Getting ready to go to Nepal

It's just two days until I'm going to leave for little more than two weeks in Nepal. The work has been quite intense these last weeks and I doubt that it will slow down anytime soon. If everything goes as planned I guess I will be able to take a week off in about a year... But hey, the trip to Nepal will take about 24 hours, I can rest a little then. Right now I'm working on getting some pictures to use to describe to Watabaran what we mean with certain things. I have a short window when I'm able to work before Lina gets up. She doesn't like me working on the week end... And she is probably right, It would be better to get some rest right about now.

I have not started packing yet, but I think I know where everything I need is at least. I should be able to make it in time.

Sebastian Stjern

THE FAIR TAILOR
-Dress Responsibly

Tailor made Fair Trade and ecological fine dress shirts via Internet

An inspiring environment

I must say that it is very inspiring to have an office in an company incubator and meet interesting entreprenours on a daily basis. There are currently a start up program with about 50 companies at IQube, the company incubator where our office is located, and there are maybe 20 more established companies here. Every single day I talk with someone whom either I get an idea from or that I give and idea or tip to. There are down sides as well of course. Everyone is very much in love with their own project and hence likes to talk about it. A lot. But generally that is not a big problem. Had we not been recommended by Trygghetsrådet to apply here we would probably still be sitting in our apartment.

Well, it's almost time for our meeting with our business coach, Christian Zanders from Jetshop. Before that I need to send an email to Tirtha in Nepal.

Sebastian Stjern

THE FAIR TAILOR
-Dress Responsibly

Tailor made Fair Trade and ecological fine dress shirts via Internet

Our logo is almost finished

We are working together with a designer do develop our new logo and the work is going great. I think we will maybe be finished this week. Stay tuned to see the logo here in the blog.

If you are interested in climate smart fashion I can recomend that you check out this article.

I am currently getting ready to send out a new newsletter, if you are on the e-mail list you will get it later today.

Sebastian Stjern
THE FAIR TAILOR
-Dress Responsibly

Tailor made Fair Trade and ecological fine dress shirts via Internet

Our website is on it's way!

We have signed a deal with our website suppliers, Monator.

They will produce our soon-to-be-excellent website during the upcoming months. It is a big step for us and it means a huge financial commitment. But it also means that we are really on our way.

The applicants for the job in Nepal has started pouring in. Some of the applicants looks really exciting, I can't wait to get to Kathmandu to meet with them.

Lina did a great job in Stockholm last week. She made a lot of important contacts, both with interesting people that works with social entrepreneurship and with potential customers. I can really understand that she was exhausted when she came home on Friday evening.

Sebastian Stjern
THE FAIR TAILOR
-Dress Responsibly

Tailor made Fair Trade and ecological fine dress shirts via Internet

One thousand and one things

I know that I've written about this earlier, but things are moving forward really, really fast right now.

Lina is in Stockholm right now, getting ready for the Eco Now fair on Thursday-Saturday. She caught the train on Monday morning and will not be back until Friday evening. While she is in Stockholm she is meeting with potential customers and with some interesting people.

I am currently doing everything at once. Yesterday I worked with a tax form between 8pm-9pm before I decided that it would probably seem a little bit more understandable is I waited with it until today. I have not dared to check yet today. It is a two page form and it has a 28 page instruction... I'm trying to find fabric suppliers in India, button suppliers in Sweden, trying to hire people in Nepal, trying to decide on website design, blogging in two languages and loving every minute of it.

We meet so many inspiring people, both here at IQube but also when we meet potential customers, people who work with Fair Trade, at events and at fairs. And it is really fun with all the comments I get at Veckans Affärer.

Sebastian Stjern
THE FAIR TAILOR
-Dress Responsibly

Tailor made Fair Trade and ecological fine dress shirts via Internet

We are hiring! Please let people know

We are planning to hire a quality controller in Kathmandu, Nepal and an ad will be posted in some local newspapers.

Please forward this ad to anyone you know who might know someone who might know someone in Nepal. Use Twitter, Facecbook, your blog, Reddit, Linkedin and any other way you can find to promote this.

Wanted a Quality Controller (QC) for textiles product based company

About The Company
The Fair Tailor is a company located in Gothenburg in Sweden. We sell Fair Trade and organic tailor made shirts and other textiles such as towels and pillowcases. We work together with the organisation Child Watabaran in Nepal, which gives all profit from its production house to social projects. Child Watabaran runs a school for street children, a child home and medical services for street children. We are convinced that it's possible to combine a successful business enterprise with social responsibility.

About the work
We are looking for someone who can work for us at the production house of Child Watabaran. You will be the link between The Fair Tailor and Child Watabaran. You will be in charge of quality inspections and you make sure that everything is up to our quality standard. You will also help us keep track on stock levels and shipping statuses.

Desired Qualities of Quality Controller
Honesty is an absolute requirement for us and besides, you have:

· At least 5 years of experience working as Quality Controller in exclusive tailoring and export based garment and a knowledge and understanding of the quality expected by our European customers.

· Knowledge of quality related to fabric types, accessories, production process and process of quality check

· Excellent command of both written and spoken English and Nepali.
Computer proficiency in several Windows-based applications, such as Word Processing, Internet browser as well as experience of using a digital camera.Excellent knowledge of using internet and computer savvy people gets priority.

· The ability to work independently and as part of a team and that you can perform under pressure.

Women and candidates from underprivileged castes and ethnic groups are highly encouraged to apply. Interested candidates are solicited to send their complete application with CV, two referees and a recent passport size photograph.

Only short-listed candidates will be called for interview.

Apply before August 29 2009 with CV, name and address of two referees, recent photo and expected salary.
Send your application to info@thefairtailor.com and tirtha@watabaran.com

Sebastian Stjern
THE FAIR TAILOR
-Dress Responsibly

Tailor made Fair Trade and ecological fine dress shirts via Internet

The Fair Tailor exists!

I just got of the phone with Bolagsverket, the Swedish company registration agency. Three weeks ago we sent in our registration forms to them and I wanted to make sure that they would approve our name. They informed me that August 7 2009 will go down in history. It was the date when The Fair Tailor was officially founded.

I don't know if it will be make a huge difference on the day to day work but it feels really great that we got the name we wanted, that can always be a little tricky.

Yesterday I booked my flight to Nepal. I will leave Sweden at September 1st and return on the 17th. Last time I flew Etihad and I liked them so I'll take the exact same route again.

Lina is preparing for her trip to Stockholm next week, she will visit the EcoNow fair and meet with some interesting people while she is there.

We are also working on updating the budget. The previous version was made a couple of months ago and since then we have made small changes here and there. I feels better to wipe out all the all figures and make a clean start. Our website project is also moving forward, we had a workshop yesterday. Yesterday we also started working with a designer, everything seems to be happen a once.

Sebastian Stjern
THE FAIR TAILOR
-Dress Responsibly

Tailor made Fair Trade and ecological fine dress shirts via Internet

Acceleration

The pace is picking up by the minute and even if I sometimes can feel that I don't have 100% control over the situation I really like it.

We are planning to employ someone in Nepal to work for The Fair Tailor at Watabaran to be in charge of quality and to blog about the work in Nepal on our website. For some reason the didn't teach us in school how to write Nepali wanted ads. But I have learned a lot of calculus and programing...

The plan right now is to go to Nepal in the beginning of September and stay for two weeks, but that can of course change. I will employ the quality control supervisor and, visit the fabric markets and talk to the people who will work for us at Watabaran. But the thing I'm looking forward to the most is maybe the inauguration of the new Watabaran Childrens home. The Inauguration is set for September 14, so I should be able to attend it.

Lina is doing a great job with setting up meetings with potential customers. She is going to Stockholm in a few weeks to visit the EcoNow fair and also to meet with people and companies we are interested to work with or learn from.

We are working on getting the website up and running, that's quite a challenge. Hopefully we will meet our deadline.

Sebastian Stjern
THE FAIR TAILOR
-Dress Responsibly

Tailor made Fair Trade and ecological fine dress shirts via Internet

We're back in business

After having a few days of we are now back in business, filled with energy. It felt great coming back after my vacation, I'm not used to that. I'm supposed to drag my feet when I approach my work place, but it seems like it makes a difference to be self employed. It also makes a difference to work with something I care about and believe in.

Lina is working next to me, and on top of setting up a lot of meeting with potential customers she has also managed to get booked as a motivational speaker at Företagarnas conference for county business representatives. I will probably be in Nepal at that time, so she will have to do it on her own, but I'm confident that she will be great.

I'm planning my next trip to South Asia, the plan is to go to Nepal and India in September.

Sebastian Stjern
THE FAIR TAILOR
-Dress Responsibly

Tailor made Fair Trade and ecological fine dress shirts via Internet