The sports entrepreneur transforming golf training for players at all levels of the sport around the world.

“I can’t recommend the Business Wales AGP highly enough if you want to grow your business.”

The game of golf can arguably be one of the most challenging sports of all, testing powers of concentration and skill to the limits. The will to succeed and improve is a constant driver for many golfers, from professionals at the top of their game to amateurs at their local clubs.

Penarth-based Dr Golf founder Zach Gould relates to that desire to get better at the game and improve their health, so much so that he established his company to help as many golfers as possible. While he hasn’t reached his ambition to be a top-level golfer, playing alongside the best in the world, he hopes his business can help others play to their potential – or even just make their game a little better and more enjoyable at the same time.

Dr Golf has been supported through Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme (AGP).

The AGP provides targeted support for ambitious growing firms. The programme is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government.

Guy Dean and Zach Gould

Here Zach Gould explains his idea and describes his business journey.

Tell us about Dr Golf
I love golf. I have a passion for the sport, and I always wanted to be a professional golfer and play in top tournaments like the Open and the Ryder Cup.

It’s this passion that has driven my business. We act as an online leisure club, providing a high standard of online training for elite and amateur golfers. All of our training is provided remotely – and it’s used by players, coaches, clubs, universities, counties and national governing bodies through their accredited programmes. We use interactive technology, improving training for users and improving their game too.

I always felt that as I went on my personal journey as a golfer, I didn’t quite fulfil my potential. It was frustrating watching my peers, those I’d come up through the ranks with, move forward while I didn’t reach their heights in my golfing career. In time, I realised I never had access to the same level of coaching, particularly in terms of strength and conditioning for golf. So I decided to focus on addressing that gap.

At age 21, I went back to school and eventually went to university, where I completed a PhD in strength and conditioning for golf. I think it was then that I realised how much of a need there is out there for wider access to golf-related physical training.

I founded Dr Golf Global in 2018, along with my business partner Guy, to bring elite quality training to golfers of all levels – wherever they are based in the world.

What are your proudest moments in business so far?
I think proving the concept has been my proudest moment. I left a full-time job as a university lecturer to pursue my dream – I’m so proud to see the business flourish and the customer base grow.

Doing something I love and having a career in a sport I’m so passionate about is incredibly rewarding.

What challenges have you faced in business?Golfers tend to be late adopters to new technology – so reaching customers and clubs and getting them to access and share video was difficult initially. But the Covid crisis has forced those in and around the sport to consider online support – and adapt to it quickly. Clubs have looked to continue to provide their members with value, and more and more people are becoming familiar with remote technology and online learning. So I think in that sense, the pandemic actually helped us and pushed the transition to this remote coaching model, which I believe can help so many players.

If you were starting again, what would you do differently?
I’d manage my expectations a bit better.
I was guilty of being frustrated by the slow initial uptake. I was eager, and my passion (which I’ve channeled positively as I’ve driven the business forward) meant I was too eager to succeed straight away. Patience is crucial in those early days.

Knowing the process involved in setting up a business and the need to be flexible would have made planning easier.

How has support from Business Wales AGP helped your business?
I enrolled on the Business Wales AGP, looking for the support and coaching we needed as I started in the exciting but often testing world of entrepreneurship.

Since then, I’ve had plenty of support, and the expertise provided by Business Wales AGP has helped me develop a strong pitch deck, becoming investor-ready. We’ve also been introduced to several investors, and the mentoring I’ve received has been invaluable in preparing for this.

I can’t recommend Business Wales AGP enough for someone looking to grow a business like I was.

What advice and guidance would you give other businesses starting out?

• Manage your mindset – manage your expectations and know it will take time to achieve what you set out to do.

• Seek out knowledge from those playing at the highest level.

• Expect to fail – failing is important; it’s how you grow, but make sure you learn from it and be adaptable.

• Enjoy it! Starting and growing a business is tough, so it has to be in an area you enjoy – otherwise, is it really worth it?

To learn more about Dr Golf, visit here.

Further information on the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme.

Leading cake manufacturer La Crème Patisserie enjoys the sweet taste of success.

Welsh family business opens store on Cardiff's Llandaff High Street.

Leading bespoke cake and patisserie manufacturer La Crème Patisserie has bucked the pandemic trend by opening its first-ever dedicated retail store. The family-run business, which has manufacturing facilities in Neath and Cwmbran, has signed a 10-year lease on a 1200 square foot premises at 24-26 Llandaff High Street in Cardiff. The store will enable customers to purchase a wide range of high-end cakes, desserts and patisserie to take away.

Ian and Sian Hindle of La Crème Patisserie.

La Crème Patisserie was founded in 2005 by the wife-and-husband team Sian and Ian Hindle. Managing Director and Head Pâtissier Sian previously worked in new product development for Tesco’s and always dreamed of running her own business.

With husband Ian as Financial Director, and two of the couple's children in key operational roles, the business initially supplied large commercial customers such as The Celtic Manor, Hampton Court Palace and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew.

The company went from strength to strength, expanding to employ 18 people across two production facilities in Baglan and Cwmbran before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. As many of the company's biggest customers were in hospitality, the business was faced with an overnight drying up of orders and income. Sian and Ian took the swift decision to pivot its business model, to offer its high-end patisserie directly to the general public for the first time. Customers responded to this opportunity to purchase treats usually only available at luxury hotels and events in their thousands, first via word of mouth and then via a dedicated e-commerce site. Sian Hindle says it was this overwhelming response that gave the company the confidence to enter the retail market for the first time:

"After 15 years' hard work, building our family business into a leading manufacturer of bespoke high-end patisserie, the pandemic could have been devastating for us. We knew we had to move quickly to survive, and it made sense to target the general public with direct sales and deliveries. What we didn't expect was how incredible the response would be. Initially, we opened our manufacturing facilities so the public could collect orders from us, and the demand for that led to us launching an e-commerce site to sell afternoon tea boxes and other treats, which we then delivered all across South Wales.

"The demand for online orders quickly soared, which allowed us to protect our income and many jobs. Having built a successful new business model from scratch over the last 12 months, we didn't want to let that go. Opening a retail store seemed like the obvious next step, and we hope that our new premises in Llandaff will be the first of many."

La Crème Patisserie has been assisted by the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme (AGP), which provides targeted support for ambitious growing firms. The programme is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government. This support has been "invaluable" in navigating the challenges and opportunities presented by the pandemic, according to Sian Hindle:

"The Accelerated Growth Programme has supported us with marketing, branding, grant funding, e-commerce and brand visuals for the new store. This highly targeted support has been instrumental in making our new business model a success. We are incredibly grateful for the help and guidance we have received during this critical time. We currently employ 22 people across our sites and aim to recruit ten more team members by the end of the year."

Richard Morris of the Excelerator Consortium, which delivers the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme, said:

"It's fantastic to see La Crème Patisserie, a real homegrown Welsh success story, bucking the trend by opening its first retail store. The business has done remarkably well to pivot its business model during the pandemic, and the success of its efforts bodes well for its venture into high street retail. Like so many other businesses, they faced a crisis in early 2020 and navigated that challenge with incredible vision, courage and hard work. I'm confident that they will continue to enjoy the sweet taste of success with their first-ever retail store, and we look forward to supporting the business as it expands its retail operation over the coming months."

To learn more about La Crème Patisserie, visit here.

Further information on the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme

How one family business is aiming to become an iconic Welsh motorcycling brand once again.

"As a start-up with big growth ambitions, support from the Accelerated Growth Programme has been invaluable in helping us achieve our goals."

Beautifully crafted by skilled engineers, the Wardill 4 motorbike promises to offer motorcycle enthusiasts something genuinely different – and distinctly Welsh -when it enters the market. Wardill Motorcycles is a family business based in Pontypridd. Mark Wardill, the great-grandson of the company's founder, Henry Wardill, is busy reviving a firm with a rich heritage. And he has plenty of exciting plans for the future.

Wardill Motorcycles is being supported by the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme (AGP). The AGP provides targeted support for ambitious growing firms. The programme is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government.

Here Mark Wardill explains his plans to turn the family business into an iconic Welsh motorcycling brand. 

Tell us about Wardill Motorcycles.
It's a story that starts at the beginning of the last century. Wardill Motorcycles was founded by my great grandfather, Henry, in 1927.

The Wardill Motorcycle Company produced the Wardill Motorcycle, which boasted a patented supercharged engine. That revolutionary model was famous for its quality and style and proved its worth both on the road and track. Those core values of quality and style are at the heart of what we're doing today as we bring the company back to life.

I'm proud of my family history and proud of what the generations before me achieved. I wanted to bring the brand back to life and make it fit for the 21st-century, with more than just a nod to its 20th-century origin story. So I redesigned the vintage bike into what will be known as the Wardill 4. This new model is an authentic blend of tradition and iconic design and harnesses the latest engineering techniques.

It will be hand-built in Wales, and each bike will be a new, vintage-style supercharged combination of aviation-quality steel, delivering a raw riding experience.

It was in 2018 that I started the process of redesigning the prototype. I wanted to bootstrap the business, so I worked on the redesign in my spare time while continuing my job as a quantity surveyor and raising a young family.

Now the design has been approved, and the Wardill 4 is ready to go into production, I couldn't be more excited! It feels so emotional to think this development has only been possible because of the work of my forefathers, combined with the work I've put in myself, of course! 

It's a family project which has spanned multiple generations. I hope my great grandfather is looking down on the work I've been doing with pride!

What are your proudest moments in business so far?
There have been plenty of proud moments. I'm proud that I can revive a business that has such an emotional connection for me. It's a privilege to take something from my family's past and turn it into a legacy for the future. But what's made me most proud is getting the bike design road registered, meaning it's now approved to go into production and on sale. 

What challenges have you faced in business?
Covid has massively affected our plans to get the business up and running.

The pandemic meant lots of setbacks, with supply chain issues and events being cancelled. It meant we had to postpone production, and that could have been a big blow. But I've tried to see these setbacks as opportunities. I've used the time to perfect some of the designs and work on other aspects of the business. While it's been a challenging period, I've been able to learn plenty and plan for the future as well.

If you were starting again, what would you do differently?
I've built the businesses slowly, so I think that's helped. It's meant I've had plenty of room to adapt as we've grown, which itself has meant any mistakes I've made were minor. With hindsight, I feel that I could have been more organised in my focus on the project. I'm confident that recognising this, will serve me well as we enter the next phase of development. 

How has support from Business Wales AGP helped your business?
I was part of the TownSq Accelerator, which is how I first found out about the programme. I've benefited hugely from the work packages and mentorship I've been lucky enough to receive through the AGP. The programme has helped me as I've formed the company and thought through what I want it to look like as a business.

I've also worked with the University of South Wales, which has supported me with testing and app development. As a start-up with significant growth ambitions, it's been vital to access the support available to us. Support from the AGP has been invaluable in helping us achieve our goals.

What advice and guidance would you give other businesses starting out?

● Start sooner rather than later.

● Be sure you have a solid financial foundation and can live cheaply while you get started.

● Be confident! I often felt that starting a business was for other people, but as I've gone through the process, I've realised anyone can do it – they just have to believe in themselves and get help from the right people. So don't be afraid to access support! 
 

To learn more about Wardill Motorcycles, visit here.

Further information on the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme