Alan O' Mahony had some experience in manual handling training and risk assessment and decided to pursue this as a career option, following redundancy. He upskilled by taking a QQI Level 6 Manual Handling Instructor Certificate course, and this led to setting up From Lift to Right, which offers manual handling training to individuals, SMEs and larger organisations.
By using the most up-to-date research and training skills, Alan tailors each course to meet the needs of the participants, from current workers to new employees, and also people returning to work after a period of time due to injury, ill health and pregnancy.
One of the hardest parts of getting the business off the ground was setting up meetings with potential customers, to win contracts and develop his business. Attending a Bank of Ireland Enterprise Town event in Ballincollig late in 2015 was a turning point. The free event was entirely focused on encouraging the local community and businesses to connect with one another, which meant Alan had an opportunity to pitch his business offering in a receptive environment. Alan’s efforts resulted in seven direct bookings and an additional 15 from subsequent referrals. One of these connections subsequently led to Alan securing his largest contract to date, training 600 staff.
Since 2015, Alan’s business has grown, and he is currently undertaking a Higher Diploma in Safety Health and Welfare at Work in UCC.
Alan credits much of his success to the support shown from the local community. "People in the area have been incredibly supportive and happy to use a local company to meet their training needs. Having the chance to meet and connect with people was really helpful and Bank of Ireland’s Enterprise Town provided me with the platform to do so,” said O' Mahony.
For more information about the National Enterprise Week initiative, visit bankofireland.com/letsconnect.