Here at Rotherham Launchpad, it is our mission to empower those who wish to create their own business. We offer one-to-one support, expert advice, and a range of workshops to help no matter where you are in your journey.

Lucy Kelly began her journey with Rotherham Launchpad last year. Lucy has worked as a podiatrist for six years and has recently taken over her mother’s practice to open, Brinsworth Foot Clinic. Lucy has watched her mum work hard for many years managing her business from home without the support of staff, but always believed that the business could be something more. With her mum reaching full capacity with appointments, Lucy knew that something had to change to keep the business going.

Lucy’s vision was to create a business that was more than just a job, but somewhere that had a real sense of community, created employment opportunities, and helped residents receive the best care. After stumbling across Rotherham Launchpad online, Lucy was able to access everything she needed in order to turn her dreams into a reality.

Since the start of her journey, Rotherham Launchpad has helped Lucy by providing HR support so that she was able to employ staff, effectively marketing the clinic, providing a business grant, and more. With the business grant, Lucy has been able to purchase the latest technology to ensure clients are offered treatments that they would not be able to access through the NHS. Lucy secured the perfect storefront in the heart of the community which had plenty of space so the team could open more days a week, taking on more clients. The business now consists of a tightknit team of four which has created more capacity for Lucy to take on new patients.

Lucy said: “The business world is a tough place to navigate, especially for someone just starting out, and looking back I don’t know how I could have done this without the help of my mentor, Julia and the Launchpad business help. It never felt as though you had gone to an organisation for help but more like to a friend for support and guidance which is one of the best parts about working with them.”