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For business · Brands
Sourcing agent and small-batch production in Nepal
I've made manaKAmana by hand in Kathmandu since 2010, and all that time we've also done the same work for other brands: finding the makers, following production and getting your order to you.
At a glance
- Finding makers
- Workshops in Kathmandu for hemp, organic cotton, recycled silk, wool, felt and more
- Workshops
- Fair wages and good working conditions only
- Certified fabric
- GOTS-certified organic cotton fabric, supplier certificate on request
- Samples
- Made and sent to you by express courier
- Quality control
- Every piece checked before packing
- Tracking
- Follow your order online, with photos
- Shipping
- Air or sea, to your door or to Amazon FBA
- Price
- Service fee, quoted per project
Why make it in Nepal?
Small quantities
Workshops in Kathmandu are small and used to short runs. You don't need to order thousands to get started.
Real skill
People here have sewn, knitted, felted and woven by hand for generations. When you find the right workshop, and that's my job, the quality is very good.
Fair prices
Hand work costs much less here than in Europe or the US. You get handmade quality at a price you can still sell at.
Fair wages, good conditions
We only work with workshops that pay fair wages and keep good, safe working conditions. If a workshop doesn't, we don't use it. Simple.
Natural materials
Hemp grows wild in the hills of western Nepal. Himalayan sheep's wool goes into felt and knits, and recycled sari silk is spun from offcuts of old saris. We can also get GOTS-certified organic cotton fabric and use it in your production, with the fabric supplier's certificate.
Lower import duties
Selling in Europe? Goods from Nepal enter the EU and the UK duty-free in most cases, as long as you've got the right certificate of origin. We'll prepare it.
Why you need us
Buying from Nepal when you live far away is hard. Workshops don't answer emails. Samples go missing. And too often you find the problems only when the boxes arrive in New York or Berlin, long after you've paid. I've been through all of it with my own hemp hats, Thai pants and wool knits.
My team in Kathmandu visits the workshops, talks to the makers in Nepali and sends me photos on WhatsApp. I write to you in English, so you always know where your order is.
Finding a good workshop takes years
Most good workshops in Kathmandu have no website. They don't answer emails from abroad either. We already know which ones do careful work, pay fair wages and finish on time, because we've been ordering from them for years.
Things get lost in translation
A wrong size. The wrong shade of green. When nobody speaks Nepali, small details get misunderstood, so we explain your order face to face and write to you in English.
Nobody checks the work
Without someone on the ground, you see the mistakes when the boxes arrive and it's too late to fix them. We visit during production. Every piece is checked before it's packed.
Deadlines slip
They do. During Dashain and Tihar, the big autumn festivals, many workshops close for weeks, and small orders get pushed behind big ones. We plan around the festivals and keep following up in person.
Shipping and paperwork
Export papers, certificates of origin, Amazon barcodes, carton rules. We handle all of it and ship your order by air or sea, tracked to your door.
We sell on Amazon and Etsy too
manaKAmana has sold handmade pieces from Kathmandu since 2010. We know what makes customers send things back or leave a bad review, and we look for exactly that in your order.
Our track record
- Since
- 2010
- Orders shipped
- Over 14,000, on Amazon and Etsy
- Made in
- Kathmandu, Nepal, by hand
- Ships to
- Your door, your warehouse or Amazon FBA
What I do for you
- Find workshops for your product: hemp, organic cotton, recycled sari silk, wool, felt, pashmina, leather and more
- Get samples made and sent to you by DHL or FedEx
- Agree prices, sizes and deadlines with the maker, face to face
- Visit during production and post photos to your online order page
- Check every piece against your order before it's packed
- Put on your labels, hang tags or Amazon barcodes
- Ship by air or sea, with export papers and customs done
How it works
- Tell me what you wantPhotos, a drawing or a sample piece. Add quantities and the price you'd like to pay per piece.
- I find makersYou get options from different workshops, each with a price and a minimum order.
- SamplesMade in Kathmandu and sent by DHL or FedEx. Approve them or ask for changes.
- ProductionThe workshop makes your order. You follow every stage online, with photos.
- Check and packEvery piece counted and checked. Then labelled and packed.
- ShipTo your door, your own warehouse or Amazon FBA in the US. By air it takes about a week; by sea it's slower but cheaper for big orders.
What to send me
- A sketch, photos or a sample piece
- Quantity per design, size and colour
- The price you'd like to pay per piece
- Your deadline and the country it ships to
- Whether you need Amazon FBA labels
Track your order online
Our whole process runs on one online system. We send you a link to follow your order online, so you can see where it is at any time, from the first sample to the day it leaves Kathmandu, with photos of your pieces as they're cut, sewn, checked and packed. No chasing anyone on WhatsApp for updates.
Selling on Amazon?
My own stock goes from Kathmandu to Amazon warehouses in the US. I can do the same for you: FNSKU barcode labels on every piece, cartons packed to Amazon's size and weight rules, and shipping booked to the warehouse Amazon picks for you.
Who it's for
Small brands, Etsy shops, Amazon sellers and boutiques that want their own designs made by hand. You don't need to fly to Kathmandu or speak Nepali. A small first order is fine, and you'll know each workshop's minimum before you commit.
What it costs
A service fee, on top of the goods and shipping. Quoted per project. You'll see the full cost, with the workshop price, my fee and the freight to your door or to Amazon all on one page, before you pay anything.
Payment terms
Samples are paid upfront, at cost plus the courier. For production, 50% is paid before the workshop starts and 50% before your order ships.
Want to stock our own pieces instead? See wholesale for shops.
Questions
Can you make my own designs?
Yes. Send a drawing, photos or a sample and I'll find a workshop that can make it.
What's the smallest order?
It depends on the product and the workshop. Many workshops in Kathmandu are used to small runs. You'll know the minimum before you decide.
How long does it take?
Samples take a few weeks. Handmade clothing usually takes around a month to make, and then there's shipping on top.
Can you source organic cotton or recycled silk?
Yes. We can get GOTS-certified organic cotton fabric, hemp and recycled sari silk, and use them in your production. Tell me at the start if you need certified fabric. It costs a bit more, and you get the fabric supplier's GOTS certificate. The finished pieces can't carry the GOTS label unless the sewing workshop is certified too.
Do your workshops pay fair wages?
Yes. Every workshop we use in Kathmandu pays fair wages and has good, safe working conditions. It's the first thing we check, before price or quality.
Can I track my order?
Yes. We send you a link to follow your order online. You see every stage, with photos, until it ships.
Can you ship to Amazon FBA?
Yes. It's how my own stock gets to the US.
Where can you ship?
Anywhere. The US, Canada, the UK, Germany, France, Australia, Japan.
Why make products in Nepal?
Four reasons. You can order small quantities. The hand work is very good. Prices are fair. And goods from Nepal enter the EU and the UK duty-free in most cases.
Do I pay import duty on goods from Nepal?
Often not. Nepal is a least developed country, so goods made here enter the EU duty-free under the Everything But Arms scheme, and the UK duty-free for almost all products. Several other countries give Nepal similar terms. You need the right certificate of origin, and we prepare it with the export papers. Import VAT is still due, and the US now charges duty on Nepali goods. Rules change, so we confirm the current terms for your country before you order.
Do you only work with hemp?
No. Organic cotton, recycled sari silk, wool, felt, pashmina, leather, brass, paper. If it's made in Nepal, ask me.