A Cornish swimwear company has launched thanks to funding from SWIG Finance. Bodds, founded by Claire Scipio from Roche creates fashionable, yet supportive swimwear for teenager girls.
Claire says: “The idea for Bodds started after a traumatic shopping trip with my daughter who was 14 at the time. All the fashionable swimwear was incredibly skimpy, even the sporty versions and none of them provided any support.
“Neither of us were comfortable with what was available on the market and I was inspired to do something about it.”
Claire found out about SWIG Finance through a course she attended with Unlocking Potential and went on to apply for £6,000 of start up funding. Having self-funded the product development and prototyping, Claire needed finance for the initial stock run as well as set up costs such as the development of a website and brand.
Launching in June with two full bikinis which can be ‘pick and mix’, the business will initially trade online only. Claire says: “Without the support from SWIG Finance and organisations like Unlocking Potential I wouldn’t have got the business up and running at all.
“Our teenage daughters deserve a choice of what they want to wear. Starting a business is hard work but I will keep going because I won’t let my daughter down.”
Find out more about Start Up Loan funding.