SMALL BUSINESS: Sisters In Trade

(3 of 3)

Doing business in Vietnam hasn't been easy. In the beginning, Lewis ended up discarding as many as 100 bags because the quality of the local fabrics was inconsistent. She then imported suede, leather and other materials, which caused other headaches.

Those start-up difficulties have been smoothed out, and because Lewis' embroiderers earn more than they would get at a factory, the enterprise attracts the best talent. The workers also are paid a monthly bonus of around 8% and a larger one at the Vietnamese New Year, roughly equal to two-thirds of their monthly salary. Each year the designer takes the 120 sewers in Ho Chi Minh City on an all-expenses-paid weekend vacation.

In addition to the financial benefits, Lewis wants the workers to feel a connection to the buyer. When she visited the producers this fall, she thanked them and described how much customers love their bags. "I told them that their work mattered," she says. "I have the women in my mind when I'm selling the bags here. It adds meaning to know that when you're buying this bag, you're buying a family dinner back in Vietnam." It's not bad for business either. •