Member Article

Bury entrepreneur launches cake company with £45k BFS loan

Bury-based entrepreneur, Susie Walker, has received a £45k BFS Business Loan to launch the Liberty Cake Company.

The company employs five members of staff in the business and there are plans to grow the team as the business evolves.

Liberty Cake Company is based at The Rock in Bury, adjacent to The Rock shopping centre, and offers a wide range of handmade cakes, an afternoon tea service, cake design and catering services.

BFS Business Loans is a government-backed initiative that will see over £24 million invested into growing businesses in Greater Manchester over the next 10 years.

A condition of the loan is that it must create or protect jobs and typical loans are from £3k to £100k in value.

The Business Loans are designed to help businesses that have been unable to secure mainstream funding and to make it easier for entrepreneurs to access the finance they need to start up and grow their own enterprises.

Recipients of the BFS Business Loans can also be introduced to business mentors and to other business support services, which will be delivered by the Business Growth Hub.

Susie said: “The BFS Business Loans programme was able to give me, not just the funding I needed to get the company up and running, but also the additional support in areas like business budgeting and marketing that are so crucial for any new business.”

“Baking has been my hobby and something I have done with my children for many years and what I want to bring to Bury with the Liberty Cake Company is a real alternative to the commercial chains that are taking over our High Streets.

“Our cakes are made on the premises using the finest ingredients and we’re also offering a new cake decorating class service.

“There has been a real resurgence of interest in baking recently, thanks to people like Mary Berry and The Great British Bake Off series, and Liberty Cake Company will be helping people to eat, make and enjoy beautiful cakes just as much as I do.”

Director of Business Finance Solutions in Manchester, Paul Breen, said: “Susie had planned and developed her business idea for a number of years until she was ready to make the leap and leave her career as a teacher behind.

“This is a real trend that we are seeing with start ups at the moment as more and more people decide to follow their business dream and access the support that is out there to enable them to change direction.

“Our mission is to make it easier for ambitious people like Susie to access both the finance and the practical support they need to start and grow the businesses that will help the economy thrive.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sophia Taha .