Young entrepreneur wins £3,500 start-up funding

A young Teesside entrepreneur has secured £3,500 start-up funding for his online bespoke sticker business.

Luke Robertson, 20, launched Wallchimp as a teenager and now sells his range of wall stickers to over 600 clients.

Luke’s ambitious plans have impressed investors, UK Steel Enterprise, the Tata Steel business support subsidiary, who who are providing him with the £3,500 needed to re-develop his website.

Simon Hamilton of UK Steel Enterprise, said: “Our Regeneration Fund gives entrepreneurs, and businesses less than 18 months old, access to the loan financing – from £1,000 to £3,500 – that can be vital to their plans.

“They may be small amounts in comparison to the packages of up to £750,000 that we offer businesses with major expansion projects but they are not always easy to source and can be key to getting a business off the ground or growing.

“Luke is doing a great job with Wallchimp and we’re sure the company will continue to be a Hartlepool success story.”

Luke launched his own business after leaving sixth form college with A* grades in graphic design, photography and product design.

A number of business tenants at UK Steel Enterprise’s Innovation Centre at Hartlepool, including Reactive Design and Adept Recruitment are already Wallchimp customers.

Designs range from animals, children’s names, silhouettes, to sports to bespoke products including logos and branding, chalkboards and working wall clocks.

The investment from UK Steel Enterprise, the Tata Steel business support subsidiary follows attention from Dragon’s Den star, Theo Paphitis.

Luke, who lives in Hartlepool, said: “My link to Theo Paphitis has been a huge boost to business and it also gave me the opportunity to have an agency work on my website, but I wouldn’t have been able to go ahead without the money from UK Steel Enterprise’s Regeneration Fund.

“I was delighted as this is an important stage in Wallchimp’s development and the whole application process has been quick and easy.

“My original website was put together right at the beginning of my business so it really needs re-developing and I’m hoping to have it up-and-running in the next few months.

“Hopefully, I will be creating jobs and expanding in the not-too-distant future and beyond that I have great plans to grow Wallchimp and develop other businesses too.

“We sell a lot on-line but being based in my home town and having a lot of local customers is very important to me so I hope that I will develop a long-standing relationship with UK Steel Enterprise.”

“It is hard work and I don’t have much spare time but I am loving it.

“Having support from both UK Steel Enterprise and Theo Paphitis at this stage is just brilliant.”