Grown from a passion for travelling and beautiful handmade crafts, Natasha von Memerty started artisan crafts business Karakorum (www.karakorum.co.uk), an online showcase and ecommerce shop featuring stories and beautiful products from around the world. We have the pleasure of following Natasha’s start-up journey in a series of inspiring videos.
Here are the first three instalments of our new start-up stories following the start of Natasha’s journey of starting a new business. We’re excited to continue to follow Karakorum so keep an eye out for future videos.
Business inspiration
Cycling from the UK to Thailand, experiencing Europe, Central Asia, and South-East Asia along the way sparked the inspiration for Karakorum. Small communities with beautiful hand-crafted rugs, baskets, candles, and grass-roots initiatives inspired Natasha to create one central online space where these products and Fairtrade initiatives could be celebrated.
When we were travelling we found so many different artisan crafts, small communities that were doing one thing and one thing really well.
Making it a reality
Natasha has a real passion for the products showcased through Karakorum, and you can find many of the contemporary designs around her own home, from beautiful Swazi candles to colourful baskets from Gone Rural. Getting online with a website has offered Natasha a great platform to establish her new business with the freedom to expand in the future as Karakorum grows.
I wanted the website to be more than just a shop, I wanted it to be more of a showcase
Instagram is also providing some great opportunities for Karakorum, from sparking engagement online to connecting with potential new suppliers and people who are also passionate about similar interests.
What’s next?
Travelling to source more beautiful products is top of the list for Natasha, including the Shyrdak carpets which sparked the main inspiration for starting the business. More markets and further developments to the website are also planned, with dreams of owning a physical retail store to showcase all the products as the main aspiration.
It’s amazing to hear Natasha speak with such enthusiasm for starting a business, and how doing something you love and are so passionate about is worth the hard work and determination.
One of the fun things about running your own business is learning lots of new things!
We’re excited to follow Natasha’s journey as she continues to grow Karakorum, so keep an eye out for further videos and updates. If watching our start-up stories has inspired you to start your own business take a look at our dedicated section to getting online where you’ll find great articles and guides to help you start your own journey!
