Our 6-step guide to a romantic night in this Valentine’s day

Amour, liebe, love… what better way to spend Valentine’s day than having a cosy and romantic night in with your special someone? To help you plan the perfect night, we’ve tailored a 6-step guide featuring wonderful small businesses across the country that have thrived thanks to your lending.

Step 1: Sweets for your sweet

What is the number one staple of Valentine’s day? Chocolate of course! Grab some gourmet sweets from Beech’s Fine Chocolates, such as their luxurious milk chocolate praline hearts – yum! The company, which was founded in 1920 in Lancashire, were able to keep up with high demand after borrowing £250,000 from Funding Circle investors.

Step 2: Flawless Flowers

Warm up your home with exquisite flowers from The Flower Emporium. The shop has been stocking and delivering flowers in Stockport since 1995 – so they are true experts in the field. Choose from an array of bouquets and arrangements, such as their Valentine Collection. You can even add a scrumptious chocolate pizza to your order! The Flower Emporium were able to further their refurbishment after borrowing £5,000 from investors in 2015.

Step 3: Wondrous Wine

For many people a romantic night isn’t complete without a superb bottle of wine, so we suggest grabbing a bottle from Talking Wines in the Cotswolds. The company is run by a passionate team who carefully select and source from independent producers. They also run a wine tasting event every Sunday. Whether you enjoy a deep red or a light and refreshing white, their online shop will have something to suit your tastebuds. To increase stock and selection due to high demand, the company accessed £40,000 in 2013 from 498 Funding Circle investors.

Step 4: Caring Cards

Surprise your loved one with a sweet and sentimental Valentine’s card from Love Kate’s. With over 250 cards to choose from, there is bound to be something that you and your partner will love. To help them improve their marketing and promote their brand, Love Kate’s borrowed £45,000 from 569 investors in 2015.

Step 5: Charming Candles

Pick up some warming candles from Bubblelush Divine Gifts to give your home an inviting and comfortable feel. The family-run business specialise in home fragrance and stock a variety of lovely scents such as Lemongrass and Ginger, Snowflake Cookie and Wild Fig. To help bring in new members of staff and expand into new markets, Bubblelush Divine Gifts applied for  £30,000 from Funding Circle in 2015.

Step 6: Perfect Presents

And finally, spoil your special someone with a thoughtful gift this year, such as a dazzling piece of jewellery from Krystal London. The shop handcraft everything locally themselves using the finest quality Swarovski Crystals at affordable prices. The company were able to attend trade shows to share what they are passionate about after borrowing £40,000 from 671 investors.

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Enjoy lending. The Funding Circle team