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Hi Brendan,
My name is Donal Hughes from Cong in Co.Mayo. I have had my own consultancy company AbSolutions in Ireland for the last 8 years.
I was a Ph.D. level chemist, and rather stumbled into the field of food safety, when myself and my wife returned to the west after studying in Dublin.
Though I had a good knowledge of biology and chemistry prior to working in food safety, what I would say is that any person with a good aptitude and intelligence can easily handle consultancy with BRC, EFSIS etc standards. I read everything I needed to know and taught myself the rest.
I found that after putting in the hard work with my first client on BRC, it got easier and easier after that. The modern standards such as EFSIS are simple to follow and if you get clients who are willing to co-operate to achieve the standard, thats more than half the battle. One pre-requisite (I feel to being a "great" consultant, rather than a good one) is the ability to use your computer. Clients really appreciate a consultant who can sit at a PC with them and devise an SOP, or create a good checksheet, or design a layout for a new premises.
I work mainly in the meat sector but consult to everybody from petrol station deli's to developing the Jacob Fruitfield HACCP system. I even designed 13 different food units under one roof in Drumshanbo in Leitrim. I enjoy the design and logistics side of it.
The problem I have found over the years is travelling on our now "lethal" roads. There is a vast amount of work to be done out there; if you are willing to be away from home for long periods. You need to be doing this to make good money. I am 33 now with my 4th kiddy on the way and now work mainly from home. I still act as consultant to mostly local companies aswell as the clients I have built up over the years, but rarely travel now.
I often considered myself a "busy fool" racing around the country, slaving over the computer, generating quality systems and never really making top money, though the systems I devised made the clients millions. On the flip side, I work a lot with a colleague in Health and Safety- he trains people daily for over 600 euro and is booked solid for 2 months. The key is, he has no family and is ready to travel at the drop of a hat.
I have come to realize that to make a living in the food safety consultancy business, we have to learn from our clients- and start "selling".
For my part, I now make a good living, without doing the miles by doing more "selling" like
my own range of chemicals
Preparing HACCP systems, signage and checkbooks for other consultants
Calibrations
% agreements with temperature monitoring companies for referred business
% agreements with contractors on buildings I design etc etcI hope this helps a little.
Feel free to give a shout anytime for a chat, if you think it might be useful.
Regards,
Donal
Dr. Donal Hughes 087-2029040.
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Food Safety Consultant
Feb 4 2008, 10:06 PM
