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

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

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.