Running a business alongside a friend sounds about as close to ‘The Dream’ as you can get and that’s exactly what Charlotte and Georgia are doing in their wonderful shop on North Street, home to both Olive Tree Beauty and Ivory Flowers. Charlotte is the face behind Olive Tree Beauty, Georgia heads up Ivory Flowers and together, they’re taking on the wild world of business ownership.
The two grew up as neighbours on Raleigh Road and love calling Bedminster home, so made sense to build their careers in this amazing community. Georgia and Charlotte have seen the area expand and develop into an incredible place to live and do business. They spoke of how nicely the new has complemented the traditional and how the community feel has never gone away. They feel supported by their fellow business owners in the area and love that they can walk down the street and recognise the customers they’ve developed such an amazing relationship with.
Georgia began working at Ivory Flowers when was starting out as a florist. At the time the shop was owned by Xanthe Ivory who, 18 months ago, decided she would be selling the business after the birth of her child. Seizing the opportunity to own her own business, Georgia began learning the ins and outs of business management from Xanthe, who trained her to eventually take over the business at the end of last summer.
Georgia got into floristry a bit by chance. She was studying sociology at UWE when a family friend organised a two-week work experience for her at their shop. After those two weeks, Georgia was all in. She left university to begin learning the trade and building her career, all of which eventually led her to North Street and Ivory Flowers.
Ivory Flowers has always had another business share the space, up until last summer it was Zara’s Chocolates who has since expanded into a bigger shop further down North Street. When the space opened up, Georgia was quick to get in touch with Charlotte, whose beauty therapy business was the perfect fit.
Charlotte trained as a massage therapist when she left school and has since received qualifications in reflexology, waxing and threading to round out her beauty therapy offerings. She was working at the Clifton Lido when Georgia came to her with the idea to open up her own business with her on North Street.
It’s been an amazing nine months for Charlotte; with future plans to extend her offering, hire an employee and maybe expand into some extra space at the back of the shop, she doesn’t seem to be slowing down either.
Charlotte and Georgia are a new breed of business partner, running two separate businesses side-by-side, both selling very different products but having each other to work with and be supported by. It’s the direction a lot of small, young businesses are moving in, choosing to opt for a co-working environment rather than being completely on their own. We’re happy to see this kind of collaboration happening in Bedminster, too. This option gives small businesses the opportunity to be on the high street and develop their brands together.
