Vocus Vit founder Sarah-Jane Murray announced as British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme ambassador for Northern Ireland
She used a £10,000 Start Up Loan, supported by the programme’s business support partner Enterprise NI, to expand her inventory and invest in growing her business further after returning from Down Under following the birth of her son Albie.
Sarah-Jane, founder of sustainable activewear company Vocus Vit, is among 14 businesses announced on Tuesday as Start Up Loans’ 2024 Ambassadors.
Vocus Vit offers premium activewear for ladies with a strong focus on sustainability and ethical business practices, the range being made from materials such as recycled plastic bottles.
The annual Start Up Loans Ambassadors programme, now in its ninth year, celebrates inspiring UK business owners who have launched an enterprise using finance from the government-backed scheme.
The ambassadors have been selected as they demonstrate the resilience, creativity and determination required to make a smaller business successful, and to provide inspiration for entrepreneurs across the UK.
Sarah-Jane said: “I’m delighted to be a Start Up Loans Ambassador. The programme has really helped me get started in business and I am happy to share my story to help inspire other entrepreneurs.
“The loan really helped accelerate my business plans and, as it comes with free mentoring, I have been able to learn about things such as profit and loss forecasts and social media marketing.”
This year, in addition to 12 ambassadors drawn from each of the UK’s nations and regions, two more ambassadors have been selected.
These business owners represent two important groups supported by the programme, who may face challenges in accessing finance from elsewhere: one from the ex-Armed Forces community and the other from the Gen Z age group.
The 2024 ambassadors will be introduced at a dedicated event in central London that marks the start of a year-long programme which will see the new ambassadors take part in a series of local and national activities, helping inspire and encourage aspiring start-up founders to take the leap into business ownership.
Susan Nightingale, British Business Bank Director UK Network, Devolved Nations, said: “I am delighted to welcome Sarah-Jane as the new ambassador for Northern Ireland.
“Our ambassadors embody the determination and drive that is required of a business owner in the current climate. I know that they will inspire others to follow their dream of becoming a business owner and I am very much looking forward to working with them and helping to share their story.”
Michael McQuillan, CEO Enterprise NI, added: “Enterprise Northern Ireland is delighted to congratulate Sarah-Jane on being named the new Start Up Loans Ambassador for Northern Ireland.
“We are experiencing a significant surge in entrepreneurial activity in Northern Ireland this year with an increasing number of local entrepreneurs getting their business off the ground with the help of a Start Up Loan and the help and guidance of the Enterprise Northern Ireland team and network of local enterprise agencies – the backbone of local enterprise support.”
Since its inception, the Start Up Loans programme has delivered more than 115,000 loans to business owners across the UK, amounting to more than £1.1bn of financing.
Of those loans, 40% of loan recipients have been women and 20% from black, Asian, and other minority ethnic backgrounds (not including white minorities).
Through a network of business support partner organisations, including in Northern Ireland, Enterprise NI, the Start Up Loans programme provides:
Access to pre and post-loan support to help applicants to develop a business plan,
Fixed-interest first and second loans of up to £25,000 to help recipients to start or grow their business, and
Mentoring support to help loan recipients with everything from cash flow to marketing.
As an official business support partner for the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme, Enterprise NI operates within a network of partners, delivering Start Up Loans in the range of £500 to £25,000 across Northern Ireland.