Internationalization strategy in the handicraft industry: the Galapa-Colombia case

Abstract

The objective of this article is to show the internationalization strategies of the artisan industry in Galapa (Colombia). Through a quantitative-descriptive, non-experimental, cross-sectional field study, a questionnaire was applied in a number handicraft micro-enterprises of Galapa City. The questionnaire included 6 questions about company conditions; 19 about product conditions; 24 about export conditions; and 9 about commercial promotion. Results revealed that most businesses did not have information about tariff position and their exportable offer. They did not also make any selection of target countries and there were no studies on target markets. Handicraft businesses did not also access information on payment mechanisms and Colombian exchange rates regime. The fact that companies did not have bilingual staff prevented them from participating on international trade fairs or send free-samples to potential customers. Handcraft micro-enterprises of Galapa should work synergistically and develop associative skills for improving the marketing and export conditions of their products.

Keywords

• export
• craft industry
• internationalization
• international marketing
• artisan workshops