Jacob Hughes, owner of Zebra Electrical at Burton-in-Kendal, was forced to put his company into liquidation, lost his mum to cancer, and is selling his house to pay creditors.
Despite this, he is determined to look to the future and continue serving the community.
The company is now back up and running with new contracts and plans for development.
Mr Hughes, who lives at Warton, near Carnforth, with his wife Carla and two children, Leon, nine, and Lily, five, said: “The past year has been by far the most challenging period of my life.
“It has been a test of Carla’s and my emotional strength but also empowering because it has grounded us and made us realise what is important in life.
“It has been unbelievably hard and stressful but now we are really just trying to look at the positives and move forward.”
The former Queen Elizabeth School pupil set up Hughes Electrical Contractors Ltd in 2014 after dreaming of running his own company.
In 2019, he changed the name to Zebra Electrical to attract more customers.
The company provides a range of services including electrical installation, maintenance, callouts, and testing of equipment.
It also branched out into renewables, with solar panels, battery storage, and alongside partners, air source heat pumps.
By 2023, the business employed around 12 staff and had built up ‘strong relationships’ with clients across the Lake District, North Yorkshire, and north Lancashire.
However, Mr Hughes and his wife were forced to put the company into voluntary liquidation in July this year.
Mr Hughes said: “A big factor was that, post Covid, a number of our customers went into liquidation which meant we lost work and the money they owed to us.
“They were victims themselves and we tried to help them through the situation by giving them more credit.
“Rising material costs were also an issue.
“Our cash flow worsened and we borrowed money against our home to see us through this time.”
Mr Hughes explained he took two weeks off at Christmas last year to spend time with the family.
He said: “The plan was to come back and really hit the ground running but the day before we were due to start work again my mum was rushed into hospital, diagnosed with cancer and put on end-of-life care.
“I spent a lot of time caring for her and was not able to work.
“We are a family business and I am a family man and I had to be there for my mum.”
Mr Hughes’ mother, Alison Semple (Wilkinson), a former deputy head at Queen Elizabeth School and head at Queen Elizabeth Studio School, died on February 10.
When Zebra Electrical went into liquidation, Mr Hughes had to make some of his staff redundant.
He said: “It was absolutely devastating.
“I felt sick.
“They are my friends who I have worked with day in, day out.”
Mr Hughes said he had used all the inheritance from his mum and was selling his house to pay creditors.
He said: “I did consider quitting around the time of the liquidation but carried on because I am passionate about what we do and enjoy helping people and providing the best possible service.”
He has bought the assets, name, and goodwill of the former company.
He now employs one member of staff and two of those he had to make redundant, who have since become self-employed, are used as sub-contractors.
Mr Hughes said: “Helping the community is a big part of the ethos of Zebra Electrical.
“Over the years we have trained up four or five people from apprentices to becoming qualified and want to help boost the local economy.
“We sponsor the Vale of Lune Rugby Club and have sponsored a member of the Morecambe FC women’s football team.
“During Covid, St Oswald’s Church in Warton wanted to put on a carol concert but could not do so indoors so we spent a day rigging up lighting outdoors in the ruins of the old rectory and around 100 people were able to attend, legally and safely.”
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