Just over 14 years ago I left my secure day job with a growing consultancy firm and started Terrace Consulting Ltd. Five years before that I left my very secure public sector job as Information Services Manager (now called Chief Information Officer) to go into consultancy. What a ride.
Since 2002 I’ve undertaken a number of roles with a variety of organisations – from large public sector agencies to one person businesses – and a whole lot in between.
My focus has remained the same throughout – making information readily available to those who need it.
The emphasis has changed over time; inevitably with the massive technological changes that have happened. Early on I was working with government agencies to transform their library services from the concept of ‘books on shelves’ to providing access to information online and available at the desktop.
More recently the emphasis has moved to keeping track of documents and other business information; I’ve worked with government agencies, companies and small businesses to establish good business processes that enable them to find the information they need when they need it.
I’ve worked with others over the years and trained people to do what I do. It’s very rewarding to work with people with the same philosophy and passion as I have.
In spite of thinking that I wasn’t an ‘auditor’ I’ve actually enjoyed my role as Independent Auditor on the Public Records Act Audit Programme. Now I’m being asked to revisit the audits with agencies who want to check on their overall progress since their first audit under the government programme.
Since I established Terrace Consulting I’ve embarked on other business ventures, including one that didn’t work out and one that I sold after three years because my heart wasn’t in it. Both these were also information related but didn’t have the same focus as Terrace Consulting. Clearly my strengths lie in my core business – designing and developing simple and effective systems to organize business information so people can find the information they need quickly and easily.
Having my own business has given me the flexibility and the contacts to ‘give back’ to the community and I have worked with specialists to design and develop web sites for the charitable organisations I’ve been involved with such as the New Horizons for Women Trust and the Second Chance Fashion Sale that is a major fund raiser for the Trust.