Lorna’s story

Training support helped Lorna start a small business making products from wool.

Lorna lives in rural area outside Carmarthenshire. She worked as a therapist for many years. She became unemployed and started looking for ideas for her next steps.

Looking for a new direction

Lorna thought about setting up her own therapy business but also liked the idea of trying something new. She heard about Careers Wales from a local job centre in Carmarthen.

She made an appointment with Lara, a careers adviser, and asked for advice.

Lorna said: “I was looking for work and wanted some help with careers, and deciding whether to learn a new skill or get more training. When I first spoke to Lara, we talked through some business ideas and explored how to start something new.”

Turning a hobby into a career

Lorna and her husband had an idea to use wool from their small farm. They wanted to help the environment by reusing wool.

She said: “Lara was amazing. I was going to go down the therapy route and we were talking about hobbies and when I talked about wool, she saw how enthusiastic I was about it. She encouraged me to do some research, and she did some research for me, and we came back with a plan. Lara was brilliant.”

From idea to business

Lorna found a few courses on how to prepare and finish wool. Lara helped her apply for ReAct+ funding and supported her throughout the process. As soon as the application was approved, Lorna started her training. It helped her learn new skills and feel more confident.

Lorna said: “The training taught me how to process wool properly from start to finish - much better than I could on my own.

“It gave me an insight into the business, and I got more confident in trying out new things.”

Lorna and her husband, who makes wood products, started their business called Molly’s Folly Wool and Woodcraft. It is named after one of their sheep, who they bottle-fed. They are now building a website and a Facebook page with help from family, and they want to grow their business.

Looking ahead with confidence

Lorna said: “The support has given me insight into the business world and the confidence to try new things and get the business off the ground.

“It’s been a journey, and the next step is to find better ways to process wool, maybe even investing in machinery.”

Lorna tells others thinking about starting a business to get help: “There’s support out there if you ask. I was so grateful for the advice and research my adviser did — it really helped me make a plan and move forward.”

If you would like to explore your interests and opportunities with a careers adviser, please contact us today.

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