Success stories

We've already helped tens of thousands of individuals to start and grow their business. Learn how with our library of success stories.

We've already helped tens of thousands of individuals to start and grow their business. Read on for the full story on some of our most inspiring loan recipients: why they became their own boss, the challenges they faced and overcame along the way and how a Start Up Loan helped them to achieve their dreams.

 
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Start Up Loans

Lady Survivors

Melanie Luxton Brookes took out a £15,000 loan in September 2020 to launch her affordable range of swimwear brand Lady Survivors specifically designed for women with mastectomies.

Start Up Loans

Urbee

Cherisse Brown took out a £10,000 loan to launch Urbee, an e-shop aiming to raise awareness about the importance of bees and other pollinating insects and the need for their conservation.

Start Up Loans

Laughing Llama Cafe and Bistro

Chantal Charles-Smith took out a £25,000 loan in April 2021 to launch Laughing Llama Coffee and Bistro, a family-friendly destination in York.

Start Up Loans

Bijimini Spices

Luke took out a loan of £21,000 Start Up Loan in January 2021 to launch Bijimini Spices, a company selling high protein spices made from crickets.

Start Up Loans

Tarian Drums

Pontyclun-based bespoke drum manufacturer, Tarian Drums, the first of its kind in Wales, will soon see its drums on some of the biggest stages in the world, a major feat for a home-grown Welsh firm first established by two close friends in 2020.

Start Up Loans

Icarus Originals

Alan Lock and business partner John Mercer took out a loan of £15,000 in February 2020 to support the growth of Icarus Originals, a company founded on the premise of giving decommissioned aircraft a new life by turning them into bespoke, handmade jewellery and accessories – making memories out of icons.

Start Up Loans

Pip & Henry

Jeroo Doodmal secured a £15,000 loan in December 2021 to launch her sustainable Children’s footwear brand Pip & Henry, having noticed a gap in the market for sustainable, organic, and fair-trade children’s footwear options.

Start Up Loans

Booheads

Ben Caspary launched Booheads in November 2020. His company makes sustainably made and biodegradable bamboo toothbrush heads for consumers seeking an alternative to the disposable plastic versions that end up in landfills.

Start Up Loans

Big Hair + Beauty

Melissa Sinclair took out a Start Up Loan to open Big Hair + Beauty, a natural haircare brand for afro and curly hair.

Start Up Loans

The Nail And Beauty Nerd

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

Start Up Loans

House of Curls

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...

Start Up Loans

This Charming Naan

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.

Start Up Loans

Scoopy Doo’s Ice Cream Parlour

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.

Start Up Loans

Real Life Role Models

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.

Start Up Loans

Seaweed & Co

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