Small business case studies

GP Solutions, Pendlebury When you're looking to start up a new business you can't always count on high street lenders to help get you up and running. This is something Graham Howieson discovered when setting up GP Solutions. He explained: Banks are great if you have got match funding but otherwise it can be tough, so in the initial stages we didn't have a bank as such.

Graham sought help from Moneyline. They read our plan and supported us and gave us the initial capital. We've worked with them on and off since. Banking institutions have a set lending criteria and if you are outside of that it can be difficult. In our case we were developing a product and Moneyline believed in that product. They provided the financial bridge we needed.

Raw Design, Salford University life in Salford made such an impression on two graduates that after setting up a business at home, they returned to Salford to take advantage of the city's creative industry boom.

Steve Taylor, Co-founder of Raw Design explains, We needed extra money for equipment and marketing - all to help with developing the business. Applying for and getting the loan was really easy. Of course, we had to supply the same details you would for a bank or building society but the whole process just seemed so much friendlier. We weren't dealing with a faceless organisation but real people who were happy to help