Jun 8, 2009

Credit crunch victim aims to beat recession with own storeBy Harry HoggerDorsetEcho.co.uk

Beverley Welch didn’t spend much time wallowing in self-pity when she became one of the many victims of the credit crunch.

The 33-year-old was only made redundant from her job at an art gallery in April but immediately set her sights on setting up her own business.

Not to be phased by the gloomy financial climate, Beverley has now opened her own shop – Gift of Elegance – in Trinity Street in Dorchester and says the early signs suggest the enterprise is set for success.

She said: “It has been a very positive response since we opened.

“I had to reassess my future very quickly. I know it’s brave starting my own business in these economic times but it just felt like it was the right time to try.”

Gift of Elegance specialises in bespoke framing, with Beverley boasting eight years of experience in framing from her previous job, while it also offers household accessories such as glassware and Pilgrim jewellery from Denmark. She said: “We use good quality materials and have a fairly quick turnaround on orders that mean that our frames are ready within a week.

“Sometimes it can be hard for people to find a frame to fit but we offer a made-to-measure service and a good choice.

“It’s something I feel Dorchester does need and there is a niche in the market there.”

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