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FUNDING SUMMIT By Rob Kelly
17 Categories across all industries and career stages
Enter yourself or nominate a colleague, employee,
apprentice or team member Celebrate the people
shaping Lancashire’s future nominate here! Enter and
Closing soon! Deadline:
Friday July 24 2026 #Sub36
PLAN AHEAD FOR A SMOOTH JOURNEY
Businesses seeking funding were urged to start planning early and engage with funders sooner rather than later at Lancashire Business View’s Funding Summit.
The event, held at the Village Hotel, Blackpool, brought together businesses seeking funding, funders and advisers involved in structuring deals.
Among the speakers was James Cole, founder of Chorley-based luxury cruise specialist Panache Cruises, who shared the company’s journey to surpassing £50m turnover and recording EBITDA of more than £1m.
He told delegates the business had expanded internationally, opening offices in Orlando, Florida, and Sydney, Australia, as it continues to grow.
James also explained how a chance sighting of a Rosebud funding advertisement in Lancashire Business View helped set the business on its growth journey.
He said: “We borrowed some cash from Rosebud and we’ve had a fantastic relationship with them.
“As we grew, we knew what our plans were and we needed to engage with a bigger partner, so
IN ASSOCIATION WITH:
we reached out to several different funders, high street banks and second-tier funders.
“We had conversations with probably 12 to 15 funders before narrowing it down to two or three. In the end we went with HSBC and we’ve currently got a facility of just over £4m in place with them. We’re still working with Rosebud as well. They wanted to stay along for the journey, which is absolutely fantastic.”
Asked what advice he would offer businesses looking for funding, James said planning was essential.
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