Helen Treacy

Cognitive Science Partners

2010-04-13T15:43:00.000+01:00

Our new Cognitive Science Partners corporate website is near completion. I would love any and all feedback you might have on it.

Next on the agenda is our product based website .............

Entrepreneurship

2010-04-01T00:37:00.000+01:00

Here is a great quote I took from twitter this evening.
Entrepreneurs are humans acting with liberty and spirit, free of the conditioning of others. (via @TheECI)

That time of the year again

2010-03-22T15:44:00.000Z

This time last year I began training for the mini marathon in Dublin. The last time I ran a mini marathon (also referred to as a "Fun Run") I was about 10. I was so slow that my Dad (who was a great runner in his day) became so impatient / embarrassed / disappointed / insert random negative word here, he made me get into the car for the last leg of the run. By the time we got to the finish line all signs of the race had disappeared and everyone had gone home. So it was with trepidation that I signed up to the Mini Marathon.

Thankfully last years attempt was a little better and I crossed the finishing line in a respectable (for me) 1.5hrs hours. So this year I am looking to shave half an hour off and make it across in 1hr. Fingers crossed for me.

This blog post is also to forewarn everyone that I will be once again looking for sponsorship (once I decide on my charity) :-)

Happy Mothering Sunday

2010-03-14T11:27:00.000Z

I am lucky enough to be the mother of a healthy, beautiful and intelligent little girl. So to celebrate Mothering Sunday I am sharing some of my favourite quotes about Mothers.

"Who ran to help me when I fell,

And would some pretty story tell,

Or kiss the place to make it well?

My Mother."

-Ann Taylor

"Youth fades; love droops, the leaves of friendship fall; A mother's secret hope outlives them all."

-Oliver Wendell Holmes

"Who is getting more pleasure from this rocking, the baby or me?

-Nancy Thayer

"Mama exhorted her children at every opportunity to 'jump at de sun.' We might not land on the sun, but at least we would get off the ground."
-Zora Neale Hurston

"Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother."

-Lin Yutang

"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother."

-Author Unknown

"Making the decision to have a child-it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."

-Elizabeth Stone

"Is my mother my friend? I would have to say, first of all she is my Mother, with a capital 'M'; she's something sacred to me. I love her dearly...yes, she is also a good friend, someone I can talk openly with if I want to."

-Sophia Loren

"My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her."

-George Washington

"Nobody knows of the work it makes

To keep the home together.

Nobody knows of the steps it takes,

Nobody knows-but Mother."

-Anonymous

RIP Jade Goody who died last year on Mothering Sunday.

Well, OK then .....

2010-02-17T14:51:00.001Z

Incase you are not able to make out the wording on the back of the lorry it reads

"Our name is always on the front"

The CSP Bible

2010-02-11T10:55:00.001Z

The 17 Commandments:

1. Focus on a specific market.

2. Control cash.

3. Control costs RUTHLESSLY.

4. Adapt our product to meet customers’ needs.

5. Carry out and react to market research constantly.

6. Build a team that is compatible and has the skills to finance, produce, sell and market.

7. Take care of all shareholders, staff and customers

8. Pay PAYE and VAT.

9. Identify growth areas for Cognitive Science Partners.

10.Gain new markets and constantly achieve market growth.

11.Make sure we have enough working capital.

12.Measure cashflow monthly.

13.Make sure all customer accounts are up to date. Do not extend credit terms.

14.Hire the BEST sales and marketing team possible.

15.Be very careful entering leasing agreements.

16.Guard IP and all trade secrets as if life depended on them.

17.Court potential future financial backers whenever possible.

Do you share these priorities with me? Are there other items you feel are more important?

What you never want to hear from a client!

2010-02-10T16:28:00.004Z

"You're a pretty good sales rep, except for the nine times you called me 'wallet' instead of 'Walter'

From Entrepreneur To CEO

2010-01-26T15:10:00.000Z

I am currently transitioning from entrepreneur to CEO of Cognitive Science Partners. While this is a very exciting time in my company, it brings with it challenges. One of the biggest challenges I face is how to be the most effective CEO I can possibly be. Using my time wisely, keeping myself and the team on track to meet our end goals while making the biggest ROI for our Shareholders.

Most of us would agree that the resource we lack most is time. How many of us have rushed from meeting to meeting, checking our e-mail constantly, fire fighting. How many of us are guilty of thinking we are attending to important matters, but we are really just spinning wheels. Much research has been carried out in this area and results show:

90% of managers squander their time in all sorts of ineffective activities.

10% of managers spend their time in a committed, purposeful, and reflective manner.

Effective action relies on a combination of two traits:

Clear Focus--the ability to zero in on a goal and see the task through to completion
Energy--the vigor that comes from intense personal commitment.

Focus without energy devolves into listless execution or leads to burnout. Energy without focus dissipates into aimless busyness or wasteful failures.

So in order for me to be the most effective I can be, I am implementing the following steps (Heavily influenced by the book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People - a must read for those of you not familiar with it)

Be proactive.
Change starts from within. To lead effectively, I have to overcome the tendency to react to external forces.

Begin with the end in mind.
We have a definete exit strategy. All actions must keep us on the path to achieving that exit strategy in the correct time frame, while ensuring Shareholders get the best possible ROI. I can only lead effectively with a destination in mind.

Put first things first.
Maintain a very clear view of what is important, so that I know what to spend time on and what my team should be spending time on.

Think win/win.
I must always seek relationships that are mutually beneficial to Cognitive Science Partners and the other party. In cases in which a win/win deal cannot be achieved, accept that agreeing on "no deal" may be the best alternative.

Seek first to understand, then to be understood.
Stephen Covey presents this habit as the most important principle of inter-personal relations. Effective listening is not simply echoing what the other person has said through the lens of your own experience. It is putting yourself in the mindset of the other person, listening empathetically for both feeling and meaning.

Synergize.
I must always strive to find ways to leverage differences to create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Sharpen the saw.
Take time out to maintain a balance of the physical, mental, social/emotional, and spiritual dimensions. Doing this will ensure my batteries are kept well charged.

Entrepreneurship

2009-11-13T16:19:00.000Z

"Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t"
Anonymous

Get Linked In or Get Left Out

2009-10-15T15:57:00.003+01:00

LinkedIn has 50 million members from around the world and. Over 50% of LinkedIn members are business decision makers. LinkedIn is a major social networking website for business people around the world that you can leverage to market yourself, your business and establish valuable business connections.

The first step is to sign up for an account and then create a complete profile.

LinkedIn is for business networking – complete your profile from a business perspective. Research indicates that LinkedIn members with a 100% complete profile with comprehensive and appropriate business-oriented information are 40 times more likely to receive requests for connections, jobs and other opportunities.

•LinkedIn tracks your profile completeness – get it to 100% or as close as you can.

•Always include a good, recent photo of yourself

•Include maiden names, nicknames, AKA names, etc. to help people to find you.

•List and provide links to your business-related website(s) and blog(s).

•Include acronyms and spell them out to ensure you are included in relevant searches.

•Include relevant keywords in various areas of your profile to help being included in searches.

•Review your profile – are you representing yourself in the manner you wish to be known?

•Thoroughly edit your profile – no grammar or spelling mistakes.

•Personalize your LinkedIn URL and make your profile public.

Having a 100% complete profile with comprehensive content is just the beginning – the real value is participating in the LinkedIn community:

•Connect with people. Find business associates, current and former colleagues, customers, etc. to invite to your LinkedIn network.

•Be generous with recommendations for others and also ask for recommendations. Recommendations significantly improve your credibility and network presence.

•Join and participate in relevant groups.

•Start your own group if you are willing to make the time commitment to manage it. There is a need for quality (not spam fuelled) groups on Linked In. Facilitating one of these groups improves your personal brand

•Answer questions to demonstrate your expertise and build credibility.

•Provide regular status updates of interest on your profile.

•Check the various updates from your community on your home page every day or at least once a week. Find possible participation opportunities and members to invite for connecting with you.

•Add a link to your LinkedIn public profile to your email signature.

•Depending on your business and objectives with LinkedIn, consider whether the additional fee-based services and advertising are worthwhile.

How to use this information to benefit your business:

•Think of LinkedIn as your expanded business card on the Internet – if people want to know who you are or who is behind a particular business, they’ll search on LinkedIn or find your public profile via a general Internet search.

•You and your business are intertwined – a good business-oriented personal profile and appropriate participation activity can promote your business.

•Don’t be spammy to promote yourself or your business. Participating and contributing to the community and demonstrating your expertise by helping others will produce much better results.

•Keep an eye on competitors by checking out what they are doing on LinkedIn and who they are connected to. Also be aware that your competitors will be watching you so be strategic in the information you are sharing.

You can connect with me on LinkedIn HERE

Original Article here

OutVesting

2009-09-25T15:31:00.003+01:00

I came across the term on twitter this week. Brainchild of James Corbett OutVesting aimed to collect 100 donations of €50. The €5,000 is to fund an Irish Start-Up. As of today he has already passed the 100 mark!. If you would like to make a donation or simply follow its progress click here

Update:
Outvesting has now raised 2,550 - can you help them get to 5,000 with a 50euro pledge?

Airport Security & Travelling with Children

2009-09-23T15:38:00.003+01:00

Travelling with children is stressful. No arguments there.

Myself and my partner recently took our three year old to Rome for a family wedding. It was the first time we had taken her abroad. Since the abduction of Madaliene McCann we are very security focused. Prior to leaving we printed out up to date pictures of our daughter along with all her vital statistics in Italian.

While going through security at the airports (4 times in total) only once did the guard check the child's identity against the passport. Even so, it would be very hard for anyone not familiar with our daughter to recognise her from her passport as we got it a year and a half ago.

Better controls should be put in place. It should not be easy to take a child across a border. Why has eye recognition not been applied to passports? Our children need better protection.

Client / Vendor Relations

2009-08-13T00:42:00.001+01:00

I REALLY hope I never have to share this with a potential client :-)

Scofield Editorial

Networking Events August / September

2009-08-11T20:09:00.006+01:00

I will to add to this list as events are announced:

Blogger/Twitter/Whatever Networking Event:

Event Date: Thursday 3rd of September
Event Time: 7pm till late
Location: The Kudos Bar @ The Clarion Hotel (IFSC)
Price Per Person: €0.00
Organised by Jason Roe, this has the makings of a great networking event. With place for 150 people and 2 for 1 cocktails it should be a fun gathering of bloggers / tweeters / business people. Please register here if you can make it.

IIA Networking Event:

Event Date : 10 Sep 2009
Time : 6pm
Location : The Odeon, Harcourt St, Dublin 2
Price per person : €0.00
You are invited to join the IIA Members, Board and Working Groups at an evening event in Dublin City. This event will follow the IIA AGM.
All who are interested in meeting those who do business online are invited to this networking event in the relaxed atmosphere of The Odeon Bar in Dublin's City Centre.
This event will also allow an opportunity to wish a farewell to outgoing CEO, Fergal O'Byrne.
Proceed to booking form here

Bizcamp (User Generated Business Conference)

Event Date: Saturday 19th September
Time: 10am - 5pm
Location: Guiness Store House, Dublin
Price Per Person: €0.00

Upto 400 entrepreneurs are expected to gather for a day of learning and networking. I am really disappointed to be missing this event (I have to attend a family wedding), it promises to be a really great day. Guest Speakers include Joe Drumgoole , Alan O’Rourke and the lovely Amanda Webb. Register for this event here

New Office

2009-08-10T14:54:00.005+01:00

After a long haul we finally found the office of our dreams. It took alot longer than we thought and was a learning curve. Heres a few pointers for you if you are looking for office space.

*Once you lease/rent an office / shop unit, you are liable for any unpaid rates on that part of the building. Check out if there are any arrears before signing a lease. You can do this by contacting your local County Council office - the contact for Co Kildare is Oliver Reilly.

*The going rate for rent is €1 per sq ft in this area. We were quoted upto €3 - It pays to shop around.

*We needed a flexible arrangement - enough office space so we can expand comfortably. Again, it paid off to shop around.

Here are a couple of other items on our check list:

Affordable
Access to Broadband
Bright and spacious
Natural light (very important to me as I have mild SAD)
Nice view (that was the icing on the cake, hopefully we will be so busy that we wont have time to indulge )
Affordable
Friendly "neighbours"
Local to home (didn't want to spend an hour commuting each day)
Access to boardroom

Our lovely new working home is Office 1&2 Shawlocke House, Kilcock, Co Kildare.

Six Months of Free Driving

2009-07-14T13:48:00.006+01:00

Toyota Ireland are currently looking for 4 bloggers / tweeters to test drive and market their new iQ car. The application process takes 2 minutes to complete and involves a twitter type 140 character pitch.

As our roads and motorways become increasingly congested with traffic, one of the latest trends with car manufacturers is the clever downsizing of the car. The Smart Car has done very well in Europe with its ultra small size, modern design and good mileage, while MINI models have re-emerged to immense popularity.

These cars have proven popular with the environmentally conscious, people looking to save on petrol and looking for ease of parking. There is one obvious aspect that drivers are forced to sacrifice with an ultra compact car - the availability of space. Larger families might have trouble carrying bigger loads with just two seats and very little boot space.

Toyota has addressed this dilemma with its own take on the minicar, a four-seat passenger vehicle called the iQ Car. At just under 10 feet long and about 5-and-a-half feet wide, the iQ is an example of innovative design and technology - everything from the seating arrangements to the miniaturised front console controls is taken into account.

Economical, Green and Compact, for a small car the iQ has a lot going for it.

HotHouse Alumni Network Event

2009-07-14T13:21:00.004+01:00

The first Hothouse Alumni Network Event takes place on the 22nd of July in The SchoolHouse, Ballsbridge. Congrats to Stephen Fagan, Ian Cleary and Muriel Molloy for organising the event. It should be a great evening. Further details here

Hothouse have also started recruiting for their 18th Venture Program. Any budding entrepreneurs with a high-tech idea should check out PDC

Logo Design Needed

2009-06-13T08:35:00.000+01:00

For any creative types looking for some freelance work, I need to get a logo created over the weekend. It is for a new product - AutismTeachR.

The central concept of the logo is a globe of the world. Out of the globe will be cartoon character children holding the letters AUTISMTEACHR. I want it to be very colourful. The logo will be used on our website, letterheads etc so needs to be very good quality.

If you can get this done by tomorrow evening drop me a mail @ helen@autismteachr.com or leave a comment below.

Naas Open Coffee

2009-06-11T22:22:00.000+01:00

I went along to the first Naas Open Coffee event this morning. While it was called an Open Coffee event most if not all the attendees are members of IBW . About 10 people turned up in total, which I thought was quite good for a first time event. I met some great people and stayed an hour longer than I had planned!

If you are interested in attending , the next one will be about a month from now in the Osprey Hotel Naas. Follow http://twitter.com/OpenCoffeeNaas (twitter)

Tuesday Push - FineTuna

2009-06-08T22:24:00.000+01:00

This weeeks Tuesday Push is FineTuna, a product of SpoiltChild Design . FineTuna allows you to upload an image or take a browser screenshot, add comments or markers to your image and send it on to your designer or developer by email.

Easy to use for all sorts of projects like web design, icon design and sending family photos. If you want to Fine Tune an image give Finetuna a try today!

Blogging & Social Media For Business (Limerick)

2009-06-08T17:41:00.000+01:00

Don’t know a Tweet about Linkedin?

Think that a blog is a character from Star Trek?

Wondering how your business can benefit from using social media?

Want to improve interaction and communication with your customers and increase your revenue?

The Greenhouse incubator is running a full day Blogging & Social Media for Business seminar on June 13th in the Absolute Hotel in Limerick.

For more information and to book your place before the course fills click here

More Than Just A Job

2009-05-23T17:10:00.000+01:00

Software Developer required for Start Up Company. Responsible for end to end product delivery, from developing technical requirements to coding & debugging in order to deliver a final product. This hire is a very important addition to our company and the successful applicant will work closely with the Co-Founders. The role will grow along with the expansion of the company, so the ideal candidate will be forward thinking and enjoy being a key decision maker within the company.

Responsibilities:
Responsible for full product lifecycle, from understanding business requirements & writing technical specifications to coding and QA activities. This includes:
Convert business requirements into technical specification documents.
Understanding existing technical specification documents
Perform coding to written technical specifications
Create, document, and implement test plans
Ensure highest level of technical quality, security, scalability, interoperability and stability in all products that are developed
Investigate, analyse and document reported defects
Perform maintenance programming and correction of identified defects

Qualifications & Skills Required:
Essential:
Minimum of 3 years experience developing software applications
Experience coding in Microsoft .NET technology, C# & Microsoft SQL Server
Ability to convert business requirements into technical requirements
Experienced in taking projects through the entire software development cycle from requirements gathering to product release.
Proven ability to meet deadlines
Ability to work off existing code - expanding, rewriting & debugging where appropriate to deliver a finished product.
Ability to read & understand Visual Basic 6 code
Good verbal and written (English) communication skills
Flexible attitude, ability to perform under pressure
Ability to produce maintainable, scalable, tested solutions.
Expertise in problem solving and debugging complex systems
Ability to work well on own initiative and with minimal direction
Ability to provide references upon request
3rd level qualification in software engineering or related technical discipline

Beneficial:
Experience coding in Visual Basic 6
Experience with web services & developing web based applications

Please forward CV and covering letter to recruit@psychfusion.com. All applications will be treated in strict confidence.

Tuesday Push: Decisions For Heros

2009-05-20T12:27:00.000+01:00

Decisions For Heroes is a web application that helps to save lives, it does this by helping rescue teams record and analyze their rescue operations and training. Built by Robin Blandford, Decisions For Heroes was trialled for 8 months with 1,800 rescuers in 5 countries before being launched on the 19th of May.

Typical users include Mountain Rescue, Coast Guard, Search & Rescue Dogs, Sheriff Depts., Lifeboats, and Urban Search & Rescue teams. Among the many Start-Ups Ireland is currently churning out, this is one to keep a close eye on.

Quitting The Smokes And Getting Fit

2009-05-07T13:34:00.000+01:00

Since quitting the cigarettes my new vice is visiting the gym. While this is a fantastic way to get me fit and back in shape it is also very time consuming. It is a half hour round trip. My workout takes an hour and I go to the pool for an hour. I reward my hard work with half an hour divided between the jacuzzi and steam room. So that is 3 hours a day. Not sustainable.

So I invested in a treadmill (http://short.ie/see/2cn5ri). Thanks to the Big R, I got it reduced from €999 to €499 in Elvery Sports, Maynooth. I have to mention the staff in the Maynooth branch. They are fantastic. Helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. It really is a pleasure to shop there.

To keep me motivated I also signed up to the Flora Women's Mini Marathon. This takes place June Bank Holiday weekend in Dublin. I am supporting Autism Ireland. For more information or to sponsor me click here http://www.mycharity.ie/event/helen_treacys_event/

This Is The Right Time

2009-03-05T12:00:00.000Z

..... to start your own business and here's why:

Most things are cheaper
Let's face it: There is great value right now. This is the right time for fantastic deals in everything a start up needs, from office equipment to office space from vehicles to personnel.
It is a good idea to keep your eyes on auctions and liquidation sales. There are some fantastic deals to be got. More info here: http://www.eauctions.ie/pages/home.php

You can hire more and better-qualified people
In an era when Intel and Dell are laying off staff, you can find great people at affordable rates. Whether your start up is a high-tech or a professional services company there are plenty of professionals looking for their next opportunity. Some of them may be interested in a share of your venture for reduced rates (providing your business plan is strong enough and they see potential in your venture).

Companies are open to changing suppliers
From a cost perspective, everything is on the table for most companies. If your prices are higher but you offer better value for money, you have a good chance at winning new business. Many companies are looking to find new partnerships with new companies that have a more innovative way of delivering products and services.

Ownership equals tax incentives
Business ownership offers a variety of tax benefits that aren't available to employees. The following are new reliefs/incentives for Irish companies:
If the business is a new start-up company which commences to trade in 2009 it should be exempt from corporation tax, including capital gains, in each of the first three years to the extent that their tax liability in the year does not exceed €40,000.
If a company is engaged in research & development (R&D) activities, then the rate of tax credit is increased from 20% to 25%, i.e. 25% of the qualifying R&D expenditure can be used to reduce corporation tax of the current year and the preceding year. Where there is insufficient corporation tax in the current or preceding year, the R&D credit may be claimed in the form of a refund. Care must be taken as a new time limit is imposed - claims must be made within 12 months from the end of the accounting period in which the expenditure on R&D giving rise to the tax credit was incurred.
Where a business incurs expense in respect of purchase or hiring of a motor vehicle; 20% of the VAT charged may be deductible in calculating the amount of VAT payable to Revenue in that VAT period. The car must have been first registered after 1 January 2009 and meet specific emissions standards. The car must be used primarily for business purposes, i.e. at least 60% of the use.

Family and friends nervous of property / stock markets
That means they might be willing to finance a portion of your new venture, or the expansion of an enterprise that has proven itself over time.

There are great low risk opportunities out there at the moment
Some small business owners want out at any cost, meaning you can negotiate great win-win deals that allow the current owners an escape while giving you an opportunity to turn around what could be, if run right, a very viable business.

You've lost your job, and you have to do something
The need for income and the need for something to do is often enough to push those of you previously "on the fence" to strike out on your own. There is support available to start ups, in the form of courses and business mentors, available through County Enterprise Boards. You can connect to the Irish start up community on twitter http://www.twitter.com/ and Linked In http://www.linkedin.com/

Lack of customer service

2009-02-06T15:00:00.000Z

To all service providers that dont place emphasis on customer service, wake up! If you dont respect my custom I wont be doing business with you again. I also wont be recommending your services to my network of colleagues and friends.

You spend money on advertising for new business. Why dont you evaluate how you treat existing customers and try and hold on to them. Not rocket science!

2009-02-05T21:06:00.000Z

Being a vegetarian and living in Ireland has certainly gotten easier. Its not great but it is better than 10+ years ago.

One of the uses I have for this blog is to share my food experiences. I will kick it off by mentioning Toscanos. Toscanos is on Dame St, Dublin 2 and Dun Laoghaire. Its a truly wonderful Italian. Plenty to choose from if your a veggie and the service is excellent. Prices are very reasonable and if you happen to go there for lunch expect to pay €2 euro for a starter and less than €10 for a main course. I can never ever fit in dessert as I stuff myself on mains. Its the first place I ever tried Suppli and having tried it in other Italians since there is no comparison to Toscanos suppli (and they dont use chicken stock!!)

http://www.toscana.ie/

Giving this a go again

2009-02-05T20:24:00.001Z

Dear Blog,

I started you, I neglected you but now I am back to take care of you. I promise to feed you with content regularly. I will strive to make you popular by entertaining and educating your readers. I promise to be a loving and caring blog owner.

Please forgive me!

2008-11-12T11:34:00.000Z

I just graduated from the HotHouse/ DIT Venture programme (http://www.pdc.ie/). Our ceremony night took place on the 10th of November in Croke Park. There was a great line up of guest speakers and a networking event afterwards with members of EI and VCs in attendance. Two of the main highlights of the night for me were

1 Coming runner-up on the Venture Programme

2. Demoing our product to a Director of Google

I would like to congratulate Matt Bonner of Liqquid for winning the Venture Programme.

A little about me

2008-09-18T16:04:00.000+01:00

Welcome to my blog! You will have to have patience as I new to the blogging world and just finding my feet.

I am living in the East of Ireland with my partner Colin and our daughter Katie.

Between us, we are serial entrepreneurs and presently have 2 businesses.

One is developing software for psychologists and psychology students (www.psychfusion.com)

The other is at pre - startup stage. Its a business that is very close to our hearts and involves child safety products.

This was inspired by the birth of daughter Katie.

We currently do a mix of working from home and the office - both of which have ups and downs!