How Let’s Do Business Finance Unlocked Bare Beauty Academy’s Big Dream
When Holly Foster, founder of Bare Beauty, began her journey in 2021 as a sole trader running a home-based beauty business, she dreamed of one day opening her own salon in Eastbourne — a place where she could bring her services together under one roof and share her passion for beauty with others.
Fast forward to 2025, and that dream has become a reality. With support from Let’s Do Business Finance through funding from the Growth Guarantee Scheme and the Community ENABLE Fund, Holly has proudly opened the doors to her brand-new salon and academy on South Street, Eastbourne.
Founder Holly Foster and her new team
From Home Salon to High Street Success
Holly’s story is one of passion, perseverance, and purpose.
Starting out from her family home as a sole trader in 2021, she quickly built a loyal client base thanks to her attention to detail, professionalism, and commitment to helping every customer look and feel their best.
Quickly outgrowing the spare room, Holly had ambition to grow – and made the move to a studio to base operations from. Not stopping there, she dreamt of even more one day – and wanted to create a vibrant space that would not only deliver exceptional beauty treatments, but also give aspiring professionals a chance to learn, grow, and build their own success stories.
By 2025, Holly found the perfect premises on South Street and set a plan in motion — creating a stylish salon in an accessible location that could house a full suite of treatments, from nails, lashes, and brows to hair styling, as well as the new Bare Beauty Academy that would offer accredited training courses for aspiring beauticians in the area. Under the Bare Beauty Academy brand, she set out to transform her vision into a reality: a place that would combine high end treatments with high-standard professional training,
Finding the right support to make it happen
Holly had a clear plan and the determination to make it happen — she just needed the right financial support to get there.
After discovering Let’s Do Business Finance she connected with Business Finance Manager Elaine Robinson, who worked closely with her to secure the funding she needed to take the next step.
“Holly’s preparation and focus made the process incredibly smooth” said Elaine Robinson, from the Lending Team at Let’s Do Business Finance. “She had a clear understanding of what she needed and a strong marketing plan that demonstrated real foresight — not only in reaching new clients, but in building lasting community connections. Her drive and direction made it a pleasure to help bring her vision to life.”
Through the Growth Guarantee Scheme and Community ENABLE Fund — two British Business Bank-backed funding programmes that Let’s Do Business Finance is accredited to deliver — Holly obtained a £25,001 business loan. The funding helped her secure the South Street location lease and refurbish the new salon, invest in high-quality training equipment, and manage the crucial early cashflow needed to launch successfully.
The stylish interior of South Street’s newest addition
The Growth Guarantee Scheme and the Community ENABLE Fund are initiatives from the British Business Bank designed to improve access to finance for smaller businesses across the UK. The Growth Guarantee Scheme helps lenders provide loans to viable businesses that might otherwise struggle to secure funding, while the Community ENABLE Fund supports responsible finance providers in delivering lending to businesses underserved by mainstream banks. Let's Do Business Finance is proud to have been the first lender in the UK to be accredited to deliver the Community ENABLE Fund, enabling us to extend our support to even more businesses across the South and East of England.
“This funding has been a game-changer for Bare Beauty Academy,” says Holly. “It’s allowed me to take a big step forward — not just in growing the business, but in creating a space where others can thrive too. The support from Let’s Do Business Finance helped turn my vision into reality.”
With the support in place, Holly and her family rolled up their sleeves to transform the space. The result? A fresh, new luxury salon, and new beginnings for Bare Beauty.
From potential to a dream realised
The support for Bare Beauty has brought several benefits to the local area, including:
A stylish new salon and academy — delivering expert treatments and accredited beauty training, providing a new destination salon for locals.
New local opportunities — creating roles for stylists, beauty professionals, and self-employed practitioners.
Professional development — offering recognised qualifications and hands-on training to help students build confidence and careers, creating even more job opportunities in the local area long term
Community spirit — with family, friends, and local supporters all contributing to Bare Beauty’s story, a special new place on South Street has infinite potential to grow.
Proud to Be Part of the Journey
Being part of Holly’s journey is a proud moment for Let’s Do Business Finance. She represents the very reason why our mission exists – showing that when ambition meets opportunity, small businesses can achieve extraordinary things that help to regenerate local high streets, provide local employment opportunities and inspire even more future business owners.
At Let’s Do Business Finance, we’re proud to support businesses like Bare Beauty Academy — helping entrepreneurs across the South and East of England to expand, innovate, and shine.
If you’re ready to take the next step in your business journey, we’re here to help you make it happen.
Find out how we can support your growth through our range of funding options, including the Growth Guarantee Scheme and Community ENABLE Fund.
And to our partners, brokers, and supporters — Bare Beauty Academy is proof of the impact we can achieve together. By backing local entrepreneurs, we’re helping create the next generation of business success stories. Interested in working with us? Get in touch
