Lender helps ex-haulier steer farm shop in a new direction

A former haulier-turned-shopkeeper has stepped into the driving seat of the long-established Stallingborough Farm Shop after receiving the green light from Finance For Enterprise to secure the necessary funds.

Michael Fisher hit the brakes on his career as a long-distance driver when his father-in-law, John Money, decided to retire from running the Stallingborough Farm Shop, near Grimsby.

The business has served the residents of North East Lincolnshire for more than 30 years.

Fisher contacted Doncaster-based Finance For Enterprise for help and discussed his plans for the business with Grimsby-based investment manager Jane Cusse.

Credit: Duncan Young

She helped him and his wife Maria to secure £40,000 which was raised by two Start-up Loans and topped up by funds provided directly by Finance For Enterprise.

The funds enabled the husband and wife team to purchase the business and its stock, as well as three vans to expand the company’s home delivery service.

The couple have hired nine new members of staff to meet increased demand. They now intend to continue expanding the delivery fleet and are setting their sights on growing the business further.

Michael Fisher said: “Our investment manager Jane was amazing, she took the stress and worry away and kept us regularly updated through the application process.

“I knew from the outset that running my own business would be a challenging and exciting journey, but when we signed on the dotted line last February, little did we appreciate just how much and how quickly the business would need to adapt as a result of COVID-19.

“The financial support we received from Finance For Enterprise helped us manage our cashflow, particularly during our first few months of trading when we didn’t know how lockdown would affect the business.

“The Farm Shop had always offered a home delivery service, but the funds we were able to secure from Finance For Enterprise enabled us to continue trading by delivering the fresh produce to the doors of our customers and as a result, we’ve managed to grow the business and create new jobs.”

Credit: Duncan Young

Cusse added: “Despite working in a challenging business climate, Michael and Maria’s hard work has really paid off and the amount of positive feedback they’ve received from their customers is a testament to their dedication and hard work.

“The Farm Shop is something of an institution in Grimsby and it’s great to see its future is in safe hands.

“Accessing finance is one of the greatest challenges that many new business owners face, but the Start Up Loans scheme was specifically created to support new entrepreneurs.

“Michael and Maria presented a well thought out business plan, backed by forecasts based on the historical performance of the business and under their leadership the business has gone from strength-to-strength.”