Concluding the MNI Feasibility Study

MAYA NUT EXPANSION

Continuing to expand can be very profitable for the Maya Nut institute because they not only have something brilliant to market, but they have a lot of support to back them as well. One of the main supporters is the Equilibrium Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to gathering indigenous knowledge on the value and uses of the Maya Nut tree and distributing that knowledge to local women in Central America. Working with hundreds of villages in Central America provides them with the knowledge and incentives to maintain and replant Maya Nut forests. Since Maya Nut has helped in the community’s locals have planted over 200,000 Maya Nut trees and conserved 90,000 hectares of existing forest. Doing this, increases food, income, and stability.

Maya Nut is operationally feasible to expand because of the trust not only the citizens pose but also the citizens who followed unsustainable practices. They recognize that the Maya Nut has the potential to be one of the world’s most profitable non-timber forest products. To help the communities Maya Nut employs more than 650 people from the community, providing them with food and a steady income. Value from the Maya Nut tree’s other ecosystem services is also being captured. The Equilibrium Fund recently started a project to reforest Maya Nut trees to offset carbon dioxide emissions. Our mission is to “find a balance between people, food, and forests” by teaching rural communities about the value of Maya Nut for food, fodder, ecosystem services, and income.

Analyzing the mission statement, I see that Maya Nut has indeed worked tremendously hard to build communities by giving them a chance to grow economically. Showing them the benefits of sustainable practices bring more food and money to economies around the world rather than deforestation. Having a partnership is also critical for Maya to continue to expand, working with the Equilibrium Fund brings great assistance to the Institution because it gives them more power to go to local governments. Being captured, showing how economies can grow brings attention to your organization and success. Expanding will only bring continued success to Maya Nut if processes and procedures stay strong and they keep those core values intact.

OUTSTANDING RESEARCH

Marketing Research- Further research on the current marketing strategy needs to be assessed. The Maya Nut Institute could be seen globally if they reached out to the public in ways other than just their website on the internet. Traditional marketing does not work on non-profit organizations. A new marketing strategy that is targeted to NPO’s would be beneficial to the Maya Nut. A marketing survey for Not-For-Profit Organizations would provide answers to questions that could help the organization grow. Questions that should be addressed are; How important is marketing to your organizations, What services or products does your organization provide, organization’s mission, How does your organization use their volunteers, What is your current marketing plan, and What funding sources have you pursued (Gynn, 2017)? Marketing can take any company global very quickly if the right information is available.

1. Revenue Resources- Fundraisers, Galas, Community Project, and other Outreach Programs need to be created to help these three countries get started with the right resources to be successful.
2. Soil Research- Locating Pedologist to find ways to help preserve the soil in these tropical areas.
3. The Maya Nut Institute is an amazing opportunity for any country that has the ability to learn and grow from their valuable community. They need to take their resources that they do have available and expand through volunteers. The Maya Nut Institute needs to reach out to all communities and ask for volunteers so that everyone can learn about what they have to offer. Other non-profit organizations have reached out in numerous ways to find people to really help their organizations grow. Researching what these companies have done to go global can really be beneficial to the Maya Nut foundation.
4. The education that Maya Nut offers new entrepreneurs is outstanding. Updating material, offering new methods, and research is an important aspect of knowledge of a product.

ADVICE FOR GOING GLOBAL

1. Find new markets to sell your existing products and services too
2. Planning your strategy
3. To prepare an international business plan to evaluate your needs
4. Conduct foreign market research
5. Learn how to negotiate deals, set prices, and legal aspect of exporting
6. Select and evaluate different methods of distributing your products and services internationally
7. Package and labeling your goods that meet the regulation of the country that you’re selling them to

References

Barrett, K., & Calderon, C. (2017, March 28). Sustainable Livelihoods Are A Tough Nut To Crack In Guatemala’s Forests. Can The Maya Nut Help? In https://www.forest-trends.org/ecosystem_marketplace/sustainable-livelihoods-are-a-tough-nut-to-crack-in-guatemalas-forests-can-the-maya-nut-help/. Retrieved July 24, 2018.

Cazamias, Peter. (2017). Take your small business global. Retrieved from sba.gov

Foster, W. & Fine, G. (2012). How nonprofits get really big. Retrieved from ssir.org

Gynn, Ann. (2017). Nonprofit marketing in 2017: challenges, strategies, and examples. Retrieved from contentmarketinginstitute.com

Maya Nut Institute. (2018). Maya Nut Certified. Retrieved from mayanutinstitute.org

Post, J. (2017). What is a PESTLE analysis? Retrieved from businessnewsdaily.com

Rota, Ivan Ulcher. (2016). Dare we call it a superfood? The Maya Nut delivers for customers, Communities, and tropical forest. Retrieved from canapybridge.com

Vohman, Erica. (2014). Maya Nut Institute 2013 Annual Report. Retrieved from mayanutinstitute.org