Jolica Jewelry
| Company Name | Jolica, Inc. |
| Established | 2004 |
| Head Office | Fonthill, Ontario, Canada |
| Trading Area | Canada, United States |
Company Mission
Jolica's main focus is helping artisans in impoverished areas of the world by purchasing their pieces to sell in Canada and the United States. Their motto is "the art of giving".
History
Ted and Darlene Loewen inspired by Mennonite Economic Development were interested in furthering their charitable endeavours by providing ways to bring beautiful jewellery, home decor and other excellently made gifts back to their homeland Canada. They felt that the artisans were not being treated fairly and often worked long and hard to have most of their earnings eroded by opportunists. Not only would the business model they envisioned help those in need in poorer nations, but it would also help people at home to build their own little business by supplementing their existing income.
Products
Although Jolica sells many different handmade items from around the world,
the jewellery will be the focal point here.
The 2007-2008 Collection included pieces from Quito, Ecuador utilizing the tagua
nut, which is a natural, renewable and sustainable resource. Many call it the "vegetable
ivory" because it forms shapes in the same way as elephant ivory but obviously
is better for the earth since no live animals are killed. The nut has
traditionally been used to make buttons but now they dye it and shape it to make
earrings, necklaces and bracelets.
Silversmiths from Thailand use their ancient bead making process to make
spectacular pieces of hand-worked silver jewellery. Meticulous flowers are
crafted onto earrings and ornate carvings are part of the gorgeous necklaces.
Jaipur offers their world-renowned jewellery in silver and coloured gemstones.
Custom requested pieces are made from sketches.
Product Guarantee: 90 day Refund or Replacement, Lifetime Replacement Guarantee.
Compensation Plan
It seems that the commission is the same throughout. The company publishes a
thirty percent commission but the Gift Consultants are only permitted to take
twenty percent in actual cash. The other ten percent must be used toward
product. While this may be beneficial to those who would like to build their
wardrobes and sales kits, it is nonetheless a de-motivating factor in sales
plans.
Jolica does offer rewards for bringing other Gift Consultants into the business
and helping them to succeed.
Community or Charitable Work
Because the company was founded as a way to aid artisans and promote fairer
trade for the artists, in countries such as Equador, Chile, Peru, India,
Indonesia, Thailand and Nepal, Jolica earmarks five percent of all sales to be
donated to the Jolica Foundation.
Jolica has also partnered with MEDA to distribute insecticide treated mosquito
nets to help in the battle against malaria in Tanzania.