Case Study : Beads & Bling - Karen Khan

Karen suffers from cerebral palsy which has never held her back in the past, she has a degree in Media and Communication Studies and six years experience working for the Northern Echo.
So, out of frustration in her job hunt, Karen made the life changing decision to set up her own business. 

A Google search put Karen in touch with the Pinetree Trust which guides disabled people into self employment, from this Karen made contact with Business Link, Be Enterprising and East Durham Business Service.  This network of agencies has been working with Karen to start her business and with some assistance she established beadsandbling.co.uk.

Karen developed the idea for BeadsandBling because she wanted to start a business she could be passionate about and that would allow her to vary her working hours and physical activity. Karen loves jewellery and shopping and believes that if you combine the right piece of jewellery with the right outfit it can make your confidence soar, and she loves being able to do this for her customers.

Commenting on the business support she has received Karen said ‘The support has been fantastic.  Amanda Hennessey, my business coach has been there every step of the way and I still ask her advice about things now.  She helped me with my business plan and advised on aspects of setting up a business that I hadn’t even considered.  Karen has worked with Amanda to put together a comprehensive plan for her business and to manage the technicalities of setting up a business, Katie Kiddle from East Durham Business Service has worked with Karen to develop a marketing strategy to support and promote her fledgling business.

Karen does not want to stop now she has started, she intends to grow the business and branch out into ethically sourced and eco-friendly products as well as possibly making a move into pet jewellery.
Karen’s website is now up and running, offering free and prompt delivery.  BeadsandBling also has a separate area where Karen showcases the talents of jewellers from the North East of England; she does not make a profit from these sales but feels it is important to showcase their talents.