Toms Blog The Last few weeks
The site has started to generate its own life now as we pass the 500 members mark two weeks ago and are now heading for the 600 mark.
Some interesting topics occurring and the frugal living section seems popular
Good to see an interesting debate go on about shopping in the North.
The snip report also came out and with the TDs on holiday it certainly seems interesting that this was done deliberately.
A 5% cut in social welfare payments is going to hurt everyone if implemented.
NAMA is also out there but that could take six months to get off the ground considering they have no staff yet
From this week the ask us section on the home page will feature some tips and advice.
We will have people from five different fields giving their tips.
These are
The Money Doctor
Selling Brand You
Setting up a business in Ireland
Stone Soup with Anna
Life Coaching
I feel the site needs to move in tandem with being a chat forum and these sections will give content out to members.
I was asked to be on TV3 Ireland AM new business slot ten days ago which was an interesting experience.
The studio is simply two desks a couch and that its.
The amount of wires and cameras is amazing.
There was a good reaction to the site from the piece.
We are also getting some of the voluntary groups enquiring about the site and I always tell them to join the site and let people know what they are looking for.
I had an interesting email in from a new proposed political party being founded. amhrannua.com
There is an interesting series of confidence in action days occurring around the country from September.
Dublin 10th September Cork 28th September Limerick 13th Oct.
Tom O Mahony10/8/09
Toms Blog
Weeks 2 to 4
Week three and I was invited to the think2Act day at the National College in the ISC to be part of a panel discussion in the afternoon.
Some 260 people attended and even though the event was oversubscribed some 40 people did not bother to turn up.
The day was free to attend which may have been some of the reason some people did not bother to attend.
TV3 and RTE covered the event and some interesting contacts were made there.
The Evening Echo in Cork rang me that week and asked me to write 800 to 1000 word on being unemployed for a series of articles they were publishing the following week
I had been thinking of having an official launch and my wish list would have been Roy Keane Michael O Leary or George Lee in any order although being a Corkman Roy would have to be 1st.
I read in the Saturday paper that Fine Gael were having a parliamentary meeting in the Burlington Hotel on the same day I was going to the Think2act day.
I was in the lobby of the Burlington at 7.15am waiting to way lay George Lee for the 8am meeting.
Lobbies are very interesting at that hour as all the coach parties who are on these Europe in ten days or less are checking out.
At least six people at any time seemed to the wandering around looking for their friends, their coach or their other half.
I could overhear the usual did you pack such a thing? Where’s my passport?
Of course there is always one person who decides ten minutes after their bag is on they really really need their book.
Ten to eight I saw George Lee enter the lobby and I approached him.
I had a letter written with some cards in it outlining the website and its aims asking him to consider officially launching the site.
He was a little taken aback for a second but listened politely as he read one of the cards.
He said he was interested in the site and would be in touch.
The next day his office rang with some general queries and rang again the day after.
They were able to accommodate a launch on the following Tuesday 7th in the morning.
With the help of some friends and Eoghan and Ger from the Communication Clinic it was all systems go.
I had met Eoghan at the Think2Act .
We booked a room in Buswells as it was near the Dail as well as a photographer
The launch went off without a hitch.
We got radio coverage from the two main Dublin stations along with INN
RTE sent a camera crew as he was over at the Dail
The Indo and the Irish Times sent reporters.
The photographer was very good and got some good angle shots in.
Keith Bohanna had suggested taking two half loaf of bread along as props and these were well used.
I also got three radio requests after the launch.
AS I write we are now starting a Tell 20 as part of our efforts to have 1000 members by the end of August.
I want all members to tell at least 20 people about the site and ask those 20 to tell 10 more.
We also have a facebook page halfaloaftomhalfaloaf if you are on facebook please tell your friends.
We also need more people posting on the site.
The site launched on the 11th of June, and since then time has passed in a whirlwind.
The idea behind the site was no eureka moment just one of those thoughts that occurred and I felt that if I did not pursue starting the site then I could be the bitter guy down the pub in six months time having seen someone else start a similar site.
I have no tech background and for the last 25 years I have been working in the Transport Distribution Waste Management Industry before being made redundant in February of this year. I approached my local Enterprise board who were very supportive in helping me get the site off the ground. This site is run on a not for profit/voluntary basis. On the day of the Launch I had help from my wife and three friends. Cards were given out at Dole offices and a press release was sent out to some 150 outlets.
The Evening Echo newspaper in Cork were first to make contact followed by RTE The Business radio show, and I was lucky enough to be asked to go into RTE on the Sunday morning to take part in the business program. The time in the studio flew by and I was glad to see some new members on the site that afternoon. The next day the Last Word producer from Today Fm Matt Cooper made contact with a view to doing an interview some time that week.
The interview was scheduled for the next day and invited along with me was one of my bloggers (Leinster Fan) who was made redundant in May of this year from a large Accountancy firm. This interview was a major plus as it gave us the highest number of members on line at any one time.
Over the rest of week one I noticed a steady flow of people onto the site but not enough members joining the site. We had the usual pedantic people emailing about the trivial like spelling but not pointing it out in a nice way. This really got my goat and there were a few times I had to hold fire from emailing them back.
Week two started well when The Irish Examiner printed an article on the site and as my brother in law in Cork commented they needed something to fill a gap that day. This piece gave rise to requests from five other radio stations for interviews. These ranged from Cork to Waterford, Wexford and the Moncrief show on Newstalk.
A recurring theme in emails received and traffic on the site is the amount of apathy out there at present. People are sending in emails to the site with all sorts of ideas but don’t seem to want to follow thorough with them! When I reply to them advising them that they need to join the site and post away they don’t even bother to try.
I always advise if they need help in posting it will be provided. This site will only survive on everyone contributing, one of our members is 77 years old and if he can post then so can anyone else. So instead of just reading this blog, register now on the site and add your comments/ideas/suggestions and lets getting working together.