. This is also common in children, even though
the legal age is 18, especially in regions of high poverty and low education rates. Family
values are important and the divorce rate is low. Even if the cities are well-developed and
highly populated, in 2001, over 70% of the population still lived in rural areas. Diversity is
very important in India with several major religions being practiced and several different
languages spoken across the country. Hindi is the official language for the government and
English is the “subsidiary official language” use in business, industry. The culture that is
prevalent in Uttar Pradesh is one of the biggest factors that contributed to us picking that
region for the launch of Claybrane. Our product promotes and encourages the culture to
continue so we want to operate in an area that also values the sociocultural aspects.
Additionally, as discussed, there is a great social need for the elevation of rural families out
of poverty and the elevation of women. Our product achieves these goals with the ripple
effects in the social value of our product.

Technological

India contains 4 million scientists which is the second highest in the world. There is
more and more foreign investment, which helps the innovation and development of startups.
The Indian startup ecosystem is dynamic and therefore attractive for investors. The
environment that encourages startups is ideal for social entrepreneurs because it allows for a
diverse range of new products to thrive in the market.

Environmental24

Challenge in India: How to develop quickly without polluting as much as they did?
The high population growth and the level of poverty make India a very polluted country. In
cities like New Delhi, there is very heavy traffic. Additionally, in rural areas there is pollution
such as during the seasonal burning in Uttar Pradesh. Its emissions of gas greenhouses remain
lower than other countries but are growing quickly. India is not insensitive to global
warming. In fact, the country is the second most affected by droughts, floods and other
disturbances. For more than 20 years, the Indian government has been campaigning for the
recognition of a greater responsibility from the rich countries in pollution. They are trying to
develop natural resources like solar energy, but there are still 300 million inhabitants who do
not have access to electricity and so the priority is to give the population a good quality of
life. India is mostly a hot, dry country with daytime temperatures typically ranging from 25°C
to 40°C. It also deals with disasters like the violent storms that took place in May 2018. The

24

http://www.rfi.fr/asie-pacifique/20150605-inde-journee-environnement-gaz-effet-serre-charbon-energie-solaire/

27
environmental factors are crucial to the development of our product as we focus on being an
eco-friendly company with a limited carbon footprint in the development of our product.

Legal25

The Indian labor market is second in the world by the amount of workforce available
with a value of 430 million people. However, labor law and social rights generally only apply
to the working population of India, employees from large companies, and public employees.
The government tries to develop social programs but there is a lot to do and not many
resources. ​Our product will be working to limit the time spent on traveling the extra miles if a
pot breaks and takes a preventive measure in addressing water-borne diseases. As a result,
there will be more women and children who will have more time for school and work and
who will not be spending a large portion of their time or money due to illness. This will
increase the workforce in the rural areas and hopefully elevate them to a higher
socioeconomic status.

25
​https://www.senat.fr/rap/r06-416/r06-4161.html
28
Appendix C - Principal Stakeholders

Stakeholder Category Attitude Why they are important

Village Women Customer Positive Our principal target. We need to target their
needs in order to suggest a good product

Local Potters Society Positive Will benefit from the product because the
product continues to support the use of
artisan pottery rather than develop an
alternative vessel for carrying the water

Panchayat Society Neutral The involvement of the community leaders

can either be positive or negative
depending on their perception of the
product. If they view it as helpful to the
overall health and well-being of the
community they will be supportive.
However, if they view it as an unnecessary
change in the culture they will have a
negative attitude.

Government of Society Positive The State has an important role in the

India economy of India. They have an impact
and control a lot of resources. Modi has
been under pressure for the past few years
about the health issues and many associates
ask him to take on the responsibility. They
have created programs like the National
Rural Health Mission as a result. By
showing our product’s impact on the
society we can make them a partner.

Dongguan Pingjia Supplier Positive They will benefit from the sale of our
zipper co. , Ltd product because they will receive an
increased number of orders for the creation
of each Claybrane.

Wendy Lu Supplier Positive They will benefit from the sale of our
Hongyu Plastic product because they will receive an
String Co., increased number of orders for the creation
of each Claybrane.
Limited

Quanzhou Supplier Positive They will benefit from the sale of our
Topwell Import product because they will receive an
& Export Co., Ltd increased number of orders for the creation
of each Claybrane.

29
Mourya Supplier Positive They will benefit from the sale of our
Marketing product because they will receive an
increased number of orders for the creation
of each Claybrane.

Norquest bags Assembly Positive They will benefit from the sale of our
product because they will receive an
increased number of orders for the creation
of each Claybrane and encourage jobs.

Sales Distributor Positive They will benefit from the sale of our
Representatives product because they will receive an
increased number of orders for the creation
of each Claybrane.

Claybrane Internal Positive They will benefit from the sale of the
Executives and project because it embodies the goals of the
employees founders of the company. It will also
provide financial support to the employees.

GoFundMe Donors Positive They donated money to help us maximize

Participants and our impact as a social entrepreneurship. As
other donors a result, they will be invested in the
outcome and are crucial to future outreach,
marketing, and fundraising efforts.

WelloWater Competitor Negative They will be competing with the same

market to provide a vessel to carry water
for women in villages. As a result, they will
have a negative attitude toward Claybrane.

Potters for Peace Competitor Negative They will be competing with the same
market to provide a water filtration method
for women in rural areas.

Tata Swach Competitor Negative Created by one of the most powerful

companies in India to address water
filtration in rural india.

Day One Competitor Negative Water filtration and transportation tool

Waterbag developed mainly for the purpose of natural
disaster relief. They are targeting our
market for a more specific purpose with a
more niche approach of going through
institutions.

30
Appendix D - Product specification

The Bag

Closure of the Bag

First, there are many sizes of clay

water pots and the optimal size for the
plastic screw cap would be difficult to
determine. Thus, we decided on a soft and
flexible border at the top of the bag to give
us a larger surface area. As a result, the bag can fit in varying sizes of clay pots. This would
maximize the benefits of large-scale production and give us a more cost-effective model to
meeting the needs of our target market.

Second, by studying women habits, we found that many of them carry more than one
clay pot on their head, by stacking them, to maximize their journey to the water source. Thus,
a roll-and-buckle top provides greater flexibility in stacking the pots on top of each other as
compared to the rigid plastic screw cap.

Third, women have to fill their clay pots by submerging the pots into a source of
water. The plastic screw cap poses a problem in this process because it does not fit the rim of
the clay pot exactly. This lack of specificity would lead to water seeping into the pots along
the sides of the cap and creating an inconvenience. The roll-and-buckle top poses a better
solution because the top of the bag can roll out onto the rim of the pot and provide an exact
fitting. As a result, the new design would not inhibit the women from obtaining water from
the source.

The Safety Strap

The strap placed at the bottom of the membrane will be made from nylon
flat-webbing which is durable and cost-effective26. This high quality strap will be 2.5 cm
wide and 30 cm long so that it does not affect the water capacity of the clay pots once the
membranes is in the bag. The length of the strap allows a person to carry the bag if the pot
falls and breaks. This type of strap is used for many outdoor products such as backpacks so
the resisting capacity of the strap is very high.27

26
​https://www.mec.ca/en/product/0406-132/1%22-%2824mm%29-Nylon-Flat-Climbing-Webbing
27
https://hongyustring.en.alibaba.com/product/60772864693-806528907/High_Quality_2_5cm_Belts_
Nylon_Strapping_Webbing_For_Backpacks.html
31
The Filter

Attachment of the membrane to the filter

To attach the small part of nylon

and polyester membrane to the ceramic
water filter, we’ll use “Ge silicone 2+
kitchen & bath caulk”. 28 It costs $5.84 for 290 ml. We would need 10ml per cap so it cost
$0.20 per bag. This glue is FDA approved, water resistant and food friendly.

Attachment of the Water Filter to the bag

For the attachment of the water filter

to the membrane, we needed a flexible
component that takes the shape of the top of
the bag when it’s open. Thus, we decided on a
water-repellent zipper to connect the water
filter to the bag. This attachment piece does
not affect the size or placement of the water
filter.

As we want to use less plastic as possible in our product and position the claybrane as
eco-friendly, we wanted to have the smallest attachment possible. This being said, the use of
the zipper aligns well with our company values.

28
https://www.rona.ca/en/kitchen-and-bath-sealant
32
Bibliography

Studies:
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/60d1/20f4f2c68aca5d7ba52545d96ebf35543be0.pdf
https://www.cairn.info/revue-mondes-en-developpement-2008-3-page-57.htm
https://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/2014/01/DEEPAK/50026

Manufacturer:
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Best-Collapsible-Water-Container-Portable-Folding_60800267721.html
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Water-resistant-nylon-zipper-waterproof-zipper_60440108386.html?s=
p
https://hongyustring.en.alibaba.com/product/60772864693-806528907/High_Quality_2_5cm_Belts_Nylon_Stra
pping_Webbing_For_Backpacks.html
http://pottersforpeace.org/
https://hongyustring.en.alibaba.com/product/60772864693-806528907/High_Quality_2_5cm_Belts_Nylon_Stra
pping_Webbing_For_Backpacks.html

Miscellaneous:
https://www.mec.ca/en/product/0406-132/1%22-%2824mm%29-Nylon-Flat-Climbing-Webbing
http://pottersforpeace.org/?page_id=63
https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/dossiers-pays/inde/presentation-de-l-inde/
https://www.populationdata.net/pays/inde/
http://www.rfi.fr/asie-pacifique/20150605-inde-journee-environnement-gaz-effet-serre-charbon-energie-solaire/
https://www.senat.fr/rap/r06-416/r06-4161.html
https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-uttar-pradesh-villages-gripped-by-water-borne-diseases-42-die-1443211
https://mitticool.com/products/clay-water-filter20-liter/
http://pottersforpeace.org/?page_id=63
https://www.rapidpure.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/rapidpure-tanzania-relief.pdf
http://www.wellowater.org/products.html
https://www.plasticbank.org/
https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5017-746/Water-Purification-Tablets
https://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/silicone-cookware.html
https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/220706/view/nylon-fabric-items-used-in-everyday-life
https://www.mec.ca/en/product/0406-132/1%22-%2824mm%29-Nylon-Flat-Climbing-Webbing
https://hongyustring.en.alibaba.com/product/60772864693-806528907/High_Quality_2_5cm_Belts_Nylon_Stra
pping_Webbing_For_Backpacks.html
http://pottersforpeace.org/?page_id=63
https://s3.amazonaws.com/PfP/alethia-report-1.pdf

33