THE winner of last year’s Small Business of the Year award is rapidly expanding in trade and staff numbers.

The Natural Travel Collection, who took home one of the Winchester Business Excellence Awards last June, has increased from 14 employees to 21 – allowing them to apply for this year’s Large Business of the Year Award.

Turning over £4million in revenue last year, the Bridge Street-based company has also increased its products by branching out into group-based excursions.

Up until recently, the firm offered bespoke holidays specialising in wildlife and diving activities.

It now also offers bird-watching, whale-watching and safaris on a group-basis as part of its Travelling Naturalist brand.

Nick Joynes, co-director, said: “We knew that was the only year we could enter for the Small Business of the Year award, because of our expansion.

“We had grown an awful lot in the two years preceding the awards and we put a business plan in place that was intended to not only grow the business over a three-year period but to prepare for long-term growth.”

Mr Joynes said part of this business plan meant increasing their online visibility by investing more in the company’s website.

As a result of the move the firm has applied for this year’s new Online Excellence award.

“The first thing a traveller will do is look at the website,” Mr Joynes added. “We also invested a lot in our internal systems database and we’re looking for new products well.

“We’re looking to the future.

“We really want to win [another award] and if we don’t we know at least it wasn’t for want of trying. We’ve given it out absolute best and we feel we’ve applied for the right categories.”