Success stories

Alastair Watson opened his Edinburgh tourist attraction, Can You Escape, with the help of a £6,500 Start Up Loan. Prior to starting his business Alastair worked in the construction industry and for volunteering agencies at the Scottish Council.

Meame is design performance fashion for both fashion conscious and discerning cyclists. Founders Megan Aylott and husband Stephen Azancot wanted to create clothing that was both functional and fashionable for the wearer.

Vikki Bustard had always wanted to be a teacher but had dreamt of teaching outside rather than in a traditional classroom situation. While working as a Horticultural Training Officer Vikki had the idea for Plant & Play Wildlife Garden and by chance she came across the perfect site to locate the business.

After 14 years working at House of Fraser and 10 years at the Body Shop, Karen Hassan was made redundant in 2014. She was a dog lover and owned two but found herself struggling when searching for treats and accessories for them, which gave her the idea for her own business.

Sam Robson, an entrepreneur from Ipswich, is passionate about music and education.

Palm tree plantations have a big environmental impact and this is one of the main reasons Katie decided to develop her own recipe, one which didn’t use this ingredient.

Roger and Angela Jennett have fulfilled their ambition of opening a friendly family-run day nursery in the heart of Lincoln.

FittaMamma is an online retail company selling a range of maternity fitness wear. It was set up by Start Up Loans recipient and business woman Alexandra McCabe.

Karoline Gross always wanted to do her own thing and Start Up Loans helped her do just that.

Brighton sisters, Amy and Ruth Anslow, founded their independent supermarket, hiSbe, with the help of Start Up Loans.

Stuart Sunderland started his business Just Eat for Business with a friend, a service delivering street food to businesses, with the help of a £10,000 Start Up Loan.

The company provides bespoke driver guided tours of Yorkshire. We caught up with him to find out what the first year of trading has been like.

Sarah Hilleary has always been motivated by the personal rewards of being her own boss, and this lead her to start gluten free snack company Birubi Ltd.

Standing out from the competition can be hard for a small business, especially when the number of competitors is constantly increasing.

Nisa Mendez used her Start Up Loan to develop her website design business Mendez Moment.

Orla Bennett along with her co-founder Holly Lander, launched Atomica Gallery in 2012 as a pop-up in Shoreditch, East London.

Laura Burlison from Northumberland received her Start Up Loan 18 months ago and used it to start 'The Paddock – Fresh Food Delivered from the Land to your Hand.'

Office Pantry deliver snack packs and fresh fruit to offices right across the UK, with an optional honesty box for school staff rooms and companies on tight budgets.