As a mother with two young children, Miriam Cook wanted to find inexpensive, family friendly things to do. The Land O’ Lakes resident would search the Internet for fun places to go, but was frustrated that it wasn’t as easy as it should have been.
“I was watching online and couldn’t really find anything that was what I wanted, with events and stuff like that,” Cook said. “So I thought, I have to create my own.”
(Courtesy of Miriam Cook)
Around eight months ago, she did just that. Now, FamilyFriendlyTampaBay.com is a destination for thousands of users each week, highlighting local freebies, cheap movies and other low-cost activities that everyone in the family can enjoy.
Cook takes her job as event seeker seriously, with specific criteria in mind when she’s looking for places to go. She’s looking for places that appeal to all family members, so children of all ages can have fun. Alcohol can’t be the focus of the event, she said, and accommodations like restroom facilities are important.
Price matters, too, of course.
Cook uses her own family as a template. She has two sisters with children who are in the education field, and she wants to highlight events that families like theirs can afford.
As a former preschool teacher herself, she knows that families often have to stick to a tight budget, and the event has to be something that fits, or is worth saving for if it’s pricier.
Her website is finding an audience. She records about 225,000 page views a month, with about 54,000 different users in that time frame.
And they’re sharing their opinions too, which Cook says makes her project unique.
“There are a couple sites that are similar to mine, but none of them have reviews.” Readers can find ideas on the website, then go on the Facebook page and share their opinions about what they did.
Cook brings her own review committee with her when she attends events. If daughters Jasmine, 5, and Hazel, 3, want to go back to a destination, Cook knows she has a winner. And on weekends, husband Ben joins in as well.
Still, it takes work to keep a popular website running and current with the latest happenings. She spends time each day researching deals in the area, and her email inbox is full of messages from different businesses and public relations companies. She filters through the offerings and compiles the list she thinks represents the best of Tampa Bay.
The site isn’t a moneymaker yet, but Cook can see it growing into a business in the future. She’s already planning expansions into other markets such as Orlando and Miami.
But for now she’s working toward building the site’s popularity and gaining the trust of local families. And the positive feedback she’s received from friends and people at her church is an indication that she’s on the right track.
“My focus has really just been trying to get the word out that my website’s here to help people out,” Cook said.
Cook also wants those families who visit the site to attend and support as many events as possible, which will encourage companies to take note of the demand for events that go easy on a budget and everyone can enjoy.
“If we go and participate in these events, then they’re more likely to cater to families and make sure that their events or their location is more family friendly,” Cook said.
For more information, visit FamilyFriendlyTampaBay.com.
Published July 15, 2015
