Prime Highlights:
- Equinox Consulting, founded by Dawn Coupe, has secured a £100,000 loan from Female Founder Finance to grow and expand services to UK SMEs.
- The funding solution was tailored to the business, providing flexibility and long-term stability after Coupe faced challenges with traditional lenders.
Key Facts:
- The loan is a five-year term, provided through First Enterprise, Enterprise Loans.
- Coupe spent six months seeking finance from traditional lenders but faced barriers common for women-led businesses, such as unsuitable products and a limited understanding of growth plans.
Background:
Equinox Consulting, run by Dawn Coupe, got a £100,000 loan to grow and help more UK small and medium businesses.
Coupe spent six months trying to get a loan from traditional lenders but faced challenges common for women in tech, like unsuitable products and little understanding of her business plans. After attending an event where Female Founder Finance founder Roxanne Goodman spoke, Coupe approached the firm for assistance.
“Cash kills faster than failure,” Coupe said. “On paper, we were doing great. “Our business was growing, with new clients and big projects, but we struggled with cash flow. Roxanne and her team didn’t just provide funding, they understood our business and found the right solution for us.”
Female Founder Finance worked with Coupe to create a growth plan and matched her with a flexible, long-term funding solution. Goodman highlighted the importance of supporting women-led businesses: “Women-led businesses still face more hurdles when it comes to securing growth capital. Helping Dawn access the finance she needed is a clear example of what’s possible when we build the right team around a founder.”
Danielle Davis, deputy director at First Enterprise, added: “It was a pleasure to support Equinox with a funding solution that enables them to scale confidently and sustainably. We’re proud to work with partners like Roxanne who champion underrepresented founders.”
Goodman concluded by emphasizing the broader impact of the deal: “This isn’t just one funding success story. It’s about what happens when women back women. When a finance firm led by women helps a tech business led by a woman to grow, we’re not just unlocking capital, we’re shifting the narrative around who gets to lead, innovate, and scale.”
