When Ryan Kelly was made redundant after the closure of the packaging factory he worked in he did not waste time in building a new life for himself.
Two years after the demise of Neath’s “Metal Box” (Crown Packaging) factory, he is now the boss of two successful businesses – Neath Cleaning Solutions and Ryan Kelly Tree and Garden Services.
And his two new ventures are growing, both being twice as busy this year as they were in their first year – the extra customer traffic being helped by Britain’s summer heatwave which meant people wanted to spruce up their patios and gardens.
Ryan, now 49, who lives in Bryncoch, had always envisaged going into business on his own and looked on his redundancy settlement as a means of realising his dream.
But he needed help.
He attended Neath Port Talbot Council’s Enterprise Club, based at Port Talbot’s Sandfields Business Centre, where he received a start-up information pack and got support with business planning and funding.
He also met people looking to launch all sorts of businesses ranging from small traders looking to set up as hairdressers or bakers to larger engineering companies with plans to trade on a national scale.
He also got advice in areas including business planning and funding and then went about setting up his two new ventures.
And he received innov8 grant support to help with start-up costs of £1,000 and also received £500 UK Steel Enterprise-NPTCBC grant funding support.
Ryan said: “I ploughed my own redundancy settlement into a van and I also bought equipment for high-reach pure water cleaning and jet-washing with those funds and with the help of the innov8 start-up grant.
“After talking to customers many wanted their hedges cut or trees pruned so I got the right training and qualifications and set up my garden services business as well for which I also received support from the Council’s business development team and grant aid through the UK Steel Enterprise NPTCBC fund scheme.
“I’m extremely grateful for the help I received at Sandfields Business Centre. This included business ideas and advice given there by staff on what to do and what not to do, the people I met in similar situations to me who had gone on to set up businesses and general advice on how to plan and handle the finance side of things.”
He added: “I feel in a good place now – my mortgage is almost paid off and my three children are settled, two working and the other just finishing university after doing her masters. My wife helps me with the business and the uncertainty that comes with redundancy is over.
“It’s onwards and upwards from here on.”
Annette Wingrave, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Sustainable Development said: “It’s great to hear a success story like this and fantastic news that we’ve played a part in helping another entrepreneur establish a business in our county borough.
“We all wish Ryan best of luck in the future.”
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Sut gwnaeth Ryan, cyn-weithiwr ffatri, droi colli swydd i fod yn llwyddiant busnes.
Pan gollodd Ryan Kelly ei swydd ar ôl i'r ffatri deunydd pacio lle'r oedd yn gweithio am 32 mlynedd gau, ni wastraffodd amser yn adeiladu bywyd newydd i'w hun.
Ddwy flynedd ar ôl cau ffatri "Metal Box" (Crown Packaging) Castell-nedd, mae'n rheoli dau fusnes llwyddiannus - Neath Cleaning Solutions a Ryan Kelly Tree and Garden Services.
Mae ei ddwy fenter newydd yn tyfu ac maent ddwywaith mor brysur eleni ag yr oeddent yn eu blwyddyn gyntaf - cawsant fwy o gwsmeriaid oherwydd yr haf crasboeth a gafwyd ym Mhrydain a oedd yn golygu bod mwy o bobl am dacluso eu patios a'u gerddi.
Roedd Ryan, sy'n 49 oed ac sy’n byw ym Mryn-coch, bob amser wedi breuddwydio am sefydlu ei fusnes ei hun ac ystyriodd ei setliad colli swydd fel ffordd o wireddu ei freuddwyd.
Ond roedd angen cymorth arno.
Aeth i Glwb Menter Cyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot yng Nghanolfan Fusnes Sandfields ym Mhort Talbot, lle derbyniodd becyn gwybodaeth am gychwyn busnes a chefnogaeth gyda chynllunio ac ariannu busnes.
Cwrddodd hefyd â phobl a oedd yn ceisio dechrau pob math o fusnes, o fasnachwyr bach yn ceisio sefydlu busnesau trin gwallt neu siopau bara i gwmnïau peirianneg mwy o faint gyda chynlluniau i fasnachu’n genedlaethol.
Hefyd derbyniodd gyngor ar gynllunio ac ariannu busnes, cyn mynd ati i sefydlu ei ddwy fenter busnes newydd.
Hefyd derbyniodd grant innov8 gwerth £1,000 i gyfrannu at gostau sefydlu a grant chymorth drwy gynllun ariannu UK Steel Enterprise-CBSCNPT gwerth £500.
Meddai Ryan, "Buddsoddais fy setliad colli swydd mewn fan a phrynais offer glanhau estyn uchel dwr pur ac offer jet-olchi gyda'r arian hwnnw a chyda help y grant cychwyn busnes gan innov8.
"Ar ôl siarad â'n cwsmeriaid, roedd llawer ohonynt eisiau eu perthi wedi'u torri neu eu coed wedi'u tocio, felly cyflawnais yr hyfforddiant ac ennill cymwysterau priodol a sefydlais fy musnes gwasanaethau gerddi hefyd. Derbyniais gefnogaeth gan dîm datblygu busnes y cyngor a chymorth grant drwy gynllun ariannu UK Steel Enterprise-CBSCNPT.
"Rwy'n hynod ddiolchgar am y cymorth a dderbyniais yng Nghanolfan Fusnes Sandfields. Roedd hyn yn cynnwys syniadau busnes a chyngor gan staff am yr hyn i'w wneud a'r hyn i'w osgoi a chan bobl y cyfarfûm â nhw a oedd mewn sefyllfa debyg i mi cyn cychwyn busnesau, a chefais gyngor cyffredinol am gynllunio a sut i fynd i'r afael â'r elfennau ariannol."
Ychwanegodd, “Rwy'n teimlo fy mod mewn sefyllfa sda yn awr - mae fy morgais bron wedi'i dalu ac mae fy nhri o blant yn hapus, gyda dau ohonynt yn gweithio a'r trydydd newydd orffen prifysgol ar ôl cwblhau ei gradd meistr. Mae fy ngwraig yn fy helpu gyda'r busnes ac mae'r ansicrwydd sy'n dilyn colli swydd wedi diflannu.
"Bydd pethau'n mynd o nerth i nerth o hyn ymlaen."
Meddai Annette Wingrave, Aelod Cabinet Cyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot dros Adfywio a Datblygu Cynaliadwy, "Mae'n hyfryd clywed am stori lwyddiannus arall fel hon a newyddion hyfryd yw gwybod ein bod wedi chwarae rôl wrth helpu entrepreneur arall i sefydlu busnes yn ein bwrdeistref sirol.
"Rydym yn estyn pob dymuniad da i Ryan yn y dyfodol."
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