Having finished her degree in textile design, Becka Spence was determined to apply her creative skills commercially and decided to launch her own business: Pattern and Print Upholstery, based in Windermere.

Becka said: “I hit on the idea of combining print design with upholstery to offer clients a one-stop service. There aren’t many print designers doing that.”

She enrolled on the Business Start-up Support programme and secured a £1000 grant through the BSUS subsidy scheme towards the costs of designing a website. The scheme contributes 40% of the cost, up to a maximum of £1000, to help start-ups access consultancy services or match revenue purchases.

The best thing about the Growth Hub’s start-up programme is the one-to-one support. My adviser has been brilliant. He helped to boost my confidence and provided reassurance that I was on the right track.

She said: “Most of my customers are in London and the south of England and I’ve had a few enquiries from overseas, but I’d really love to have more clients locally. The hard part is getting known. You have to build-up trust before people become clients.

“I launched in March and the orders are really starting to roll in.”

Lesley Robinson, Start-Up and Enterprise Manager at Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, said: “Hundreds of people, like Becka, take advantage of our start-up support every year.

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“There is similar support available in your early years of trading too, which are often particularly challenging – not least, as Becka says, finding enough customers to sustain and grow your business.  We have a great team of advisers, so it makes sense to take advantage of the help that’s available.”