Launching a brand-new business is an exciting experience, especially if it’s your first time.
But it’s not unusual for the experience to become overwhelming. There are so many facets to think about, and tough decisions to make. For many new founders, there’s pressure to get everything right from day one, often before the business has even opened its doors.
One of the biggest challenges is funding the launch – depending on your business idea, getting started can involve some major upfront costs, and knowing where to turn for help is vital.
Every year, thousands of people take their first step into business with the help of a Start Up Loan, often at the very beginning when confidence matters just as much as money.
In this article, we share the stories from founders who used a Start Up Loan to launch their new businesses and what having the right support meant to them at the start.
Unfold Sauna Club Business Owners Joe Williams, Seb Rea and Ben Plant
Unfold Sauna
Bristol | Wellness | Start Up Loan to Launch
Unfold Sauna Club grew out of a Sunday morning ritual shared by housemates Joe Williams, Seb Rea and Ben Plant. What began as a personal wellness habit evolved into the idea for a community sauna — a social space centred around health rather than nightlife.
After Joe was hospitalised with alcohol-induced pancreatitis, the group realised how powerful it was to have an alternative to the traditional “after-work-drinks” culture. The idea to create a space that combined heat therapy with movement, while inspiring social connection, began to unfold.
But launching the business required upfront investment. Funding was needed to invest in equipment, fit-out and marketing. A Start Up Loan helped bridge that gap and allowed them to open Unfold to the public in June 2025.
Since launching, the business has built what Joe describes as an “amazing community,” growing through word of mouth, social media, and grassroots engagement with local groups and events.
The founders now plan to extend opening hours and develop Unfold into a wider cultural hub for social wellness in Bristol.
Jennifer Tomes and Matthew Norris, Co-Founders of Cotswold Chiropractic Health Centre
Cotswold Chiropractic Health Centre
Cotswolds | Healthcare | Start Up Loan to Launch
Jennifer Tomes and Matthew Norris launched Cotswold Chiropractic Health Centre to meet growing demand for accessible chiropractic care in their local area. With NHS waiting times increasing, they saw an opportunity. By offering a dedicated clinic, they knew they could support patients sooner and provide continuity of care.
Although both founders brought strong healthcare experience — Jennifer holds a Master’s in Chiropractic and Matthew has worked in community healthcare for over six years — launching a clinic required significant upfront investment. Fitting out the treatment rooms to professional standards and building brand awareness were essential, but costly, steps.
A Start Up Loan provided funding to support the clinic launch, including the full fit-out and initial marketing. “This funding transformed our ability to start this business successfully,” Matthew explains. “We were able to invest properly in marketing and deliver our services to a high standard from day one.”
Since opening, the clinic has built a patient base and supported the local community, with plans to expand its services further.
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We have Start Up Loans available to help you launch your business
Monika Killer, Founder of The Haunted Bookshop
The Haunted Bookshop
Bristol | Specialist Bookshop | Start Up Loan to Launch
For founder Monika Killer, opening her own bookshop was a lifelong dream. After years of imagining what it might look like, she finally decided to take the leap and create a unique retail space dedicated to horror, witchcraft and occult literature — a niche that had few dedicated outlets in the UK.
As a first-time founder with no trading history, funding the launch posed challenges. Stock, shelving, fittings and marketing all required upfront investment, and were non-negotiable requirements before the doors could open. A Start Up Loan was the perfect option to support these early costs. The funding ensured that Monika could fully stock the shop and launch with confidence.
Monika found the application process supportive rather than intimidating. “From the get-go, my advisor Suzy was incredibly helpful and made the whole process a breeze,” she says. “She made me believe in myself and my idea and was really encouraging throughout.”
Since launching in September 2024, The Haunted Bookshop has transformed into a community hub, and with a loyal customer base, regular visitors now travel from across the region to attend events, browse specialist titles, and connect with like-minded readers.
Wonder – a World of Imagination – Shop Front Visual
Wonder – A World of Imagination
Hampshire | Leisure | Start Up Loan to Launch
Inspired by her background in early years education and a desire to create more imaginative play spaces for children, founder Marnie developed Wonder – A World of Imagination – a creative, story-led play environment designed to spark curiosity and parent-child connection.
Transforming a vacant unit into a themed play experience required extensive fit-out, specialist equipment, insurance and thorough safety compliance. For a pre-launch business, these costs can be difficult to manage without external support. Marnie’s Start Up Loan helped to cover all of the key launch expenses, and although the project could have been undertaken as a self-financed project, the Start Up Loan was an essential factor in enabling the space to open in such a short timeframe.
Marnie documented her journey throughout the process. From planning and build-out to opening day, she was able to highlight the ups and downs of starting a business from scratch. Since opening, Wonder has hosted a range of sessions, including parties and events, and has quickly become a valued destination for local families and those travelling from further afield.
Marnie plans to continue growing the business and expanding its offer, with early momentum demonstrating strong demand for experiential play spaces.
Every Start-Up Journey is Different
Starting a new business is often a big learning curve – each journey rarely begins with everything figured out and a perfect business plan to match.
These four stories from real founders show that progress comes from passion and determination. And while each of these start-up journeys is unique, they all show that having the right support early on can make a real difference.
Using a Start Up Loan to Launch
We see hundreds of founders using a Start Up Loan to launch their businesses every year, and having this funding in place often provides business owners with peace of mind that they can launch with confidence.
For practical tips to help you get your business off the ground, our Knowledge Hub has a range of resources to help you prepare for what comes next. Whether you’re still refining your idea or perhaps you’re already exploring funding to help you get started, knowing where you can go for support is an important step.
Want to learn more about Start Up Loans?
Read our blog!
About Start Up Loans
Start Up Loans is part of the British Business Bank and offers personal loans of up to £25,000 per director and offers free mentoring to help anyone start or grow a new or early-stage business.
SWIG Finance is the Bank’s Business Support Partner for the government-backed programme in the South West.
About SWIG Finance
SWIG Finance is a people-based lender that provides loans and support to help smaller businesses in the South and West Country grow. We base our lending decisions on potential rather than collateral, which means that we can often support businesses when others can't.
We’re growing every year. In 2024/25, we lent £14.8m to 501 businesses, helping to create and secure over 1,272 jobs and generate £75.7m in social impact. Download the report here.
If you’d like an informal chat about your funding requirements, get in touch with our friendly and professional team to see how we can help: info@swigfinance.co.uk / 01872 227 930