How Constructive and Co overcame their fear of borrowing to take their business to the next level

Published on: 13th February 2025

Constructive and Co on the art of bespoke furniture and how finance helped their business grow - YouTube

From their workshop in Leyton, east London, Constructive and Co design, create and fit bespoke furniture that’s beautiful as well as functional.

The business was born in 2010, when friends Sam Scott, Tim Greany and Dom Shanks came together to work on a commission. Since then, the team has grown their workshop to a team of eight designers and makers, all of whom are passionate about delivering the best product for their customers.

“Without our makers we wouldn’t really have a business,” explains Dom. “I’d like Constructive to be remembered for what we make but also what goes into making that – a lot of time, a lot of love and a lot of attention to detail from our team.”

Securing a business loan for growth

Having attracted more customers in their local area, Constructive and Co took out a loan with Funding Circle to invest in new machinery for their workshop. This allowed them to improve their processes and take on the additional demand in-house, meaning they could reach and serve more customers.

Cash flow and supply issues

The funding also gave them more headspace with their cash flow, which has helped with the challenges of recent years.

“The cost of living has definitely had a big impact on the whole industry,” says Tim. “We’re in a situation where we’re having to try and cover additional costs, so our prices are having to go up and clients don’t necessarily have as much money to spend.

“In terms of supplies, over the last few years, some materials suddenly just weren’t available, or were only available at massively increased prices.”

Reaching the next level

As a small business, Constructive and Co were initially wary of taking out funding. “Every small business owner carries a fear of some of the more financial aspects of the business,” admits Sam.

“In hindsight, you realise that if you had less of a fear of borrowing then you could probably give yourself more of a running start. We found borrowing now to be an essential part of kicking the business on, taking us on to the next level.”

Watch to see how easy Constructive and Co found the application process.