Our new site is finally ‘Live’

This stands as a major milestone for us as the design is radically different from what we usually go with – Personally I really like it, it shows a professional ‘clean’ image.

The content is as you’d expect from us here – a mixture of advertising what we do and informing the masses as to how to help yourselves.

I must however, take this opportunity to apologise for the length of time it has taken to deliver.

Avid readers will recall that recently I posted about our foray in to the mystical realms of ‘Marketing’ ~ well, I’m glad to say that my cynicism has been proved soundly wrong and we are busier than ever!

This is a great thing, but something has to give, in this case getting the new website online took a back seat in preference to serving our clients (much as you’d hopefully expect :) )
One of the painful problems with running a small business is you have to wear many ‘hats’ ~ that is you have to take on many differing roles within the company, this is where things can slide.

Anyhow – we hope you like the new looks and we’ll look forward to working with you all in the future

 

Filed under : General  |  Be the first to comment! »
5 views

=============== ===============

At LAST!!!!
I’ve finally got the new website working

After what felt like a lifetime, I have finally got the new website up and running.
It’s at the www.simtech.co.uk domain – feel free to check it out…
And if you’ve just come from there – I hope you like it!

It’s a Joomla based CMS system – Content Management System – That means I can change the contents at the drop of a hat, and produce some of the more technical stuff easily (such things as client logons, exclusive content etc…)

Not being a web developer, it took me for ever to figure out the complexities of the system, the styling,  the terminology and the coding required. I left the office on many a night (yup NIGHT) feeling like my head would pop… :razz:

I like to think I did not too bad a job :)

The training thing is proving VERY popular – our list of live applicants is growing rapidly – maybe I should open R & A Training as a separate enterprise!

#Personal#
All of the baby fishes have now ‘gone horizontal’ – they start off sticking to the edge of the tank (after they hatch) vertically, after a while they begin to swim in a horizontal plane. They now look like little fishes :)
Soon they will get scales and go opaque instead of their current translucent state.

I’m also having some time off
A well deserved long weekend in Derbyshire – lots of scenery and good food/beer to be had…
I’m sure I’ll come back super chilled and raring to go… (well, as raring as a fat bloke can get :evil: )

Filed under : Heaven  |  2 Comments »
2 views

=============== ===============

Oh what fun I’ve had today.

I spent the majority of it trying to get a particular bit of our new website centralised.

It’s looking not too bad now – but it was a REAL pain trying to fight with the complexities of the Cascading Style Sheets.

The problem comes when browsers don’t show the same things – i.e. If I say a website element is in one position for Internet Explorer, then FireFox might show it in a different position. :neutral:
This is where the coding standards come in.
The idea is that if ALL the browsers out there conform to the standards, then a website WILL look the same in ANY browser.

This is why people say FireFox is better – it is mostly standards compliant.
Microsoft is “getting there” with Internet Explorer 8.
Google Chrome is not too bad for the standards either.

This all make a BIG headache for the website designers though.
Couple this with a client’s (sometimes unreasonable) demands, and complexities with getting content, resolutions, colour schemes…
Now you know why Web Development can get costly.

The really sad thing is though – I LIKE IT!!

Masochist Moi?

We also seem to be registered with ‘Train to Gain’ and can now offer training grants!

This is a Government backed scheme and we can provide you with almost any training you need.

Filed under : General &Heaven  |  1 Comment »
5 views

=============== ===============

A bit of an odd meeting today – we met ourselves!
We had a meeting with someone who would naturally be a competitor, but fr the fact she’s in a different town.
Whilst we were chatting, we were noticing similarities between our two businesses. Both of us had the same goals and philosophies – though she is a little smaller (and younger in business terms).
It was strange (and kind of nice :) ) looking at a business much like our own…

On the downside, we are taking some serious steps with a new network we had been asked to join.
The events were supposed to start LAST NOVEMBER!
Surprise surprise, after they STILL haven’t started, we’ve asked for a full refund – which hasn’t materialised.
Looks like court proceedings may follow as the people in question aren’t returning calls or emails etc….

You might have noticed the links to the RSS and ATOM feeds here – feel free to subscribe using those links if you wish :)

Filed under : General  |  Be the first to comment! »
3 views

=============== ===============

Today, for the first time EVER, I was stopped by the Police! :eek:
Not strictly true, but I DO like a touch of the dramatic

I popped over to a client’s office to collect my coat (I had stupidly left it at the directors home after performing my usual technical wizardry). The traffic was RIDICULOUSLY slow.
Pressing buttons on the Sat Nav (henceforth to be known as ‘Daniel’), he (you can’t beat a bit of anthropomorphism!) directed me away from the teeming masses and on into a quaint little estate.
The Police were lying in wait for just this!

After passing one or two roads with a ‘Access Only’ signs on, I proceeded down a street WITHOUT the aforementioned label attached.
Police at bottom of road waved me over.
“Where have you come from?”
“Leeds Road”
“Where are you going”
“Bingley”
“Ah, following your Sat Nav? Because this area is Access Only. It’s JUST a warning today…”
“Not according to the road I came down officer – there WAS signs on these two roads [pointing] but NOT the one I came down”
#Slightly puzzled expression from Police guy# – “Hmm, I’ll get that fixed then…”

A Police warning for nothing! Even Daniel was unimpressed.
Oh dear…

Further News…
I have enabled generated Avatars on the comments page – Add a Comment and you’ll see yours :)

Filed under : Hell  |  Be the first to comment! »
7 views

=============== ===============