From a very early age, cooking was always a passion for Dhilon Devji.
Dhilon grew up in Syston in a shop environment but didn’t immediately enter a career in food; instead taking a Physics degree at the University of Nottingham.
“I loved cooking when I was young, but I didn’t see a future with it from the start because I gave up meat, and vegetarianism and veganism wasn’t that big back then,” Dhilon explained.
In 2020, Matt Baird made the decision to leave his job as a financial advisor to travel the world; an opportunity that felt a matter of now or never.
Almost every career is full of twists and turns, rarely following a linear path from start to finish.
That certainly proved the case for Richard Foulston, who having studied Chemistry with Molecular Physics at university and then a PhD in Nanoscience, decided to follow a passion by opening his own game shop in November 2021.
From here, Black Dragon Games in Melton Mowbray was born, and The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity is delighted to have played a part along the way.
When it comes to business, sometimes the timing is just right – even in the most unusual of circumstances.
That certainly proved to be the case of Esme Nicholson, who in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic utilised the time available as a result of lockdowns and restrictions to focus on becoming her own boss.
The 24-year-old, born and bred in Leicester, runs Lulu Dog Services, a dog grooming studio based in Clarendon Park. Whilst many of Esme’s friends opted for university, she decided to revisit Brooksby Melton College to study dog grooming. After completing her course with distinction, Esme found employment and, in late 2019, was met with the realisation that she had the ability to start her own business.
Throughout the last couple of unprecedented years, which saw the COVID-19 pandemic turn many people’s worlds upside down, stories have been told of silver linings.
From more time spent with families to the ability to reflect and make life-changing alterations, many people have spoken of the positives found with regard to the impact lockdowns and restrictions had.
Sir Thomas White Loan Charity business loan borrower and ambassador Lee Tomes is one of those people to be able to reflect on the past two years and highlight professional positives, as he revealed how fortunate he feels to have seen his video production company, Orange Fox Studios, grow during the pandemic.
“When the pandemic started, it was so unprecedented that, as a business owner, the worry was there immediately,” Lee admitted. “I actually had a bit of a slow period at the back end of 2019 leading into 2020, but there was so much going on that I sort of expected that. However, from 1 June 2020 to now, it’s not slowed down. It’s been full-on in terms of work and we’ve come through really strong, which is great.”
Alexander Saunders always knew he wanted to build something within Leicester and, thanks to an interest-free business loan from The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity, he has been able to do just that.
The founder of Saunders Multi-Media found opportunities to work within the media locally hard to come by following graduation from university. Having worked on a freelance basis for a number of companies within their production departments, Alexander made the leap and set off on the path of becoming his own boss.
“When I left my role with (retailer) Next, I started to pick up more freelance work, starting with the odd favour for friends, but soon it started to snowball and pick up from there,” explained Alexander. “It was at that point that I realised that, with a bit of funding, I could turn what I was doing into a legitimate business.”
Saunders Multi-Media specialises in the fields of videography and photography, working extensively within music sector, crafting music videos and covering live events, in addition to producing material for a variety of promotional purposes.
That bit of funding he required came courtesy of The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity, which Alexander discovered through connecting with business support provider NBV. That support through NBV provided Alexander, admittedly a complete newcomer to the world of running a business, with knowledge and insight to accompany his professional skills.
“Looking back, I wish I’d applied sooner,” admitted Alexander when discussing The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity. “I was probably a bit taken aback, thinking it was too good to be true. When I first heard about it, I thought it sounded amazing. If I didn’t have the support of the charity, 100% I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing.
“I was able to undertake a couple of business courses, which I took prior to applying for the loan, which were useful. At the start, it was very hard. I had the knowledge and entry level equipment, but didn’t have the business acumen needed to run a business. I found out about the charity through NBV, as one of the advisers there – Gau Naik – is a trustee. I was directed onto NBV’s courses, which helped form my business plan and I was able to then go through the charity’s application process. The support I received from NBV and the courses was excellent – and if it wasn’t for those courses, I wouldn’t have been in the position to develop a realistic business.”
From that point, Alexander felt in a position to put his business idea and what he’d learned from NBV into practice by applying for an interest-free loan to get his business up and running.
“The application process was relatively easy, especially with the support that I had” said Alexander. “It was a case of tweaking a couple of bits from my business plan. It helped me look at things in depth and be realistic. Sometimes you have to mediate and be grounded, realise where you are actually at, rather than where you think you are. NBV’s guidance helped with that. It helped me grow as a person.
“I felt confident going into the interview, of course nervous to start with as you always are in those situations. You quickly realise that the people you’re speaking to want to help you.”
After seeing his application for a loan approved, Alexander utilised the funding to purchase professional videography equipment, which in turn enabled him to deliver a greater service than ever before, whilst a sum was also set out for marketing purposes; namely a new website for his business.
“I’ve always encouraged anybody interested in applying for a loan from The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity to go for it,” admitted Alexander. “I’ve got friends in similar situations to me when I left uni, working in a corporate job and not enjoying it, and I say to them that they should go for it and take a risk while they’re young. When you have a charity like The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity that has terms which enable you to build something, you owe it to yourself to try. It’s a personal loan, so it’s not held against the business. Me personally, I’m only paying back £80 a month.
“It’s a worthy investment in your future. I wouldn’t be where I am without the charity.”
To learn more about Saunders Multi-Media, please visit https://www.saundersmultimedia.com/
Alternatively, please click here to find out more about The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity’s interest-free business loans.
For many of our borrowers starting a new business, it’s industry experience and knowledge that provides a key platform for success. After all, your product or service is what your business is built on. However, when experience and opportunity collide, more often than not, it’s a perfect match.
That was the case for Sophie Haynes, who applied for one of our interest-free loans in 2016. Over the course of the start of her career within the beauty industry, Sophie had worked in various areas. However, when mobile working, an opportunity presented itself which was too good for Sophie to ignore.
“At the start of my career within the industry, I was lucky enough to explore so many different avenues,” she explained.
“From working in salons and a beauty academy, to later beauty halls in department stores, I then worked aboard a P&O cruise liner which sailed the South Pacific. When I returned to land, I started doing a little mobile work whilst working as a make-up ambassador for an American brand. During that time, a quaint Grade 2-listed building came onto the market in Melton Mowbray. That gave me the inspiration to open my own beauty salon in my hometown.”
In every business venture there are times when new opportunities come along and important decisions need to be made.
For Bipin Anand and his film and video production company, ImageNova, one of those crucial turning points came when applying for a business loan from The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the dedication and importance of the nation’s teachers was deservedly highlighted, through the adaptation to remote learning or the continuation of educating children of key workers across the country.
However, for many, the pandemic also provided an unprecedented opportunity for individuals to reflect on all facets of life: work, family, living; many people were able to obtain fresh perspective.
For Victoria Corcoran, a foot was in both of the aforementioned camps. A teacher with 14 years of experience, Victoria was employed by one of the county’s schools throughout the early stages of the pandemic. However, eager to juggle her passion for teaching with a busy family life, Victoria identified an opportunity to become self-employed and start her own business – and Victoria Corcoran Tutoring was born.
Getting married is unquestionably one of the happiest days in anyone’s life.
However, ask anybody who has attempted to organise a wedding and you’ll likely find that, whilst the wedding day itself is joyous, the stressful moments building up to it are many and frequent!
One business assisted by one of The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity’s interest-free loans is working to alleviate that stress – The English Wedding Co.
Founded by Hayley-Dawn Belcher, the Syston-based company delivers bespoke décor to provide the unique look and feel to any happy couple’s special day. However, what’s key is that The English Wedding Co. caters for those happy couples that are looking to create that bespoke aesthetic on a budget.