{"id":8863,"date":"2014-05-09T15:50:59","date_gmt":"2014-05-09T15:50:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/wordpress72\/?page_id=11072"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:22:28","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:22:28","slug":"the-pitch-doko-bags","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2014\/05\/09\/the-pitch-doko-bags\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pitch: DOKO bags"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Pitch: DOKO bags<\/h2>\n

Every month, an entrepreneurial EUR student is put in the spotlights in \u2018The Pitch\u2019. The entrepreneur answers five personal questions related to entrepreneurship and gets thirty seconds \u2013 and only one take \u2013 for a video pitch. This edition, RSM Master student Ruud van Dijk (25) and IBEB student Nick Mahn (22) present their company DOKO bags. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Last summer, student entrepreneurs Nick and Ruud visited Nepal for the RSM International Care (iCare) project. After a month of voluntary work and travelling, they returned home with two colourful bags and a brand new business idea. Under the name DOKO they now sell handcrafted Nepalese bags. These two entrepreneurs don\u2019t just talk business, they also have a higher goal to reach with their company. Ruud: \u201cMy biggest drive is to give something back to the people we visited.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why did you decide to sell these bags in the Netherlands?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ruud: \u201cWhen we were in Nepal, we bought these bags on a local market. We immediately thought they were unique, something you don\u2019t see here.\u201d <\/p>\n

Nick: \u201cThey\u2019re made of hemp, a weed that practically grows everywhere in Nepal. Not many people in the Netherlands know that you can use it to make a very sustainable, durable fabric. Hemp grows really quickly, doesn\u2019t need pesticide, and the fabric is much stronger than cotton.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ruud: \u201cBack home, people asked me where I had bought my backpack, and told me they thought it was really cool. Nick and I were both very enthusiastic about these bags back in Nepal, and after giving it some thought we decided to go for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Besides making your business work, what higher goal do you want to reach?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ruud: \u201cWe want our bags to be made in a factory where people are treated fairly, and we definitely want to make sure that our products are not made by children. Also, we pay them more than they would get on a market in Nepal. Seeing people live in poverty had a big impact on me, and by selling their bags we create some labour and income for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick: \u201cPeople in Nepal don\u2019t have much to share, but they are so generous. That really was an eye-opener for all of us. If things go well, our next aim is to start a foundation that spends part of the revenue on children\u2019s education in that area.\u201d <\/p>\n

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Why the name DOKO?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ruud: \u201cDokos are big baskets worn by people in Nepal, in which they carry practically any kind of product. It\u2019s a woven basket made of\u2026 bamboo I think?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick: \u201cTo me, they look a bit like baskets you would put your laundry in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ruud: \u201cThe name just fits: it refers to carrying things around in a bag, and to Nepal as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

What kind of customers do you target with your product?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nick: \u201cAt first I thought this product would be a \u2018hipster accessory\u2019, but I came to realize that our target audience is much broader.\u201d <\/p>\n

Ruud: \u201cThese bags come in many different shapes and forms, but I think we selected some designs and colours that appeal to a larger group. We sell five different models at this point.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick: \u201cI think our bags are fit for people who don\u2019t just want a regular backpack. I see so many accessories in lots of different colours: bow ties, bright coloured shoes, big rings and necklaces. Stuff that\u2019s a little weird, but interesting at the same time. But bags are often boring, and just plain black or brown. It makes me wonder: why can\u2019t a bag also be a little different, and show what kind of person you are?\u201d<\/p>\n

Is entrepreneurship a skill you can learn, or rather something you are born with?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nick: \u201cIf you would have told me I would be selling Nepalese bags four years ago, I\u2019d say you were mad. In my case, it\u2019s something that developed over time.\u201d <\/p>\n

Ruud: \u201cI think that having the courage to start a business, invest your money and take a gamble is something that comes from the inside. Running a business however, is something you can learn.\u201d <\/p>\n

Nick: \u201cYou grow into it. Do you think you would have done this a few years ago?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ruud: \u201cYes, I think so.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick: \u201cReally? I don\u2019t know. I\u2019m more confident than I was a few years back, so for me it\u2019s probably also a matter of self-development.\u201d IS<\/p>\n

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Ruud (left) and Nick with their bags.<\/em><\/p>\n