Winning orders is not the big problem for many young businesses - it is finding cash to process them and keep the business going while waiting to be paid. This was a headache for Rachel Robarts after starting a clothing and design business in London in 1998.
'Unless you're born rich, marry rich or win the lottery, it's hard to get funding in this industry,' she says.
After graduating in 1995, she worked for designer Amanda Wakeley and freelanced for other clients, but she developed her own designs and people commissioned her to make outfits. As demand grew Rachel launched her own clothing line. She showed collections in showrooms and at shows, but she had to go for months without any cash coming in.
