Is the Upesi stove appropriate?
To find out if the Upesi stove is appropriate in your area, you will need to carry out some market research
and field tests to investigate the following:
• Do people need stoves?
• Do they need it or like it enough to buy one?
• Have you tested the stove in your area? Do people like it?
• Is the Upesi stove suitable for cooking local foods in the type of pots that people use in your area?
• Do the people often rely on their fire for light or warmth?
• Does the stove need to be adapted to local needs?
Will it be profitable to produce stove liners for sale?
• How much will the liners cost to produce?
• Can people afford to buy the stove liners at a price that is profitable for the producers?
• Is it profitable to make stove liners, or are other products more profitable?
Marketing. Do you have a plan?
• How many stove liners will you be able to produce and sell each month?
• Where will you sell the stove liners?
• How will you promote your new product?
• How will you transport the stove liners to customers and to retailers?
These are all very important questions to answer before you start stove production. If you cannot sell the
stoves at a profit, your project will fail.
Quality control
Quality control is a very important part of stove production. Quality control means ensuring that every stove
produced for sale is of high quality.
• Each stove liner should be of the correct size and shape so that
it will be efficient.
• The pot-rests should all be the same height and thickness. The
door should be cut so that it is big enough to feed in fuel.
Fig. 2.5 A good quality liner
• Each stove liner must be durable. It should not break during transportation or when it is first used.
• Each stove liner should be attractive and well finished so that customers will want to buy it.
Lack of quality control can result in the following problems:
Stove liners crack during drying or firing, which means the
potters have wasted time and money.
• Stoves crack when they are first used which means
angry customers who complain.
• Stoves are not easy to use, which means dissatisfied
customers.
• Stoves that are less efficient than they should be will
disappoint customers.
• Stove liners that are unattractive will be very difficult
to sell.
Fig 2.6 Poor quality liners