Young Northumberland entrepreneur grows dog treat business

A young entrepreneur from Northumberland is developing her dog treats business with the aim to become a national brand.

24-year-old Katie Kirkup from Ovingham used advice from TEDCO’s Ready for Business programme and a start-up loan.

She said: “After starting two different University courses I came to realise that what I really wanted out of my professional life was to create my own business which used creative ideas in a profitable way.

“I’ve been planning Jasper’s Dog Treats for over two years but after working with the team of business advisors at Ready for Business, I really started to get confidence in my idea and how it could work as a viable business.

“I finalised my business plan and looked at financing options which would help get the business up and running quickly.

“My focus was very much on creating a strong brand with an e-commerce platform to sell my products so my start up loan gave me a great head start to ensure my business had an online presence from the beginning and a strong, recognisable brand name which showcased the bespoke nature of the products to consumers.”

Sir Richard Branson teamed up with TEDCO in November of this year to officially launch Virgin Start Up loans for North East entrepreneurs.

The loans, which will have an interest rate of just 6%, are designed to help young people obtain the financing they need to realise their dreams of running an enterprise, with average loans totalling anywhere from £5,000 to £10,000.

TEDCO will deliver the Virgin StartUp loans as part of the Cavendish Consortium, a collection of six enterprise agencies across the UK who offer national coverage in the delivery of enterprise support programmes.

Those interested in finding out more about the programmes should call 0191 5196102 or visit www.tedco.org.