What-Works-Scojo-India-Fdn
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Transcript of What-Works-Scojo-India-Fdn
NICO CLEMMINCK
SACHIN KADAKIA
June 2007
What Works Case Study
WORLD
RESOURCES
INSTITUTE
WHAT WORKS:SCOJO INDIA FOUNDATION
Restoring eyesight in rural India
through the direct selling of reading glassesHorace W. GoldsmithFoundation
Support for this Development Through Enterprise
What Works∗ case study provided by:
HORACE W. GOLDSMITH FOUNDATION
∗ The Development Through Enterprise What Works case study series is available for downloading at:
http://www.nextbillion.net/resources/casestudies
What Works: Scojo India Foundation
Restoring eyesight in rural India
through the direct selling of reading glasses
By:
Nico Clemminck and Sachin Kadakia
Scojo promoters: Graham Macmillan & Neil Blumenthal ▪ WRI promoter: Julia Tran
The authors would like to thank the management team of Scojo Foundation for their enthusiasm and support in developing this case study, as well as Molly Christiansen and Ted London of the William Davidson Institute for sharing their unpublished Michigan
Business School teaching case study as a main reference in the preparation of this report.
Table of Contents What Works: Scojo India Foundation
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Table of Contents
Executive summary 1
1.1 Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Business model................................................................................................................................ 2
1.3 Impact............................................................................................................................................... 4
1.4 What works........................................................................................................................................ 4
Market overview 7
2.1 Geographic distribution................................................................................................................. 7
2.2 Size and demographics .................................................................................................................. 7
2.3 Economic situation ......................................................................................................................... 8
Business model 10
3.1 Founding history........................................................................................................................... 10
3.2 Mission and strategy .................................................................................................................... 12
3.3 Ownership and governance structure ....................................................................................... 12
3.4 Products and services................................................................................................................... 14
3.4.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 15
3.4.2 Distribution channels................................................................................................... 16
3.4.3 Pricing and marketing ................................................................................................. 20
Partnership networks 22
4.1 Formulating partnerships............................................................................................................ 22
4.2 Current partners in India............................................................................................................. 24
4.3 Success of partnership strategy................................................................................................... 26
Table of Contents
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Challenges 28
5.1 Introduction................................................................................................................................... 28
5.2 Partnerships................................................................................................................................... 30
5.3 Recruiting entrepreneurs ............................................................................................................. 31
5.4 Motivating entrepreneurs............................................................................................................ 32
5.5 Market saturation.......................................................................................................................... 33
5.6 Competition................................................................................................................................... 33
5.6.1 Optical retailers............................................................................................................. 33
5.6.2 Street vendors ............................................................................................................... 34
5.6.3 Existing Indian manufacturers ................................................................................... 34
5.6.4 Charities......................................................................................................................... 35
5.6.5 New entrants................................................................................................................. 35
What works: key lessons learned 36
6.1 Focusing on sustainability and profitability ............................................................................. 36
6.2 Aggressive growth strategy ........................................................................................................ 37
6.3 Building barriers to entry............................................................................................................. 37
6.4 Replicating the model .................................................................................................................. 38
6.5 Delivering social impact .............................................................................................................. 39
6.6 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 39
Board of Directors and Advisors 40
Projected income statement 42
Projected balance sheet 43
List of Figures 44
Executive summary What Works: Scojo India Foundation
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Chapter 1
Executive summary
In this case study, we examine Scojo Foundation (“Scojo”)1 and identify the key drivers that make its
social enterprise program successful in India. To evaluate Scojo’s strategy, we analyzed the business
model, market environment, successes and challenges, potential replicability and scalability of the
program. Our conclusion, as detailed in the final chapter, is that a unique combination of carefully
designed organizational and operational strategies is driving Scojo’s widely recognized success.
1.1 Introduction
Presbyopia, or blurry up‐close vision, is a condition that currently affects 700 million people worldwide.
Those suffering from presbyopia in the world’s poorest countries are faced with decreased job
productivity, diminished quality of life and financial instability. The problem can be solved immediately
with reading glasses, which are readily available in developed countries at pharmacies and corner shops.
However, poor populations in developing countries rarely have this option.
Scojo has developed an innovative, market‐based solution to address this crucial public health issue.
Scojo trains micro‐franchisees, or ʺVision Entrepreneurs,ʺ to run profitable businesses conducting vision
screenings within their communities, selling affordable reading glasses and referring those requiring
advanced eye care to reputable clinics. This business model is built on the belief that the “base of the
1 Refers to the Foundation, both internationally and India, unless otherwise specified.
Business model What Works: Scojo India Foundation
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[economic] pyramid”2 is better served when involving some payment, so that products are more highly
valued, costs are covered and programs are financially self‐sustaining.
Since 2002, Scojo has launched operations in India, Bangladesh, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and
Ghana. In the spring of 2007, Scojo Foundation signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Population
Services International (PSI) to make reading glasses available to PSI’s 30 sub‐Saharan country programs
through urban pharmacy stores. The first countries to start this program
will be Zambia, Tanzania and Ethiopia.
Scojo India Foundation, headquartered in Hyderabad, is the largest and
fastest growing operation today due primarily to strategic investments,
strong networks and rapid replication of the business model by local staff.
Scojo began operations in India by training and supporting Vision
Entrepreneurs in a proprietary distribution network. However, recent and
future growth is being driven by franchise partners, which have integrated
the Scojo model into their existing rural networks. These partnerships have
greatly reduced expansion costs and have added both profit and social
value to the program.
1.2 Business model
Since the launch of the India program in January 2005, Scojo has sold
more than 50,000 pairs of glasses, and is targeting cumulative sales of
one million pairs by 2010 and ten million by 2016. To date, the India
program has trained 457 Vision Entrepreneurs through its proprietary
network and twenty franchise partners. Scojo currently employs 16
people: seven managers, seven district coordinators and two
2 “Base of the pyramid,” or BOP, is a concept developed by Drs. C.K. Prahalad, Stuart Hart, and Allen Hammond to refer to the 4 billion people whose incomes place them in the lowest level of the world’s income distribution. Implicit in the term’s usage is that engaging with these 4 billion people as consumers and producers and through the right business models could yield significant financial and social returns. For more information, refer to publications listed at: http://www.nextbillion.net/resources/.
Scojo’s mission is to improve the economic condition of
families in the developing world by broadening the availability of
reading glasses and other health products and services through Scojo entrepreneurs
and other market-based distribution solutions.
Business model What Works: Scojo India Foundation
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administrative staff.
The dual objectives articulated in Scojo’s mission form the basis of its business model. As a primary
objective, the micro‐franchise strategy enables low‐income entrepreneurs to generate income by selling
glasses in their communities. Secondarily, Scojo aims to broaden the availability of eye care products by
distributing them in the most efficient and sustainable manner.
To implement its mission, Scojo trains local community members to become Vision Entrepreneurs and
provides them with a supply of reading glasses, related accessories, and materials to run their business.
In addition to building its own distribution network, Scojo works with strategic partners that recruit and
support Vision Entrepreneurs through their social and business networks. As such, Scojo helps to
develop rural infrastructure while achieving its dual mission.
The business model is designed to be financially self‐sustainable, by generating profits at every step of
the value chain. In India, each pair of glasses, which Scojo imports for about $1, is supplied to micro‐
franchisees for about $2 and sold to customers at a retail price of about $3 or roughly 10% of the average
customer’s monthly income. This financial structure is a core driver of Scojo’s success. The $1 gross profit
to Scojo will cover its overhead expenses once it achieves its volume targets in 2010. The $1 gross profit to
Vision Entrepreneurs offers a higher margin than most other retail products and substantially adds to
their household income.
This model has several key benefits compared to a traditional charity model. By making customers pay
for eyeglasses, customers ascribe greater value to them and are more likely to wear them. This market‐
based model also incentivizes the producer and distributors to improve product design and quality
continuously to meet customer preferences. In addition, Scojo’s model provides adequate financial
incentive for the distribution network to sustain the program, versus community health workers
constantly hindered by limited resources. Most importantly, this model is the only means to raise
sufficient capital to help solve this widespread problem.
Manufacturer
Entrepreneur Gross Profit:
$1/pair
Scojo FoundationGross Profit:
$1/pair ~$1 ~$2 ~$3
Customers receive high-quality, low-cost eyeglasses
Impact What Works: Scojo India Foundation
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1.3 Impact
To measure its impact on livelihoods in India, Scojo identified a number
of operating and social indicators. The primary operating metric –
number of glasses sold – has grown rapidly, albeit unevenly, in the past
two years (Figure 1). Number of Vision Entrepreneurs employed,
average incremental monthly income from Scojo, and number of people receiving eyeglasses, measure
the primary social impact. The number of Vision Entrepreneurs has grown dramatically, due in large part
to more than 20 strategic partnerships, including multi‐national corporations, micro‐credit institutions,
health organizations and consumer products distributors (Figure 2).
On average, Vision Entrepreneurs allocate 20‐30 hours per month to the Scojo program and earn
approximately $15‐20 per month. As many participants had previously earned $1/day, the potential to
boost their income while also serving the community is an attractive prospect.
Number of glasses sold
2,0191,171 1,191
6,777
9,313
3,287
5,797
3,710
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
Q1 2005 Q2 2005 Q3 2005 Q4 2005 Q1 2006 Q2 2006 Q3 2006 Q4 2006
Number of Vision Entrepreneurs employed
30 24 4678 93 102 111 126
53
148179
260
331
0
100
200
300
400
500
Q1 2005 Q2 2005 Q3 2005 Q4 2005 Q1 2006 Q2 2006 Q3 2006 Q4 2006
Scojo VE's Partner VE's
Figure 1: Growth in number of glasses sold Figure 2: Growth in Vision Entreprenuers
1.4 What works
Scojo’s innovative business model has enabled the organization to scale its operations quickly and
efficiently. The implementation of this model has worked particularly well due to the following factors:
• Focusing on sustainability and profitability from the earliest stages. Scojo’s programs were
designed and are presently evaluated on a double bottom line: organizational profitability
Since inception, Scojo India has sold more than 50,000 pairs of glasses and employed more than 450 Vision Entrepreneurs.
What works What Works: Scojo India Foundation
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and social impact. The value chain emphasizes this mission, creating sustainable profits at
each stage of the process. With this model, Scojo expects to achieve sufficient volume to be
profitable by 2010.
• Aggressive growth strategy. This business model requires efficiencies of scale in order to be
profitable, and Scojo has aggressively expanded its network of Vision Entrepreneurs. In
addition to its own distribution network, leveraging existing networks developed by other
organizations in concentrated geographic regions has provided Scojo a faster and
substantially less expensive expansion strategy.
• Building barriers to entry. With its first mover
advantage, Scojo has built barriers to entry for
potential competitors. No other organization (to
our knowledge) sells eyeglasses at the village
level, and the cost has historically been
prohibitive. Scojo has developed a strong brand
in the markets it serves, as a reliable, high‐
quality product and service provider, which is a
key decision factor for the rural poor. As Scojo
aggressively continues to expand its distribution and build its brand, it will be even more
difficult for new entrants to penetrate the rural market.
• Developing a replicable model. Scojo’s model has been replicated in six states in India,
through a broad range of remote villages with diverse cultures, economic conditions and
geographic considerations. A key driver for this rapid growth is the minimal impact of
region‐specific factors on its success. The problem of presbyopia affects every person over the
age of 35 to 40, irrespective of region, culture or economic conditions. Even literacy rates do
not appear to have a significant impact, because Scojo’s glasses are used for sewing, cooking,
farming and other necessary daily tasks.
• Delivering social impact. Scojo delivers social impact through economic empowerment of
entrepreneurs and their customers, many whom previously earned less than $1 per day.
What works What Works: Scojo India Foundation
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These entrepreneurs substantially boost their income by selling a high‐margin product with a
large market demand. The Vision Entrepreneurs’ customers, people suffering from
presbyopia, receive a low‐cost solution in the convenience of their own villages. With newly‐
corrected up‐close vision, weavers, farmers, tailors, artisans and other professionals who
require the ability to see up close benefit greatly. Many customers are able to double their
productivity (output) and also double their working lives. Furthermore, customers no longer
require the assistance of younger family members to help with tasks that require close‐up
vision (e.g, threading needles, separating stones from rice) thereby freeing up younger family
members to work on other tasks.
Market overview What Works: Scojo India Foundation
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Chapter 2
Market overview
Over the past five years, Scojo has launched operations in India, Bangladesh, Mexico, Guatemala, El
Salvador, Mexico, and Ghana. Scojo India Foundation is the largest and fastest growing operation today.
In this chapter, we will present an overview of the Indian market and discuss its specific challenges.
2.1 Geographic distribution
Scojo Foundation launched Scojo India Foundation in January 2005. From its headquarters in Hyderabad,
Scojo currently trains and supports Vision Entrepreneurs in five districts in Andhra Pradesh. In addition,
Scojo is active in five other states of India through strategic partnerships: Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Bihar,
Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. In these partnerships, Scojo provides the training, technical assistance and
eyeglasses, and partners recruit and support Vision Entrepreneurs directly. The nature of these
partnerships will be discussed in more detail in Chapter 4.
2.2 Size and demographics
Scojo estimates that approximately 250 million people in India currently do not have access to affordable
near‐vision eyeglasses and could benefit from readymade reading glasses. As shown in Figure 3, Scojo’s
potential customer base includes anyone over the age of 35 with symptoms of presbyopia. This base
incorporates certain individuals who also exhibit other refractive errors such as mild astigmatism,
myopia, or hyperopia, since readymade reading glasses will improve their ability to see up close. Note
Economic situation What Works: Scojo India Foundation
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from Figure 3 that more than 75% of these potential customers are located in rural communities.
Furthermore, it is estimated that 80% of the Indian population, or approximately 825 million, live on less
than $2 per day.3
Market size India (Millions)
1,027.0
308.1246.5 246.5
184.9
61.6
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
Total population Population overage of 35
Population thatbenefits from
reading glasses
Total potentialcustomers
Rural customers Urbancustomers
Market size Andhra Pradesh (Millions)
75.7
22.718.2 18.2
13.6
4.6
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Total population Population overage of 35
Population thatbenefits from
reading glasses
Total potentialcustomers
Rural customers Urbancustomers
Figure 3: Potential customer base in India and Andhra Pradesh
2.3 Economic situation
Unfortunately, the rural population has limited access to professional eye care. Scojo estimates that there
is an average of one eye care professional per 30,200 people in India. The
majority of these professionals are in urban areas, which only constitute 25%
of the target market for reading glasses. Furthermore, consulting urban
professionals is too expensive for the Indian rural population, with the total
cost for such a visit varying “between Rs. 250 and 500 (US$6–11)”4 according
to Scojo’s estimates.
Primary research conducted by Scojo in 2002 indicates two main reasons for the lack of availability of
ready‐made reading glasses:
• Undeveloped industry. Less than 5% of the existing eyeglass manufacturing business is
focused on readymade reading glasses. Manufacturers lack the technology and expertise to
3 Population Reference Bureau. “2006 World Population Data Sheet.” http://www.prb.org/pdf06/06WorldDataSheet.pdf.
4 Christiansen, Molly and Ted London, “Scojo Foundation: A Vision for Growth at the Base of the Pyramid” (unpublished teaching case study, University of Michigan, 2007), 6.
Around one quarter of the Indian population would benefit from reading glasses in terms of improved quality of life and increased productivity.
Economic situation What Works: Scojo India Foundation
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produce high quality frames that compete effectively on a price and quality basis with
Chinese imports. Therefore, retailers focus on more expensive, custom‐made eyeglasses.
• Profitability. The price of the least expensive reading spectacles at optician shops averages
$8, and although low‐quality, plastic‐frame options are available for as low as $3, opticians
do not earn enough profit on the latter to stock them.5
Consequently, many people do not know that there is a simple and affordable solution to presbyopia,
and therefore do not look for opportunities to buy reading glasses even if they are available. Scojo India
Foundation, therefore, stimulates demand in this market by generating awareness of blurry up‐close
vision and the need for reading glasses.
5 Arunesh Singh, interview by Nico Clemminck and Sachin Kadakia, Hyderabad, India, January 2007.
Business model What Works: Scojo India Foundation
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Chapter 3
Business model
In this chapter, we provide an overview of Scojo as an organization and analyze the unique
characteristics of its business model. Primarily, the model employs a distinctive distribution system
through the promotion of local entrepreneurship supported internally or by strategic partners. In
addition, the model emphasizes long‐term self‐sustainability through its marketing and pricing strategy.
3.1 Founding history
Dr. Jordan Kassalow and Scott Berrie drew on their experiences in medicine and business, respectively, to
create Scojo Foundation in 2001. Both founders believed in making affordable reading glasses available to
low‐income populations through market‐based delivery models. Kassalow and Berrie established Scojo
Foundation in conjunction with the company Scojo Vision LLC, a for‐profit designer and manufacturer of
high‐end reading glasses which caters to customers in high‐income countries. Scojo Vision donates 5%6
of all its profits to Scojo Foundation.
Scojo Foundation piloted its direct selling model in India, in 2001, and has since expanded operations into
El Salvador, Guatemala, Bangladesh, Mexico, Ghana,7 and most recently in 2007, Sub‐Saharan Africa.8
6 Scojo Foundation. “Mission and Vision,” http://www.scojofoundation.org/2_1_mission.html.
7 Graham Macmillan, interview by Nico Clemminck and Sachin Kadakia, New York, NY, October 2006.
Founding history What Works: Scojo India Foundation
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Scojo distributes glasses through differing subsidiary and partnership arrangements adapted to local
market conditions. Only in India and El Salvador does Scojo operate wholly‐owned subsidiaries.
United States Legal Entity: Scojo Foundation, Inc.
US non-profit - 501(c)(3) public charity Key Staff:
Graham Macmillan, Director Neil Blumenthal, Director of Programs
Guatemala Program Type: Franchise partner
Year Started: 2004 Legal Entity: Community Enterprise Solutions (US
non-profit 501(c)(3) public charity) Funding: Scojo Foundation makes grants to CES to
manage program and purchase inventory
El Salvador Program Type: Subsidiary;
Year Started: 2002 Legal Entity: Scojo El Salvador, S.A.
(Salvadoran For-profit Sociedad Anónima) Key Staff: Heidy Serpas, Country Manager
George “Bucky” Glickley, Consultant
Bangladesh Program Type: Franchise partner
Year Started: 2006 Legal Entity: BRAC (Bangladeshi non-profit) Funding: Scojo Foundation makes grants to BRAC to
manage program and purchase inventory
India Program Type: Subsidiary that also supports franchise
partners; Year Started: 2005 Legal Entity: Scojo India Foundation
(Indian Non-profit Section 25 Company) Key Staff: Arunesh Singh, Country Director Raman Nageswara, Operations & Programs
Mexico Program Type: Franchise partner
Year Started: 2006 Legal Entity: One Roof (US for-profit with for-profit
subsidiary in Mexico) Funding: One Roof paid Scojo Foundation to conduct
a feasibility study and pilot
GhanaProgram Type: Franchise partner
Year Started: 2007Legal Entity: Freedom from Hunger (US non-
profit 501(c)(3) public charity)Funding: Freedom from Hunger paid Scojo
Foundation to conduct a feasibility study and pilot
United States Legal Entity: Scojo Foundation, Inc.
US non-profit - 501(c)(3) public charity Key Staff:
Graham Macmillan, Director Neil Blumenthal, Director of Programs
Guatemala Program Type: Franchise partner
Year Started: 2004 Legal Entity: Community Enterprise Solutions (US
non-profit 501(c)(3) public charity) Funding: Scojo Foundation makes grants to CES to
manage program and purchase inventory
El Salvador Program Type: Subsidiary;
Year Started: 2002 Legal Entity: Scojo El Salvador, S.A.
(Salvadoran For-profit Sociedad Anónima) Key Staff: Heidy Serpas, Country Manager
George “Bucky” Glickley, Consultant
Bangladesh Program Type: Franchise partner
Year Started: 2006 Legal Entity: BRAC (Bangladeshi non-profit) Funding: Scojo Foundation makes grants to BRAC to
manage program and purchase inventory
India Program Type: Subsidiary that also supports franchise
partners; Year Started: 2005 Legal Entity: Scojo India Foundation
(Indian Non-profit Section 25 Company) Key Staff: Arunesh Singh, Country Director Raman Nageswara, Operations & Programs
Mexico Program Type: Franchise partner
Year Started: 2006 Legal Entity: One Roof (US for-profit with for-profit
subsidiary in Mexico) Funding: One Roof paid Scojo Foundation to conduct
a feasibility study and pilot
GhanaProgram Type: Franchise partner
Year Started: 2007Legal Entity: Freedom from Hunger (US non-
profit 501(c)(3) public charity)Funding: Freedom from Hunger paid Scojo
Foundation to conduct a feasibility study and pilot
GhanaProgram Type: Franchise partner
Year Started: 2007Legal Entity: Freedom from Hunger (US non-
profit 501(c)(3) public charity)Funding: Freedom from Hunger paid Scojo
Foundation to conduct a feasibility study and pilot
Figure 4: Overview of Scojo operations in different geographies9
8 Scojo Foundation. “Scojo Foundation and PSI Collaborate to Launch Pan‐Africa Reading Glasses Initiative.” http://www.scojofoundation.org/5_p_psi.html.
9 Christiansen and London, “Scojo Foundation,” 15.
Mission and strategy What Works: Scojo India Foundation
12
Scojo Foundation’s partnership arrangements with existing distribution networks allow greater reach into
low‐income communities using a minimum of resources. Scojo partners with a wide variety of
organizations, including BRAC, a microfinance institution, Drishtee, a for‐profit Internet provider to rural
India, and Peace Corps, a US government sponsored volunteer program.10
Scojo Foundation has received numerous honors and awards, including the “World Bank’s Development
Marketplace Award in 2003, Yale/Goldman Sachs Foundation Partnership on Nonprofit Venture Award
in 2003, New York University’s Stewart Satter Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2006, Fast
Company magazine’s Social Capitalist Award in 2005 and 2007,”11 and Brigham Young University’s
Social Innovator of the Year in 2006.
3.2 Mission and strategy
Scojo’s mission states that it “improves the economic condition of
families in the developing world by broadening the availability of
reading glasses and other health products and services and achieving
this through Scojo entrepreneurs and other market‐based distribution
solutions.” The dual goal articulated in this mission, broadening
availability of health care products on the one hand and enabling entrepreneurship on the other, is being
carefully balanced by the organization. Currently, Scojo is focusing on enabling entrepreneurship in order
to build scale and prove the model sufficiently. As such, Scojo is putting its emphasis on building the
organization aggressively by training Vision Entrepreneurs and formulating strategic partnerships.
3.3 Ownership and governance structure
Scojo is a 501(c)3, non‐profit organization governed by a Board of Directors, which includes Dr. Jordan
Kassalow (Chairman and Co‐Founder), Scott Berrie (President and Co‐Founder), David Bornstein, Anne
Marie Burgoyne, Charles DeGunzberg, Paul Lambert, and Ken Schwartz.
10 Scojo Foundation. “Partners.” http://www.scojofoundation.org/2_3_partners.html.
11 Christiansen and London, “Scojo Foundation,” 3.
The dual goals articulated in this mission, broadening availability of health care products and enabling entrepreneurship, are being carefully balanced by the organization.
Ownership and governance structure What Works: Scojo India Foundation
13
Scojo Board of Directors and senior management are supported by a Board of Advisors with expertise in
many of the areas of Scojo Foundation’s work. Please see Appendix A for a complete list of Directors and
Advisors. Figure 5 provides an overview of Scojo Foundation’s organizational structure.
GhanaPartner: Freedom
From Hunger
Chairman
Dr. Jordan Kassalow
Director
Graham Macmillan
Bangladesh Partner: BRAC
El Salvador CountryManager : Heidy Serpas
Guatemala Partner: CES
Board of AdvisorsBoard of Directors
Operations & Programs Manager
Rama n Nageswara
Key Accounts Manager (Franchise
Partner and Wholesale Channel)
Salu Cherian
Training Manager
Franchise PartnerChannel
Krishna Kakani
Vision Entrepreneurs
Admin/Stock AssistantDavid Tadikonda
Finance/Accounting
Praveen Kumar
India Country Director : Arunesh Singh
VE Channel Manager
Maruti Ram
District Coordinators (6)
Mexico Partner : One
Roof
VE Identification and
Training Managers (2)
Director of Programs
Neil Blument hal
Chairman
Dr. Jordan Kassalow
Director
Graham Macmillan
Bangladesh Partner: BRAC
El Salvador CountryManager : Heidy Serpas
Guatemala Partner: CES
Board of AdvisorsBoard of Directors
Operations & Programs Manager
Rama n Nageswara
Operations & Programs Manager
Raman Nageswara
Key Accounts Manager (Franchise
Partner and Wholesale Channel)
Salu Cherian
Key Accounts Manager (Franchise
Partner and Wholesale Channel)
Salu Cherian
Training Manager
Franchise PartnerChannel
Krishna Kakani
Training Manager
Franchise PartnerChannel
Krishna Kakani
Vision Entrepreneurs
Admin/Stock AssistantDavid Tadikonda
Admin/Stock AssistantDavid Tadikonda
Finance/Accounting
Praveen Kumar
Finance/Accounting
Praveen Kumar
India Country Director : Arunesh Singh
VE Channel Manager
Maruti Ram
VE Channel Manager
Maruti Ram
District Coordinators (7)
Mexico Partner : One
Roof
VE Identification and
Training Managers (2)
Director of Programs
Neil Blument hal
GhanaPartner: Freedom
From Hunger
GhanaPartner: Freedom
From Hunger
Chairman
Dr. Jordan Kassalow
Director
Graham Macmillan
Bangladesh Partner: BRAC
El Salvador CountryManager : Heidy Serpas
Guatemala Partner: CES
Board of AdvisorsBoard of Directors
Operations & Programs Manager
Rama n Nageswara
Key Accounts Manager (Franchise
Partner and Wholesale Channel)
Salu Cherian
Training Manager
Franchise PartnerChannel
Krishna Kakani
Vision Entrepreneurs
Admin/Stock AssistantDavid Tadikonda
Finance/Accounting
Praveen Kumar
India Country Director : Arunesh Singh
VE Channel Manager
Maruti Ram
District Coordinators (6)
Mexico Partner : One
Roof
VE Identification and
Training Managers (2)
Director of Programs
Neil Blument hal
Chairman
Dr. Jordan Kassalow
Director
Graham Macmillan
Bangladesh Partner: BRAC
El Salvador CountryManager : Heidy Serpas
Guatemala Partner: CES
Board of AdvisorsBoard of Directors
Operations & Programs Manager
Rama n Nageswara
Operations & Programs Manager
Raman Nageswara
Key Accounts Manager (Franchise
Partner and Wholesale Channel)
Salu Cherian
Key Accounts Manager (Franchise
Partner and Wholesale Channel)
Salu Cherian
Training Manager
Franchise PartnerChannel
Krishna Kakani
Training Manager
Franchise PartnerChannel
Krishna Kakani
Vision Entrepreneurs
Admin/Stock AssistantDavid Tadikonda
Admin/Stock AssistantDavid Tadikonda
Finance/Accounting
Praveen Kumar
Finance/Accounting
Praveen Kumar
India Country Director : Arunesh Singh
VE Channel Manager
Maruti Ram
VE Channel Manager
Maruti Ram
District Coordinators (7)
Mexico Partner : One
Roof
VE Identification and
Training Managers (2)
Director of Programs
Neil Blument hal
Chairman
Dr. Jordan Kassalow
Director
Graham Macmillan
Bangladesh Partner: BRAC
El Salvador CountryManager : Heidy Serpas
Guatemala Partner: CES
Board of AdvisorsBoard of Directors
Operations & Programs Manager
Rama n Nageswara
Operations & Programs Manager
Rama n Nageswara
Key Accounts Manager (Franchise
Partner and Wholesale Channel)
Salu Cherian
Key Accounts Manager (Franchise
Partner and Wholesale Channel)
Salu Cherian
Training Manager
Franchise PartnerChannel
Krishna Kakani
Training Manager
Franchise PartnerChannel
Krishna Kakani
Vision Entrepreneurs
Admin/Stock AssistantDavid Tadikonda
Admin/Stock AssistantDavid Tadikonda
Finance/Accounting
Praveen Kumar
Finance/Accounting
Praveen Kumar
India Country Director : Arunesh Singh
VE Channel Manager
Maruti Ram
VE Channel Manager
Maruti Ram
District Coordinators (6)
Mexico Partner : One
Roof
VE Identification and
Training Managers (2)
Director of Programs
Neil Blument hal
Chairman
Dr. Jordan Kassalow
Director
Graham Macmillan
Bangladesh Partner: BRAC
El Salvador CountryManager : Heidy Serpas
Guatemala Partner: CES
Board of AdvisorsBoard of Directors
Operations & Programs Manager
Rama n Nageswara
Operations & Programs Manager
Raman Nageswara
Key Accounts Manager (Franchise
Partner and Wholesale Channel)
Salu Cherian
Key Accounts Manager (Franchise
Partner and Wholesale Channel)
Salu Cherian
Training Manager
Franchise PartnerChannel
Krishna Kakani
Training Manager
Franchise PartnerChannel
Krishna Kakani
Vision Entrepreneurs
Admin/Stock AssistantDavid Tadikonda
Admin/Stock AssistantDavid Tadikonda
Finance/Accounting
Praveen Kumar
Finance/Accounting
Praveen Kumar
India Country Director : Arunesh Singh
VE Channel Manager
Maruti Ram
VE Channel Manager
Maruti Ram
District Coordinators (7)
Mexico Partner : One
Roof
VE Identification and
Training Managers (2)
Director of Programs
Neil Blument hal
Figure 5: Scojo Foundation organization chart12
Scojo employs 16 people in India: Arunesh Singh as Country Director, six Managers, two administrative
staff and seven District Coordinators. Mr. Singh brings to Scojo extensive experience in social enterprise
12 Scojo Foundation, business plan submitted to Acumen Fund (2006), quoted in Christiansen and London , “Scojo Foundation,” 17.
Products and services What Works: Scojo India Foundation
14
management as a former Program Director with Appropriate Technology India,13 an organization that
promotes environmentally sustainable work alternatives to subsistence agriculture.14
Scojo New York is involved in nearly all aspects of Scojo India Foundation’s activities. These include
recruiting an experienced Indian management team; identifying and securing funding and investors;
providing technical assistance in sales, marketing, and product design; partnership‐building with Indian
NGOs and government; ongoing monitoring and evaluation of operations through quarterly visits,
weekly conference calls and monthly progress reports submitted by Scojo India Foundation’s
management; annual site visits to India by Scojo directors; and strict financial monitoring via internal and
external controls and audits.
3.4 Products and services
Scojo trains rural community members to become
Vision Entrepreneurs, capable of providing vision
screenings and identifying common eye conditions.
The vision screening enables Vision Entrepreneurs to
refer all customers with eye conditions other than
presbyopia to reputable partner eye clinics to receive
comprehensive eye care. For customers with
presbyopia, Vision Entrepreneurs are able to assess
the correct magnification required and provide ready‐
made reading glasses on the spot.
Scojo provides the Vision Entrepreneurs with a kit including multiple styles, colors, and powers of
reading glasses, screening equipment and marketing materials to help launch their business. After the
launch, Scojo replenishes supplies of reading glasses and provides additional support as required.
13 Scojo Foundation. “Founders and Staff.” http://www.scojofoundation.org/2_2_founders.html.
14 Appropriate Technology India. “Home.” http://www.atindia.org/.
Products and services What Works: Scojo India Foundation
15
Behind this seemingly simple model, however, is an innovative way of dealing with distribution channels
and a refined strategy in setting prices and marketing the product.
3.4.1 Introduction
Scojo seeks to improve livelihoods in the developing world by broadening the availability of over‐the‐
counter eye health products and services through market‐based distribution solutions. Scojo utilizes a
micro‐franchise model to enable low‐income entrepreneurs, both male and female, to realize significant
income by selling glasses in their communities. Scojo has grown its number of Vision Entrepreneurs
steadily over the last two years (Figure 6).
Number of Scojo VE's
3024
46
78
93102
111
126
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Q1 2005 Q2 2005 Q3 2005 Q4 2005 Q1 2006 Q2 2006 Q3 2006 Q4 2006
Figure 6: Historical growth of Scojo Vision Entrepreneurs
In addition, Scojo has increasingly been broadening access to affordable reading glasses by working with
strategic partners that recruit and support Vision Entrepreneurs in their networks. As such, Scojo
leverages access to its partners’ distribution networks in order to meet its dual mission. This partnership
channel has significantly increased in importance since the end of 2005 and has currently outgrown
Scojo’s own distribution channel (Figure 7).
Products and services What Works: Scojo India Foundation
16
Number of Partner VE's
0 0 0
53
148
179
260
331
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Q1 2005 Q2 2005 Q3 2005 Q4 2005 Q1 2006 Q2 2006 Q3 2006 Q4 2006
Figure 7: Historical growth of Partner Vision Entrepreneurs
Scojo currently employs the following strategies to ensure program success:
• Identify local entrepreneurs or partners (including eye hospitals/clinics, consumer products
distributors, micro‐credit institutions and other NGOs) who have demonstrated success.
• With partners, systematically select entrepreneurs who will be able to sell glasses in their
community and advocate for improved eye health. Also, establish a referral hospital for
people with other vision disorders.
• Provide entrepreneurs and partners training and marketing support with co‐branded
business packs including backpacks, display boxes, screening materials, certificate, lab coats,
posters, and advertising campaigns, to kick‐start their businesses.
• Assist entrepreneurs and partners during business operations by offering continuous
training, procurement of affordable reading glasses, and ancillary eye care products.
• Implement integrated supply‐chain management to ensure timely and cost‐effective delivery
of reading glasses and other associated products.
3.4.2 Distribution channels
Scojo distributes reading glasses through three channels: Scojo Vision Entrepreneurs, Franchise Partners,
and Wholesale (Figure 8).
Products and services What Works: Scojo India Foundation
17
Figure 8: Overview of the three main distribution channels15
In the last two years, the franchise partnership channel has significantly increased in importance (Figure
9). As will be discussed later, we expect it to continue to grow in importance.
Number of glasses sold
2,0191,171 1,191 1,450 1,802 1,471 1,649 1,467
4,725
7,470
1,127
3,890
2,243
602
41
689
258
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
Q1 2005 Q2 2005 Q3 2005 Q4 2005 Q1 2006 Q2 2006 Q3 2006 Q4 2006
Scojo VE's Franchise Partners Wholesale
Figure 9: Number of glasses sold in different distribution channels
Scojo Vision Entrepreneur Channel
The Scojo Vision Entrepreneur (“SVE”) channel is the oldest channel and exists in five districts of Andhra
Pradesh. In this channel, Scojo staff identifies, recruits, trains, and supports its own network of Vision
Entrepreneurs. In essence, each entrepreneur is a Scojo micro‐franchisee.
15Christiansen and London , “Scojo Foundation,” 21.
Products and services What Works: Scojo India Foundation
18
When selecting SVEs, it is important to Scojo that the entrepreneur has 1) an adequate education level to
allow him to run a business; 2) a good reputation and connections within the community to provide him
with a solid customer base; and 3) a need for higher income to motivate entrepreneurialism. 16
Scojo provides each SVE with a business‐in‐a‐bag for a non‐refundable and below‐cost deposit of Rs. 500
(USD $11.11). This business‐in‐a‐bag (Figure 10) contains all the materials and information necessary to
start a successful business selling reading glasses.
Figure 10: Example of a Scojo business‐in‐a‐bag17
In addition to the business‐in‐a‐bag, a dedicated Scojo trainer provides all SVEs with business and optical
education to ensure that SVEs will be able to: identify potential customers; conduct screenings for
presbyopia; prescribe reading glasses; and manage their business and inventory. SVEs also learn to
recognize conditions that require medical treatment, such as cataracts, and refer the afflicted individual to
a clinic.18
16 Arunesh Singh, interview by Nico Clemminck and Sachin Kadakia, Hyderabad, India, January 2007.
17 Christiansen and London, “Scojo Foundation,” 16.
18 Arunesh Singh and Neil Blumenthal, “Scojo Vision Entrepreneur Training Program,” a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation transmitted via email, May 14, 2007.
Products and services What Works: Scojo India Foundation
19
A Scojo District Coordinator, who is responsible for distributing
inventory, collecting data, managing implementation, and providing
moral support, supports each SVE. In general, a District Coordinator
supports 20‐25 SVEs in a given sales territory. While the cost per
beneficiary is highest with this channel due to staff and training costs,
the cost is justified because this channel acts as a test market for the rest
of the country. Scojo is able to control all of the activities in this channel,
learns lessons rapidly and proposes innovations to improve effectiveness.
Each District Coordinator aggregates sales information and supply requirements for their respective
region and sends the information to Scojo, often electronically through the SalesForce web‐based software
application. Scojo maintains a central warehouse at its Hyderabad headquarters for processing and
shipping orders to each District Coordinator. The District Coordinator receives the shipment (via
standard commercial shipping companies or local couriers) and distributes the supplies to their VEs
during their regular visits. In most cases, Scojo can re‐stock a VE through this distribution system within
1.5 days.
Franchise Partner Channel
Scojo Foundation’s primary growth strategy is based on cultivating partnerships with organizations that
have ready‐built distribution channels into rural areas. Such partnerships have proven highly beneficial
for both Scojo and its partners: Scojo is able to minimize the costs of expanding its business, not having to
expend resources toward managing individual entrepreneurs; and partners are able to offer their
members an additional income earning opportunity with potentially high profit margins. Scojo provides
initial training to entrepreneurs, while partners provide day‐to‐day support and inventory management.
Replenishment of supplies is managed similarly to the Scojo VE channel: supplies are shipped from
Hyderabad to an appointed District Coordinator‐equivalent staff member who ensures each VE receives
the stock. Scojo charges partner organizations varying upfront amounts for each business‐in‐a‐bag,
In the proprietary Scojo Vision Entrepreneur Channel, Scojo staff identifies, recruits, trains, and supports its own network of Vision Entrepreneurs. In essence, each entrepreneur is a Scojo franchise.
Products and services What Works: Scojo India Foundation
20
depending on the number of glasses in the starter kit. Partners then determine whether and how much to
charge its members for the kits. 19
In 2006, Scojo realized great success with its initial partners by delivering more than 20,000 pairs of
glasses in nine months. The reason for this rapid growth can be attributed to the partners’ large existing
networks of community‐based providers such as community health workers, consumer products
distributors, and micro‐credit borrowers. These community‐based providers represent the “last‐mile
solution” that is the most difficult aspect of rural distribution. In addition, each network is supported by
infrastructure that is able to manage the operations of the Scojo model. From a revenue perspective,
Scojo’s revenue is diversified because partners pay for the Scojo “franchise,” which includes the
inventory, use of brand, marketing materials, eye charts, and data collection forms. In the next chapter,
we will discuss this franchise partner channel in more detail as a major growth driver for Scojo India
Foundation.
Wholesale Channel
The “wholesale” channel represents Scojo’s effort to develop the market for reading glasses in India
through commercial retailers. Scojo intends to wholesale affordable, quality reading glasses to existing
pharmacy retailers, so that they are widely available. Scojo is well‐aware, however, of the need to ensure
that its wholesaling business is in line with its mission to serve the rural poor.20
3.4.3 Pricing and marketing
Scojo determined its pricing structure based on sales data from current operations, a market study
conducted by Marketing and Research Team (MART), and the Scojo pilot program conducted in 2001.
Scojo offers four models of reading glasses through its retail channel, and relatively more stylish models
are more expensive. Glasses retail from Rs. 95 to Rs. 165 ($2.11 to $3.67) and earn the VE an average of
19 Arunesh Singh, interview by Nico Clemminck and Sachin Kadakia, Hyderabad, India, January 2007.
20 Christiansen and London, “Scojo Foundation, 12.
Products and services What Works: Scojo India Foundation
21
Rs. 50 ($1.11) per pair.21 Demonstrating the fact that style is an important consideration for consumers of
any income level, the least expensive model accounts for only 3% of sales.
Prices to end customers through the wholesale channel are generally higher than through the SVE and
Franchise Partner channels, as those who have access to existing retailers are usually higher income
earners. Two models are available to wholesale buyers, one of which retails for Rs. 105 and the other for
Rs. 199. The average margin for the wholesaler is Rs. 94 ($2.09) per pair of glasses.22
In its VE channel, Scojo relies on two marketing techniques for selling its glasses: eye camps and door‐to‐
door sales. VEs organize eye camps in coordination with the local village head, who provides VEs with
access to a room centrally located in the village. The Scojo VE, with the help of the District Coordinator,
uses this room as a screening and selling location for half a day, and people from the village can walk in
for a complimentary vision screening and buy glasses if needed. Often, the VE would engage the local
town drummer to advertise these eye camps a couple days in advance.23
Scojo’s door‐to‐door sales strategy relies on a referral scheme by which the Scojo VE would screen a local
at his or her home and ask for referrals who might suffer from up‐close vision problems. The referral
scheme helps to establish trust between the VE and potential customers, especially when the VE begins
by screening a village leader, or when the entrepreneur has earned credibility as a physical examiner by
making a sale to a relative of the referral.24
Vision Entrepreneurs have observed that the door‐to‐door strategy is more profitable compared to the
eye camps, as the likelihood of a sale is higher.
21 “Scojo 2006 model 01.04.06 2006,” Microsoft Excel file from Scojo Headquarters, New York, NY, October 2006.
22 Christiansen and London, “Scojo Foundation, 12.
23 Scojo Vision Entrepreneurs, anecdote from village visit by Nico Clemminck and Sachin Kadakia, Hyderabad, India, January 2007.
24 Ibid.
Partnership networks What Works: Scojo India Foundation
22
Chapter 4
Partnership networks
Scojo’s partnership objective is to leverage existing networks and infrastructure to create sustainable,
scalable programs that bring eyeglasses to the largest number of people. Partnerships enable Scojo to
share the cost and resource commitment for recruiting, training and supporting entrepreneurs. This
strategy also diversifies the organization’s operations and income sources, while increasing its reach.
Partnerships are a critical component to the efficient deployment of Scojo’s business model and expected
to be the largest driver of its future growth. As such, it is important for Scojo to demonstrate a clear
financial and social value proposition to each partner.
4.1 Formulating partnerships
Scojo partners with organizations that demonstrate a commitment to their mission, support rural
networks in villages, are well respected in their communities and have the potential to make a
meaningful impact on behalf of Scojo.
Partnerships begin with a carefully designed pilot phase to
provide proof of concept for the partner before a full program
rollout. To date, most partnership pilots have been converted
successfully to full programs. Scojo and the partner jointly review
the pilot results and make necessary adjustments to training, support or startup kits. Based on estimated
overhead costs, each partner individually decides how to structure profit sharing agreements with their
Scojo partners demonstrate a commitment to their mission,
support rural networks in villages, and are well respected
in their communities.
Formulating partnerships What Works: Scojo India Foundation
23
respective entrepreneurs. Finally, prior to launch, each organization agrees to their roles and
commitments, ensuring smooth cooperation with Scojo. However, Scojo has little recourse if partners do
not honor their commitments.
In each partnership, Scojo commits to:
• Assess the feasibility of the program within the partner’s network.
• Provide the project template, including protocols for training, loans, selection of
entrepreneurs, data collection and reporting, marketing, inventory management and
management of the project.
• Assist in start‐up and implementation of the project, including training.
• Identify and secure a reliable source of high quality, low‐cost reading glasses.
• Provide ongoing technical assistance to project staff.
In return, the partner is expected to:
• Identify local staff to oversee and coordinate the project.
• Identify local low‐income entrepreneurs to participate in the project.
• Pay the upfront cost of the micro‐franchise kits (e.g., business‐in‐a‐bag or kiosk displays).
• Provide local oversight of the project.
• Incorporate the project into the organization’s ongoing activities.
• Provide weekly data reports to Scojo on sales.
• Provide monthly narratives and financial progress reports to Scojo.
• Absorb ongoing project costs as the project increases in size.
Current partners in India What Works: Scojo India Foundation
24
4.2 Current partners in India
Scojo currently works with over 20 operational partners in India, including multi‐national corporations,
micro‐credit institutions, health organizations and consumer products distributors. Utilizing these
networks, Scojo has been able to expand to five additional states in India.
Consequently, Scojo currently operates in five districts in Andhra Pradesh: East Godavari (13),
Mahbubnagar (25), Nalgonda (26), West Godavari (26), and Prakasam (3). The other states in India
covered through partnerships include Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh
(Figure 11).
Figure 11: Scojo presence in India and Andhra Pradesh
Six of Scojo’s key partnerships are described below:
• Drishtee is a rapidly growing, rural franchise network that provides computer training and
Internet kiosks to villages. Drishtee currently reaches over fifteen million people through
more than 1,000 Kiosks in nine states. Drishtee recruits, trains and supports local village
entrepreneurs, and encourages them to offer additional products and services from the kiosks
to diversify and increase their income. Through its partnership with Scojo, 36 Drishtee
entrepreneurs have received training and currently sell eyeglasses to villagers from their
Current partners in India What Works: Scojo India Foundation
25
kiosks, and over 300 entrepreneurs are expected to join the program by the end of 2007.
Depending on the type of eyeglasses sold, these entrepreneurs pay Drishtee approximately
Rs. 12 per pair of Scojo glasses for program support. The entrepreneur keeps the balance
(~Rs. 43) as profit, representing one of the highest margin products in their portfolio (at 26%).
Drishtee’s portfolio approach is designed to profitably support entrepreneurs, and this
revenue sharing model with entrepreneurs for Scojo products is a strong fit.
• Vedanta Resources is one of the largest metals and mining groups in India, and is committed
to managing its business in a socially responsible manner. As part of its corporate social
responsibility (CSR) initiatives, Vedanta has developed a network of Community Health
Workers (“CHW”) to provide basic services in villages where miners live. In partnership with
Scojo, Vedanta has provided training and support to more than 60 CHWs to do vision
screenings and sell eyeglasses in villages. Vedanta’s CSR program fully funds the overhead
costs of the program, so Vedanta entrepreneurs keep 100% of the profits they generate.
• The Byrraju Foundation seeks to build progressive self‐reliant rural communities by
providing services in the areas of healthcare, environment, sanitation, primary education,
adult literacy and skills development. The Foundation currently works in 152 villages in five
districts of Andhra Pradesh, impacting more than 800,000 people. Scojo helped Byrraju
expand its product portfolio and currently has 140 CHWs selling Scojo eyeglasses.
• Hindustan Lever’s Project Shakti promotes income generation for rural underprivileged
women by providing small‐scale enterprise opportunities. Today, Project Shakti has nearly
30,000 women entrepreneurs selling Hindustan Lever products such as soaps and shampoos.
Scojo has partnered with Hindustan Lever to train the women entrepreneurs to do vision
screenings and integrate eyeglasses into their enterprise product offering.
• L.V. Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) is the largest eye care provider in Andhra Pradesh and one
of the preeminent eye care facilities in the world, providing equitable and efficient services to
underserved populations. LVPEI’s growing statewide network of Vision Guardians will be
trained by LVPEI in basic eye health and will sell Scojo eyeglasses or refer patients into
LVPEI’s statewide system of local eye care clinics and hospitals. As a key part of the state’s
Success of partnership strategy What Works: Scojo India Foundation
26
Vision 2020 Initiative, the program will quickly grow to serve all 70 million citizens of
Andhra Pradesh. LVPEI and Scojo have been partners since 2001 when the reading glass
distribution model using rural micro‐
entrepreneurs was first implemented. Dr.
Rao, the Director of LVPEI, has had a
professional relationship with Scojo’s
Chairman for many years and serves on the
Advisory Board of Scojo Foundation.
• BASIX is a micro‐credit organization
promoting sustainable livelihoods through
the provision of financial services and technical assistance to the rural poor. BASIX currently
works with over 190,000 households in 44 districts and 8 states. In partnership with Scojo,
BASIX plans to extend its service offering to include Scojo vision training and entrepreneur
support.
4.3 Success of partnership strategy
Partnerships have come to represent the most important channel for Scojo. Scalable, efficient growth
depends on Scojo’s ability to leverage the network and infrastructure of other organizations. In order to
continue to be successful, Scojo must offer a lucrative value proposition to each partner.
The key strengths in Scojo’s partnership strategy today include:
• With no other organization offering low‐cost, high quality reading glasses in villages, Scojo is
strategically positioned as a first mover and the sole distributor.
• Partners find the 30‐35% profit margin on Scojo products a very attractive prospect to offer
entrepreneurs in their networks. This unusually high margin enables the partner to charge
entrepreneurs a small fee to cover their operating expenses, while leaving the entrepreneur
with a meaningful income (e.g., Drishtee).
Success of partnership strategy What Works: Scojo India Foundation
27
• In areas where distribution is often challenging, Scojo offers a reliable supply of reading
glasses to district‐level coordinators
• Scojo has demonstrated its flexibility and accommodated varying partner requirements, such
as modifying training programs, adjusting micro‐franchise kit contents and startup costs,
negotiating minimum revenue agreements, and providing occasional operating support.
However, Scojo faces several strategic challenges, as addressed in Section 5.4. These challenges need to be
addressed in order for Scojo to continue to grow with existing and new partners.
Challenges What Works: Scojo India Foundation
28
Chapter 5
Challenges
Like many young organizations, Scojo faces many challenges to continue its growth and success.
However, the organization has proactively developed strategies to mitigate these risks and continues to
seek ways to minimize any potential threats to the success of their model.
5.1 Introduction
Scojo India Foundation’s revenue sources are from reading glasses sales, grants and loans. With
operations in India having started in January 2005, Scojo anticipates beginning to make a profit in 2010
assuming key volume growth targets as detailed in Appendix B and Appendix C. However, recent
performance suggests that these targets may be too aggressive. The key challenges, as described in this
chapter, in our opinion present important hurdles to achieving breakeven by 2010.
In order to achieve its 2010 targets, Scojo will have to increase its sales of glasses very aggressively.
Indeed, as detailed below its current forecasts project a doubling of number of glasses sold in each
channel year‐on‐year. To achieve growth in the VE channel, there will need to be an increase in sales
turnover per entrepreneur. With a cost of Rs. 25,000 ($556) per month for each District Coordinator
(including travel), each of a Coordinator’s 20‐25 Vision Entrepreneurs must sell 30 pairs of eyeglasses
each month for Scojo to break even. This target represents a substantial increase from the current average
of 15‐20 pairs. To achieve this, Scojo may need new incentive systems, improved sales practices or
reduced support levels.
Introduction What Works: Scojo India Foundation
29
Number of glasses sold
21,816 48,300 82,080135,240
246,400
34,20083,250
151,875
232,875
328,500
11,400
25,800
51,600
88,200
135,600
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
700,000
800,000
2005 2006E 2007E 2008E 2009E 2010E
Scojo VE's Partnerships Wholesale
Figure 12: Projections of glasses sold in different distribution channels
At the same time, the number of Vision Entrepreneurs will have to increase significantly. We will discuss
later in this chapter how this growth might be hampered by several challenges. In addition, new
partnerships will be critical to support the growth in the partnership channel. As will be discussed in the
next section, there are several threats to the potential of this aggressive growth.
Cash flow from operations (USD)
-150,714
-96,492
106,925
-5,840-16,978
-200,000
-150,000
-100,000
-50,000
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Figure 13: Forecasted cash flow from operations
Partnerships What Works: Scojo India Foundation
30
5.2 Partnerships
Scojo’s rapid growth has been facilitated by an aggressive and successful partnership strategy, but four
key elements need to be incorporated into Scojo’s strategy to continue this trajectory:
• Convince partners to pay for and commit resources to operating and supporting Scojo
programs within their networks by:
o Justifying the incremental expenses to strictly breakeven‐oriented organizations, such as
micro‐credit institutions, and
o Creating a mission‐oriented case for charity and non‐profit organizations assuming the
cost out of their own funds;
• Ensure proper motivation and product emphasis by the partner’s entrepreneur, particularly
when Scojo is part of a larger suite of products (e.g., Drishtee);
• Develop a financially and organizationally sustainable level of involvement by Scojo staff in
ensuring adequate support of entrepreneurs by program partners; and
• Motivate partners to honor their commitments and continue sourcing eyeglasses from Scojo
rather than an alternate source.
To support the aggressive growth targets Scojo has set, it will have to overcome some important
challenges.
• Scojo will have to carefully manage the current diversity in its partner portfolio. CSR
organizations are strategically different from microfinance partners and require a different
value proposition. Either Scojo has to tailor its proposition to each specific partner or focus its
strategy in a more structured value proposition.
• While microfinance organization such as Basix or SKS Microfinance represent significant
potential as partners, Scojo will have to think through the reservations these partners might
have in getting too heavily involved in suggesting or managing the business their clients run.
These partners might limit themselves to purely financing activities, avoiding any
involvement beyond that.
Recruiting entrepreneurs What Works: Scojo India Foundation
31
• To enhance the value proposition for its partners, Scojo will have to increase its efforts to
build a strong brand name. As their brand awareness is currently limited, the strength of
current partner relationships and the potential for future relationships is vulnerable to
stronger brands launching similar programs. For example, Titan Industries (a popular Tata
Group‐backed manufacturer of watches and jewelry) recently announced the launch of Titan
Eye+, to provide prescription eyeglasses to the mid‐priced market25. While this does not
directly compete in Scojo’s target market, Titan’s brand name may be leveraged in the future
to penetrate Scojo’s market. Similar to current customers paying a premium for Scojo’s
fancier models, future customers may pay an additional premium for the Titan brand name.
• Keeping partners motivated and interested in boosting Scojo related sales requires dedicated
staff to cultivate partnerships. Currently, continuous management of partnerships is limited
as there is no dedicated staff. This results in partners loosing interest in the program, leading
to decreasing sales.
5.3 Recruiting entrepreneurs
Most Scojo entrepreneurs are required to pay a deposit for startup kits to begin the program. SVEs pay
Rs. 500 ($11) for their kits and receive eyeglasses on consignment. With a profit margin of Rs. 55 ($1.22)
per pair of glasses, they need to sell nine pairs before they breakeven. However, other entrepreneurs pay
significantly more, depending on the partner agreement. For example, Drishtee entrepreneurs pay Rs.
2100 ($47) for their kits. With a profit margin of approximately Rs. 40 ($0.89) per pair (after the Drishtee
fees), they need to sell over 52 pairs of glasses before they breakeven. Due to capital constraints among
the target population, many potential entrepreneurs cannot participate in Scojo’s program.
Scojo has tested several solutions to overcome this hurdle. Some partners pay outright or provide loans to
mitigate this problem. Others have negotiated smaller kits, reducing the size and financial burden on
their entrepreneurs. However, the most successful approach has been simply to demonstrate the
profitability of being a VE. Scojo found that if convinced, many entrepreneurs are able to raise the
25 Tata Group. “Press Release: Titan Industries launches Titan Eye+.” http://www.tata.com/titan/releases/20070331_titan_eye.htm.
Motivating entrepreneurs What Works: Scojo India Foundation
32
necessary funds. With successful VEs making an average of Rs. 1000 ($22) per month, the return on
investment is very attractive and the upfront capital requirement relatively small.
5.4 Motivating entrepreneurs
Many entrepreneurs start the Scojo program with strong results, but some
have gradually declined in their performance. It is the responsibility of
district‐level coordinators to follow‐up with entrepreneurs to offer support
and motivation, but there is significant variability in their effectiveness.
For example, one district coordinator we met had previously sold
insurance products, and encouraged the entrepreneurs in his region to push insurance sales ahead of
other products in their portfolios. As a result, the average sales of Scojo products per entrepreneur were
relatively lower in this region.
The key reasons for this declined performance are 1) the fact that entrepreneurs do not like going door‐to‐
door and prefer to sit in a shop to sell; and 2) a decreasing excitement as entrepreneurs exhaust their
immediate circle of close friends/family with the incremental sales harder to make (longer sales cycles,
more effort to establish credibility, etc.).
Vedanta is able to leverage the district coordinator role to much success and could serve as a model for
other partners. The Vedanta district coordinator maintained very close relationships with local village
heads, and as a result, recruited the most talented villagers to be Scojo entrepreneurs. Further, the
coordinator aggressively boosted the Scojo brand name, with the help of influential people in the villages,
to ensure the credibility and success of his entrepreneurs. He maintained regular contact with Vision
Entrepreneurs, and was able to proactively resolve any conflicts or issues that arose.
Another solution to improving motivation may be a sliding commission scale. Scojo can offer a higher
commission rate for sales above 20 pairs per month to incentivize Vision Entrepreneurs to increase their
commitment to the program and accelerate Scojo’s path to breakeven volume.
Many entrepreneurs start the Scojo program with strong results, but some have gradually declined in their performance.
Market saturation What Works: Scojo India Foundation
33
5.5 Market saturation
As an entrepreneur aggressively targets the immediate sales opportunities in nearby villages, there is a
fear of market saturation and diminished incremental sales potential. Entrepreneurs generally operate in
a defined region, consisting of more than 20,000 people. In Andhra Pradesh, a District Coordinator
estimated that the ratio of VEs to the population of surrounding villages is approximately 1 to 50,000. As
discussed in the market sizing, 20% of the population could benefit from reading glasses. This implies a
potential sales level of 10,000 eyeglasses per average VE, which they could not exhaust for many years.
Furthermore, as higher powers are required every 2‐3 years, the entrepreneur will receive repeat sales
from existing customers. Lastly, as a population ages, new customers are guaranteed to come, as
presbyopia is a condition affecting everyone over 35‐40 years of age.
5.6 Competition
5.6.1 Optical retailers
Optical retailers currently command greater respect than Scojo entrepreneurs do. Villagers still feel their
primary resource for vision problems are these retailers, and may not trust Scojo entrepreneurs.
However, villagers often have to travel several hours to reach the nearest retailer. The travel costs and
time required away from their jobs to make this trip are often too high. Furthermore, villagers are faced
with onerous costs for basic screenings and eyeglasses. With 34.7% of Indians earning less than $1.00 per
day,26 Scojo Vision Entrepreneurs indicate that a cost of $3‐10 for an eye exam and up to $11 for
eyeglasses are prohibitive for the average village population.27 In addition, optical retailers are not
inclined to push for this market due to the smaller profit margins on readymade glasses when compared
to over 100% margins they receive for prescription glasses.
Scojo entrepreneurs have more difficulty gaining credibility when they are already known for another
profession, such as tailor or computer trainer. However, the screening method and immediate, easy to
26 World Bank Development Data Group. “World Development Indicators 2006.” http://go.worldbank.org/RVW6YTLQH0.
27 Scojo Vision Entrepreneurs, anecdote from village visit by Nico Clemminck and Sachin Kadakia, Hyderabad, India, January 2007.
Competition What Works: Scojo India Foundation
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prove benefits provided by reading glasses enables entrepreneurs to gain credibility over time. These
factors, combined with the convenience and substantial cost and time savings, need to be emphasized to
overcome the competitive threat of optical retailers.
5.6.2 Street vendors
Street vendors in urban areas are increasingly found selling reading glasses at prices below Scojo’s. For
example, we witnessed a street vendor in Hyderabad selling reading glasses for Rs. 125 ($2.78), compared
to Scojo’s selling price of Rs. 165 ($3.67) rupees in villages.28 These street vendors have not yet penetrated
the villages, due to the greater travel
expense and lower profit potential in more
remote areas. However, the increasing
prevalence of these vendors presents a
significant threat to Scojo.
To address this issue effectively, Scojo needs
to continue to build its brand, reputation
and the credibility of its entrepreneurs. The
Scojo training and support program is of
much greater quality and value, and these
benefits need to be emphasized. In addition, Scojo’s village model offers people the opportunity to
purchase reading glasses directly in their homes, which will command a premium as an alternative to
making the expensive and long trip into a major city. The reading glasses Scojo sells are of higher quality
and have longer durability than the typical reading glasses available in urban markets.
5.6.3 Existing Indian manufacturers
As existing Indian eyeglass manufacturers witness Scojo’s success in the villages, they may attempt to
enter the market and threaten Scojo’s long‐term position. However, the industry is highly fragmented
and there are no dominant firms with sufficient capital to build a network that could effectively compete
28 Field research by Nico Clemminck and Sachin Kadakia, Hyderabad, India, January 2007.
Competition What Works: Scojo India Foundation
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with Scojo’s partnerships and first‐mover advantage. In addition, 85‐95% of existing manufacturers’
business is focused on the sunglasses or prescriptive glasses business.29 Therefore, Scojo’s focus on
readymade reading glasses should have a minimal disruption to their business.
5.6.4 Charities
Charities that distribute free reading glasses can undermine Scojo’s work by converting potential
customers into aid beneficiaries. Some potential customers will receive the free screening from Scojo but
not purchase eyeglasses because they want to wait for the next eye camp or health fair to receive a free
pair. However, Scojo is still able to operate in areas served by charities because customers often prefer to
pay low eyeglass fees for an immediate solution rather than wait an indeterminate time for the next
camp. In addition, Scojo offers brand‐new, high‐quality and fashionable reading glasses, which are rarely
found in charity programs. Finally, Scojo offers a permanent presence, as the entrepreneur is usually a
member of the village and can be available for future screenings or adjustments.
5.6.5 New entrants
Based on Scojo’s success, it is possible that new or existing organizations will adopt this model and enter
the market. A key challenge for Scojo is to ensure strong partnerships with every major organization that
has a network accessing villages. With partnerships at the core of a successful model, this will provide a
strong barrier to entry. In addition, Scojo needs to strengthen its brand name as a great partner, a high‐
quality service provider, and a high‐quality product offering. Entrepreneurs should be recognized as
Scojo entrepreneurs, and the Scojo name should be well recognized in villages. Finally, Scojo should
actively seek partnerships with eye care institutions, which represent the most likely new entrants in the
short term. These institutions should be convinced that they would benefit more by partnering with Scojo
instead of building the model on their own.
29 Arunesh Singh, interview by Nico Clemminck and Sachin Kadakia, Hyderabad, India, January 2007.
What Works: Scojo India Foundation
36
Chapter 6
What works: key lessons learned
Scojo’s innovative business model has enabled the organization to scale its operations quickly and
efficiently. As a result, Scojo has demonstrated the success of its replicable and sustainable strategy for
maximizing its impact. To better understand the key drivers of this success, we have outlined below
“what works” for Scojo.
6.1 Focusing on sustainability and profitability
From the earliest stages of the organization’s conception, a self‐sustaining business model was at the core
of Scojo’s strategy. Scojo’s programs were designed and are presently evaluated on a double bottom line:
social impact and organizational profitability. The result of each management decision, whether
partnerships, product launches or organizational change are evaluated under these strict criteria.
The organization has the culture of a small business, driven to be innovative and deliver measurable
results against both bottom lines. The business model incorporates many aspects of a typical retail
company: Scojo takes a fixed share of each sale, controls the retail price, develops the product strategy
and manages the supply chain. Ensuring a low cost, high volume product strategy is at the core of their
operations. Every employee understands that achieving breakeven is a requirement, not just a goal for
this organization. As a result, Scojo is continuously finding ways to increase efficiency, boost profits and
ensure a long‐term, sustainable enterprise. For example, Scojo India Foundation is implementing new
inventory management software to improve delivery times while reducing excess inventory. In addition,
Aggressive growth strategy What Works: Scojo India Foundation
37
Scojo optimized the delivery schedule from its manufacturer, so that it could use sea instead of air freight
and now saves 33% on shipping costs.
6.2 Aggressive growth strategy
This business model requires efficiencies of scale in order to be profitable, and Scojo has aggressively
expanded its network of vision entrepreneurs. Leveraging existing networks developed by other
organizations in concentrated geographic regions has provided Scojo a faster and substantially less
expensive expansion strategy. The value chain in Scojo’s business model provides sufficient financial
incentive and social impact potential to convince
partners to open their networks, leverage their
infrastructure and provide the resources to
manage these programs. Partners can take a share
of the large profit margins, and receive some of
the widespread recognition for the double social
impact provided by this innovative model. In
return, Scojo also keeps a dedicated staff person
responsible for monitoring all partnerships and
providing additional support when necessary.
Despite its rapid growth, Scojo has made sure that the necessary training and support structure is
provided to all vision entrepreneurs. In order to ensure quality standards, all vision entrepreneurs are
required to pass a test at the end of the multi‐day training program. To ensure continued motivation and
assistance in the field, district‐level coordinators are assigned to each group of 20‐25 Vision
Entrepreneurs. These factors provide organizational and quality controls around the rapid growth, and
keep the goal of long‐term success at the forefront of each decision.
6.3 Building barriers to entry
With its first mover advantage, Scojo has built large barriers to entry for potential competitors. Thus far,
the cost for retailers to penetrate the rural villages in India has been prohibitive. No other organization
Replicating the model What Works: Scojo India Foundation
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sells eyeglasses to villages. In fact, very few organizations have developed the infrastructure to reach
villages with retail products, save large consumer products companies such as Coca‐Cola, Hindustan
Lever or agricultural products companies.
Scojo has taken advantage of its exclusive position in the villages by gathering market data on customer
preferences and building its brand name. We have observed that consumers, even in impoverished
villages, are willing to pay premiums for stylish and brand name goods. If a competitor can overcome
high infrastructure costs to enter this market, Scojo has taken the preemptive steps to ensure the
competitor will be at a major disadvantage on product style, cost and branding considerations.
Scojo is also working to ensure that entrepreneurs stay in its network.
Scojo offers these entrepreneurs higher profit margins than any other
retail product. Participating in the program can be part‐time, so the
entrepreneur does not have to quit his job or give up his primary
source of income. Further, because of the health‐based nature of the
product, Scojo entrepreneurs gain respect in their respective communities. Therefore, Scojo tries to ensure
that its entrepreneurs will remain motivated and less likely to consider switching into other programs by
future competitors.
6.4 Replicating the model
Scojo’s model has been replicated in six states in India, through a broad range of remote villages with
diverse cultures, economic conditions and geographic considerations. In addition, Scojo has launched the
model in El Salvador, Guatemala, Bangladesh, Ghana, Mexico, and will be launching throughout 30
countries in sub‐Saharan Africa through a partnership with PSI. A key driver for the rapid replication of
this program is the minimal impact of region‐specific factors on its success. The problem of presbyopia
affects every person over the age of 35‐40, irrespective of region, culture or economic conditions. Even
literacy rates do not appear to have a significant impact, because Scojo’s glasses are often used for sewing,
cooking, farming and other necessary daily tasks. As a result, the Scojo model is successful in almost any
region that is traditionally underserved by eyeglass retailers.
Scojo has taken advantage of its exclusive position in the villages by gathering market data on customer preferences and building its brand name.
Delivering social impact What Works: Scojo India Foundation
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6.5 Delivering social impact
Social impact is delivered through economic empowerment of the entrepreneurs and the benefits to
customers who purchase eyeglasses. Entrepreneurs, many of whom previously earned $1/day, receive a
substantial boost to their income. Depending on how much time they allocate to the Scojo program,
entrepreneurs can double their income. On average, they generate approximately $20/month in
additional income. In addition to the improved livelihood through greater disposable income, the social
impacts include the creation of a new income generation opportunity for women, increased respect
within the community and improved business skills through Scojo training,
People suffering from presbyopia often cannot access a solution, due to the long distance to the nearest
eye doctor, lack of awareness, prohibitive costs, or simply fear. Scojo’s model brings free screenings and
low cost eyeglasses to their doorstep, eliminating many of these obstacles. As a result, many sufferers can
return to work, increase their productivity or read the newspaper again.
6.6 Conclusion
The combination of these factors has created a powerful business model and represents the key to “what
works” for Scojo. Several key challenges remain, particularly around maintaining the networks and
defending against potential entrants. However, the competitive barriers Scojo has created, through its
first‐mover advantage and growing scale, will protect the model in the future. Armed with a
management team that understands the importance of a sustainable, replicable business model, Scojo
appears to be well positioned for continued success.
Board of Directors and Advisors What Works: Scojo India Foundation
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Appendix A
Board of Directors and Advisors
Board of Directors
Dr. Jordan Kassalow Chairman and Co‐Founder, Scojo Foundation President and Co‐Founder, Scojo Vision LLC Partner, optometry practice of Farkas, Kassalow and Resnick Scott Berrie President and Co‐Founder, Scojo Foundation Chief Executive Officer and Co‐Founder, Scojo Vision LLC David Bornstein Author and lecturer in the field of Social Enterprise Anne Marie Burgoyne Director, Draper Richards Foundation Charles de Gunzburg Vice‐Chairman, First Spring Corporation Paul Lambert Partner, McLaughlin & Stern, LLP. Ken Schwartz Founder, Oliver Peoples
Board of Directors and Advisors What Works: Scojo India Foundation
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Board of Advisors Kim Alter Founder, Virtue Ventures Samantha Beinhacker Principal, New Capital Consulting L. Brooks Entwistle Chief Executive Officer, Goldman, Sachs India, LLC. Wayne Farmer Senior Director, KaBOOM! David Green Executive Director, Project Impact Kenneth MacWilliams, M.B.A. President, Woodrow Wilson Associates G. N. Rao, M.D. Former Director, L.V. Prasad Eye Institute Chairman, International Association for the Prevention of Blindness Seth Rosen Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton Jason Shaplen Senior Executive and Director, Next Steps Program, Project Renewal Rob Shepardson Founding Partner, Shepardson, Stern + Kaminsky Lloyd Timberlake Director of Sustainability, World Business Council on Sustainable Development
Projected income statement* What Works: Scojo India Foundation
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Appendix B
Projected income statement*
INR (1 USD = 45 INR)
Income Statement 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Revenue from VE channel 2,503,192 5,549,276 9,841,608 16,349,193 29,952,720 29,952,720 29,952,720Revenue from wholesale channel 1,418,730 3,210,810 6,421,620 10,976,490 16,875,420 16,875,420 16,875,420Revenue from partner channel 3,594,420 8,749,575 15,962,063 24,475,163 34,525,350 34,525,350 34,525,350
Total Revenue from Sales 7,516,342 17,509,661 32,225,291 51,800,846 81,353,490 81,353,490 81,353,490total number glasses sold 65,256 152,625 280,755 449,455 699,300 699,300 699,300
Total Income 7,516,342 17,509,661 32,225,291 51,800,846 81,353,490 81,353,490 81,353,490
COGs 3,941,553 9,220,035 16,959,840 27,146,664 42,223,877 42,223,877 42,223,877Operating costs from VE channel 2,126,312 3,221,144 4,789,486 7,257,128 10,869,197 10,869,197 10,869,197Operating costs from wholesale channel 384,200 497,722 1,037,907 2,060,740 3,264,798 3,264,798 3,264,798Operating costs from partner channel 563,600 1,122,833 1,874,208 3,146,351 4,581,982 4,581,982 4,581,982
Total Operating Costs 3,074,112 4,841,698 7,701,600 12,464,219 18,715,977 18,715,977 18,715,977Cost of state offices 0 0 0 1,478,460 1,522,813 1,568,498 1,615,553
Cost of VE regional managers 402,000 422,100 886,410 1,396,096 1,954,534 - - Cost of VE state managers - - - 625,118 656,373 689,192 723,652 Cost of Executive staff 2,340,000 2,457,000 3,439,800 4,514,738 5,688,569 5,972,998 6,271,648 Cost of Support staff 162,000 340,200 535,815 750,141 1,115,835 1,171,626 1,230,208
Total Hyderabad salaries 2,904,000 3,219,300 4,862,025 7,286,092 9,415,311 7,833,816 8,225,507 Total Hyderabad non-personnel costs 1,963,230 1,520,430 1,867,000 2,251,676 3,155,736 1,551,456 2,296,841 Total Costs 11,882,895 18,801,463 31,390,465 50,627,110 75,033,715 71,893,624 73,077,755
EBITDA (4,366,554) (1,291,802) 834,825 1,173,735 6,319,775 9,459,866 8,275,735 depreciation 15,033 35,019 64,451 103,602 162,707 162,707 162,707
EBIT (4,381,587) (1,326,821) 770,375 1,070,134 6,157,068 9,297,159 8,113,028 tax - - - - - - - interest expense 694,073 1,135,756 1,261,951 1,151,897 814,398 814,398 814,398
Net Income (5,075,659) (2,462,577) (491,576) (81,763) 5,342,670 8,482,760 7,298,630
* Scojo Foundation, business plan submitted to Acumen Fund, 2006.
Projected balance sheet* What Works: Scojo India Foundation
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Appendix C
Projected balance sheet*
INR (1 USD = 45 INR)
Balance Sheet 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Operating Cash 5,042,865 8,125,771 9,364,620 3,906,080 1,422,173 1,033,535 9,309,271 Accounts Receivable 1,235,563 2,878,300 3,972,981 4,257,604 6,686,588 6,686,588 6,686,588 Inventories 647,927 1,136,717 1,393,959 2,231,233 1,735,228 1,735,228 1,735,228 Other current assetsTotal Current Assets 6,926,355 12,140,788 14,731,560 10,394,916 9,843,989 9,455,351 17,731,087
PP&E 75,163 175,097 322,253 518,008 813,535 813,535 813,535 Accumulated Depreciation 15,033 35,019 64,451 103,602 162,707 162,707 162,707 Net PP&E 60,131 140,077 257,802 414,407 650,828 650,828 650,828
Goodwill/other intangible assetsTotal Assets 6,986,486 12,280,865 14,989,363 10,809,323 10,494,817 10,106,179 18,381,915
Accounts Payable 161,982 378,906 1,393,959 2,231,233 3,470,456 3,470,456 3,470,456 Accrued LiabilitiesOther current liabilitiesTotal Current Liabilities 161,982 378,906 1,393,959 2,231,233 3,470,456 3,470,456 3,470,456
Long-Term Debt 11,825,000 21,500,000 21,500,000 16,500,000 0 5,406,579 21,500,000Deferred Income TaxesTotal L-T Liabilities 11,825,000 21,500,000 21,500,000 16,500,000 - 5,406,579 21,500,000
Equity (5,000,496) (9,598,040) (7,904,597) (7,921,910) 7,024,362 1,229,145 (6,588,541) Total Liabilities and Equity 6,986,486 12,280,865 14,989,363 10,809,323 10,494,817 10,106,179 18,381,915
* Scojo Foundation, business plan submitted to Acumen Fund, 2006.
List of Figures What Works: Scojo India Foundation
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List of Figures
Figure 1: Growth in number of glasses sold ...........................................................................................................4
Figure 2: Growth in Vision Entreprenuers..............................................................................................................4
Figure 3: Potential customer base in India and Andhra Pradesh.........................................................................8
Figure 4: Overview of Scojo operations in different geographies......................................................................11
Figure 5: Scojo Foundation organization chart.....................................................................................................13
Figure 6: Historical growth of Scojo Vision Entrepreneurs ................................................................................15
Figure 7: Historical growth of Partner Vision Entrepreneurs ............................................................................16
Figure 8: Overview of the three main distribution channels ..............................................................................17
Figure 9: Number of glasses sold in different distribution channels.................................................................17
Figure 10: Example of a Scojo business‐in‐a‐bag ....................................................................................................18
Figure 11: Scojo presence in India and Andhra Pradesh.....................................................................................24
Figure 12: Projections of glasses sold in different distribution channels ..........................................................29
Figure 13: Forecasted cash flow from operations.................................................................................................29
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