SWIG fuels growth for Swindon marketing firm

A Swindon marketing company is expanding its team and taking on more clients thanks to a £25,000 loan from the South West Investment Fund via SWIG Finance.

Sara Witham launched Evil Empire Marketing in 2019 in a bid to find a flexible work-life balance that could work around family life. As business took off, she realised an extra pair of hands was needed and the loan enabled her to take on multi-skilled Jess Edwards two days a week.

Part of the government-backed British Business Bank, the £200m South West Investment Fund covers the entire South West region and provides loans from £25k to £2m and equity investment up to £5m to help small and medium sized businesses to start up, scale up or stay ahead.

Sara is now working on a job description for a second, full-time member of staff, as well as supporting and extending her freelance workforce.

“There are many challenges that come with running your own business,” said Sara. “Jess was able to hit the ground running and is able to turn her hand to so many things, from graphic design to WordPress. Having her on hand to help frees me up to go out looking for new custom – I recently onboarded three major clients.

“This would not have been possible without the South West Investment Fund. I wouldn’t have had the confidence to employ someone, and I didn’t have the money either. Even in the first few months of having the loan, it’s transformed my business for the better.”

Evil Empire was devised to give small and medium-sized businesses the benefit of having a marketing department at their convenience, from sending a press release to social media management, campaigns, content creation and strategy.

Sara was referred to SWIG Finance by Emma Carter, then at Business West, and was supported by associate business manager Adele Jones. “Adele was amazing and she led me by the hand. The bank had the money in my account less than 48 hours after sign-off,” said Sara.

“I can’t stress enough how the loan switched things up, and quickly, in so many ways. Now I’m so confident in our offer – it's a different world.”

For her part, Adele was “thrilled” to help Sara grow her team. “Being able to support independently owned businesses and, in this case, a brilliant woman founder, is exactly why I love working at SWIG Finance,” she said.

“I really enjoyed working with Sara. The application process can be quite detailed, but that’s to make sure the funding is the right fit. Sara came to me with a clear need and a warm introduction from Emma Carter, and she was so engaged and responsive throughout, which really helped. As a result, we were able to secure the full funding she was looking for.

“I’m so pleased we could play a part in her journey, and I can’t wait to see what is next for Evil Empire.”

The purpose of the South West Investment Fund is to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across the South West.

About SWIG Finance

SWIG Finance is a people-based lender that provides loans and support to help smaller businesses in the South and West Country grow. We base our lending decisions on potential rather than collateral, which means that we can often support businesses when others can't.  

We’re growing every year. In 2024/25, we lent £14.8m to 501 businesses, helping to create and secure over 1,272 jobs and generate £75.7m in social impact. Download the report here.

If you’d like an informal chat about your funding requirements, get in touch with our friendly and professional team to see how we can help: info@swigfinance.co.uk / 01872 227 930