The three women met at a local writing class and became fast friends. They even began traveling across the country together. After turning 50, Ellen and Karen decided to go on a trip to Denver and visit the Tattered Cover bookstore. “We loved it,” Ellen says. “Then an idea started swirling around in our heads that we should start our own bookstore.”

While visiting the Red Rock Amphitheatre with a half-moon in the sky, a red fox walked to within ten feet of Ellen and Karen and just stared at them. On the airplane ride back home, the two women wrote down on a cocktail napkin what the bookstore would look like and how it would run.

“We had all finished our careers and our kids were grown, so we decided to take the plunge,” Ellen says. Jackie adds, “I had heard it said that if you don’t live out your dream, you’ll end up working for someone who did. That really hit me like, wow, that’s true!”

When they got back to Atlanta, they called Jackie and the three met for lunch. Ellen and Karen eagerly shared this vision with Jackie, who quickly signed on. The first thing they did was visit the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Web site and call the office in Atlanta, which referred them to SCORE. They began meeting with Atlanta SCORE Counselor Hooper Wesley.

"SCORE Counselor Hooper Wesley said, what a great idea, this could work. It really encouraged us. He was with us every step of the way. He even went to meetings with us at the bank. SCORE will shine helping people who wouldn’t go into business without a strong support base."
—Karen Schwettman, co-owner, FoxTale Book Shoppe, Woodstock, GA

Hooper formerly worked for the governor’s office and he has a lot of experience in financing and the government. Last year, Atlanta SCORE clients secured more than $1.5 million in SBA-backed loans. Hooper’s clients account for almost half that amount. “If he gets excited about a client, he goes to the nth degree,” says Atlanta SCORE Vice Chair Jeff Mesquita.

“We told Hooper our idea and concept,” Karen says. “He said, what a great idea, this could work. It really encouraged us.” Hooper began working with them on their business plan. “He was with us every step of the way,” she adds. “He even went to meetings with us at the bank.”

They quickly found other sources of help, sometimes just by walking down the street. While trying to decide on a location, they ran into a real estate agent who talked to them about Woodstock, which is about 30 miles northwest of Atlanta. A writer friend told them about a passage in the book “Animal Speak” that the fox is a female symbol, and that the fox tail is a symbol of creative energy. And, at a customer’s suggestion, they hired a contractor to paint fox prints on the floor of the bookstore.

The trio thought back to the encounter with the fox near Denver and decided that “fox tale” would make a great name for their new bookstore. Since opening in June 2007, FoxTale Book Shoppe has been embraced by the community. The mayor of Woodstock declared opening day “FoxTale Book Shoppe Day.”

“It’s amazing how much the bookstore has helped bring about a sense of community,” Karen says. Jackie adds, “We greet our customers as they come in and try to make them feel welcome. We’ve made friends, and you know just what they need the more you get to know them.”

In addition to books, the store also sells greeting cards, knickknacks and writing tools. “Our customers can get things they can’t buy anywhere else,” Ellen says. “We’ve also been in just about every publication in the Atlanta area, including the Atlanta Journal, Atlanta magazine and the Fox 5 morning show.” They also reach out to job fairs and local schools, and even talked about being an entrepreneur with students at Woodstock Middle School.

When the final Harry Potter book was printed, they held a party in the gazebo across from their store and more than 100 people showed up. “When we opened the boxes at midnight, the people rushed in, bought their books, and rushed out,” Jackie says.

Ellen, Jackie and Karen are proud of their growing business. “An independent bookstore puts money back into the community and not back into a corporation,” Ellen says. “We support the community, and it instills a sense of ownership in our customers.”

The three continue to receive mentoring and advice from Atlanta SCORE and Hooper Wesley. “SCORE will shine helping people who wouldn’t go into business without a strong support base,” Karen says.