As you may know, Open Query is entirely self-funded, which means the banks owe OQ and me money not vice versa. Things like interest rates are of little concern, which is helpful in volatile times! Of course I do rely on my bank staying in business, but that's now subject to a government guarantee in Australia so I'll just have to go with that for now ;-)

So far, OQ has not experienced much from the economic troubles. But I'll tell you about the possible encounters, since I think they're of interest and lessons can be learnt.

We give away one book to each student at a training day, that is, provided they've paid on time (basically a personalised quick payment bonus). I've got a small shortlist of decent books, but generally I've been handing out copies of …

Many systems are already in production when we get asked to take a look or, interestingly, a few weeks before deployment. The latter is not optimal, but it's still better than not contacting us until something goes wrong. At Open Query we like to focus on problem prevention and skills transfer. This saves so many hassles and thus over time saves money for the client = win.

The reasons for asking for external input late(r) are diverse, and generally not even technical or financial. But we all know the saying "prevention is better than a cure" and that has benefits for a company's bottom line; potentially even its future. Particularly in the current economic climate, such advantages are gold.

Another other important aspect is scope. MySQL operates in a larger architecture; we can look at the server and improve the configuration there, but if queries are just wrong, they need to be fixed in the application. …

Arjen & gang are looking for skilled and enthusiastic colleagues!
Essentials

• guru level practical skills in MySQL schema/query design, server administration and tuning;
  
• expertise with common dev and deployment infrastructure (mainly Linux but also other *nix and Windows);
  
• freedom to travel without restriction;
  
• self-motivated, ability to work independently (from anywhere - good Internet access required);
  
• excellent written/verbal English, comfortable public speaker.

Being a small, company, the range of possible work tasks can be quite diverse, although you are not required to be able to do everything. That said, your application will be more highly regarded if you exhibit a broad range of skills and interests, both directly technical and otherwise.
Desirable abilities

• shell and Perl scripting;
  
…

A lot of people contact me asking if I’m looking for a job. (I have an unanswered email in my inbox right now.) People are looking desperately for qualified, knowledgeable MySQL professionals. There’s a critical shortage of people who can admin MySQL moderately well, much less at the guru level.

If you are one of the many who are trying to hire a MySQL DBA, you should send your employees to the MySQL Conference and Expo. Not just this year — every year. Train a smart person instead of trying to hire someone who’s ready to go now.

This is the unfortunate reality: MySQL’s popularity has caused demand to far exceed supply. That’s what happens when a great disruptive innovation takes hold.

What do you do in the meantime?

If you just need a little help, hire a part-time DBA and get some consulting help. Without endorsing them directly, may I suggest …