The owner of a sustainable activewear company in Co Tyrone where some of the fabric is meticulously made from recycled plastic bottles has been named by the British Business Bank as its Northern Ireland start up loans ambassador.
Sarah-Jane Murray, founder of Vocus Vit, is among 14 small businesses owners from across the UK recognised as inspiring examples of start-ups which have been supported by the loans programme.
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 Australia to Omagh following the birth of her son Albie.
Vocus Vit offers premium activewear for ladies with a strong focus on sustainability and ethical business practises.
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.”
The annual ambassadors programme, now in its ninth year, celebrates inspiring business owners who have launched an enterprise using finance from the government-backed scheme. Each has 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.
British Business Bank director Susan Nightingale 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, chief executive of Enterprise NI, added: “I congratulate Sarah-Jane. 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 Loans and the help and guidance of the Enterprise NI 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 of between £500 and £25,000 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.
