I worked for a gap year between finishing my A levels and going on to University - starting with a local job as a "Coder" - helping a Seismologist at the local Oil Exploration Company prepare jobs in decks of cards for the big IBM Computers the company used, and taking the resultant large film sections and splicing them for final customer presentation. But during my year, the company fell on hard times and some 8 or 9 months in, I was declared redundant. It was totally the correct decision of the company to choose me as one of the ones to fire, as I only had a limited remaining shelf life there anyway - but still it hurt, especially in the manner in which I was told. Looking back, they did me a huge favour - I made a phone call the following Monday and got myself set up for my remaining four months with another company ... which lead to my first industrial placement as a programmer in the same field.

In a changing world, it's rare for anyone to stay with one employer (or even for one job to exist) for a lifetime these days, and the closing of one door (though perhaps a shock) is a golden opportunity for the opening of another - indeed, Well House Consultants grew from being a "shell" company through which I could give training courses under contract to something much, much more when my major customer's door closed. But when one door closes, another opens, and such happenings are a golden opportunity to regroup and restart which should be positively grasped, with both hands.
i
From My mailbox, and reproduced with permission ...

Hi Graham, "Many years ago" you taught me Perl while I was at [Company in Dublin]. (You delivered the course [in Dublin].) Unfortunately, I was recently made redundant by [company] as a result of a corporate re-organisation. However, I'm taking the opportunity to try and start my own business doing web-surveys. (The company is "Survey Guru" and the website is www.surveyguru.ie [Changed, Dec '08 - see below]) Implicit in this endeavour will be the use of certain Internet technologies ... so I was wondering if I could get back on your mailing list for "Of Course" ? I always enjoyed the magazine as an end in itself, and I think I'd learn from it. From a browse of your web-site it appears that Well House Consultants continue to go from strength to strength. I'm pleased for you. Best wishes, Brendan (Cullen)

Brendan - good luck to you, I hope it goes well for you - I know it has for us. And I'm happy to provide you with a link / initial "plug" above. We've not looked back! And ... should I be in Dublin giving a Perl or Tcl course, I'll look you up and perhaps we can have a Geek evening!

December '08 - an update

Brendan writes:

Hi Graham, Back in August we exchanged e-mails   [82][ac] •Ü and I  [82][ac] Ä m mentioned here : http://www.wellho.net/archives/2008/08/index.html - August 20th I believe. I thought I should let you know that I changed my name from   [82][ac][c5][93]Survey Solutions  [82][ac][c2][9d] to   [82][ac][c5][93]SurveyGuru  [82][ac][c2][9d]. ...

Hi Graham, We  [82][ac] Ä re also looking to explore whether there is any market for our services in the UK. At your leisure, could you review the website   [82][ac] •Ü the testimonials page may help - http://www.surveyguru.ie/Testimonials.htm - and consider whether you know of anybody or organisation in any sector that might be interested in our services. The website (hopefully) describes things. But, in essence, my hope is that people will use my company to fill the holes in their information. I know that sounds very general. But that  [82][ac] Ä s deliberate. I want to help private individuals, organisations and companies (sole traders, partnerships, co-operatives, limited companies, etc.). I  [82][ac] Ä m talking public and profit sectors. I  [82][ac] Ä m talking social, cultural, religious, sporting, commercial, etc  [82][ac][c2]æ. We  [82][ac] Ä re not just talking about putting clients  [82][ac] Ä  surveys on the internet and delivering the resultant data to them. That of course is a core element. But we can also help/advise people on the writing of their questions. We can actively work with people to maximise their response rates. We can provide statistical input on sample sizes (in order to be representative). We can analyse, interpret and present results. So it  [82][ac] Ä s a gamut of services   [82][ac] •Ü from initial design through to results presentation. Regards, Brendan

As well as the location that Brendan found, this page is also in our archives at http://www.wellho.net/mouth/1760_An-opportunity-for-something-new.html and perhaps we need some of Brendan's services to help us sort out the content monster we have here ;-) ....
(written 2008-08-20, updated 2008-12-08)

 M302 - Well House Manor - Networking with other businesses
  [2008] The Month Ahead - What is happening in Melksham - (2009-01-25)
  [2127] Call in the professionals! - (2009-04-12)
  [2793] They do weddings, we do courses. - (2010-06-04)
  [3521] Emergency First Aid at Work (HSE) training in Melksham - places available for 19.1.2012 - (2011-11-15)

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