The Ministry of Economy created a platform for the sale of handicrafts in Mercado Libre

For people who are dedicated to producing and marketing non-industrialized handcrafted pieces, the Ministry of Economy and Mercado Libre created Artesanal MX, a digital platform for Mexican producers to increase sales of their items.

This site will be enabled in the Mercado Libre marketplace, said Economy Secretary Tatiana Clouthier. He explained that, as part of the initiative, craftsmen will be given training on technological tools that promote the promotion of their pieces, such as advertising, logistics and digital solutions.

They will also be offered training in the sale and publication of products on the marketplace, as well as the different digital payment options offered by the website. In this way, people who manufacture products from indigenous peoples, produce artisanal foods (such as beers, sauces, jams, creams and so on), produce items of natural beauty, decoration or textiles and accessories, can register with Artesanal MX.

Tatiana Clouthier welcomed the fact that the Productive Development Unit works in conjunction with Mercado Libre, stating that “technology must be used in favor of all people who sell handicraft products.”

For his part, the director of Mercado Libre Mexico, David Geisen, commented that these actions seek to “democratize trade”, based on technological tools and digital platforms to boost the sale of handicrafts. He indicated that, so far, 10 artisans are already participating in the initiative.

According to the Ministry of Economy, the states of Hidalgo, Michoacán, Puebla, Chiapas, Guanajuato, Morelos, Chihuahua and Tlaxcala have craft companies that have joined the project, offering products such as honey, craft beer, hand-painted ceramic pieces, decorative blankets and other items.

While the platform has been available since December 2021, the official announcement was released on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. According to the Artesanal MX website, 206 items of different types are offered so far, from foods such as honey, to ceramic pieces. Most products come from Guanajuato (153), Puebla (22) and Hidalgo (13).

This is part of MSMEs (micro, small and medium-sized enterprises), so the Ministry of Economy made available the following link (ArtesanalMX-Registro) for the registration of people who decide to join the platform, which consists of 4 steps with a total of 27 questions.

The first section is “Contact Information” and the data requested are as follows: name, email, cell phone number, postal code, sex, age, last degree of education and marital status.

The next section is the “Business Line”, so you will have to indicate the type of products that are produced (whether cardboard and paper, ceramics, sculpture, laqueria, glass, wood, textiles, metalwork, cosmetics, food and others). In addition, it is requested to specify the number of people working in the business (from 1 to 10; from 11 to 50 or from 50 to 250 employees).

Likewise, it will have to be specified whether there is a fixed, semi-fixed or mobile premises; the number of pieces produced in the last year; the hours spent manufacturing the products; the audience to which it has been sold; the amount of income from the sale of such items; whether a course or training has been taken on business, how many workshops he attended and the price paid for them.

The third section consists of “Digital Maturity”. Here you will have to answer whether the use of computers and the Internet is required for business services, as well as accepted payment methods.

Finally, in the “Business Maturity” section, it is necessary to know whether the business has an accounting record, whether it has machinery for the production of the items, whether parts have been sold abroad, whether patents or trademarks have been registered and whether there is any type of certification.

With the information collected, a Directory of Craft Companies will be created through which registered individuals or corporations will be informed about available projects or programs related to this sector.

KEEP READING: