Picture story: 3 steps to overcoming a financial pickle

Inspired by the glamour and excitement of Awards season we visited production company Pickle Jar Films at their studio in North East London earlier this month. The business is run by husband and wife team Liz Robinson and Kevin Hylands, who have over two decades of experience working on hit television shows for major UK broadcasters.

The couple set up the business in 2013, working around their hectic TV production schedules out of their spare bedroom until they were ready to go live, and traded creative skills with friends to build the business. Liz told us, “a great friend of ours builds websites, so we made him a film and he helped set up our website.”

Since launching, the pair have produced videos for a range of clients, from Universal Music to Mr Porter. They’ve even produced promo videos and music films for Genesis Publications featuring Ronnie Wood, Paul Weller and Jimmy Page.

The business has grown year on year, and needed a cash injection to kick-start 2016 and attract new clients. However, the prospect of borrowing money seemed quite daunting and the couple had been disappointed when it took several weeks to secure a workable overdraft. A client and close friend, who runs bespoke jewellery design company Tatty Devine, had used Funding Circle and suggested it might work for Pickle Jar Films too.

In January 2016, Liz and Kevin took out a £15,000 loan through the Funding Circle marketplace, describing the process as “easy and quick,” to expand operations. In this picture story, Liz and Kevin discuss their experience of Funding Circle and you can see some behind the scenes images of filming:

3 steps to applying for a business loan at Funding Circle

• 10 minutes: create a full application online and you’ll be assigned a dedicated account manager
• 2 working days: receive an answer from a decision maker
• 7 days: your loan is listed on the marketplace and funded by investors

We’ve helped more than 15,000 businesses in the UK, US and Europe access finance for a range of finance needs. You can check your eligibility online in just 30 seconds.