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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

Elphius Flux

Elphius Flux is an upcycling business, specialising in industrial and modern furniture. Based in Chesterfield, Jason and Gwen Hopkinson create bespoke, custom-made furniture from salvaged and reclaimed materials.

Start Up Loans

Brett’s Pets

Brett’s Pets is a family-run pet shop, based in Chorley, Lancashire. It provides customers with a range of pet foods and products along with information and husbandry advice on most animals and exotic reptiles.

Start Up Loans

Bilbo's Pet Spa

Bilbo’s Pet Spa is based in Lydney, Gloucestershire and is run by Marion Aylott. Marion received a Start Up Loan of £22,000 in October 2016 and opened in December of the same year.

Start Up Loans

Berry's Bakery

Robert D’Orville received a Start Up Loan of £25,000 in March 2015, enabling him to take ownership of Berry’s Bakery in Preston, Lancashire.

Start Up Loans

Jo Boulton Photography

Joanne Boulton worked for five years as a photographer for a training company, before deciding to go it alone and start her own photography business.

Start Up Loans

ADi Access

Spencer Hassel, Steve Holyer and Helen Holyer are the proud founders and owners of ADi Access. The business, founded in 2015 in Truro, Cornwall, designs and makes audio equipment which allows blind and visually impaired people to use public equipment.

Start Up Loans

Eden Education Centre

Father and son team, Trevor and Peter Jones, run the Eden Education Centre, the largest innovation education studio in Europe.

Start Up Loans

Health & Food

Katerina Pavlakis had a background in both running her own business and working in London. When she and her husband, Colin Bass, moved to rural north Wales, they were keen to start something more local to save them from a long commute.

Start Up Loans

Synergy Dance

Rachael Hurton has always had a passion for dance and performance and in 2014 she brought her dream to life by starting Synergy Dance – a dance fitness programme for children of all ages.

Start Up Loans

Qudini

In June 2012, Imogen and Fraser started up their business, Qudini, a cloud-based platform that allows brands with physical locations to create positive customer experiences through queue management, appointment and event bookings, click and collect, and repair and collection management.

Start Up Loans

Christian Benedict

Christian McAleenan started his business, Christian Benedict, in February 2017. Currently operating from his home in Manchester, he provides a subscription service for shirts, where customers can sign up to have a fresh, high-quality shirt delivered to their home address every 30, 60 or 90 days.

Start Up Loans

JC Social Media

JC Social Media, founded by Jodie Cook when she was 22, turns 6 years old in August 2017. Based in Birmingham city centre, their team of 14 provide social media training and management services to local and international clients, including the likes of Nandos and Mariott Hotels.

Start Up Loans

Shakehaus

Margarita Veberaite and fellow co-founders, Josefa Celestin and Fraser Stephen launched their business, Shakehaus in April 2016. A creative video and production agency based in Edinburgh. All three partners each received funding from Start Up Loans to help them launch the business.

Start Up Loans

Pacific Quay Powerboats Glasgow

Created by John Hillis, alongside his brother Merrell and marine operations manager Terence McKibben, Pacific Quay Powerboats Glasgow offers high-speed power boat trips and water-sports on the river Clyde.

Start Up Loans

Peach Blossom

Alyssa launched her business, Peach Blossom, in March 2015. She works at the business full-time and currently employs an assistant on a part-time basis.

Start Up Loans

Dalton’s Soda Co

Founded by Duncan O’Brien, Dalston Cola was established in response to a request from an organisation to make a cola that was not Coca Cola. With most of the market saturated by the big two players or cheap imitations, Duncan noticed a serious gap in the market and created Dalston Cola to fill it. Duncan had previously worked in the hospitality industry, including in the Caribbean and with the Orient Express Company, before moving on to the food and drink industry.

Start Up Loans

40 St Pauls

Read 40 St Pauls's story and learn how Start Up Loans helped them.

Start Up Loans

Altum Designs

Altum Designs is a London based company, run by Mr. Daniel Varney. He designed, manufactured and now markets a unique and pioneering bike tool, which won a Tapei Cycle Design & Innovation award in 2017, and the business is now starting to really get off the ground.