Business

Old photo sparked new business idea

by Andrew Diprose dorsetbiznews.co.uk

It was an old photograph on the wall at their local pub that gave Karen Brazier and Amber Harrison the idea for their business.

It showed a street scene from times gone by with the shopkeeper proudly standing outside his store in an apron.

For the two friends, both in high-powered – and stressful – jobs, the picture, hanging in the ‘snug’ in Shaftesbury’s Grade II listed Ship Inn was a pointer to a new future. The dream of walking from their homes, up the hill to a shop they owned.

Initially Karen and Amber didn’t know what they would sell, only that they wanted to wear an apron like the shopkeeper in the picture.

The lightbulb moment came when they discovered a shared love of reading the same type of books. They also found out that the prints on the walls and cushions in their homes were often like the artwork on the book covers.

Amber, 52, said: “We’d never worked in retail – or had a bookshop. But the idea appealed to us both.”

In October 2020. Folde – an old English word for land or earth – was launched as an online shop. Less than a year later, Folde Dorset, perched on top of Shaftesbury’s famous Gold Hill, and only a short walk from where the co-founders live, opened its doors.

Karen and Amber’s dream, sparked by the old photo in the Ship Inn, had become reality.

Today, their shop sells nature books, art from local printmakers and painters, local crafts and items to encourage people to explore the county, such as field kettles for making a mid-walk brew.

Already regarded as one of the town’s retail ‘gems’, Folde has built a loyal following.

For Karen and Amber, the stress and burn-out of their previous professional lives have melted away.

Before starting the business, they worked in high-pressure roles that involved daily commutes.

Karen worked as marketing and communications director for a school and Amber worked as head of sustainability for a global IT and aviation business, often travelling overseas.

Both have been able to transfer the skills learnt in their previous roles to make Folde the success it is today.

The pair decorated everything themselves, bringing in furniture from their homes and from people in the community to give the shop a homely and welcoming feel.

Amber said: “It feels like we have pieces of our family and the locals cheering us on.”

The books, art and crafts in the shop are organised according to three themes: Land, Sea and Self. Karen, 50, said: “Dorset is a county with a beautiful coast and beautiful country, which is what led to land and sea. Self is around the great solace you can find in nature. It’s an alternative narrative to the one often presented by the outdoor leisure market of white men in GoreTex, striding purposefully or scrambling up mountains.”

Folde aims to open the possibility of spending time outdoors to people that might not identify with these images, both through the goods sold and Karen’s guided walks.

She said: “After recurring struggles with stress-related burn-out, I discovered there was sanctuary to be found in getting outside. Walking on the Dorset coast, in particular, gave me the tools to recalibrate. The corresponding connection with nature, which I had never actively sought before, helped me to make sense of my place in the world.”

Thanks to social media, and specifically Instagram, customers have visited the shop from far and wide, including Illinois in the United States and Switzerland.

Unsurprisingly for a shop centred on connecting with nature, sustainability matters a lot. Folde has a green energy provider, its packaging is recycled or recyclable and is also exchanged with other local businesses to increase its lifespan.

As for their decision to set up in business together, Karen said: “We’ve never had so many laughs and are hugely proud of what we’ve achieved.”

Amber added: “We’re probably working more hours but it’s never felt like work We’re doing something we both love.”

LABOUR OF LOVE

Book shop owners Karen Brazier and Amber Harrison on Shaftesbury’s Gold Hill