0816_TOEFL-Test-and-Score-Manual-1997

262 ● 201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business
mogul Edward Safra, but after a few years, Tashi realized he had no passion
for banking.
“My entrepreneurial spirit was calling me . . . I come from a long line
of merchants,” he said. “I wanted to do something more meaningful and
fun and make an impact on my homeland.”
When he finally visited Tibet in 1986, he was appalled to see local weavers
making hideous rugs out of cheap synthetic fibers. “Instead of wool,
the rugs were polyester and brightly colored with terrible dyes,” said Tashi.
It was especially shocking because Tibetan weavers have been making
beautiful wool rugs since the 11th century. “The arts and crafts of Tibet
suffered immensely during the Chinese cultural revolution,” said Tashi.
“Mao Tse Tung wanted to uproot the past and create a new society and
new values.”
While visiting villages in Tibet, Tashi vowed to revitalize traditional
rug making. “My goal was to work with old masters and turn their work
into a viable product.”
The warmest and toughest wool fiber comes from the highland sheep
of Tibet because they live at 14,000 feet.
“When you walk on the rugs, you feel like your feet are getting a
massage.”
In addition to rugs, Tashi started importing jewelry, scarves, and other
items indigenous to Tibet and the Himalayan region.
Today, his company, Khawachen/Inner Asia, designs and produces
authentic Tibetan rugs that cost up to $25,000. Some are designed by U.S.
artists, including Vermont artist Lizi Boyd. Designers and consumers have
embraced his products.
Doing business in Tibet is not easy. More than 25 years after he returned
to Tibet, he still faces a tough time traveling in and out of the country. He
is careful to keep a low profile and remain apolitical.
“It was a matter of convincing the Chinese officials to let me work
there,” he said. “At first, we were communicating via telex. I would send an
urgent telex and wait for a week to get a reply.”
Today, e-mail makes it easier to manage his foreign operations. “We
have special software so you can walk in with fabric swatches from your
home, and within 24 to 48 hours we’ll come up with a design for your rug.”
With the click of a mouse, his designers can change the colors or scale
of the pattern and send it to the weavers in Tibet.