A UNIQUE and thriving homeware store in Warrington that started as a ‘passion project’ in a garage has major plans of upscaling after securing a £55k loan.

Founder of Lymm-based Tilly and Ted, Louise Ward, never anticipated her love of interior design to grow into a career that she loves.

Having worked as cabin crew for a number of years, Louise took some time out from her career when having children.

Her eye for interior design led to her starting the online furniture store during the Covid 19 pandemic, from the garage of her home in Lymm.

Tilly and Ted was created to provide a bridge between high-end furnishings and mid-range price points.

By sourcing unique furniture not found on the high street, the website combines ‘classic and timeless’ styles with ‘unique’ finishings.

As the business continued to grow, Louise began using an external fulfilment centre to cater to Tilly and Ted’s growing order book.

“From a passion project that started in my garage, I’m incredibly proud of how far Tilly and Ted has come,” founder Louise said.

“I’ve always loved interior design, but never considered turning it into a career. However, with the right support I’ve been able to grow Tilly and Ted to be a financially viable, successful business.”

Subsequently, the store has achieved 53 per cent year on year growth in turnover. However, to help scale the business further and increase margins on products, the owner worked with the GC Business Finance team to secure external finance through NPIF II.

She continued: “It’s now all about scaling my business further to increase margins, and it was clear I needed external finance to do this.

“Alison and the GC Business Finance team have been a great help, not only helping me to secure funding through NPIF II, but also giving me invaluable advice and making the whole process simple. There’s plenty to be excited about at Tilly and Ted, and I can’t wait to see what we achieve next.”

With the funding in place, Louise will be focusing on growing the business and scaling operations.

The business operates a successful digital marketing programme and will be looking to build on this by hiring a part time team member to focus on social media and customer service.

Currently only operating in the UK, plans are in the pipeline to expand the website’s product offering to an international market.

Alison Darkes, investment manager at GC Business Finance, said: “Louise exemplifies what it means to be an entrepreneur, spotting a gap in the market and turning one of her long-held passions into a successful business.

“By working closely with Louise, it was evident how much opportunity there was in Tilly and Ted, and we wanted to help her unlock this. By securing essential funding through NPIF II, Louise will be able to increase margins on products and ensure growth for the long-term. I look forward to seeing what’s next for Tilly and Ted.”

The £660m Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIFII) covers the entire north of England and provides loans from £25k to £2m and equity investment up to £5m to help a range of small and medium sized businesses to start up, scale up or stay ahead.

Its purpose is to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across the north.

Sue Barnard, senior manager at British Business Bank added: “NPIF II is all about helping ambitious entrepreneurs and founders to grow their businesses and drive growth.

“We want to ensure every type of business is able to access capital, no matter their sector or history.

“Tilly and Ted is a great example of this, using the funding to scale and create jobs in the Northern economy.”