Busy Busy Busy...

A Course Directory blogger's work is never done... at least it seems that way!

The phone hasn't stopped here at Courses.ie, and we're delighted with the response we have had from Course Providers across the country. Our database is expanding every day, with new listings being added all the time.

We've also been keeping careful track of our site statistics. It's vital for any commercial website to closely monitor how many visitors there are to their site and how long they stay. This is all the more important for a directory like Courses.ie. We've been very pleased with the response to the site, and also surprised by some of the far flung places our visitors hail from. We've even had searches and enquiries from visitors living as far away as Iran!

It's wonderful to see the site growing so popular so quickly. Unfortunately, it doesn't leave much time to blog.

There goes the phone again...

What if...?

Do you have questions? We have the answers!

Questions are an essential part of learning, and it is vital to be informed before choosing a course. With this in mind, our site has a What If page, listing commonly asked questions about education in Ireland.

What if you’re a single parent trying to re-educate yourself? What if you’ve finished college and realise you’ve chosen the wrong course? What if you have problems taking exams? These questions and many more are answered by the Courses.ie team.

If you have a question that isn't listed on the page then you can contact us, and we'll be sure to guide you in the right direction.

Course of the Month

Have you ever enjoyed a course so much, you wanted to tell the whole world about it? Now we're giving you the chance!

We've introduced a Course of the Month feature to the site. Every month, we will take nominations for the course you think should be promoted to all Courses.ie visitors. If we agree with you then not only will the course be selected as our Course of the Month, but you'll also win a 1GB Flash Drive.

Last month's winner was Steer Clear, a course promoting safe driving in Ireland. The deadline for this month's Course of the Month is fast approaching, so send your nominations to thatshot at courses.ie now!

Under Our Window

Dara (Beaver!) was the first to see this and have the cop on to grab his phone and take a snap!
Here we are on the buses, backends never looked so gooood :-)

Irish Examiner

For Chefs, Cooks, and Manuels out there

As we finish our training, or move on in different directions changing jobs sometimes becomes an option. This site is one of the better recruitment sites I have come upon. I liked the layout, design, and easy to use features of it. So if you are a Gordon Ramsey, Darina Allen, or dare we say Manuel from ol Faulty's place, you may want to give this the once over.

We all know how multi cultural Dublin, and Ireland are becoming, yet how many of the people from different cultures who arrive here feel welcome? On Three Q Catering site they along with Global Café have put together a Welcome Pack for Polish People that gives helpful information and advice. Nice One!

Three Q Catering - Catering Recruitment Specialist-Ireland

What a difference a week makes

In little over a week a Scottish student has become a You Tube sensation! He is studying computer science and out of boredom put together this video. So far it has been viewed over 800,000 times, and shown on American, Swedish, Australian and English TV. See for yourselves what it is all about.... This is what I call a lateral CV! Wonderful.

So who are Courses.ie and why blog?

Personally, I have been blogging for years. I was and still am a deplorable emailer, so my personal blog was a way of keeping friends and family in touch with my daily goings on through words and photographs. (emm, I hear them say…Daily? Err, make that feast or famine blogging!)

It seemed a naturally progression to start a business blog as I see blogging as a wonderful means of quick communication. It also personalises a business, as it offers an inexpensive means of keeping in touch with your clients, passing on advice, tips, information etc.

Businesses can spend a fortune on setting up web sites and then just leave them there to rot. Mainly this is because they do not have the training, resources or experience in web design to update regularly. Those that do update probably rely on a web design firm who have little or no personal interaction with the business, it is just another job.

Incorporating a business blog gives you an inexpensive means of:

1. Having a web site
2. Keeping it updated
3. Little to no experience required.
4. Anyone can do it from the MD to the Receptionist.
5. If done well will keep your clients focused on your business and site and keep them calling back for updates or just to see if there is any gossip!
6. Introduce your business, services, and team to potential new clients.

Within the Courses.ie team we have the expertise and know- how to put up a very snazzy blog, but we decided not to. We went with one of the free blogging tools that are out there that is quick and easy to set up and use instantly. No doubt, knowing some of the team, the appearance will change from time to time as they are design freaks :-)

Ok, so who are we and what do we do?

Courses.ie was created to be a one source directory for adults and children seeking any course, activity or summer camp throughout the island of Ireland. Be it belly dancing in Ballydehob, an Irish summer camp in Galway, or an evening class to learn Serbo – Croat, Courses.ie is the place to look!

I suppose I have to admit to the idea starting with me, mother of 1 highly energised teenager! I was at my wits end summer three years ago looking for something, anything, to keep him occupied, safe, interested and possibly even learning for the holidays. Rather than waiting for flyers to come in the door for the different summer camps I thought I would use the incredible resources of the net to find him a new past-time or interest. Hours later I was giving up hope of finding him anything. Most of the results I got for anything remotely different were in the US, and no, was not planning on sending him off that far! The thought flashed through my mind then that a site was needed that would put up all these listings.

Three years on, I decided to see if it had been done and found out no. The rest as they say is history. I have been asked many times why I did not do it three years ago but family commitments deemed otherwise, but…

We are here now!!