Business Consultant, Sewing Machines Full-Time

Description

TechnoServe is a US-based non-profit organization which works with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses, and industries. TechnoServe has been operating in Mozambique for 20 years, and is well known for its work in developing inclusive agricultural value chains such as cashew nut, poultry and soy, as well as working with urban entrepreneurs.

Women IN Business (WIN) is a program launched by TechnoServe and the Swedish Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) in 2018. WIN seeks to help women in Mozambique become more economically empowered by developing high-potential growth sectors where women can benefit. WIN works with carefully-selected partners who can positively influence the lives of women and women entrepreneurs through their roles in the private sector. The program is applying a market systems development (MSD) or making markets work for the poor (M4P) approach, addressing system-level constraints for gender-transformative impact on the lives of women.

WIN provides time-bound, technical support to partner organizations to develop new ways of working that improve the partner business and the lives of low-income women. Partners also contribute some of their own resources into shared initiatives, sending a clear signal of their intent to sustain improved ways of working well into the future.

Objective and Scope

WIN is currently developing a partnership with an important business in the garments sector, due to its high potential for women. This business imports and sells high quality sewing machines to small-scale garment producers (mainly women) around the country. The business is interested in improving its reach to parts of the country other than Maputo, and in developing business models that are more inclusive for low-income women.

The objective of this assignment is to:

• Critically evaluate the potential around the expansion of the sewing machine importation company towards new locations and business models;
• dentify and engage required partners to enable the expansion;
• Support the sewing machine importer with first steps to bring the ideas to life.

Activities

The Consultant will be expected to conduct the following activities:

1. Develop business plan and identify franchise partners in new location(s).

• Assess the current business model and analytics;
• Develop fully costed plan for opening new franchise;
• Identify, interview and recommend a franchising partner in new location (likely Beira);
• Forecast the number of customers, segmented by gender and income level;
• Co-develop implementation plan with the partners and ensure financing in place.

2.Develop business plan for a pilot garment-making incubator in Maputo city

• Assess opportunity for an incubator for garment-making, to offer rental of machines to aspiring garment-makers without access to sufficient funds;
• Identify potential location / space for the incubator;
• Develop business model;
• Identify, interview and recommend partners for the incubator – including training partners, customers for garments, and others;
• Forecast the number of incubator users, segmented by gender and income level;
• Co-develop implementation plan with the partners and ensure financing in place.

Proposed Timelines and Deliverables

• The expected time period is a total of 10-12 weeks, between January and April 2019;
• The final deliverables are the business plans for each component, to include a detailed plan in word or powerpoint, plus an Excel to model financial and other quantitative elements;
• The draft business plans should be submitted to the WIN program team 4 weeks prior to the end of the period. The final business plans are due at the end of the assignment.

 Remuneration

The consultant will be paid a daily rate, plus any expenses which will be reimbursed separately and subject to TechnoServe policy as applicable (this includes maximum per diems, economy-class airfares and preferred suppliers for hotels).

Selection criteria

Consultants will be evaluated on the following criteria, assessed through the Consultant’s proposal and subsequent interview with WIN team.