Entrepreneur Monika Killer has received a £25k Start Up Loan via SWIG Finance to help open a specialist bookshop in Bristol’s cultural quarter, Stokes Croft.
The Haunted Bookshop will sell a wide range of witchcraft, occult, folklore, fantasy and horror books. It’s not known how many of these have been written by ghost-writers.
Alongside the bookshop is a cafe (with spiced pumpkin lattes on the menu) which will host book club meetings and poetry readings.
The Start Up Loan helped Monika to set up the shop, buy stock, and pay for initial marketing ahead of its launch in September 2024.
Monika said “I applied for a Start Up Loan to fulfil my lifelong dream of owning a bookshop. From the get-go, my advisor Suzy was incredibly helpful and made the whole process a breeze. She made me believe in myself and my idea and was really encouraging throughout! The Business Plan was really helpful and is now the basis for my new business. I’m so excited to open my shop, thank you so much, Suzy and SWIG Finance!”.
Suzy Lowe from SWIG Finance commented “Monika is offering people in Bristol a new and unique experience through The Haunted Bookshop, and the quirky identity she has created will fit perfectly into Bristol’s vibrant and eclectic business landscape. Helping entrepreneurs achieve their dreams is what the Start Up Loans Scheme is all about, and I am delighted to have played a part in helping Monika realise her dreams”.
