Fair trade for profit
Watabaran follows the nontraditional method of fair trade by investing capital in sustainable business. We believe that best results can be obtained when social responsibility is combined with profitability. We are a company that practices fair trade and fair profit. We do not depend upon external funding to run our company; alternatively we develop existing resources, work with the development of the society and adopt environment friendly approaches with our earned profit.

With an objective to protect the environment, we recycle paper from the city wastes and produce Company Christmas cards, calendars, gifts and paper bags which are exported all over the world. Paying fair wages or fair treatment of employees alone isn’t our objective; we aspire to influence the society and people living in the society to think, act and decide positively in their day to day life, as a result help them to follow a constructive way of living.

Our practice of combining social responsibility and profit gives our employees stability, security and satisfaction.

Ahead of convention
Usually fair trade organizations buy the products from the marginalized producers of the third world countries and sell them in the western market. Even though, a fair price, healthy working conditions and good return for labor is provided to these producers, yet their growth and development is left stunted. Generations after generations they shall be bound to producing the same traditional products like coffee, tea, cotton, handicrafts etc. Getting a good price for their labor is their right; is protection of this right merely fair enough? What about their upliftment and progress? For this reason, we push the definition of fair trade farther than merely paying a fair price to the meager earners, to providing respectable employment opportunities. We believe in implementing efficient methods of production like mechanization of tools so that our workers extend themselves from carving or painting handicrafts to higher possibilities. For example, we are building a paper making machine which makes paper faster and in larger volumes. This enables the employees to polish their skills in respectable fields like marketing, communication, sales, etc instead of all concentrating in paper making. Moreover, this makes higher education a necessity providing the employees with a possibility to develop further.

Environment sustainability
There are unimaginable heaps of garbage strewn anywhere in streets of Kathmandu. The filthy settlings by the riversides to the nauseating dirt on the roadsides results to pollution, diseases, malady, sickness and contamination. Unfortunately, there is no proper disposal arrangement for these city wastes.

Watabaran is making an effort of its own to protect the environment by recycling waste paper collected from these city wastes. We encourage such environmental friendly practices in order to create hygienic surroundings and also spread awareness about efficient utilization of existent resources.

Bridging the cultural gaps
Behind every piece of card crafted lies the identity of our workers, beside the labor that has been put in. Our products reflect both the individuality of the Nepali culture and the sleekness of European design. Watabaran produces modern and trendy designs that suit the western market but with the warmth and dedication of the Nepali workers.

Embracing new ideas
Watabaran follows the motto – “the person who never failed is the person who never tried.” Therefore, it gives fair chance to all its employees to voice their opinions and suggestions. All the staff irrespective of their designation can contribute their ideas without any reserve and influence the decision making process. We encourage new ideas and give our employees the space to grow and try their new ideas. The company allows its employees to make mistakes and learn from it so that they refine with experience. Bjorn didn’t repress his idea of recycling paper from the garbage of Kathmandu- an impossible idea then, but today Watabaran is the result of that “impossible idea”!

Corporate market and end-customer
We produce Christmas cards exclusively for companies and corporate houses than for focus or individuals. We directly reach the end customer and make every effort to meet their requirements. Thus, we help the corporate and companies interested in fairly traded products to find genuine products without any hassles. In return we use the profit earned for the development of our company and our employees.

Introducing fair trade in the internet marketing
As we are open to new approaches and ideas, we use resourceful methods of production and competent marketing strategies. Since one year Watabaran has been implementing Internet Marketing and Search Engine Optimization to promote its business internationally. Search engine Optimization (SEO) means promotion of websites in the search engines like Google, MSN and Yahoo. A professional web development company optimizes our site which has resulted in online sales and hiked our total sales by 30%.