Preston entrepreneur backs UK Small Business Week after turning personal grief into memorial innovation

A Preston entrepreneur who turned personal loss into a growing business and a patent-pending invention designed to help grieving families is backing UK Small Business Week, the national campaign launched by Entrepreneurs Circle to celebrate the contribution small businesses make to communities across the UK.

Kim Sharples, founder of Forever Faux™, is among thousands of business owners supporting the initiative, which runs from June 1-7. More information can be found at entrepreneurscircle.org/sbw.

Kim creates handcrafted faux-floral wreaths, memorial arrangements and bespoke tributes designed to provide families with a lasting way to remember loved ones.

Her business was inspired by a challenge many grieving families face but rarely talk about.

After experiencing the loss of her mother, Kim became increasingly aware of how upsetting it could be when flowers, decorations and personal tributes placed at gravesides were damaged, blown away or removed.

Seeing the distress this caused inspired her to look for a better solution.

“I realised this wasn't just happening to me,” said Kim.

“Many families were experiencing the same frustration and heartbreak. When you're grieving, those small acts of remembrance matter enormously.”

What began as a side business creating memorial wreaths has evolved into the development of a new memorial product that is now patent pending.

Designed to help families securely personalise gravesides, the invention was inspired directly by conversations with customers and the challenges they shared with her.

“My customers have been a huge part of the journey,” said Kim.

“They've told me their stories, their frustrations and what they wish existed. The product has been shaped by real experiences and real needs.”

Building the business has required Kim to learn skills far beyond floral design.

Alongside working full-time at in Social Services for Lancashire County Council, attending craft fairs and operating a permanent retail space at Bygone Times in Eccleston, she has taught herself product development, materials sourcing, engineering concepts and the patent process.

She believes the experience shows how small businesses can often spot and solve problems that larger organisations overlook.

“Sometimes innovation comes from simply listening to people,” she said.

“This started because I wanted to help families feel closer to the people they've lost.”

Today, Forever Faux™ serves customers across Lancashire and beyond, creating personalised memorial tributes designed to withstand the weather while providing lasting comfort and connection.

Kim hopes her new invention will eventually help thousands of families across the UK.

Nigel Botterill, founder of Entrepreneurs Circle, said:

“Kim's story demonstrates how many great businesses start with a deeply personal experience.

“She identified a problem affecting grieving families, taught herself entirely new skills and turned an idea into a patent-pending innovation. That's exactly the kind of entrepreneurial spirit UK Small Business Week is designed to celebrate.”

UK Small Business Week runs from June 1-7 and will see businesses across the country taking part in local events, social media activity and community campaigns celebrating independent firms and entrepreneurship.