Esme 2024 01

LULU DOG SERVICES: PAWS AND PAMPERING

by Business Success Stories

Esme Nicholson has come a long way since launching her dog grooming business, Lulu Dog Services, during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite being a challenging time full stop, let alone to take the leap of faith into entrepreneurship, Esme Nicholson has come out the other side and her business is thriving – thanks in part to The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity’s interest-free business loan.

“The loan made everything possible really,” Esme said when catching up with the Charity recently.

“Business is thriving, I’m fully booked almost all the time and working additional days to keep up!”

At the same time as running a successful business, Esme has also been able to open up the shop to enable work experience students to make some new, furry friends.

“They absolutely love the chance to work with the dogs, and I’m glad I can provide a different kind of ‘working environment’ as I never had the chance to work with animals when I was younger. We now also have another business working in our shop a few days a week which is great.”

Based in Clarendon Park, Lulu Dog Services provides a host of grooming options, including fur clipping, bathing, nail clipping and, in Esme’s words, making them “look beautiful yet practical”.

Looking ahead to the future, Esme added: “We’ve started boarding a few of our regular dogs over the summer, which we love doing! We plan on doing more day care and boarding in the future, as well as keeping up the dog grooming!”

When seeking funding to make her business a reality, Esme first discovered STWLC through a friend, who had herself benefited from the charity’s unique interest-free business loans. From there, Esme reached out to one of the charity’s marketing consultants – Martin Hageman – who explained how the charity worked.

My advice would be to any new upcoming business needing the loan would be ‘go for it!’

Esme Nicholson

“The application process was very straight forward, although I did have my business-savvy dad to help me through,” explained Esme.

“The loan helped me with a lot, as I didn’t have the initial bulk to buy my very expensive equipment,” she added.

“My table and bath came to just under £2,000 which was the biggest amount I spent. It also helped with me opening my shop, paying for the flooring, a lick of paint and the advertisement for the front of my shop and car. Little things like leaflets, beer mats and the local pub helped a lot and spread the word when I couldn’t work. Leafleting became my primary job through lockdown with lots of hand sanitizer in between!

“My advice would be to any new upcoming business needing the loan would be ‘go for it!’ Although the process got tricky sometimes with the business plan and lots of numbers, if you know your business inside and out you will be successful. The interviews were very relaxed and all the trustees were lovely throughout.

“I have, and will continue to, recommend The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity for helping my dreams come true!”

To find out more about Lulu Dog Services, please visit https://www.luludogservices.co.uk/

For more information on The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity’s interest-free business loans, please click here.

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FEAST AND THE FURIOUS: FIRED UP FLAVOUR!

by Business Success Stories

Some people have an entrepreneurial mindset that exists even when their careers are on a different path. It’s a brave move to step away from employment to follow that inner desire to own a business, but it can also be hugely rewarding.

Having worked in retail from the age of 17 and become manager of several stores, Jon Oakes decided to leave at the age of 30 to start his own business, Feast and the Furious in Melton Mowbray.

“My main hobby was BBQ and smoking, so I thought my USP could be authentic American BBQ,” Jon began.

“This was very little known in the UK in 2017, so I started a food truck. I was self-taught and whenever I was cooking for other people, they would say how good it was and that is was better than anything they had had elsewhere. They said I should sell it, so that was my reason and driving factor to combine my love for food and BBQ/smoking with my desire to run my own business, leveraging the skills I had learnt from my many years in retail management.”

A smokehouse and smokery based in Melton Mowbray, Feast and the Furious serve hot food from their new fixed location, including smoked beef brisket, pulled pork and ribs.

“We also smoke a range of cold smoked goods such as smoked cheeses, butter, nuts, garlic, salmon and more which we sell at our smokehouse as well as at markets, events and online,” Jon continued.

“We also sell linked products such as hot and cold smoking equipment for people to do it themselves at home, and recently launched courses that we host at the smokehouse to learn further how to smoke at home. We also offer catering for private events such as weddings and corporate as well as wholesale of our products to cafes, delis and shops.”

“We can’t recommend them enough to any business that is seeking funding or thinking of expanding. It’s invaluable and they are a lovely organisation to deal with.”

Jon Oakes

When the time came to look for finance options in order to move from a food truck and small unit to a bricks and mortar smokehouse, Jon discovered The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity.

“We spoke to someone at a business hub who I mentioned the Charity for the grants initially, and when we were unsuccessful with the grant application we found out about the loans that could be provided.”

Available up to £20,000, STWLC’s business loans are interest-free for nine years, with nothing to repay in the first three years, giving small businesses time to establish before equal monthly repayments commence.

“We used the loan to help towards the cost of a brand-new cold smoker, as well as towards the other building works of the smokehouse,” Jon recounted.

“Although there is paperwork to complete and we needed two guarantors for the loan amount we were asking for, it was all worth it for the loan and the terms that come with it, such as having three years before repayments start which is invaluable.

“Without the funding and terms of the STWLC loan, we would have struggled with securing enough finance to fund the project fully and on time,” Jon concluded.

“We would have had to take on high repayment terms which could have made the project unviable, so it came at just the right time and we can’t recommend them enough to any business that is seeking funding or thinking of expanding. It’s invaluable and they are a lovely organisation to deal with.”

To find out more about Feast and the Furious, please visit feastandthefurious.co.uk

For more information about STWLC’s interest-free business loans, please click here

Barrie Strephen speaking at the STWC New Business Forum

THE STWLC NEW BUSINESS FORUM

by News

Thursday evening saw us host the STWLC New Business Forum at Mattioli Woods in the heart of Leicester city centre – and we’d like to thank everyone who joined us to make it such a success.

Attended by the Charity’s ambassadors, borrowers, trustees, supporters, alongside members of the wider business community in Leicester, the evening provided an excellent networking opportunity.

Hosted by our Chair, Lucy Womack, and Patron, Barrie Stephen, current and future borrowers were also able to meet experts and find out more about the application process for our interest-free loans.

Dr Abdinasir Mohamed was one of the many in attendance, and provided us with this kind feedback:

“I had the opportunity to meet many people I wouldn’t have encountered otherwise. The insights and knowledge shared by the attendees were incredibly valuable, and I learned a great deal from the discussions and conversations. It’s clear that the forum provided a fantastic platform for networking and professional growth. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and the trustees for organizing such a wonderful event. I’m already looking forward to the next one!”

We hope everybody who joined us had a great time, and found it both informative and useful.

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LOCAL BUSINESSES RECEIVE SHARE OF £117,500 IN INTEREST-FREE LOANS

by News

The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity (STWLC) has announced that seven interest-free loans were awarded to businesses within Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland in the first quarter of 2024.

Six interest-free business loans totalling £107,500 were approved to support a variety of local businesses including a gym, café and an arboriculture company, while one existing business loan borrower received a £10,000 top-up loan from the Charity, taking the total quarterly approval amount to £117,500.

Established in 1542, STWLC hosts quarterly application windows each year in which people aged over 18 and under 45 can apply for unique interest-free loans of up to £20,000 to aid local businesses, or £10,000 to support students wishing to return to postgraduate education. The Charity’s loans are interest-free for nine years, and become repayable by equal instalments after three years.

Lucy Womack, Chair of STWLC, said: “After finishing 2023 with record-breaking numbers, we’re delighted to start the first quarter of 2024 by approving £117,500 in interest-free loans to support local businesses across the county.

“We’ve often been described as the ‘best kept secret in Leicestershire’, but I think it’s safe to say that the secret is out now! We’re so pleased that more and more people are finding out about our unique offer and coming forward to apply for interest-free loans.

“If you need money to start or grow your business, or to return to university for postgraduate education, please get in touch!”

Application packs are available to download upon completion of a contact form on our website.

The next deadline for applications is 3.30pm on Thursday 4 April 2024.

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INTRODUCING OUR BRAND-NEW VIDEO!

by News

We’re delighted to release our brand-new video, featuring six small businesses from across Leicestershire & Rutland who were successful in receiving interest-free business loans from the Charity.

Narrated by Lee Wheeler-Tomes of Orange Fox Studios, who is an education and business loan borrower from STWLC himself, the video illustrates how we are a local charity for local entrepreneurs, run by people from the county. The video shows the entrepreneurs who are on our doorstep, with the aim of inspiring others to realise they have a way to make their dreams come true.

The featured entrepreneurs and businesses are:

– Sara Aspinal – STAK Knee Stretcher in Bagworth
– Oliver Forty – Jollie Campers in Husbands Bosworth
– Dhilon Devji – Dhil’s Vegan Street Food in Wigston
– Steven McKerrow – Mouseskins in Loughborough
– Caroline Stafford – The Kitsch Hen in Oakham
– Liga Orlovska – Honeycraft in Leicester

Lucy Womack, STWLC Chair, said: “This is something we’ve been working on for some time, so we’re absolutely delighted to see the video come together and be shared far and wide.

“We’re always telling people about what we offer, but this video was all about showing the real-life difference that our interest-free loans make for businesses in our region, straight from the mouths of the entrepreneurs themselves.

“Off the back of a fantastic 2023, where we approved a massive £600,000 in interest-free loans, we’re looking forward to supporting more entrepreneurs like Sara, Oliver, Dhilon, Steven, Caroline and Liga in 2024.”

Speaking within the video, Liga Orlovska of Honeycraft, who runs Meet the Bees experiences at Bradgate Park, said: “Without The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity, most likely there wouldn’t be Meet the Bees at Bradgate Park. When I looked into other business loans, as a single parent with two children, I was either ineligible to apply or it was too high risk. So, the (STWLC) loan was crucial in me opening the business.”

Established in 1542, STWLC hosts quarterly application windows each year in which people aged over 18 and under 45 can apply for unique interest-free loans of up to £20,000 to aid local businesses, or £10,000 to support students wishing to return to postgraduate education. The Charity’s loans are interest-free for nine years, and become repayable by equal instalments after three years.

Application packs are available to download upon completion of a contact form on our website.

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CHARITY SETS NEW 10-YEAR RECORD BY APPROVING OVER £200,000 IN INTEREST-FREE LOANS

by News

The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity [STWLC] has announced that 13 interest-free loans totalling £206,000 were awarded to people within Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland in the third quarter of 2023 – a new 10-year record allocation amount for the Charity.

Totalling £206,000, the latest sum in interest-free loans is to be utilised to either fund business start-up or development, or postgraduate education.

Ten businesses, including a travel agency, joinery and shop fitting company and a food outlet, are to receive a share of £179,500 in interest-free loans to launch or grow their business.

Meanwhile, three interest-free education loans totalling £26,500 have been approved to support tuition and living costs for postgraduate education, with chosen courses including a Physician Associate Studies MSc and Conservation Studies.

Established in 1542, STWLC hosts quarterly application windows each year in which people aged over 18 and under 45 can apply for unique interest-free loans of up to £20,000 to aid local businesses, or £10,000 to support students wishing to return to postgraduate education. The Charity’s loans are interest-free for nine years, and become repayable by equal instalments after three years.

Lucy Womack, Chair of STWLC, said: “Back in June, we announced that a new 10-year record allocation amount had been set when we approved £182,500 in interest-free business and education loans in the second quarter of 2023. Incredibly, the amount we’ve approved this quarter is even higher, totalling more than £200,000!

“This shows that more and more people are finding out about The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity and the interest-free loans we offer, while also demonstrating the ever-increasing appetite among Leicestershire entrepreneurs and students to grow professionally and academically.

“I’m absolutely thrilled that our support has reached new heights this year. I would encourage anyone interested in launching or growing a business, or returning to university for postgraduate education, to get in touch. We’re here to help!”

For more information on our interest-free business loans, please click here, or click here to learn more on our interest-free education loans.

Leic Business Festival 2022

Get Set For Leicester Business Festival

by News

The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity is proud to be an official supporter of Leicester Business Festival 2022 and is excited to be attending several events, including the launch on 7 November, ‘Creating the Perfect Pitch‘ on 11 November and the ‘Innovation Masterclass‘ on 17 November – plus many more!

This year, Leicester Business Festival runs from 7-18 November, and people are being encouraged to book their places as soon as possible. In all, there will be 82 free-to-attend events taking place.

During the festival we look forward to raising awareness of the Charity and meeting with local business owners to showcase what we offer. We would also love it if our borrowers were able to join us and help spread the word about the Charity’s interest-free loans!

There are many great events lined up, all FREE to attend, and it would be great to see some familiar faces throughout the festival.

To view details for all events and register your place, CLICK HERE

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Esme’s Dog Grooming Business Blooming

by Business Success Stories

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.