“We make our money the old fashioned way, we earn it.”

We developed a new product to retail on our website, www.thenezinscotguild.com .  It was many years in the “great idea stage”  but it was necessity that made its debut a reality.

The necessity was the turn-down in the economy and the receding support of social service funding. We had to find a funding source that was willing to support our crazy, untested, seat of the pants business plan. We had to risk building up inventory in a recession, and have had to devote overtaxed energy to a big idea beyond the day to day challenges.  On top of that we had to find a marketing source that didn’t  cost much money.  There you have the business plan of The Original Maine Lobster Kit.  Born, built and sold with great affection at The Nezinscot Guild in Turner,  Maine.  The Guild,  if your new to these posts,  is a non profit manufacturing business that employs workers with developmental disabilities.

The particular funding source for this project was The Great Bay Foundation, which took a chance on our grass roots effort and funded a website marketer position.  The marketing challenge was at least partially solved as the result of the efforts of our new website marketing pro. He found free advertising at Downeast Magazine.  Not surprisingly,  it turns out that Downeast Magazine has programs that support  giving back to their community.  Are you starting to get a feel of the linkage involved here? 

 We had an idea percolating for years that was set free by a series of events by people and organizations outside ourselves.  The commonality is the social service that we take responsibility for at The Nezinscot Guild.  That mission is to employ people with developmental disabilities, no matter what obstacles we face. 

The difficulties of the current economic and social recessions might seem to be good reason to fold one’s tents,  but that would truely be missed opportunity.  Hard times can be the birth of great enterprises, strengthened communities and  the reclaiming  of bold philosophies on what is truely valuable for our future.

Our new product is just a piece of what we do.  Hopefully it will be a successful piece and have a positive impact on the less commercial but equally important pieces of our Social Purpose Enterprise.   You can find our ad for The Original Maine Lobster Kit in the August issue of Downeast Magazine,  in The Best Things from Maine section.  Oh yea, you can also order your Original Maine Lobster Kit at www.thenezinscotguild.com .  Just click on the lobster icon and make your choice….and make a difference!