Image of a yarn and crochet hooks
Case studies

How a Sydney Yarn Store Got a $100K Business Loan in 1 Week

Skein Sisters—owned and directed by passionate crafters—offer a range of thoughtfully selected yarns for contemporary craft making.
by
Henry Baker
3
min read
Published:
October 10, 2022
Last updated:
November 5, 2025
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Key Takeaways:
  • Loan amount: 100K
  • Loan type: Business Overdraft
  • Used for: New premises and inventory

Skein Sisters—owned and directed by passionate crafters and long term friends, Deb and Janine—offer a range of thoughtfully selected yarns for contemporary craft making in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, US, Ireland, Europe, Canada and South America.

They have a store based in NSW but also sell a wide range of yarns and accessories online.

In addition, Skein Sisters run knitting and crochet classes for the local community and feature yarns from indie dyers on a monthly basis.

Recently, their business completely took off. In fact, they were selling so quickly that they had to turn their retail store into a second warehouse to hold stock.

Usually, their NSW store would convert into a creative space for like-minded crafters to gather together, chat, knit and share crafting tips.

Unfortunately, due to limited space and COVID-19 restrictions, they had to put all classes on hold. The plan for Deb and Janine was to invest in a new warehouse as soon as possible to commence business as usual.

After initially reaching out to a couple of banks for funding, they were either turned down or offered finance with a very long, impractical turnaround. That’s when Deb and Janine reached out to Valiant.

They were referred to our lending expert, Nick, who took the time to understand their business and carefully review all options available.

Ultimately, he found a solution that not only took Deb and Janine’s needs into account, but also offered a much more reasonable timeframe than initially proposed.

“For the majority of our customers, timing is crucial. They’re wearing multiple hats everyday and have ridiculous schedules, so waiting around for months at a time for a potential finance approval is just not practical.

When Deb and Janine reached out, I was confident I could find a faster solution than they had been offered.”

Nick ended up securing a business overdraft totalling 100K in just one week.

This was enough money for Deb and Janine to secure a lease for a second warehouse, where they were able to create a new office space and pick up their popular craft classes once again.

They were also able to stock up on inventory, giving them a head start for the new year. Deb and Janine were extremely thankful for the fast turnaround, and were an absolute pleasure to work with.

We can’t wait to see what’s ahead in 2021 for Skein Sisters! Check them out on Instagram, Facebook or at www.skeinsisters.com.au.

References:

About the author
Carolina Mateus is an SEO Content Specialist at Valiant Finance, creating content that helps SMEs navigate business finance with confidence. She develops clear, actionable guides to simplify complex topics and support smarter funding decisions.
Ryan Ragland is VP of Enterprise Solutions at Valiant Finance, partnering with OEMs, resellers, and lenders to embed finance directly into their sales workflows. He designs scalable solutions that speed up deal cycles, improve customer experience, and unlock new revenue opportunities for partners.
Richie Cotton is Co-Founder and CTO at Valiant Finance, driving the company’s technology strategy and product innovation. He oversees the development of Valiant’s embedded finance platform and scalable solutions that make accessing business funding faster, simpler, and more reliable for SMEs.
Alex Molloy is CEO and Co-Founder of Valiant Finance, leading the company’s mission to make business finance more accessible and efficient. Since founding Valiant, he’s guided its growth from an Australian startup to a global fintech powering embedded finance for major institutions and platforms.
Henry Baker is Head of Working Capital at Valiant Finance, leading the company’s working capital solutions. He helps SMEs unlock funding to smooth daily operations and support strategic growth without additional financial burden.
Luke Saleh is Head of Asset Finance at Valiant Finance, leading the company’s vehicle and equipment lending solutions. He helps SMEs access loans that match their goals, enabling them to scale efficiently and invest in essential assets.
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James Pattison is National Business Development Manager at Valiant Finance, enabling brokers and accountants to diversify into asset finance and working capital funding, backed by 20 years in finance.