Creating a Hi-tech Social Enterprise in El Salvador - Part 3

I first met Brian Belcher in Guatemala when we were both interning for Mercado Global, a fair trade fashion nonprofit. Brian was helping Mercado Global set up its microfinance program. Brian left Mercado Global to startComputod@s, a remarkably innovative social enterprise that sells low cost, high quality refurbished computers to students, non-profits, schools and small businesses in El Salvador.

Brian, pictured left surrounded by Computod@s computers, was kind enough to take some time out of his very busy schedule to tell me about the process of creating a social enterprise in El Salvador. His answers are both fascinating and instructive. The interview, which follows, will be a three part series. So, without further ado, here’s Mr. Brian Belcher.

What sort of steps are you taking to improve and scale your business? What is the future of Computod@s?

Generally speaking, we have been setting aside profits from each shipment to be able to grow and expand our projects beyond some of the already interesting ones we have.

As for more specific steps we’re taking: First, this month, we just worked out a deal with Claro, the largest telecommunications company in Latin America, to offer a low cost internet option with our computers. This is something we worked very hard for and wanted badly, understanding that the computer is important, but really more importantly a key to the internet, information, and communication.

Another concept that we have developed within social enterprise is “all-inclusive value chain.” By this I mean that we try and include social value in all facets of our business. The ultimate goal of our business is social in providing computers to the poor, and the in between on how we operate to get to that end we attempt to do so in a social way. On that note, we are currently paying companies in the U.S. to refurbish the computers. Our goal is to do the refurbishment in country and pay Salvadorans to do this. We are currently working with the Salvadoran Government, Microsoft, and a few other NGOs to set up a refurbishment facility that we see being rolled out in the next few years.

Furthermore, down the line we see huge potential in Computod@s expanding throughout Latin America. The technology environment is similar in the neighboring countries to that of El Salvador. DPG has a branch in Guatemala, so when we are ready, we will have no problems opening shop in Guatemala.

We also see huge potential in creating a microfranchise sales model where we can set up sales points allowing people to start businesses and we would send them the computers from the Salvadoran refurbish facility as the point of distribution.

If someone wants to donate a computer, what should they do?

We are working to make this happen. We are also very interested in corporate donations. Most of our computers come from corporations as they turnover their technology ever few years. Companies that want to donate their old computers to Computod@s should email [email protected].

I was actually home in the states recently and held a E-Cycle drive for the city of Sammamish, WA. In a half-day we received 120 computers donated from residents. We were very impressed by the participation in this event and look to hold more in the future. I recently heard that the average American has something like two obsolete computers somewhere in their house. Sam [Baker, the other Computod@s co-founder,] and I have talked about starting a “Boy Scouts Christmas Tree Pickup”-like model where we set up a day where everyone can put their computers on their driveway and we will come and pick them up. So we’re just trying things out right now and seeing what works.

That’s all for the interview. Thanks a lot to Brian Belcher for his interesting and enlightening responses. Here are the links to Part One and Part Two.

Original Source: www.justmeans.com/Creating-a-Hi-tech-Social-Enterprise-in-El-Salvador-Part-3/34366.html