(L-R): Jonathan Armitage of NEL fund managers with Ian Clarkson, Rebecca Mitchell, Matt Haycock and Bev Dilks of Lylalife.
(L-R): Jonathan Armitage of NEL fund managers with Ian Clarkson, Rebecca Mitchell, Matt Haycock and Bev Dilks of Lylalife.

A North East hygiene product supplier creates job and marketing campaign after six figure investment

A North East continence product supplier will step up its advertising campaign following a six-figure investment from the North East Small Loan Fund.

Lylalife supplies urinary incontinence products which are delivered directly and discreetly to customers, with a monthly repeat order service available alongside one-off purchases.

And after working with regional fund management firm NEL Fund Managers to secure the £100k Small Loan Fund investment, Lylalife is now aiming to increase this number to 50k over the next two years.

A major marketing campaign is being planned for the new year, with advertising slots booked on ITV, Sky Television, Classic FM and Smooth FM to help build greater awareness of the Lyla brand, which stands for Live Your Life Again.

Around 20 new North East jobs are expected to be created with the planned expansion of the business, which also has premises in Newcastle.

Managing director Wayne Dobson says: “The products we supply are quite expensive to buy in the shops and experience shows that the quality can be variable, while some customers can naturally feel a bit awkward about being seen taking them off supermarket shelves.

“My existing commercial relationships with manufacturers in the sector meant we were able to source quality products very economically and allowed us to assemble a best-in-class initial product range.

“Our new year marketing push is the starting point for this drive and we’re confident that we’ll be able to increase our customer base tenfold over the next two years, with the added benefit of new North East jobs set to follow as we grow.

Jonathan Armitage, investment executive at NEL Fund Managers, adds: “Lylalife has already demonstrated customer demand for its high-quality products and its business plan shows a clear path for how it will be able to scale up significantly over the next couple of years.”

The overarching £120m North East Fund will provide financial support for more than 600 businesses, creating around 3,500 jobs and delivering a legacy of up to £80m for further investment into the region.

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