All about

The CopyWizard is better known by the family as Alan. Or Dad. Or Grandad for that matter.

I was trained as an Accountant (B.Comm.) in South Africa, where I lived for the best part of 30 years, having emigrated there from England when I was 4 years old. I have lived in New Zealand for 25 years, and consider NZ to be home.

I have worked as an Accountant and Financial Controller in manufacturing/ distribution companies, and for a ship repair company. I worked for IBM for 5 years in a system support /business analyst role. This involved much technical and user-oriented writing.

Later I worked with a firm of management consultants and subsequently set up my own management consulting business. I have written many procedure manuals, user manuals and requests for proposal (computers) and system specifications.

In 1990 I established Oasys Software Ltd to develop and market a new unix-based report writing tool, OASYS Report Writer. I wrote all the specifications and the user manual, as well as provided user training and ongoing support for the software.

I have been self-employed for 22 years. I live in Auckland with my wife, Barb, and our mature cat, Quiz.

Writing

I have always been interested in writing, and have particular interest in, and/or direct experience of, the following subjects:

• Business, particularly manufacturing and distribution. I have worked with many different companies, especially as a consultant/ report developer.
• Marketing
• Management and training
• Real estate and property investment
• Computers
• The Internet
• Website development – I have built a number of websites over the last few years
• NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) – I am a qualified NLP Practitioner
• Alternative/Complementary Medicine, including healing, natural health, naturopathy, nutrition, The Journey and other aspects of body/mind and energy healing
• Spirituality and the intuitive arts (and religion to a degree)
• Music of all sorts, particularly rock, blues and jazz, but also classics and 20th Century “serious” music
• Healthy cooking
• Wine
• Cycling and walking
• Travel, although I have done far too little. I know New Zealand and Southern Africa reasonably well. I have also been to parts of England and Australia.
• I have an extensive library on a variety of subjects, including all of the above.