IN this week’s SME Focus we hear from a woman who has developed a UK business out of a venture she started in an empty greenhouse in the Central Belt.

Name: Diane Mathison.

Age: 52.

What is your business called? ZooLab Ltd.

Where is it based?

Larbert, although we have national UK coverage.

What services does it offer?

We are the UK’s leading animal handling and lifelong learning company, providing innovative educational and entertainment services to a variety of business sectors.

Whom does it sell to?

We work with schools, care homes, companies and organisations like the BBC, Endemol and Center Parcs throughout the UK to help them realise their training and learning objectives. We also help high-street names Tesco, Holland & Barrett and Specsavers to deliver community outreach programmes, and we work with individuals, companies and organisations on events ranging from birthdays to corporate entertainment and team-building. We have just launched The Jungle Room, Falkirk’s newest visitor attraction, which aims to bring the rainforest experience to the heart of Scotland. From this base people can book to take part in animal handling sessions, storytelling sessions and arts & crafts workshops.

What is its turnover?

£1.5 million plus.

How many employees?

55.

When was it formed?

I launched the business in 1996, with my then husband Andrew Stephenson.

Why did you take the plunge?

We saw a gap in the market to offer animal handling sessions to the education sector to help schools achieve learning outcomes.

What were you doing before you took the plunge?

We are very entrepreneurial, so after running a pet store at Torwood Garden Centre, Larbert, we converted an empty greenhouse into Butterfly World in Freeport Leisure Village, West Calder. Running the venue highlighted a desire for animal handling sessions, particularly in schools looking to use the experience to educate children and highlight conservation, science, the natural world around them as well as healthy eating and even history! Building on our experience and using our understanding of animal handling, we launched ZooLab 20 years ago. Since then we have expanded, working successfully across a number of sectors. We now have 35 rangers on the road who provide animal handling sessions throughout the UK. Our rangers are highly trained, with the majority qualified zoologists, scientists or individuals who have worked within the education sector.

How did you raise the start-up funding?

Savings and help from family at the very start in 1987. We also secured a small grant from Graduate enterprise scheme.

What was your biggest break?

Realising in the late 1990s that we could be successful visiting schools with our animals rather than them coming to visit us in Tropical Rainforest World.

What was your worst moment?

Too many to mention that involved worrying about paying wages and bills. The other major one was when the recession hit and budgets started to tighten. We hit a plateau with our sales, as educational outlets have been predominantly our main customers and they had to tighten their belts. It was soul destroying as we were turning over £1m but spending everything we had to keep going. That’s why we approached Business Gateway Falkirk. Our adviser’s help made us take a good hard look at ourselves and the business. Since then we’ve systematically reviewed, adapted and improved our operations, using advice given on sales, finance and marketing and costs to push the business forward. Costs have been driven down and sales have increased by 30 per cent in the past year.

What do you most enjoy about running the business?

For me, what is really great, is the fact we work with people of all ages and backgrounds; it's the range of our work and the very different people we meet that inspire me.

What do you least enjoy?

In an ideal world spending the whole day working with our animals and clients would be perfect instead of doing the administration and paperwork associated to the business. That said, I know how vital it is!

What are your ambitions for the firm?

To continue to build on our reputation as the UK’s leading animal handling and lifelong learning business. I want to extend the reach of ZooLab and make it a 'national brand'.

What are your five top priorities?

1. To make ZooLab a widely recognised national brand and a household name.

2. To sustain growth within the education sector and keep market leader position.

3. To develop long term partnerships with key corporate clients.

4. To make a difference with global and local conservation efforts.

5. To open a chain of ZooLab Jungle Rooms throughout the UK within the next 10 years. This will help us create jobs and put ZooLab firmly on the conservation map.

What could the Westminster and/or Scottish governments do that would help?

A reduction in VAT and corporation tax would be a huge step forward and make businesses more competitive.

As a whole, ZooLab has benefited greatly from government support. However, we would always welcome more advice in relation to raising investment for growth. This would allow us to raise the kind of finance we need to fully pursue opportunities. Gaining access to expert guidance in areas involving sales, HR, marketing and finance has been integral to the growth of the business. There are also other areas where we would benefit from financial support that would allow us to bring in additional, specific expertise.

What was the most valuable lesson that you learned?

There is always a way to do something, it just takes a bit of thought.

How do you relax?

Hang out with my family and let off steam every now and again as well as gardening, birdwatching and going to gigs and festivals.