Success Story: Develerate

Develerate is a coaching business based in Weston Super Mare delivering nationally recognised Leadership, Management and Coaching qualifications, plus a wide range of short courses. The business was started by Director, Lucy Solomon, in September 2020.

Prior to starting Develerate, Lucy had worked in the in the training sector for 20 years. The opportunity to forge her own path came after being made redundant from her training role at a local college. Lucy gave some thought as to ‘what next’ and decided to follow her dream of setting up her own business.

When speaking with Lucy, she told us that it “felt right” that 2020 was the year to do it. When Covid-19 reared its ugly head, Lucy considered applying for suitable jobs, but couldn’t bring herself to do it, she felt as though it was now or never to launch!

The main objective of Develerate is to coach and support managers to develop the skills and knowledge they need to lead and guide their teams with confidence and enthusiasm. Alongside this, Lucy will also be offering bespoke coaching and mentoring and in the not-too-distant future, plans to offer apprenticeships in coaching, leadership and management services.

Lucy’s passion lies in learning about the work and ambitions of her clients and understanding what makes them tick. Helping people identify areas for development both personally and professionally has brought her to this next chapter of her own life and career.

Prior to contacting BCDF, Develerate was at the stage of needing investment to grow. Lucy contacted BCDF after seeing that we were recommended online. Lucy sent an email enquiry and was discussing her investment needs with the Director, Josh, within 2 hours. Lucy explains that “I spoke with Josh and instantly liked him and the fact he wasn’t pushy or pretentious. I also like the fact that BCDF supports small start-ups particularly in Bristol and the South West”.

After working with BCDF, Lucy was able to implement her business plan. The branding, website and online courses were launched in January 2022 and now Lucy is focusing on networking and growing the reputation and exposure of her business. Appropriately, the motto of Develerate is ‘the wind beneath your wins’, meaning that that they give you that all important lift to help you reach your objectives. When working with Develerate, the only way is well and truly up.

We loved working with Lucy and are delighted that her plans have come to fruition. We know that she will do great things in business and make a huge impact on the lives of many. We are proud that we could play our part in her journey.

Go to www.develerate.com offer to learn more about the range of accredited leadership and coaching qualifications they have on offer, as well as a great selection of short courses in areas such as mental wellbeing and awareness, managing virtual teams, resilience and small group coaching opportunities.

For more information about Start Up Loans and how we can support you in applying, call us on 0117 251 0189 or drop us an email to [email protected].