A grandmother of five dreamed up her new business idea - literally.
At 46, having dedicated her working life to caring for the elderly with Redcar and Cleveland Council, Sharon Fawcett decided she was ready for a change.
But it was not until she awoke one night and recalled a dream that Attractions Complementary Therapy Centre, a former tailoring shop in Linthorpe, came about.
"I practice regular meditation and I've learned that we are often sent signs through our dreams and meditations which we have to interpret," said Sharon.
"When I saw the shop in my dream I knew that it was a sign, and then when I began looking for the perfect premises and came across the same shop that I'd dreamed about, everything became clear.
"It was meant to be."
Sharon has always been interested in complementary therapies and believes they aid the healing process through enabling holistic treatment.
She saw a gap in the market for a one-stop shop offering a wide range of complementary therapies along with a retail side selling New Age gifts. And she decided the time was right to take the plunge.
Six years ago, Sharon began training as a reiki healer and achieved reiki master status.
She has added to that qualifications in other complementary therapies and is able to offer Indian head massage, aromatherapy, reflexology and crystal healing.
She also has visiting practitioners who can offer further treatments, including past life regression and hypnotherapy.
"Setting up the business has been life-changing for me. Attractions Complementary Therapy Centre is showing every sign of success, even though it's early days," she said.
"We already have a client base of 55 and it's growing daily as word of mouth spreads about the benefits of our therapies and products."
Sharon is hoping to be able to take her therapies into the community, working with doctors' surgeries and hospitals.
Business Comment
Enterprise North East
Evening Gazette's
