Success stories

Eco-friendly household cleaning brand, Clevelli Bay, has been launched by a neurodivergent entrepreneur, inspired by Richard Branson’s stories about dyslexia and success, with the help of a £25,000 Start Up Loan from the British Business Bank.

Learn how Jane Henderson Forrest started their business Zig and Zag Handmade with help from a loan from Start Up Loans.

Learn how Alison McAtamney started their business ClelandRenwick with help from a loan from Start Up Loans.

Cardiff craft brewery blooms following second Start Up Loan. Best friends and co-founders of Flowerhorn Brewery look to expand offering.

Louis Watkins, 23, from Newport, founded his business Clear For Men. Clear For Men is a men’s mental health awareness and online skincare brand, encouraging men to ‘take five’ through their daily cleansing routine.

Rik is a chef with more than 22 years of experience and a background in human nutrition and psychology. The business was started as a chance for him to explore why veganism isn’t as accessible as it could be and what the barriers are to preventing people from taking up the lifestyle

Amity Brew Co is a local craft brewery, offering a range of draught and canned beers. They provide tours of the brewery, an outside terrace, inside bar and weekly events for the community. They also have their own merch for sale. The three directors took out their loans in April 2020, at £25,000 each.

Shelley Smith, founder of Finnegan’s Whiskers, has opened Suffolk’s only cat café and feline foster home based in Sudbury. Shelley has partnered with local cat rescue centre, Mel’s Rescue, to home cats at the café and alleviate pressure on animal rescue centres. Visitors to the café will also have the option to adopt cats they interact with and participate in animal therapy sessions. These will be arranged at the café on an ongoing basis, along with events such as crafting and a book club.

Starting with an online business during the pandemic, Bex opened her first store in Nansledan near Newquay in 2021, selling hand-picked vintage items alongside sustainably produced new brands. She relocated to a brand new shop in Nansledan over the summer and has just opened a sister store, Love of Vintage, in the same complex.

Katy Lassen borrowed £25,500 to grow into Harbour and Tide. Harbour & Tide is a modern local beach store in Margate, offering functional, joyful, and sustainable products for seaside life. The store was launched as a pop-up in 2022 and opened its first permanent location in Margate in Spring 2023.

The Singing Spice Company took out their loan of £6,000 in February 2023. The company aims to take the stress out of cooking by creating packs of spice blends that are hand blended to family recipes going back three generations.

Lifted Drinks took out their loan of £25,000 in May 2023. Lifted Drinks, based in Staffordshire, creates an alcohol-free beer that offers the taste of the beverage while incorporating the post-workout benefits of a protein shake.

Robin Valley, co-founded by husband and wife entrepreneurs Wanchong Chen and Liang Zhang, is a wooden jewellery brand that combines innovation, sustainability, and unique design.

Vocus Vit offers premium activewear for ladies with a focus on sustainability. The range is made from recycled plastic bottles without compromising on comfort, fit and style. It’s founded by Omagh entrepreneur Sarah-Jane Murray. Sarah-Jane took out a loan of £10,000 to help fulfil her dream of launching sustainable activewear business.

Panther M*lk – an oat milk alcoholic cocktail brand based in Glasgow. The drinks business recently secured its first major retail listing, with bottles of the cocktail now stocked in 40 of Asda’s supermarkets across Scotland. Following an appearance on Dragon’s Den in 2022, Paul Crawford received a £17,500 loan through the Start Up Loans scheme to support his ambitious growth plans.

Feral Pigs Wine is a wine shop in Newport, Pembrokeshire and established by trained sommelier and former restaurant manager at Llys Meddyg, Dave Cushley.

Funmi Lalwal, 55, London originally came to Start Up Loans back in 2013 to help her set up a business teaching the elderly learn Microsoft skills. She created Clip Knix, a brand offering adapted fastening underwear for women in 2018 to solve a problem that she had noticed after suffering from ill health.

Matt, a triathlete, outdoors-enthusiast, and Joby, a designer with a passion for running, took out a loan of £25,000 in April 2021 to launch Dryad, an outdoor sportswear company for women based in Wales.