Success stories

It can take a great deal of time and courage to make the leap into starting your own business.

Arabella Hill and Flavia Paterson took out two loans of £25,000 in January 2020 and £10,000 in June 2020 to set up Paterson and Hill, a clothing brand for women working in manual jobs.

Siblings Albert, Betty and Minnie Alexander took out a loan of £22,000 in 2021 to launch Kitty’s Herbery, a perfumery based in Bude, Cornwall.

Emma Andralojc took out a loan in 2019 to launch The Nail and Beauty Nerd, a beauty salon based in Harrogate.

Start Up Loans recipient Clare Pledger, from Cardiff-based firm, House of Curls, an e-tailer specialising in curly and natural hair products, who received a £20,000 Start Up Loan via Business in Focus said: “I discovered the incredibly passionate curly hair community...

Max Paley took out a loan of £15,000 in 2021 to launch This Charming Naan, a Smiths-inspired Indian Street Food business in Manchester. With 7 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, from restaurants to bars and music venues, Max had always dreamed of opening his own food business.

Helen Langton, a secondary-school teacher for 12 years, and her partner Matthew Altham, an emergency care assistant for South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust, were seeking a better work-life balance. They specifically wanted to own a business that would let them apply their skills creatively.

Michael Hughes secured £7,000 from Start Up Loans – through The Hub – to launch a new service providing respite and mentoring sessions for young people with autism.

Whitley Bay-based supplier of organic seaweed products Seaweed & Co, is a recipient of the Start Up Loans programme.

Three female entrepreneurs used funding from Start Up Loans to launch an Indian restaurant and takeaway in Nottingham.

Eleanor Howie took secured finance of £6,500 through Start Up Loans delivery partner Virgin Start Ups in Spring 2020. Her business Valiant Lingerie provides empowering lingerie for women who have been impacted by breast cancer or risk-reducing mastectomies.

Rahma Ahmed Ali and Nura Nur secured a loan of £10,000 in July 2021 through delivery partner Financing Sharia Enterprise to start alternative dairy brand Tribal Milk.

Sophie had visited, built, and worked in climbing facilities and centres all over the world and distilled their favourite parts from each to create the Tide Climbing Centre.

Caroline took out a Start Up Loan in May 2020 to realise her dream of opening a luxury bridal boutique. Ellison Gray Bridal was born after Caroline took the decision to leave her well-paid job in communications and engagement after becoming disillusioned with corporate life.

Kayleigh Cooper took out a £15,000 Start Up Loan in December 2020 to launch POP Pressed – an organic and plant-based cold-pressed juice brand.

Proud Inverclyde local, Rory MacDonald, received a Start Up Loan of £13,000 through British Business Bank delivery partner Transmit in August 2018. This provided the essential tooling, materials, rent and insurances for Rory to open The Whisky Chairmen.

Jeremy May secured Start Up Loans funding through Virgin StartUp in February 2020. He had worked in the food and drink industry and came up with the idea for NICE after discovering an American brand of canned wine on Instagram and became immediately obsessed with the concept.

With a background in the Navy, Sam Jeffs – along with partner John-Paul “JP” Jeffs – launched two businesses in rapid succession – and both soared during lockdown, despite being very different ventures.