The owner of a digital agency who left school with no qualifications has turned his life around and is ready to open a second branch of his business, despite a turbulent 12 months due to the pandemic.

Wayne Berry grew up in Birchwood attending Chatfield Community Primary School and Birchwood High School.

An unsettled home life led to the youngster struggling to concentrate in the classroom but when he left school at 16 he wanted to better himself.

Wayne started working in digital sales at the age of 19 and now, nearly twenty years later, the 38-year-old is looking to open JAW Digital’s second premises in Knutsford.

The company specialises in web design and online marketing but saw around 60 per cent of its business disappear overnight when the country was plunged into lockdown last March.

Managing director Wayne and his team worked hard to reinvent the business, opening the country’s first walk-in web design shop in Hale and now they’re hoping to find a suitable location in Knutsford.

Wayne, who now lives in Plumley, said: “We really struggled at first during the first lockdown.

“We have a lot of clients in dental care, hair transplants and cosmetic surgery, so when all the clinics closed, around 60 per cent of our business dried up overnight.

“We had to really think on our feet and come up with different ways in which people might need help in growing their businesses.

“It was really difficult and I was on the verge of maybe letting staff go, but we got stuck in and turned it around to the point I didn’t need to furlough anyone and we managed to grow.”

He added: “We’re in Hale at the moment and we’re looking to target Knutsford now.

“We’re a full-service digital agency, so we do everything from the contact and design of a brand through to website design and search engine optimisation.

“We’ve got our own model for social advertising as well, which we call ModlX, and that is unique to us and has been one of the ways which has helped us grow.

“We can take any business, regardless of their size and budget, and get them a decent presence online.”

Warrington Guardian:

Wayne and his team have welcomed customers walking in off the street who need some advice about their website.

Members of staff analyse the websites and look at the business’ marketing strategies with customers “walking away with a quote as if they’ve just booked a holiday”.

Wayne is hoping to open the new premises in Knutsford later this year and more information about the company is available by visiting www.jawdigital.co.uk.