Opera singer-turned-entrepreneur Hollie-anne Bangham has expanded her music school and coffee shop to meet growing demand with the help of a specialist regional fund.
Hollie-anne, pictured, secured the £25,000 start-up loan from non-profit company SWIG Finance, allowing her to fit out additional space at The Note Warehouse, which provides one-to-one lessons on a range of musical instruments alongside vocal training and music theory lessons. 
As a result, she has been able to double the business’s capacity.
A coffee shop on the same site in Yatton offers locally sourced coffees and cakes to the public as well as being a place for parents and carers to wait during lessons.
A mezzo-soprano who toured with a number of opera companies before launching The Note Warehouse, Hollie-anne is passionate about music and the benefits it can bring to individuals and communities.
Since launching two years ago, The Note Warehouse has provided lessons for more than 500 students – but had been operating at full capacity for some time with a waiting list of new pupils.
It currently employs four staff alongside 15 self-employed music teachers and hopes to recruit more as it expands further.
Realising the business needed to secure finance to grow, Hollie-anne contacted Jerry Riches at Swansea-based asset finance broker Business Finance Trust. He referred her on to SWIG Finance, which supports businesses that cannot secure sufficient finance from their bank, to apply for a start-up loan. 
Hollie-anne said: “It’s not easy to start and run a small business, but it’s going well. After two years, the chance to expand my shop has been a massive achievement. The funding has allowed me to double my music school capacity – something I would not have been able to do without the Start Up Loan.”
She also sang the praises of her advisor, SWIG start up loans senior manager Jo MacEachen, for making the whole process much easier.
“She was so personable and believed in both me as a young entrepreneur and my business as a viable start up,” added Hollie-anne.
Jo added: “Hollie-anne’s business is an exciting concept that will play an important role in enriching the lives of its students.
“Her passion for using music to bring communities together has been clear from the outset. I was delighted that we could support her and help with the next stage of her business.”
In its 2023/24 financial year, SWIG Finance lent £14m to more than 500 businesses, helping to create and secure 700-plus jobs and generate £71.5m in social impact.
