FEATURE ON BUTTERFLY BRIGHT
February 2012 – This is the first in 2012 of our monthly series on independent shops and businesses in Sherborne. This month we look at a fairly new business which has targeted a very specific and creative niche market – Butterfly Bright in Swan Yard.
Just the name is intriguing and when you see the windows which feature swathes of brightly coloured materials, buttons of all shapes and sizes, cotton reels the colours of the rainbow, you begin to understand why it’s called “Bright”! You might still not know exactly what is being offered but just the appearance of the shop is so appealing that you want to go in and find out more anyway!
The owner, Alison Nurton, qualified as a chartered management accountant but always planned to run her own business and wanted to find something that would allow her to put all of her training and experience into something she was passionate about. Given her creative side and the fact that she particularly enjoyed sewing as a hobby at school, Alison wanted to be surrounded by colour and crafts in any business she was involved in.
Her aim, therefore, is to provide a creative environment for all ages and try to inspire people to take up a craft that is fulfilling and enjoyable. Apparently many school children no longer get the opportunity to learn to sew and Alison considers this is an extremely useful skill that could be lost completely if it is not supported.
Butterfly Bright opened at the end of April 2011. Even in the recession it was difficult to find the right location as Sherborne is a small place and shops are rarely empty for long. As a specialist business, Butterfly Bright works hard to publicise themselves in local magazines and papers and also on local radio. The shop has featured in ‘Dorset’ magazine as well as more recently in ‘Mollie Makes’, a highly prestigious crafting magazine with a global readership.
Importantly, the shop is not just there to sell products but also to teach people how to do things and so a number of events take place when people are encouraged to come along and try new crafts. The original intention was just to sell fabrics, haberdashery items and beads but the need for workshops soon became evident and so this side of the business has developed. For Alison, this has actually become the most rewarding part of the business and she takes great satisfaction in the pleasure customers get from learning something new in a class.
Alison is a good example of the challenges facing new business set-ups with the need to balance the business demands with home-life and her two small children as well. A lot of the administration and planning has to be done outside shop hours and so it is often after bed-time that Alison starts working on her marketing, book-keeping and ordering. One of her highlights, though, is just being in the shop, meeting interested and charming customers and she has been delighted with the encouragement and support she has received from the locals in her first year of trading.
In the future, Butterfly Bright plans to do more parties, both children’s birthday parties as well as parties for adults. Lots of young mums have also requested evening workshops as they are fully committed with other things during the day. There are plans to provide a wider range of courses as customers like to try new crafts and Butterfly Bright intends to keep up with the latest trends.
Alison feels Sherborne has a lot to offer. She went to school in Sherborne but was working in London when she met her husband who coincidentally also went to school in the town. They were even married in Sherborne and so it is a special place for both of them!
Alison feels Sherborne has managed to retain much of its character over the years and finds there is still a good balance of independent shops and others, although suggests that this is becoming more challenging and that local people support need to support these independent businesses. Alison is optimistic that we can preserve the unique character of the town and believes that developments such as Sherborne House and the planned arts centre will be great assets.
For Alison, Sherborne is a quintessentially picturesque British market town with charming architecture, a vibrant community and lots of history.
For more information visit www.butterflybright.co.uk and the online shop via Folksy.