Dianne Worrall, Way2Go Adventures
Way2Go Adventures is a family owned outdoor activity provider in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley, run by mother and son team, Dianne Worrall and Wayne Morgan. Dianne has accessed a range of business support and training offered by Fastershire, FasterBusiness programme.Way2Go Adventures is a family owned outdoor activity provider in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley.
Started by mother and son team, Dianne Worrall and Wayne Morgan in 2010, Way2Go Adventures run trips and activities across Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and South Wales.
Dianne has accessed a range of business support and training offered by Fastershire, FasterBusiness programme.
Why did you start Way2Go Adventures?
I’d been working as a bookkeeper for a number of years and I was starting to think about the future and a change of direction. Around the same time, my son Wayne, who had been working as outdoor recreation instructor for some large companies and had a great deal of experience was considering breaking away and starting his own business.
We both share a love of the outdoors and we both brought different elements to the table, Wanye with his knowledge of the industry and skill as an instructor and with my knowledge of running a business and bookkeeping, it seemed obvious to go into business together.
What FasterBusiness support have you accessed?
I first began attending the FasterWomen training back in 2015 – these sessions were superb.
FasterWomen training provide practical, hands-on training sessions aimed at helping women in business and were ideal for me. I learnt a huge amount and because they’re practical, at the end of each session you leave with something tangible, like a new social media platform and posting plan. The small groups meant we had lots of individual support from the instructor.
What have you gained from the FasterBusiness support?
It’s helped a great deal. I’ve received training about online marketing, cloud accounting, social media strategy. We developed an email marketing campaign and started using mailchimp following one of the FasterWomen workshops. I’ve also had a one-to-one Business Review with Ben Kinnaird.
Sometimes it can feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day – maintaining a website, writing blogs and creating content for what seems like an ever increasing number social media platforms on top of actually running a business. But the support offered through Fastershire allows SMEs like us to regularly tap into expert knowledge, to keep informed about new developments and then decide what will work best for us and importantly, how best to use it. This support has certainly improved my digital skills and increased my knowledge and confidence.
What does the future hold for you and Way2Go Adventures?
I’ve recently qualified as a yoga teacher and I now run yoga classes, as well as Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) Yoga and SUPfit instructor.
We’re looking to expand this side of the business and create a separate brand where I’ll take more of an active role in the delivery. I’m currently building a new website separate from Way2Go Adventure using the knowledge I gained after attending the FasterWomen two day WordPress masterclass.
You can find more about Dianne’s business at www.way2goadventures.co.uk.
For more information about the training and support provided by FasterBusiness, please click here.