The Year that Was

We take this opportunity to wish all of our friends a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR 2004.  We pray for an end to Global Madness so that we can all enjoy a safe and peace-filled year.

No one could possibly have predicted how 2003 would end.  After a very rocky beginning, a shaky middle, it was certainly one of the most challenging that we have endured.

We are however proud to say that we survived the year with record revenues, and a strong base of business for the New Year.

I am once again very proud to bring to you an update of Sourcing Bali. 

With my very best regards
Desmond & Crew

(P.s we awoke at 5.00am this morning to a rather shocking earthquake.. possibly a 6 on the Richter scale, and a 15 on the Desmond  fear factor scale.. this was my first felt in 6 years)

We are proud to welcome some new additions to the team, now at 23 and growing.

Meet Robert Sittangang  Account Manager  Furniture and Cargo. Robert has strong experience in Customer sales, furniture manufacturing and PC skills.  Robert joined in August and has quickly earned his stripes as the head of cargo and online sales in the wholesale division.

Meet Sintiya Dewi  Account Manager. Sintiya joined us last month and is responsible for all textiles, garments, soft furnishings, including womens fashion and accessories.  With a background in Sourcing with another Bali-based company, and experience in the rag trade, Sintiya is a very welcome addition to the team.

Wayan Jack  (with too many Wayans on the team  every 1st and 5th born child is called Wayan in Bali ) our newest Wayan is nicknamed Jack for easy reference.  Jack is the oldest son of a family that Sourcing Bali has sponsored for the past 4 years.  Jack has joined the crew as a junior quality controller.  

We continue to welcome new clients to the wholesale division of Sourcing Bali and the team continues to rise to the occasion, looking after our valued customers.

Effective Jan 5th, Sourcing Bali converts to MYOB  an accounting and inventory program.  This will be of great assistance to our customers, enabling full cataloging of products including full history of transaction, statements, cash management and supplier history.  We look forward to going live on February 1st

Our Office Manager Sheny Chiang is even more relieved about MYOB, as it will save her many hours a month managing the large number of customer accounts that we currently manage  manually

Sourcing Bali has access to many suppliers of quality gift items and we specialise in conference, incentive and corporate gift ideas. 

• Conference satchels and welcome packs
• Welcome gifts
• Logos shirts, tshirts, sarongs
• Printing supplies
• Theme evenings and pillow gifts
• Awards and trophies
• Corporate gifts
  

We are all hopeful for a return to corporate / incentive business after the July Presidential elections, and we welcome any new enquiries for potential groups.   We also assist with off-shore events, supplying logo products to event organisers overseas.

Sourcing Bali has a range of quality surfer and youth culture beaded necklaces, bracelets, anklets and earrings. We continue to build on the range and we have increased our wholesale clients for this exciting product.  The range is available retail throughout 20 gift stores and boutiques in Bali with more stores signing up to include the range each week.  Soon we will have over 50 stores selling the range. 

The EssBee range includes affordable stylish designs and they can be tailored to individual wholesale customers.  Wholesale prices start from as little as US$1.00 per piece.  Display stands also available with YOUR company logo.

Yogi Bratha  a long time member of the Sourcing Bali team, Yogi is now heading the jewelry division (Ess Bee designs) and is an asset to the creativity of the range.  For details on the latest designs and style, email Yogi on sales@sourcing-bali.com

Ask us about our new range of hand made boxes, trunks, trays, and assorted home wares made from natural fibers, seagrass, etc.  This comprehensive range is an exciting an affordable addition.

Other new additions to the Sourcing Bali supplier range:

• Silver jewelry in contemporary and youthful designs, cast or hand made by craftspeople.
• Mosaic glass table tops and mirrors
• Bed linen in 100 percent cotton 240 TC, loom width up to 280cm  commercial orders only
• Exciting and contemporary lighting
• ACCOMMODATION  VILLA SATU
  We are sorry to say that Villa Satu has been leased to clients for a whole year commencing February 1st  sorry for other clients.   Nonetheless, if you have plans to visit Bali for your sourcing and buying trips, feel free to drop us a line and we will be happy to assist with local rates for hotels and villas.
  

Sourcing Bali provides 5 days of complimentary car, driver and Account Manager escort for all buying trips by customers.  Our account managers are also equipped with digital cameras to catalogue and record any new / selected products.  New MYOB programming ensures a record of all items and comprehensive customer files ensure a complete record of products / suppliers / ranges.

This year marks the 4th for Sourcing Bali and the 40th for Desmond.  I can hardly believe either of them.   This year, as part of our company anniversary, we will be taking the crew and family to Waterbom theme park for a wet and wild day.  For the 40th anniversary, Desmond and Wayan are off to Sardinia and Paris!  Gatecrashers welcome.

We are still in the planning of the new updates to the site.  We hope to have these completed in the next few months and will be SURE to send you news as soon as it is done.  The plan is to marry this to MYOB for a comprehensive user-friendly product listing for all of our customers. 

As referred to earlier, few of you may know the story of Nyoman Purnawan  the 8yr old twin who suffers from Cerebral Palsy.  His brother Made is able bodied and is as active as any other 8yr old, Nyoman on the other hand has not been so fortunate.   His disabilities have meant that he could not attend school, learn Indonesian, write, read nor move around with other friends.  When we first met him, he was 4 yrs old, nearly naked, living in a hole covered by a piece of asphalt, with grandma, dad and Made.  Crawling around on ground, covered in sores, unable to speak Indonesian.

Over the years, Sourcing Bali has sponsored Nyoman, his father, brothers (Jack) and senile grandma, building them a home, paying school fees for Made food, water, gas  and now finally, Nyoman too has been enrolled in a special school, catering to the needs of physically handicapped.   (The local school would not accept him due to his handicaps) Now, with his new wheel chair, new crutches, new skills in Indonesian and a cheeky new attitude, Nyoman is enjoying life, his friends and his new found happiness.

The transformation is miraculous, and this once scrawny little waif is now a fat, smiley, cheeky, loving kid that all adore& we look forward to sharing news of Nyoman as he continues on his life journey.

HOWEVER - The school is terribly under-equipped.  I will soon be asking you to assist in the next few months, as we prepare a plan for upgrading facilities for the 31 students, including sports equipment, books, teaching aids, art facilities, etc.. Get your checkbooks ready.

We are grateful to all of our customers who have assisted us with positive referrals of customers, friends and family.  As we enter our fourth year of operation, we are very mindful of the importance of our customers. We could not survive without these referrals and we thank you for the great support. 

(Special Hello to Sophies Mum !)