Sarah-Jane is 'Vocus-ed' on the prize!

"I'M passionate about this and if I don’t do it now, I’ll live to regret it."

That was the mantra Sarah-Jane Murray repeated to herself as she juggled one of the biggest decisions of her life, whether or not to follow her dream of launching her sustainable activewear business, Vocus Vit.

Until that point, the Omagh entrepreneur, who was living in Australia, had a clear vision for the future of her sustainable activewear business and had already made a significant investment in merchandise.

But, just as the business was set to launch, Sarah-Jane discovered she was pregnant and was immediately filled with doubt about investing in her start-up when she would have a baby to support.

Her first decisive action was to return home to Northern Ireland and following the birth of little Albie, Sarah-Jane decided she was going to follow her heart and start up her business.

Vocus Vit offers premium activewear for ladies with a laser-focus on sustainability. All of the range is made from recycled plastic bottles without compromising on comfort, fit and style.

The start-up is also focussed on being size inclusive and empowering all women to feel comfortable and supported when wearing activewear.

Sarah-Jane said: “To place my first order, which was for 300 units, I had to pay 50% of the £8,000 balance up front, and I did this whilst I was in Australia.

“By the time I was back home in Omagh I had to pay the remaining balance and get the order shipped there instead of my address in Melbourne. I remember sitting at home questioning if clearing the balance was the best use of my money now I had Albie to support.

“But I had worked hard for those savings to be put aside for my business, so I decided it was the right thing to do.”

Sarah-Jane, who had lived in England for five years before moving to Australia, after she studied criminology at university in Liverpool, then began forensically investigating the help that was available to start-ups in Northern Ireland.

“It’s not until you actually start to research that you realise there are good support networks available to start-ups. From Ormeau Baths, to Women in Business and Omagh Enterprise Centre, everyone I spoke to was really helpful or signposted me to the right people.

“I also signed up for the ‘Go For It Programme’ and it was here I was signposted to the British Business Bank.

“One of my biggest challenges was cashflow and I needed a loan to help me get set-up.

“I remember thinking there is no way I am going to be successful in getting a loan, but I applied to the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme and I was successful in getting a £10,000 loan.

A Start Up Loan is a government-backed personal loan available to individuals looking to start or grow a business in the UK. In addition to finance, successful applicants receive 12 months of free mentoring and access to resources to help them succeed.

The loans range from £500-£25,000 and can be repaid across one-to-five-year terms at 6% interest. The loan is unsecured, so there’s no need to put forward any assets or guarantors to support an application.

“One of the big benefits of the loan has been the flexibility. A problem I have is when I place an order it takes three months for it to arrive, meaning there is no income for the business until I have the merchandise in stock.

“With the Start Up Loan I was able to defer the repayments and only pay the interest which has helped me greatly.

“Another benefit has been the mentoring you receive. I have learnt about profit & loss forecasts and social media marketing, which for someone new to business, has been invaluable.”

Sarah-Jane encouraged other entrepreneurs to take the leap as the support is here in Northern Ireland to help them get started.

She said: “I think a big realisation for me is that you have to spend money to make money. I have never been in debt in my life, so it was pretty nerve wracking to take out a £10,000 loan, but I knew it was what the business needed.

“If you’re like me and nervous about taking on debt, I would say, don’t let this hold you back. You are investing in the future success of your business.”

Now 15 months old, little Albie is finding his feet just like Vocus Vit, which is beginning to create a community of fans of the brand.

Sarah-Jane added: “The business is solely online at the minute but one day in the future we might think about opening a shop. For now, our focus is really getting out there, letting people know about the brand and what we offer.

“I really want to empower women and I think a big part of that is listening to them. I want to really build our community and be in a position to respond to our customers needs by adapting designs etc so everything we do at Vocus Vit is centred on our customers.”

To find out more about how a Start Up Loan can help you realise your ambition of starting your own business visit www.startuploans.co.uk To find out more about Vocus Vit and Sarah-Jane’s story visit www.vocusvit.com