Hometown Goes Live on Fab.com

At Hometown, our idea's been to start small along with our craftsmen and creating art of global value. Something which people from anywhere in the world can buy, wear and appreciate. In our plans to go across the globe in a meaningful way, we have partnered with Fab.com to run our sale over their online store for a short period.

Fab.com is world's design store, where millions of people discover and buy designed products from some of world's most exciting designers. For us becoming part of such large community of design lovers is a remarkable step in many ways.

WHY:

It is more than just selling our handmade shoes, it is about connecting Pakistani artisans to the world, urging them to keeping their art alive, and pushing ourselves to work even harder each day. It is also giving message to world, representing a different face of Pakistan.

Our sale is just started, have a look at our shop on Fab.com here. You can buy 3 of our shoes at discounted price till July 14, not much time left. Have a look, make a smart decision and buy remarkable footwear of Hometown.

Please, also share this news / email with your friends who might be looking to buy some leather footwear.

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We are looking for interns - from anywhere in the world.

For new comers, I'll come straight to the point.

HOMETOWN makes high-end leather footwear for men. We're based in Lahore, Pakistan and are a year old startup. Our idea is to help Pakistani craftsmen make great products and sell in a remarkable way. We combine craftsmanship, story-telling and technology. We believe in keeping humanity into our business, therefore we ask for help when we need it. This is where you come, and will spend two months with a diverse group of  people.

The positions available are mentioned below. Ideally, we are looking for college students or dropouts who can work from home / campus at least for three days a week. The candidates should be able to work quickly, efficiently and without much supervision.

This is an unpaid internship, but we believe in freedom of work and ideas. So if you're passionate about working in a startup / social enterprise in the below mentioned areas, do come. You'll get valuable skills, experience and networking. Please take 5 min to know about Hometown Story, why we write a handwritten letter, how we started from a small town of Pakistan and made it to places like Acumen, and receive testimonials from our customers like these.

1. Leather Shoes / Accessories Designer:

You'll work with our design team, give feedback on upcoming collection of shoes and leather accessories.

2. Designer

You will shape the future of Hometown. Designer will work with almost everyone in our small team, from craftsmen to founders to customers. We're not looking for someone who's design starts and ends in Photoshop. Instead someone who starts from notebook, and willing to do it differently and learn from customers' feedback.

3. Front End Developer

We're re-vamping our web strategy. You'll help us design our platforms for stories and shopping portal by working along our developer.

4. Story Teller

Story telling is an ingredient part of the kind of brand we're trying to build. As a story teller, you'll make sure story of our team, customers are part of our all messages. You'll review the content of our new website, build the content strategy and help the word out.


To apply, send a brief note of interest along with your work sample / résumé at bolo@hometownshoes.com by June 30th.

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You Were Part Of Us

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THANKS; Want Free Shoes?

HOMETOWN is now 160 days old, quite young, huh? But we have come long way to this day, and whole of our team thank you for all of your support in past months.

Whether you made a shopping with us, spread word about Hometown, or borrowed books from us. It has worked! You might know we're moving to our new office later this month and making great things like:

1. Selling our shoes & Chappals in over 17 countries.
2. Hired two new guys to make bespoke shoes.
3. Accept PayPal and major credit cards for payments.
4. Launching our mobile site in Dec
5. Awarded as 'Innovation Hero' by Govt. of Punjab and Google Inc.
6. Won P@SHA social innovation fund.

Best of all: Hearts of many friends / customers along the way.

We are now setting bigger goals, such as bringing more craftsmen on board, adding more products and getting into new markets.

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Being at Hometown

At its first look, Hometown looks like a Pakistani online store of handmade shoes. But if you dig deeper, you'll find out it is way more than that.

Hometown is more of a philosophy than a company or online store or product. We are not just building a startup but a story where every character is proud of her engagement.

As a social enterprise, we are dedicated not only to generate resources in form of capital but a fundamental commitment to 'roll up our sleeves' and help the handicraft industry to bring the glory again.

Back in 2005 there were around 20 small units and factories making handmade leather sole shoes in Lahore, in now after 7 year there are just four.

It is just a one short story, now think of over 1 million craftsmen around Pakistan who're making nearly 100 kinds of products with their hands. I also would like to mention that Pakistani handicrafts are worldwide famous for their uniqueness, assortment and quality.

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We are Growing Fast and Becoming Better Each Day

We can wait for few days, for big news to come and then we’ll share them with people we care, and who care back. This is what I have been thinking, and taking a little break from writing and then 3 solid months pass by.

Yesterday, I wrote this letter to the community around HOMETOWN.

1. WON Pakistan’s First Startup Incubation Program

Yes, next month we are shifting to our new office. Out of 500+ startups, HOMETOWN made it to the top position among 4 winners. We’re very thrilled about this opportunity.

2. Now Accepts PayPal and Major Credit Cards

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Borrow a Book

I can not be happy enough to make an announcement today. At HOMETOWN, we are letting our friends in Lahore borrow books from us. These are the books which have changed our lives, and are helping us live a better life each day.

Why we are doing this? The answer is simple: We are trying to live up to our dreams, and we are trying to return the favours have been given.

So we are taking this small step, if you live in Lahore then you can borrow a book from Hometown, keep it for certain days and then return back. We are starting with two books at the moment.


The best part is, these two books are amazingly interesting, mind blowing and have stories in them. Which are solely written to make people linchpin, and help them deliver happiness.

Let me breifly introduce you about them:

1. LINCHPIN by Seth Godin
It is probably the best book of remarkable Seth Godin. Who is no doubt a gift from heaven to earth. He asks this simple question, 'Are you indispensable?

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