SME Spotlight: Former nurse turns digital entrepreneur
Former nurse Miranda Stead launched Leeds-based Mednet, a healthcare communications and digital agency to encourage original healthcare solutions to improve patient outcomes in 2008. It works with Shire, AstraZeneca, the NHS and several universities.
She followed this up with the launch of Attigo in March 2016, a social enterprise with an aim of employing people from disadvantaged backgrounds particularly people with mental health issues, after a chance to work with Johnson & Johnson came up.
Tell us a bit about your professional background
I started my career as a nurse and then worked with pharmaceutical companies for 12 years.
The last pharmaceutical role I undertook was a global marketing role, helping to launch new medicines. I took voluntary redundancy in 2008 and founded Mednet, which is a creative digital healthcare agency, mainly working with pharmaceutical companies to help them to launch new products
How did the idea for Attigo come about?
One of our biggest clients, Johnson & Johnson, pledged to work with social enterprises and asked if we knew a social enterprise with a similar remit to Mednet, but with the social aim of giving those furthest from the job market employment. I couldn’t find anything in existence, so when a new director started last year, we decided to incorporate Attigo CIC to fulfil this requirement.
How does it fit in with Mednet?
We have a formal mentoring system in place, so someone in Mednet supports someone in Attigo and we all work together as a team.
What are the biggest issues in your industry?
Navigating the procurement processes in large pharmaceutical organisations is a constant challenge. Not many currently have an open door policy to working with Social Enterprises.
What does the future look like for Attigo?
We have just been shortlisted for a start-up of the year award and we are currently helping Johnson and Johnson launch a major brand
If you could offer another entrepreneur starting a business any advice, what would it be?
I would suggest that they speak to other SME founders to understand the constituent parts of an organisation and the pitfalls. I was lucky enough to be part of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business’s programme, which was fantastic. The ongoing support I have from the other SME’s founders who also took part has been invaluable.
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