Leah Fallon knew nothing about opening a business, but she felt like Leesburg needed a bookstore. In March 2021, after Googling “How do you open a bookstore?,” she discovered the Loudoun SBDC and reached out to SBDC Manager and Lead Business Advisor Eric Byrd.

“Eric said, ‘You have to be more than just a bookstore. You have to be an experience,’” explains Leah. “So, I really dug down and thought about what creates an experience, and I was like: plants.”

Through SBDC startup classes and one-on-one consultations, Leah worked to validate her concept and identify her target market. In May 2021, she launched Birch Tree Bookstore, testing the waters with a pop-up shop full of books and plants. In September, she moved into her first location, Leesburg’s Cowbell Kitchen.

“I never thought I would own a business,” Leah explains. “Every step of the way, I kept thinking: ‘Once this gets too hard, I’m out. Anytime this gets too hard or too complicated with the town or the government or with money, I’m out.’ But with the SBDC and people in the book industry, I was able to get the support I needed, which helped me become successful and not really worry about it. I just felt taken care of.”

As Birch Tree grew, Leah continued her one-on-one consultations with Eric. She also connected with Ami Mason, a professional gardener at the local nature preserve. A vendor at first, Ami sold plants to Leah, sharing her expertise along the way. It wasn’t long before Leah asked Ami if she wanted to quit her day job.

Ami launched Foliage Plant Shop in August 2022. Two months later, she and Leah moved into a shared space on West Market Street.

“We’re two businesses under one roof, under one register,” says Ami.

“We both have skin in the game,” says Leah. “We want to make plant people book people — and book people plant people.”

Throughout the process, the SBDC has worked with the co-located businesses to determine a joint marketing strategy and a plan for managing expenses, payroll and other finances. Eric has helped Leah and Ami conceptualize a completely new dual business model that they’ve built from the ground up.

Today, Birch Tree Bookstore & Foliage Plant Shop is a thriving community hub with 13 book clubs (one oriented on plants, of course), author events, plant workshops, and local celebrations like First Fridays.

“We want to facilitate people being downtown more often,” says Ami. “A lot of locals have complaints about getting downtown. They’ll just go to the outlets or the shopping mall or shop online. We want to create an atmosphere for downtown that isn’t just restaurants. It’s not even just us — it’s a vibe. It’s fun to do.”

Each enterprise makes the other stronger. The businesses have created six part-time jobs, and Birch Tree has tripled its sales since opening. Foliage Plant Shop has also scaled up.

“What I used to consider a good month is now a bad month,” says Ami. “The SBDC is a powerful resource.”

Driven by a vision to transform downtown Leesburg and backed by the SBDC, Birch Tree Bookstore and Foliage Plant Shop are redefining what local shopping feels like.