Formerly an Assistant Head of a large secondary school in Somerset, Lisa Merryweather-Millard is the co-founder of Rather Nice Design, a design studio based in Frome, Somerset. She is also Editor-in-Chief of The Little Things magazine; a content-led bi-monthly magazine “for people who happen to be parents”. The magazine covers topics relevant to parents without focusing entirely on the children. Each issue is full of useful information, interesting and thought-provoking articles and helpful hacks to help parents survive the rollercoaster of family life. Lisa is also the founder of FamilyPA, a comprehensive, all-in-one digital platform and App to help busy parents find, book and pay for school holiday childcare and out-of-school activities, as well as other family admin. An ambitious, working parent herself, Lisa’s passion for supporting parents and families is clear.
Lisa first came into contact with Cosmic when she was recommended to us by Business West. “I was in need of some User Experience consultancy and also desperate for a sounding board to bounce ideas off of”.
“My first meeting with Cosmic was with Matt Ballard who helped us to explore our value proposition in more detail”. Since 2017 Matt has been providing Digital Diagnostic support as part of the Heart of the South West LEP’s Growth Support Programme. This ERDF funded programme has helped hundreds of businesses with a range of business support services, including gaining access to Matt’s wisdom around digital marketing, website design and Search Engine Optimisation.
“Matt challenged our current thinking and asked questions we had not yet thought to ask ourselves. Despite running a design studio myself - and providing creative consultancy to clients - it was virtually impossible for me to ‘see the wood through the trees’ in our new business venture. Matt was invaluable in helping us identify and address our blind-spots”.
In conversation with Matt, Lisa realised that she needed to explore cyber-security and GDPR in much more detail, which led to her working with Kate Doodson (Cosmic Joint CEO) to gain more advice and guidance. Like many businesses, Lisa’s enterprises are exposed to both the hazards of cyber-crime, as well as the legislations and regulations of UK data laws. Running a business principally online heightens this vulnerability and responsibility. Cosmic take the issue of Cyber Security and Data Privacy very seriously, and over many years we have supported customers and beneficiaries in understanding the many complexities and solutions.
“Kate’s knowledge, experience and enthusiasm really helped us to fully understand the potential of our products and how to plan adequately for our future success. This helped us to think more deeply about all aspects of our business from technology and infrastructure to marketing and PR. Working with Cosmic really has been instrumental in terms of working out our next steps.”
The Growth Support Programme has been extremely successful in supporting many businesses like Lisa’s. With her ambition to support parents and families, to grow the new digital service, FamilyPA, and spread the reach of The Little Things magazine, it’s clear Lisa will be one to watch. We are pleased that we have been able to offer a little help on her exciting journey.