Wiggly Wigglers
Case Study
Sector: Retail
Employees: 15
Location: Lower Blakemore Farm, Herefordshire
The big idea :- achieving organic growth through organic values.
What they do
First set up to supply worms and wormeries, Wiggly Wigglers now sells a range of more than 700 natural garden products including home-grown birdseed, 90 different wildflower species and farm-grown English flower bouquets.
The company was founded by Heather Gorringe, a farmer's wife, in 1990, building on her passion for sustainable and balanced gardening. Selling in the early days was focused on the immediate vicinity and growth occurred mainly through word of mouth. Significant growth started to take place when, in 1993, she created the mail order business, supported by a website, to develop and market the company's products.
The challenge
…was to create a manageable, sustainable and self-financing business that was true to Heather's values and beliefs. In addition she wanted any success to support the local rural community in terms of employment and the sourcing of Wiggly Wigglers' organic and environmentally sustainable products.
The solution
A mail order business model that demonstrates, both in its products and in its approach to using recycled, recyclable and re-usable packaging, that the company is true to its sustainability values.
The company is at the forefront of promoting innovative approaches to sustainability. One example from many in the product range shows that by using Effective microOrganisms - Ems for short - the kitchen waste from a large family can be composted into something as small as a 19 litre bin, with no smells - even from old fish skins!
Other examples are the wooden products sold by the company. They are fabricated from wood sourced according to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards.
To support this increasing range of products, four new businesses have been created in the local area.
Issues arising
Rural areas can pose their own unique problems, especially in terms of recruiting staff for growing businesses.
To solve this, Heather stresses the need for training and support for her small team. 'Ten of our 15 staff come from within a five-mile radius, ' she says. 'We recruit on attitude and teach the skills required. All training is determined by understanding our people's current skills mix and applying the necessary training that meets both the business and the individual need. As a result, retention levels remain constant. Our reputation as an employer of choice means that we never have to advertise for staff - our last two employees approached us!'
Sourcing of sustainable products has been achieved by establishing a range of exacting criteria. Each potential product is scored against standards which specify that the products must be practical, natural and as environmentally sound as possible.
The outcome
From those small beginnings in 1990, the company now turns over in excess of £2 million in sales, of which £1 million is generated using local sustainable products - over £500,000 of company purchases are made within Herefordshire. Many of these local suppliers are very small businesses and are paid for the product on delivery rather than 30 days later - building security and confidence for the supplier.
Unusual, perhaps, for rural businesses, Wiggly Wigglers has embraced technology in two distinct ways.
The website is continually reviewed and updated so that stock is maintained at economically sound levels commensurate with the needs of its 106,000 customers. As a result 95% of all deliveries are made witin 48 hours.
Complementing the catalogues - five are issued each year containing more than 700 products - the website contains a wealth of narrative not only describing the products but also giving full explanations of the environmental issues being addressed.
In addition, Heather has now embraced podcasting. 'Our podcast was the first ever UK gardening and farming podcast and now has over 3000 listeners each and every week,' she explains. 'We have talked about TB and badgers and Single Farm Payments. Friends, family and colleagues join me on the "Wiggly Sofa" and we debate topical gardening issues, offer advice and give listeners a "behind-the-scenes" insight into life on the Wiggly Wigglers Farm.'
Passionate about the environment, Heather adds: 'We can all make a positive and measurable impact on our wider surroundings if we adapt the way we garden, however large or small the plot and whatever the amount of time we can dedicate.'
What could you do?
Environmental technologies and their associated products and services will be a key growth area in the years to come - could you have anything to offer in this field? Embracing technology to add value to your products and services might enable you maintain or reduce costs. It might add value to your offerings, differentiating you from your competitors.
Wiggly Wigglers website: http://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk
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