Jade's Story

What is your business?

Aqua Busters is a patio and gutter cleaning business. I started it back in March 2020 as I really enjoyed cleaning my own patio. After having my daughter returning to my previous work wasn’t an option for me, I wanted to spend as much time as I could with her, so I thought why not do my own business.

The Aqua Busters brand took a lot of thought. The logo incorporates an image of a woman. I wanted to show that I’m a woman and I can do this. It’s a powerful thing having a woman do what is essentially viewed as a man’s job, so I wanted to promote it.

How did you hear about SWEF and what led you to apply for a grant?

I heard about SWEF through Young Devon. They sent me an email, I took a couple of weeks to consider it, and I suddenly thought this is the only way I’m going to expand so why not, If I don’t get it, I haven’t lost anything.

How did the grant help you develop your business?

The grant has helped me enormously. With that money I’ve been able to expand my business from just doing patio and driveway cleaning to now cleaning it faster due to improved equipment, and cleaning roofs, walls, and gutter clearances. So, it has helped hugely.

How have you seen your finances change since you received the grant?

Since I received the grant, my finances have changed massively. Now that I can offer gutter clearance it has helped me find work during what would have been a quiet period in the run-up to Christmas.

Where do you see your business in a years time?

Within a few years I want to have a couple of vans, with a few people working underneath me. I would like to franchise my business and expand all over the country.

Anything else you want to share?

The grant process is so easy. Everyone is friendly and very helpful. For anyone who is thinking of applying for a grant through SWEF, go for it. You’re not going to lose anything. It just takes a little bit of time, a little bit of thought into the business idea you want to do, you’ve got nothing to lose. Just do it!