PLD Learning Resources founder and managing director Diana Rigg has taken nothing for granted since winning a 40under40 award last year, despite the fast growth in her company’s literacy resources in schools throughout Western Australia.
PLD works to maximise children’s literacy potential by utilising speech pathology and occupational therapy, among other modalities, and provides educational resources and consultancy services.
After nearly five years in business and with an eight-week-old baby, Ms Rigg has cut back to two days of work a week but remains focused on the next stage of marketing her business.
This includes venturing into the NSW and Victorian markets with a marketing campaign to promote the resources as they are adopted in other states.
Ms Rigg expects the company to target more than 1,000 schools around Australia in the next quarter.
Ms Rigg is a qualified teacher, literacy specialist, education consultant and speech pathologist who found a gap in WA’s education market.
She assembled a team of speech pathologists, occupational therapists and designers to help her translate research and best practices from around the world into attractive, easy-to-use resources for classrooms and home-teaching environments.
She said undertaking a major restructure within PLD through cutting back from 11 staff to two and concentrating on PLD’s strengths had ensured the company’s ongoing profitability.
Ms Rigg decided to close the speech pathology clinic, which was unprofitable, but increased the publishing and consultancy arms of the business.
As a result of the changes, she said the company was stronger and more profitable.
“So many years on you realise what we are good at and where we want to put our efforts,” Ms Rigg told WA Business News.
Being a private operator in a predominantly government sector did present difficulties, she acknowledged, but also its advantages because the company could be more efficient and more creative than government departments.
“It is tricky,” Ms Rigg said. “But it can be navigated.”
The company plans to approach day care centres with its resources in 2012.
To nominate for the 2012 awards, go to www.40under40.com.au.
