How Leeds Businesswoman Grew Brand with UK Export Finance

Ever started something with just a bit of pocket money and watched it grow? Imagine turning a small idea, funded with just £5,000, into a business that sends products all over the world. It sounds like something from a film, but it’s the real-life story of a businesswoman from Leeds. This is the story of how Tayo Adebisi, the founder of the e-commerce company Tilz Prosperitas, went from a small startup to a global exporter, breaking into the huge North American markets with a little help from some clever financing.

From a kitchen table idea to a big problem

Back in 2017, the entrepreneur Tayo Adebisi started her online business with just £5,000. Her brand, specialising in things like gift sets and Advent calendars, took off. And it really took off. Within just four years, Tilz Prosperitas was making an incredible £3 million. But then, as for so many people, the pandemic threw a spanner in the works. Suddenly, the business faced serious cash flow barriers.

So what does that actually mean? Think of it like this: you have orders for 1,000 gift sets. You know the customers will pay you when they get them. But you need to pay your own suppliers for the boxes, ribbons, and gifts right now. If you don’t have the cash in the bank to do that, you’re stuck. You can’t make the products, you can’t fulfil the orders, and you can’t grow. These cash flow barriers were making it tough to pay for supplies and ship goods on time. After being turned down by several banks for a loan, things looked tricky for the Leeds-based company.

When traditional finance says no

This is where the story gets interesting. Instead of hitting a dead end, Tayo Adebisi was pointed in a new direction. The West Yorkshire Combined Authority suggested a chat with the Department of Business and Trade and, crucially, with UK Export Finance, also known as UKEF.

Now, UKEF is the UK’s official export credit agency. That’s a fancy way of saying it’s a government body that helps British companies sell their stuff abroad. It makes sure good businesses don’t fail just because they can’t get the right insurance or finance for their export contracts. Alissia Deane, who works for UK Export Finance in West Yorkshire, sat down with Tayo to figure out the best options.

She realised that what Tilz Prosperitas needed was something called trade finance. This is a special type of funding designed to solve those exact cash flow barriers. It bridges the gap between paying suppliers and getting paid by customers. Alissia Deane then connected Tayo with a company called Dynamic Funding. They understood the e-commerce business and were able to broker finance worth up to £200,000. This trade finance was the key that would unlock the next stage of growth.

Alissia Deane, UKEF Export Finance Manager for West Yorkshire, said:

"Trade finance can be the key that unlocks international growth for British exporters, especially for smaller businesses. Tilz Prosperitas is a perfect example of how the right financial backing can help UK companies seize opportunities in multiple markets simultaneously. We're particularly pleased to support a female-led business breaking into competitive sectors like retail and e-commerce across Europe and North America.”

Unlocking Europe, the US, and beyond

On the 21st of October, 2025, with this new financing in place, everything changed for Tilz Prosperitas. Suddenly, the company could say ‘yes’ to huge orders. It could prepare for the busy holiday season, sending products to its loyal customers across Europe in places like the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Spain.

But the ambition didn’t stop there. The real game-changer was the ability to start supplying a major supermarket chain in the US and expand into Canada. This move transformed Tilz Prosperitas into a proper global exporter, opening up the vast North American markets. The plans don’t even end there; the company is now looking at diversifying its products and exploring new markets in Australia, China, and Mexico. The right kind of export finance has given this brilliant businesswoman the confidence to think bigger than ever before, turning a difficult situation into a story of British export success.

Tayo Adebisi, Founder and CEO of Tilz Prosperitas, said:

"When I started TilzMart with £5,000 eight years ago, I never imagined we'd be supplying major retailers across Europe and North America. The pandemic taught us how crucial flexible finance is for growth - we had the orders, but couldn't bridge the gap between paying suppliers and receiving payments. This funding has been transformational, allowing us to confidently take on larger contracts and expand into new markets."

The people behind a British export success story

This success isn’t just about one person; it’s about a team of people and organisations coming together. The support from UK Export Finance and the deal brokered by Dynamic Funding shows how clever financial solutions can help businesses that traditional lenders might overlook.

It’s a perfect example of a public body (UKEF, the export credit agency) working with a private finance company to achieve a fantastic result for a UK business. They saw the potential in Tilz Prosperitas and provided the specific financing needed to help it manage its export sales and become a global exporter.

Alex Kourti from Dynamic Funding commented:

"Tilz Prosperitas perfectly illustrates why we're passionate at Dynamic Funding about supporting exporters who traditional lenders might not fully understand. It's brilliant to see her business now confidently fulfilling orders across multiple continents - that's the kind of British export success story we're proud to enable."

This incredible journey from a £5k startup in Leeds to an international e-commerce player shipping to Europe, the US, and Canada is a testament to the vision of businesswoman Tayo Adebisi and the power of getting the right kind of finance at the right time.