Case Studies

Omer Mustafa is a 23-year-old from London with big entrepreneurial ambitions. He is the founder of Hinlura, a skincare brand he founded after he was left with acne marks.

Bristol born and raised Army veteran set to expand his successful gym equipment and installation business

Founded straight out of university, Terence’s company upcycles discarded flip flops to create sustainable sandals

Working full time as a veterinarian in Castlewellan, Dr Olivia Clark is well aware of the amount of harmful information even the best-intentioned dog owners can consume on the internet.

Surfing collective House of Glass launch café in Newquay as a community space for surfers, thanks to the Start Up Loans programme.

Minnie Me’s, a salon specialising in neurodivergent clients has opened in Somerset, thanks to the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme.

Tavistock Brewery in the village of Peter Tavy, Devon is the brainchild of father-and-son team Richard and Matthew Goslin who felt there was a gap in the market for beer produced in their area.

28 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.

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.

Altrincham-based Wuva, a pioneering platform committed to sustainable subscription services, has secured £50,000 of finance from the British Business Bank through Virgin Startup. The investment catapults Wuva into a new phase of expansion, poised to reshape the landscape of conscious consumerism.

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.

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.

Gaëlle Chatelard took out a £25,000 loan in August 2021 through delivery partner Virgin StartUp to help get her brand ETHOSA off the ground. ETHOSA is an innovative sustainable waterless personal care brand.