💡"If other people are doing it, why can't you?" In part two of our conversation for Black Business Week, three founders share the advice they'd give to other aspiring entrepreneurs and reflect on their own experience with imposter syndrome. Watch Gary Izunwa (Tangent) TJ Bouchada (Moody Cow Nails), Bolu Fagborun (Same Day Solutions Limited (SDS)) and Natalie Gasson-McKinley MBE MBA (British Business Bank) explore what it really takes to build and scale a business as a Black entrepreneur in the UK, and how access to the right funding and support can make all the difference.
British Business Bank
Financial Services
Sheffield, South Yorkshire 51,548 followers
Corporate news and small business information from the UK’s government-owned business development bank.
About us
The British Business Bank is the UK's economic development bank. Our mission is to drive sustainable growth and prosperity across the UK, and to enable the transition to a net zero economy, by supporting access to finance for smaller businesses. We design, deliver and manage finance programmes for the UK government to increase the supply of finance to smaller businesses. We do not lend directly but work with over 200 delivery partners to address existing gaps in the market. Our programmes were supporting more than 90,000 companies with more than £12.4bn of finance at the end of March 2023. British Business Bank plc is a public limited company registered in England and Wales, registration number 08616013, registered office Steel City House, West Street, Sheffield, S1 2GQ. It is a development bank wholly owned by HM Government. British Business Bank plc and its subsidiaries are not banking institutions and do not operate as such. With the exception of BBB Investment Services Limited they are not authorised or regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority or the Financial Conduct Authority. BBB Investment Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. A complete legal structure chart for the group and details of the programmes operated by the relevant subsidiaries can be found at british-business-bank.co.uk.
- Website
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http://www.british-business-bank.co.uk
External link for British Business Bank
- Industry
- Financial Services
- Company size
- 201-500 employees
- Headquarters
- Sheffield, South Yorkshire
- Type
- Government Agency
- Founded
- 2014
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
Steel City House
West Street
Sheffield, South Yorkshire S1 2GQ, GB
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Get directions
8 Salisbury Square
London, England EC4Y 8AP, GB
Employees at British Business Bank
Updates
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For Hammy Obikoya, our Start Up Loans programme Ambassador for Northern Ireland, food is more than flavour - it’s connection, culture, and community. After returning to Belfast during lockdown, Hammy and his mother Dorcas opened Mama Bobo, the city’s first Nigerian restaurant and grocery store. Using our Start Up Loans programme and finance from our Investment Fund for Northern Ireland, they created a space where the growing Nigerian community could feel at home and introduced new flavours to the growing food scene in Belfast. And they have ambition to grow even more. As we celebrate Black Business Week, Hammy’s story is a great example of how Black entrepreneurs are building thriving businesses that are shaping local communities. Start Up Loans Company
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Congratulations to our Start Up Loans programme Ambassadors for 2025/26 🎉 These exceptional small business owners will share their experiences of growing a business with #StartUpLoans to offer guidance and inspiration to other aspiring business owners.
Meet our new Ambassadors! 🎉 Each year, we choose exceptional smaller businesses launched with Start Up Loans to share their growth stories and inspire others to follow their business dreams. From ginger beer with a kick to shoes made from ocean waste and artisan fermented foods, these founders are forging ahead with business success 🙌 Huge congratulations to this year’s Ambassadors 👏 🧠✨ Rosie Elvin, ADHD Focus 🦸♂️🥪 Alex Walker, Awesome Franks 📞 🍺Saul Press, Beer Hatch 🫙🥬 Anna Lloyd, Bwblin 🎨🍸 Lauren Rowland and Hannah Muir, Craft + Common 🧴💭 Louis Watkins, Clear For Men 🧋🫧 Yandis Ying, Dot Dot Bubble Tea 🍛 ❤️Hammy Obikoya, Mama Bobo 🌊🩴 Terence Chung, Nuoceans 🌮🌊 Jennifer Herrera and Francis Pipe, Pica Rico 🍪💪 Rachel Munro, The Rebel Baker 🫚🌞 Christian Heath, Sunnyside Drinks Co ⛳🎮 Mike Gore, Virtuoso Golf 🌿📚 Janet Packer and Lindsey Bielby, Growing Wild Outdoor Nursery #StartUpLoans #SmallBusinessSuccess #SULAmbassadors
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Our #NationsAndRegions25 Tracker found that smaller businesses in Northern Ireland reported highest use of external finance. 💷 52% of businesses used finance in 2024. Download the report here for more insights: https://lnkd.in/e3bZWHgG
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Access to finance remains one of the biggest hurdles for Black business owners—often limiting growth before it begins. In celebration of Black Business Week, our Senior Manager, Policy and Strategy Natalie Gasson-McKinley MBE MBA sat down with three inspiring founders to talk about their challenges, the breakthroughs, and the role of backing in turning ambition into growth. Watch Gary Izunwa, Co-Founder and CEO, Tangent, TJ Bouchada, Director, Moody Cow Nails and Bolu Fagborun, Co-Founder, Same Day Solutions Limited (SDS) explore what it really takes to build and scale a business as a Black entrepreneur in the UK, and how access to the right funding and support can make all the difference.
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Outside London, growth in access to venture capital across the Nations and regions outpaced the capital 🚀 Our #NationsAndRegions25 Tracker found the number of unique investors per 100 high-growth enterprises rose from 3 in 2023 to 5 in 2025. Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/e3bZWHgG
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💬 Despite challenging market conditions across the UK Nations and regions, there are some positive signals including a widespread demand for lending, says our Chief Development Officer Richard Bearman. Download our #NationsAndRegions25 Tracker to read his full comment: https://lnkd.in/e3bZWHgG
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📣 Out today, our #NationsAndRegions25 Tracker shows use of external finance remained stable in 2024 across the UK, while the number of smaller businesses likely to look for finance for growth increased to 38%. 🔎 Key findings: 📈 Equity investment declined in 2024, but some regions outside London showed signs of growth 💳 Credit cards remained the most used type of finance in 2024 💷 Northern Ireland is the top nation for external finance use, with 52% of smaller businesses reporting using finance in 2024
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📸 It was great to launch #BusinessFinanceWeek25 in Sheffield this week! We're hosting events up and down the country and online until next Thursday (9 October) – and it's not too late to join us. Check out our full programme and secure your spot: https://bit.ly/3TbSQKp 🤝 Stadium Workspace at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park