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.
“I have been a book lover all my life, so opening my own bookshop is a dream come true. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support of Start Up Loans – the loan covered everything I needed to get started; the books, the bookshelves, the premises.
“Opening during the pandemic was a risk, but I’m so glad I took the chance. We have a strong community in Maldon who supported us unfailingly since we opened. I now employ two members of staff and in the future, I’d love to open up a new store.”
