Cardiff florist blooms with £15,000 micro loan

A £15,000 loan from the Development Bank of Wales has helped John Henry Flowers to relocate to larger premises at Unit 10, Wellfield Court in Cardiff as business blooms for the popular florists. 

Owned and managed by married couple Michael Webb and John Sartain, John Henry Flowers  was established in July 2021 and now provides a range of flowers for all occasions including bouquets and arrangements to go. An increase in demand for house plants, decorative pots, vases and accessories meant that additional space was required. 

Director John Sartain said: “Our landlord contacted us to explain that a larger shop in Wellfield Court was becoming available and it was ideal timing as we needed more space and wanted to take advantage of a larger shop front with more passing trade. 

“We did the sums and quickly established that we needed £15,000 to fund the fit-out and give us some extra working capital to buy more stock and pay the higher rent. That might not seem like a lot of money to some business owners, but for us, we knew it would make all the difference by paying for the move and giving us room to grow. The flexible and friendly approach of the Development Bank meant that we got the exact amount that we needed, when we needed it so we’re now up and running in our new premises and we couldn’t be happier.”

Donna Strohmeyer is an Investment Executive for the Development Bank of Wales. She said: “Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy so we’re working hard to provide loans that help business owners to take advantage of new opportunities and ease cashflow. John and Michael have done a great job fitting out their new shop and now have the physical and financial space to grow.”

The £32.5 million Wales Micro Loan Fund is financed entirely by Welsh Government. Loans between £1,000 and £50,000 are available for small businesses, sole traders and social enterprise with repayment terms ranging between one and 10 years.