Part of the backstory for the project is the NCR Charter that makes the Mojave Rangers a properly licensed business under the NCR, which is reflected in your reality by being a properly licensed business in the real-world.
During the project formation, the Mojave Rangers were given the responsibility to establish a local economy at the fort as a way to provide food, supplies and equipment for the fort and local Mojave Residents. Supply convoys from Ft. Fresno bring supplies and goods from the NCR and return with resources and wasteland goods from the Mojave. Fort Edwards serves as a central distribution point for mail and supply convoys in the southern NCR.
As a tax, the Mojave Rangers are required to pay rank-based stipends and other benefits to the 1st SFG in return for training and leadership, and to pay the operating expenses for Ft. Edwards. Basically, the NCR gets a free fort and Special Forces unit and the Mojave Rangers get training and certifications as well as the commercial rights to sell products throughout the NCR and beyond.
The Business Plan
The Fort Economic Plan of 2287 calls for the development of the Fort Edwards Merchant’s Guild. Guild members (aka merchants) pay a minimal fee to join, (preferably in goods rather than NCR dollars) and the merchant’s goods are added to the Fort Edwards PX and advertised in the monthly Wasteland News catalog-zine, and fulfilled through the fort shipping dept.
Ranger Training Clubs, Merchants and PIO staff disperse the catalogs in their local areas, which advertise the school programs as well as merchant products. Ranger Training Clubs also have stations at flea markets and other events, with products from Guild Merchant’s for sale.
90% of the profits from the Merchant’s Guild go to the General Fund.
Merchant Buy-In and Discounts
Merchant Guild Joining Fees are $500, preferably in hand-crafted wasteland products rather than NCR currency. $500 (retail value) in products gives the Fort Edwards PX a useful stock of products for events and trainings. Merchant Guild buy-in products are sold first, before orders are taken for more products. This allows both the Guild and the merchant to decide when more products are stocked.
Initial products are stocked and fulfilled through the fort shipping dept.
The purpose of marketing is to convince a qualified customer to buy your product 1 time. Theoretically it should be the quality of your product and the quality of your customer service that brings the customer back. We do the very best we can to turn the initial products you send into new repeat customers, for you and for the Fort Edwards PX.
Ads in Wasteland News
Merchants get free and reduced-cost ads in the catalogs and on the YouTube episodes if they send camera-ready artwork (.jpg and.png files). Instructions are in the Guild sections of the Basic Course and the Guild threads on the forums.