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

We Make Footballers

Leon Stapleton, founder of We Make Footballers Cardiff, a football training academy for children aged 4-12. Applying for a £15,000 Start Up Loan meant that Leon was able to launch the first We Make Footballers franchise in Wales.

Start Up Loans

Melin Llynon

Restoration of Wales’ last working windmill sees sails turn again on Ynys Môn. Melin Llynon is restored to former glory following funding from Isle of Anglesey County Council and British Business Bank

Start Up Loans

Tŷ Green

An architect from Newport has started an eco-hut business, creating sustainable places and spaces for a variety of purposes following a Start Up Loan.

Start Up Loans

Hello Good Pie

Learn how Clare Lewis started her business Hello Good Pie with help from a loan from Start Up Loans.

Start Up Loans

Flowerhorn Brewery

Cardiff craft brewery blooms following second Start Up Loan. Best friends and co-founders of Flowerhorn Brewery look to expand offering.

Start Up Loans

Clear For Men

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.

Start Up Loans

Lunia 3D

The pair were helped initially by a £2,000 Start Up Loan to invest in their first commercial 3D printer. Three years on, with 40 more printers and a further £12,000 recently received from the British Business Bank, Lunia 3D has cemented itself as a key player on the flourishing 3D printing stage.



Start Up Loans

Feral Pigs Wine

Feral Pigs Wine is a wine shop in Newport, Pembrokeshire and established by trained sommelier and former restaurant manager at Llys Meddyg, Dave Cushley.

Start Up Loans

ink

An artist from Llandudno Junction is opening a contemporary gallery in Colwyn Bay aimed at breaking down barriers in the art world and reinvigorating North Wales’s cultural scene by incorporating the world of NFTs and the Metaverse.

Start Up Loans

Caru Spirits

A landscape architect turned liqueur maker from Skewen has established an artisanal liqueur business inspired by the slow food movement, linking the pleasure of using traditional methods, sustainable ingredients and slow consumption for maximum taste.

Start Up Loans

Dryad

Matt, a triathlete, outdoors-enthusiast, and Joby, a designer with a passion for running, took out a loan of £25,000 in April 2021 to launch Dryad, an outdoor sportswear company for women based in Wales.

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

House of Curls

Start Up Loans recipient Clare Pledger, from Cardiff-based firm, House of Curls, an e-tailer specialising in curly and natural hair products, who received a £20,000 Start Up Loan via Business in Focus said: “I discovered the incredibly passionate curly hair community...

Start Up Loans

Floris

Aoife Doherty set up her business in November 2020 after graduating from the University of Reading with a BA Hons in Graphic Design.

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

Goji Hair

Goji Hair is an exclusive, organic hair salon in the Pontcanna suburb of Cardiff, started by Victoria Griffin.

Start Up Loans

Waterfall Ways

Having been made redundant after working with the King'sTrust for many years Christopher Evans decided to go it alone and start his own business venture.