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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

Moody Cow Nails

27 year old TJ Bouchada, founder of private nail salon Moody Cow Nails. TJ took out her loan of £12,000, via Let’s Do Business Finance, to open her own private nail salon.

Start Up Loans

Vicky’s Brasserie

The Start-Up Loan allowed Ferris to completely refurbish the Grade II building and the restaurant opened for business in December 2023.

Start Up Loans

Techie Services

Cory Hibbin, aged 20, is just one of these recipients. He took out a loan in March 2023 of £14,500 to launch Techie Services. The company, based in Hastings, offers security solutions for residential clients, estates and corporate buildings, including CCTV, alarm systems and network management.

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Anav

Pallavi decided to follow her dreams of becoming a business owner in April 2021 after the Coronavirus pandemic forced her to re-evaluate her priorities. She left a career in finance and took out a loan of £19,000 in 2022 to curate and share natural homewares crafted by rural artisans from around the world, drawing inspiration from her mother’s unwavering passion for home decor and sustainability.

Start Up Loans

Harbour & Tide

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.

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

Maldon Books

Olivia Rosenthal, 28, from Maldon in Essex took out a loan of £25,000 in December 2019 to launch Maldon Books – an independent bookshop for adults and children. She now offers a delivery service so people outside of Maldon can order books, and she’s launched a pop-up hut in the local park.

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.

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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.

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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.

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Kleio Audio Limited

In June 2010, whilst researching headphone amplifiers, Garry Wise, spurred on by his passion for both hi-fi and music, decided to build his very own. Shortly after he began the process he decided that he wanted to go one step further and develop his own range of hi-fi components. The opportunity to combine both his passion for music and an interest in UK based manufacturing has been hugely exciting for him. Two years later Kleio was formed, with a simple objective: to design and build high-end audio which makes music enjoyable.

Start Up Loans

DALE Coaching Ltd

Jacqueline Hall from Essex decided to set up her own business, DALE Coaching Ltd, after she had been made redundant and turned down from various job interviews. Jacqueline is a self-motivated, strong and determined lady who wanted to offer coaching services in areas such as leadership, executive coaching and youth leadership in and around the Greater London area.

Start Up Loans

True Crime Museum

Joel Griggs grew up fascinated with all things crime related. After spotting some abandoned caves along the Hastings waterfront -caves which turned out to have previously housed everything from hotel generators to druid groups at the turn of the 19th century- he immediately saw their potential.

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Seniors Helping Seniors

Christian Wilse launched Seniors Helping Seniors, and started trading officially in January 2014.

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Mimi’s Organics

Rumbi Serima-Fowler started her business Mimi’s Organics in 2014 after struggling to find products to suit the skin of her son, who suffers from numerous allergies.

Start Up Loans

Floating Point

Providing two state of the art i-sopods, a therapy room, quiet room and space for yoga and pilates, Floating Point Float Centre is Berkshire’s only dedicated floatation therapy centre.

Start Up Loans

Jim Jams Spreads

Shocked at the amount of unnecessary sugar found in most breakfast spreads, mother of two Kellie Bath knew she wanted something healthier for her young children.

Start Up Loans

Bow Wows at No. 7

After 14 years working at House of Fraser and 10 years at the Body Shop, Karen Hassan was made redundant in 2014. She was a dog lover and owned two but found herself struggling when searching for treats and accessories for them, which gave her the idea for her own business.