Eight years ago, Rob Stone was deep in debt and struggling to put food on the table.
He had nine children to feed, and knew that something had to change.
One day when he was looking online at franchise opportunities, he came across one for loft ladders, reports Birmingham Live.
He couldn't afford a franchise, but used his £200 credit card to purchase some basic tools.
Then he designed a logo and launched the Instaloft brand on Facebook.
It was a huge risk - but it certainly paid off as he founded what is now the UK’s largest installer of loft storage solutions, with a £14million turnover.
The company hires 140 people across its base in Telford, with regional offices in Essex, Reading, Peterborough, Newport and Wakefield.
Instaloft is currently on track to achieve a turnover of £30million within the next three years, while Rob continues to expand the business into new sectors and regions.
His rags to riches tale bagged him the 'Entrepreneur of the Year' gong at the UK Business Awards earlier this month.
Ecstatic after hearing the news of his win, Rob said: “I’m still in shock to hear I have won Entrepreneur of the Year given the calibre of competition we were up against. Instaloft was borne from very humble beginnings at a very difficult time in my life and I have worked really hard to build the business, so to receive this accolade is incredible recognition after some tough years."
The 47-year-old continued: "I hope my story inspires other aspiring entrepreneurs who are embarking on their own journeys to success.
"You have to believe you can do it to succeed and I look back on my journey so far with pride.”
