Successful entrepreneur and Dragons' Den investor, Deborah Meaden has been a Lendwithcare supporter for over a decade. In 2011, Deborah joined Lendwithcare on a trip to Cambodia to meet low-income entrepreneurs like Cheoung who operates a small business producing ice cream by hand. Since then, we've felt connected to the budding entrepreneurs in the UK seeking funding from Deborah and her fellow Dragons on the BBC programme.
Although circumstances may differ greatly, most successful entrepreneurs have one thing in common; at some point in their lives someone has believed in them and provided them with a helping hand. In the case of entrepreneurs in some of the world's poorest countries, this could very well be the funding they receive from generous Lendwithcare lenders like you.
Photo: Deborah Meaden pictured in Cambodia meeting Cheoung, an entrepreneur funded through Lendwithcare
This Christmas, we are delighted to have the support of Levi Roots and Annie Morris. Both entrepreneurs received funding through Dragons' Den investors and have kindly shared their stories of the first people to believe in them.
Don't forget that you can give your loved ones the opportunity to believe in low-income entrepreneurs with a Lendwithcare gift voucher. And for a limited time, you can also claim a free £15 bonus loan so you can do the same!
Levi Roots | Reggae Reggae Sauce
Levi Roots, best known for his successful multi-million pound business Reggae Reggae Sauce, says he feels very lucky to have had a few people believe in him along the way. This has included his first business mentor, Nadia Jones and Dragons' Den investor, Peter Jones... but the very first was his grandmother.
"When my parents left Jamaica for the UK, they wanted to set up a home before sending for us one by one, so we stayed there with my grandmother until it was our time. Every year they sent for another child but, as the baby, I was the last to leave. I was happy to be left behind – it meant more space in the bed and more time in the bosom of my incredible grandmother! I didn’t go to school but instead she taught me to cook and inspired me with music as she sang in the gospel church choir and music was a big part of our lives. She was definitely the first one who believed in me!"
"But I’m lucky because there have been others. There was Nadia Jones, my first business mentor and the next person to really believe in me. Nadia encouraged me to take my sauce out of Brixton and to hit all the boutique food markets around the UK. It was at one of these markets where a BBC producer discovered me and invited me to apply to Dragons' Den. I didn’t even know what Dragons' Den was then!"
Photo: Levi Roots pictured in Jamaica with his grandmother
"I've been inspired by Bob Marley and Nelson Mandela for all of my adult life but if I were to have the dinner party of my dreams, I would sit Peter Jones in the middle of these two remarkable men! This six foot, seven guy with stripey socks really believed in me – he didn’t just invest in my sauce, he invested in me… Levi Roots! He believed in me and helped me get my first Sainsbury’s deal - 250,000 bottles of Reggae Reggae sauce. He’s still very much part of the business.”
"I think Lendwithcare is such a simple idea yet so clever! I’ve been lucky enough to have people believe in me. This Christmas we could all be that special somebody who believes in the ability of another to turn their life around, grow their business and make their dreams come true."
Annie Morris | Spoon Cereals
Spoon Cereals is a family-run, London-based breakfast cereal company, which is on a mission to make breakfast better. Annie Morris has used her creativity to build a purpose-driven brand with her co-founder and brother-in-law, Jonny. Although she feels immense gratitude towards her co-founder, family, friends, team, investors, suppliers and customers who have helped to make Spoon Cereals a reality, the very first duo to believe in her were her parents.
"The vision for my career since graduating from University had always been to do great creative work for other brands. It had never crossed my mind that I would soon be building one of my own."
Photo: Annie Morris pictured with her co-founder, Jonny Shimmin
"Spoon wouldn’t exist today if it wasn’t for the support of my parents in those early days. After I quit my job to focus on getting Spoon off the ground, they let me live at home rent free, use their basement as a stock room and got stuck in with early morning granola baking shifts at our rented kitchen. They are the original Spoon brand ambassadors."
"In my opinion, a Lendwithcare voucher is the go-to gift for anyone looking to give back this Christmas and at the same time, inspire their loved ones to support low-income entrepreneurs."
Remember that our gift vouchers provide an excellent ethical Christmas gift for your friends and family. Every gift voucher given this Christmas provides an opportunity to support an entrepreneur in need of investment. You can give a Lendwithcare voucher today here.