I am opposed to the ‘one for one’ business model Toms is operating on.
Blake Mycoskie started Toms because he saw children in Argentina have no shoes to wear. However, Mycoskie’s idea only solves the problem in developing countries in the short run. Eventually, shoes provided by Toms to children will warn out.
Then what will these children wear?
Toms approach to developing counties are like giving them a band-aid. The band-aid only covers up the wound, it will not heal it. I hope Toms will alter their business model. The company’s core value is great, just the direction Toms’ approaching need to change. Toms need to do research related to the developing countries they want to help, know what these counties really need, not what he thinks they need. For instance, if Mycoskie wants to help children in developing counties, Toms can go to those area and ask them what do they actually need help on. Mycoskie can than decided does these communities need job opportunities, education, health care, or clean water that will help communities in the long run.
More and more companies are founded because they want to do support developing countries. However, sometimes if the wrong approach is taken, they might end up harming the developing country rather than helping it.
Source:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamespoulos/2012/04/11/toms-shoes-a-doomed-vanity-project/
http://www.fastcoexist.com/1679628/the-broken-buy-one-give-one-model-three-ways-to-save-toms-shoes
