Meet Angela: the small business owner helping midlife women to reclaim their confidence

• Business name: Eve Biology

• Industry: Nutrition 

• Founded in: April 2023

• Top business product: Business bank account

• Key learning: “It’s always hard starting a business, but talking to other people in a similar industry can really help. We learned a lot from others about what financial products could work for us.”  

Imagine you’re at the top of your career, and suddenly you’re told it might be time to slow down. 

This is what happened to Angela Patton before she founded her business, Eve Biology. In her mid-40s, she was suffering from hormonal symptoms like brain fog and weight gain, but instead of backing down she decided to find a solution. 

This led her to create her own products and Eve Biology was born. Here, she explains how she turned her personal experience into a business that’s supporting women across the UK. 

What motivated you to start your own business? 

I was about 46 when I started experiencing perimenopause symptoms that were interfering with my daily life and affecting my career. My doctor then suggested I take a step back or do a less demanding job, but I didn’t want to do that. I’ve always been quite fit and taken vitamins and supplements, so I knew about the power of nutrition. I decided to see whether I could manage my symptoms myself. However, I didn’t want to carry around a pill box with me so I started adding everything to my shake in the morning. That’s when I thought, let’s do this! We can make nutrition available to women and help them.

Nutrition companies mainly aim their products at 18 to 35-year-olds, but that’s where Eve Biology is different. We wanted to bring nutrition to women in midlife, so we did a lot of research and brought a team of experts on board. We really wanted to understand women and create a product that’s simple, good value and really effective.

Did anything surprise you during the research phase? 

We discovered a lot of women were buying vitamins because they thought they should, rather than with a knowledge of what they needed. So there was a lot of ignorance around nutrition and we felt this was a gap in the market. 

What were the challenges when you first started the business? 

Eve Biology has been trading for around 18 months, as we launched in April 2023. It was hard at the beginning to get the product ready and it always takes longer than you think. You have to go through many cycles of testing ingredients and formulations. We have experts in this field working with us as there is a lot of compliance that comes with a food supplement company. For example, we needed a formula that was compliant with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). 

Another challenge was getting people to test the product, and this was a really big moment for us. You put your heart and soul into a product and then you just have to wait and see if people like it! But the results from the test were fantastic and it taught us so much about the product. 

Were there any financial products that helped to get your business up and running? 

My business partner and I funded the business ourselves, and started Eve Biology using our savings. We also had to make sure we had the right business insurance, as that’s essential for a food business. Health and safety checks are vital, so we made sure we ticked every box and protected the customer above anything else.

It’s always hard starting a business, but talking to other people in a similar industry can really help. We learned a lot from others about what financial products could work for us. 

We also set up a business bank account with Starling Bank, which was really easy to use for our small team. There’s no account charges and we found the saving spaces made it easier to manage cash flow with its automatic transfers and rounding up options. We’ve since set up a rainy day savings space, as there’s always going to be costs you don’t expect when you’re running a business. 

Is there anything you wish you’d known sooner? 

Yes! I would say get a good accountant. There are lots of accounting software apps on the market, but we’ve found having an accountant to review our account regularly and making sure all our invoices are logged, has saved us so much time. Also, when you start making money it’s important to understand how VAT works, so you don’t fall into the trap of including it in your margin calculations or profit. 

What’s next for your business? 

We have big plans! We’ve been approached by a few investors, so we need to have conversations with them to see how we can work together. We’ve made it through year one and now we are stabilising prices and profits, so it’s time to look at the five-year plan. 

What would you say to someone who is considering starting a business? 

Do not pay for anything you don’t have to pay for - as there are a lot of free trials available. I would say every penny is a prisoner so be careful with your spending. When you're starting out and aren't making much money you have no negotiating power. But when you start turning revenue, you're in a better position to push for better deals based on projections, data and sales. You’ll then face new challenges, but they will start to become less scary and more exciting!

This case study is for informational purposes only and is not intended as financial or professional advice. The results described are specific to the individual's personal experience, so please consult with a qualified professional if you need financial advice.