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

Clip Knix

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.

Start Up Loans

Alchemist

Learn more about Alchemist, a specialty coffee shop in Northern Ireland.

Start Up Loans

Red Phoenix Rewilding

A Somerset environmental entrepreneur has received a £20k Start Up Loan to scale-up their burgeoning rewilding business.



Start Up Loans

Caru Spirits

A landscape architect turned liqueur maker from Skewen has established an artisanal liqueur business inspired by the slow food movement, linking the pleasure of using traditional methods, sustainable ingredients and slow consumption for maximum taste.

Start Up Loans

Dryad

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.

Start Up Loans

DamGoodDrams

Glasgow-based DamGoodDrams, an ecommerce platform specialising in independent spirits, is gearing up to launch its own line of whisky and take its business overseas, following a successful first year.

Start Up Loans

Collected

Emma Hamlett took out a £25,000 loan to open Collected, an independent bookshop specialising in work written by women.

Start Up Loans

Chloe Bruce Academy

Chloe Bruce took out a loan of £12,500 to launch the Chloe Bruce Academy in 2020, a business offering virtual martial arts classes and tutorials.

Start Up Loans

Aberffraw Biscuits

James Shepherd started his business, Aberffraw Biscuits, with the help of a £5,000 Start Up Loan.

Start Up Loans

Thatch and Stone

Nirmla Warwood took out a loan of £25,000 in 2020 to set-up and operate interior accessories company Thatch & Stone.

Start Up Loans

Naturawell

Joezy and his business partner Amy, took out funding from Start Up Loans to set up Naturawell in 2021, a plant-based bar and restaurant serving healthy and delicious food and drinks.

Start Up Loans

Mama Claudia

In 2018, Claudia took out a loan of £3,300 to launch Mama Claudia, a carefully selected range of baby and children’s products for stress-free parenting.

Start Up Loans

Pastéis Lisboa

In April 2022, Emma and Sebastian took out a loan of £20,000 each to set up Pastéis Lisboa, Scotland’s first specialist Pastel de Nata bakery, in the heart of Glasgow’s buzzing West End.

Start Up Loans

Peace and Pure

Alice Wu, founder of Peace and Pure, took out her loan of £19,000 in 2020 to start the business.

Start Up Loans

Toddle Born Wild

Hannah Saunders took out a £14,700 loan in 2020 to launch Toddle Born Wild, a natural vegan children skincare brand.

Start Up Loans

Roundwood Gin

Leaving her role as a software engineer in bustling London and moving to rural Cambridgeshire to launch a gin distillery didn’t faze Emily Robertson, co-founder of Roundwood Gin.

Start Up Loans

D&K Accounting

With businesses continuing to launch during the pandemic, small firms such as D&K Accounting are well placed to offer a more personal accounting service to rural businesses looking to get established.

Start Up Loans

Amandla Ubuntu

Having previously held a position as a C-Level Executive in an education charity, and a handful of global leadership positions at big corporates such as Amazon and Marriott, Victoria realised she needed to do something more fulfilling