Auckland Chamber magazine "Thinking" May 2015 by Auckland Chamber

MAY 2015

differently 50 ways of thinking differently

go against the grain

use reverse thinking

always ask why

donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t accept no

brainstorm wildly

listen to everyone

weight risk

have no limitations

think laterally

embrace uncertainty

leverage your skills

have fun

ask questions

be prepared

be future focussed

hire new thinking

dream big

take action

reward innovation

ideas repository

diverse viewpoints

have no fear

increase projections

delegate

experiment

value soft data

emotional empathy

collective goals

involve everyone

software tools

think long term

put ideas first

embrace ambiguity

triangulate ideas

extrapolate options

no trade-offs

welcome complexity

value feedback

be spontaneous

share ideas

test the process

idea incubator

visual stimulation

encourage freedom

evaluate authority

mix it up a little

always ask why not?

be accountable

Why is thinking differently important?

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to take a different approach

Participation brings rewards

Linking innovation, creativity and technology for success

Handling growth successfully

The changing face of Auckland

Mobility enabled workplaces better meet customer needs Standing out from the crowd

Your voice for business Thinking about the next decade of change

Your platform for business Collaboration brings global success

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Published by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce

EDITORIAL

Publisher and Editorial Director Michael Barnett

The customer has choice

Editor Taryn Ellis

YOUR VOICE FOR BUSINESS

Deputy Editors Sara Foley Rebecca Hendl-Smith

Thinking differently Engine of innovation and key to success

Creative Director/Designer Raymond Yeung

The new workplace culture It’s not what you do, it’s the way that you do it

Advertising Olga Ivanov Contributors Sara Foley Taryn Ellis Rebecca Hendl-Smith Catherine Murray Alex Lawson Melissa Jenner Ben Goodale Satish Ranchhod Distribution Auckland Chamber of Commerce Printing Soar Printing For Content and Advertising enquiries p. +64 9 309 6100 e. marketing@chamber.co.nz Auckland Chamber of Commerce PO Box 47, Shortland Street, Auckland 1140, New Zealand p. +64 9 309 6100 f. +64 9 309 0081 w. aucklandchamber.co.nz

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or printing without the prior written permission of the publishers.ISSN 1171-7408. Disclaimer: the views expressed by contributors are not necessarily the views of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. The Auckland Chamber of Commerce was established in 1856. <new magazine name> is the Chamber’s magazine and is direct mailed and distributed free of charge.

YOUR PLATFORM FOR BUSINESS 3

Your voice for business If we don’t, who will?

50 ways of thinking differently An innate talent?

16 20

What’s on our current economic horizon? Insights from Westpac 22 Handling growth successfully There’s an art to managing business through growth stages How to think like a designer Creating new value and solving problems

MEMBERSHIP Participation brings rewards Members share the value of their membership Chamber membership pays off Meet new and long standing Chamber members

Businesses thinking differently Standing out from the crowd

Future now: trend watch Thinking about change in the next decade Identifying trends and issues that will affect the public sector

MAJOR EVENTS The Awards journey Awards provide a valuable yardstick for progress

GLOBAL The world is our oyster New Zealand enterprise rises to the challenge 34 0800 BUSINESS SUPPORT Support, resources and insights Our business support partners respond to member questions EVENTS Upcoming events Key events on the Auckland Chamber 2015 event calendar Return of the boutique marketplace The Auckland Chamber launches The Marketplace MARKETING SERVICES Keep your messaging out front Direct marketing is alive and well Mobile Advertising The future of advertising is mobile

40 43

EMPLOYMENT The changing face of doing business What is the reality? Resources and support networks A Successful Outcome A New Kiwi finds employment Firefighting Superhero A young cadet does more than earn his keep Youth employment A business centric solution What are CadetMax and Career Start

50 51

BUSINESS MENTORS From marketing to everything Engaging a business mentor

44 45 46 49

THE CUSTOMER HAS CHOICE 2

May 2015

Your voice for business EDITORIAL

Business in Auckland has some great stories to tell. It is always rewarding to be able to celebrate and acknowledge excellence and worthy achievements. At the same time, there is work to be done where planning has fallen short. This requires action to address the issues and the persistence to see change through to outcomes that work for Auckland business.

Ou leaders in business today Our un nderstand the need for vision and managing growth and some of them tell their stories in this edition. They are the leaders who understand that who they are and what they stand for is of interest to a constituency that is wider than their client list and of interest to the whole of their community.

On my return to Auckland recently I passed through an airport groaning under the weight of a major growth of international visitors and struggling to keep pace with the demands of a discerning group of travelers who have choices of where they may travel. And I am sure that in those choices of travel they do not expect queuing and discomfort. When you look at the amount of paper based processes that are imposed on us when we travel, we are still looking at systems that are slow to respond to technology and the sophisticated expectations of the clients. As I move through ‘Arrivals’ in Auckland, with at least one other international flight arriving at the same time, I’m surprised that not all immigration stations are open, despite the fact they would have known hours before of this situation. But then my expectations have been dumbed down from the previous encounter so I tolerate the pace – but wonder why. Getting from the airport to either home or the city raises another list of issues. Do I meet the challenge of the road works from the airport to the city along with the residential rat-run, or should I cut my losses and head home, but sit in the queue for 30 – 40 minutes to join the motorway. Either way there is a good chance that the three hour flight is going to have another two hours added with processing time here on the ground in Auckland and travel home. My travel dilemma is a reminder about Auckland and its major transport issues. The choke points on the motorway going South and North, the need for another Harbour

crossing, the catch up in projects and the retrofitting to our infrastructure all because we didn’t think ahead. Our leaders in business today understand the need for vision and managing growth and some of them tell their stories in this edition. They are the leaders who understand that who they are and what they stand for is of interest to a constituency that is wider than their client list and of interest to the whole of their community. The personnel at the airports and the people in Council will all say it‘s work in progress and a response to increased demand. But this is demand we have seen coming for decades and in the name of lower rates and a lack of forward thinking, we did nothing and now it is catch up time and plenty of ‘work in progress.’ Our housing issue is the same and it seems we are repeating history. We celebrate the fact that we have grown by a city the size of Tauranga in the last five years, but ignore the fact that we are currently adding 100 citizens a day to Auckland which in five years equates to more than 180,000 more people – and we are building how many new homes? Councils and Government agencies have had the luxury of being monopoly providers forever, delaying decisions and then imposing substandard environments because there is no other choice. But that is changing, with people having more choice about where they travel, live, play and invest. These institutions will either change their behaviors or drop down the queue of places people want to be.

As businesses we do not have the luxury of being able to wait until there is an over demand for our products and services. Our customers, who have had immediate responses to their demands in the past, will simply find alternative suppliers; our bottom line will suffer and new competition will emerge. The customer has choice.

Our leaders in business today understand the need for vision and managing growth and some of them tell their stories in this magazine. They talk about the importance of having values that are a part of the life of their firms and not just spoken about in glossy staff manuals. Values that respect diversity and practices that demonstrate they understand the difference in status between genders, individuals who are single, partnered or family driven, ethnicity, religion or sexual preference. Being aware of difference and catering for it builds teams and loyalty which in turn becomes a point of difference and why people stay and perform. You will read of leaders who are moving away from the attitude of the past that saw other firms as competition; and who are now winning larger contracts offshore that in the past were beyond their capacity but which are achievable today through collaboration. These changes in behaviors from emerging leaders are a part of the building of new brands and the values associated with them. They are the leaders who understand that who they are and what they stand for is of interest to a constituency that is wider than their client list and of interest to the whole of their community. They will communicate from all media platforms in order to tell their stories to an audience of varied age and interest, they will participate in and out of their firms and they will stand out from the crowd.

MICHAEL BARNETT Chief Executive, Auckland Chamber of Commerce

May 2015

Thinking Differently Engine of innovation and key to success Why is ‘thinking differently’ important and what does it mean in the world of business?

The future will depend on people with imagination, advanced technological skills and the entrepreneurial ability to linkup different kinds of artistic, scientific, technical or professional knowledge in new ways.

‘Thinking differently is the engine of innovation and in more and more industries, innovation is the key to success,’ states Professor Ted Zorn, Massey University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor and head of the Massey Business School. This statement sums up why Professor Zorn and so many other leading educators are transforming our educational sector into spaces that will nurture the skills and attitudes required to harness innovation and secure economic success into the future. This faith in innovation and future thinking is shared by AUT’s Professor Charles Walker, co-founder of Colab – a laboratory programme that connects state of the art design, research and creative technologies with real industry and entrepreneurial applications. ‘We believe that the role of the university is changing. The new challenges that people face in their working lives are just too complex to be solved by traditional disciplinary boundaries,’ Professor Walker explains. ‘The future will depend on people with imagination, advanced technological skills and the entrepreneurial ability to linkup different kinds of artistic, scientific, technical or professional knowledge in new ways. We don’t believe in business as usual here at AUT’s Colab.

May 2015

At Colab we ask critical questions about what the future business environment will look like. What new opportunities, products, services, markets, experiences etc., are emerging in the new global digital economy? What new business models, jobs or career structures can be imagined and created to flourish in this economy? What new types of commercial, material, symbolic, cultural or intellectual properties/capital are emerging from these?’ says Professor Walker. Tertiary institutions are moving closer to industry than ever before. Thereby helping to prepare our future business sector and ensure we are ready to create opportunities through innovation and creative thinking. But universities are not the only learning environment committed to training up our future innovators and problem solvers. The speed with which new technologies emerge and are absorbed into our day to day life is transforming how we learn at all points in our educational system. One of the ways Auckland’s Unitec is tackling the question of learning in the digital age is through its partnership with The Mind Lab. The Mind Lab is designed to provide a learning environment using 21st century digital and creative technologies. The Mind Lab’s courses target children starting as young as four years of age as well as adults; and also educators as a much needed

Your voice for business INNOVATION AND SUCCESS

professional development provider for teachers from the mainstream education sector.

… businesses must also work on providing an environment in which capable staff are given the opportunity and the incentive to innovate. Staff must be allowed the freedom to speak up, experiment and take reasonable risks, and must see that they ey will w be rewarded for their efforrts.

Chair of the Board, Frances Valintine, is passionate about the need to fast track the education system into a more modern and flexible context. Through her work with The Mind Lab, Frances challenges the assumption that students need to learn in a traditional classroom environment when such a vast interactive world is open to them through these new technological developments.

The team at Mind Lab believe all of these initiatives in the education sector are focused on enhancing our abilities to innovate. Thinking differently, with greater creative licence, will play an increasingly important part in future business success. It is the ability to uncover your company’s point of difference or enable you to reveal that standout competitive advantage. Thinking differently is the quality that will set your business apart from the rest, and attract, maintain and grow a loyal customer base’. There are obvious international examples of companies who are recognised innovators and thought leaders. New Zealand has a long history of invention and creative solutions too. New Zealand’s No. 8 wire mentality just needs to fast track itself to something more fibre optic for the future.

Iconic Kiwi business Fisher & Paykel’s own introduction of the DishDrawer dishwasher is an example of new thinking and innovation from our own shores, points out Professor Zorn. ‘It’s a simple, but radical redesign of a common household appliance and it’s been hugely successful. But one of my favourite examples of innovative thinking is actually from within our retail sector. I am intrigued by the Warehouse Group’s efforts to promote retail as a career with the introduction of the career retailer wage and with investment in training and education. Internationally retailers tend to compete on price and by reducing their staff costs, but the Warehouse has turned this thinking on its head and is aiming to build a competitive advantage through a well-trained and committed workforce that will enable service and innovation. It’s too soon to know for certain whether it will pay off, but I’d bet on its success.’ ‘Thinking differently’ whether it is expressed in how you operate, what you create, or how you engage with your customers can deliver

great economic rewards. According to Massey University’s Professor Zorn, ‘It is a matter of nurturing students’ curiosity, initiative, agility and imagination.

In turn businesses must also work on providing an environment in which capable staff are given the opportunity and the incentive to innovate. Staff must be allowed the freedom to speak up, experiment and take reasonable risks and must see that they will be rewarded for their efforts’. For Professor Walker and his team at Colab the recipe for a future of innovation and growth is simple. ‘If you want new ideas, new thinking and new ways of working then you need to find open-minded people. Our real-world, project-based curricula encourage students to think differently, to be collaborative, to embrace uncertainty and to take charge of their own education. We’re always on the lookout for people who ‘get’ this vision; who bring ‘attitude’ as well as expertise. These are the people who can play an active role in shaping the future.’ The Chamber would like to thank Professor Ted Zorn, Massey University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor and head of the Massey Business School and Associate Professor Charles Walker, founding Co-Director of Colab at AUT for their contributions to this article.

May 2015

For all that matters in Business Homegrown success stories Rich vein of innovation Underpins economic recovery NZ entrepreneurship alive and well

All that matters. nzherald.co.nz

The NEW workplace culture It’s not what you do, it’s the way that you do it … and the why you do it. Today, there’s more to consider when creating a place where people want to work.

a team with a clear and aligned purpose. He added that if we can create this culture, the result will be better productivity and more profitability.

Workplace culture can be defined as the personality of your organisation - what makes it unique and encompasses your organisation’s values, traditions, beliefs, interactions, behaviors, attitudes and even dress code.

We looked at the workplace culture of two organisations that have experienced significant change in the past five years. We asked how these organisations have adapted their workplace to the changing business environment and human needs.

Traditionally, organisations have focussed on the physical workspace, good processes and creating a strong team environment, thereby addressing Maslow’s basic need of belonging. These days however, with more millennial employees who want to work smarter not harder and who seek to love what they do - be it work or play - workplace culture is evolving and businesses are needing to think differently about how they define and create a workplace culture.

Asked what influences Vodafone’s company culture, Russell Stanners, CEO for Vodafone New Zealand was quick to identify the industry context for some of Vodafone’s workplace initiatives and the resulting mobility enabled workplace dynamic.

Without doubt employees need a strong sense of purpose. Successful businesses see the importance of instilling a company culture that creates loyalty, where the brand is aligned with the personal values of its employees and where employees feel like they are doing something positive toward a recognised and acknowledged company vision or outcome. In an economy where skills shortages prevail and there is no such thing as a job for life, company culture is crucial to retaining and attracting employees who are looking for job satisfaction and who can contribute to productivity. At a recent TEDx conference Graham Weston, entrepreneur and CEO of Rackspace a managed cloud solutions company, suggested that, ‘What we all want is to be valued members of a winning team on an inspiring mission.’ He emphasised that employees need to be appreciated for who they are and not what someone else wants them to be and to be on

‘Vodafone New Zealand operates in a vibrant, dynamic industry. The rapid adoption of smartphones, combined with development of high-speed fibre and mobile networks, has led to big changes in the way New Zealanders behave and lead their lives. Now, people are constantly connected and are watching video, engaging in social networks, shopping and working almost everywhere. With close to 3,000 employees nationwide, creating a workplace and culture that engages staff and best supports the changing needs of our customers is vital to our success. Interestingly, in the same way our customers’ behaviour and expectations have shifted, so have our employees’.’ Last year Vodafone introduced The Vodafone Way of Working – an innovative, mobilityenabled workplace. They give employees the tools and support to work anywhere and in a way that suits them and their customers best – with a focus on delivering to outcomes. Russell cited several examples including – ‘Our people have the freedom and flexibility to work from wherever is most productive for them – whether that be a different desk or

floor each day, an out-of-office environment or in their own home. Our mobilised workforce is armed with the best tools, technology and connectivity to achieve their business objectives – including smartphones and laptops connected to our 4G network so they can work pretty much anywhere and have access to video conferencing to support and encourage collaboration. When in the office, our people are encouraged to sit beside people working on the same projects or tasks so quick conversations replace inefficient email or formal meetings. Our physical surroundings and fit-out support our working styles. Research by Spaceworks indicates that 81% of New Zealand office workers feel their physical environment impacts their happiness and nine out of ten workers are more productive the happier they are. Employees are encouraged to make use of collaborative project spaces to help eliminate silos within the business. Through mobility, our nationwide business sales team use salesforce.com on tablets to access and manage information in real time. A special internal app is also home to all the sales materials they need to assist customers. Their office goes with them wherever they go making workflows more seamless and manageable.’ These practices can be seen across the business, up and down the country. Vodafone’s new building in Christchurch, when it opens next year, will offer the country’s most advanced workplaces – fully mobile, cloud and video aware, delivering new levels of productivity and convenience to employees, partners and customers. Russell was also excited to reveal that Vodafone Christchurch will be home to xone™ a unique

May 2015

innovation incubator where small technology innovators and Vodafone’s people can collaborate in a purpose-built facility. The Vodafone Way of Working has transformed their company culture and employees’ experience at work as it allows teams and individuals to take control of running their day in a way that works best for them and Vodafone’s customers. ‘After all, work is what you do, not a place you go,’ concludes Russell. Mike Bennetts, CEO of Z Energy describes workplace culture as being even more closely linked to what the customer wants and needs. ‘In April 2010 we bought the downstream oil assets from Shell so it’s fair to say that almost everything has changed in our workplace and culture since that time. We’ve moved from being a branch office of a global company to being one of NZ’s largest companies and now listed on the NZX. We have gone from implementing customer offers dreamed up somewhere else in the world to listening to what matters to our customers in New Zealand and doing something about that, and promptly,’ says Mike. ‘The look and feel of our service stations today is vastly different to five years ago and the choice we now provide customers is much broader – forecourt concierge, food and coffee on the go, pay at pump, promotions like the recent BlokHedz and so on. Building a strongly customer centric culture is an ongoing journey that requires us to be good at both leading people and managing things e.g. processes and measures.’ Over half of Z Energy’s current employees were not with Z Energy on day one back in April 2010. Mike feels it has greatly improved their diversity to have new thinking and experiences come into the firm. This means Z Energy are continually evolving from a firm

May 2015

of deeply experienced industry experts to a ‘wonderful blend of local and international, oil sector and other industry sectors, young and old and a more appropriate ratio of men to women, especially in the executive team, which is now 40% women.’ Mike explains, ‘As much as we listened to customers, we also listened to our employees. We asked them what mattered to them given they now work for a Kiwi company. That way we got clear on our Values and our Leadership Framework – what great leadership looks like in Z. We have got very clear on what we stand for as a company and we make public disclosures about things that matter like workplace Health and Safety, Sustainability and Community. We have invested significant time and money into leadership development – everyone in Z goes through at least three days’ leadership training while the more senior roles have a twelve day program. Every eighteen months all employees participate in 360 feedback focused on our Values and Leadership Framework.‘ Once a year Z Energy get the whole company together in Wellington for an entire day to engage with one another around health and safety. They invite major customers to participate and stakeholders such as WorkSafe NZ who is their regulator in this area. Mike explains another area they have thought about differently. ‘We measure employee engagement annually and have employee representatives come up with the action plan for the next year based on the recent survey. All the bosses do is endorse their plan and ensure it is built into the relevant practices and processes e.g. all Z leaders have 25% of their bonus weighted to their performance on leadership and engagement - as assessed by their teams and not by senior management.’ ‘We have an ambition to be a world class Kiwi company so we regularly benchmark aspects of our performance and culture, more

often than not against global standards. For example we measure brand performance monthly, employee engagement annually, varying aspects of customer satisfaction on monthly, six monthly and annual cycles and leadership development every two years and the same for our health and safety culture,’ says Mike. ‘When people join Z there is no doubt in their minds about what our culture is. We have a booklet called ‘The Z Why’ which tells everyone our context – who we are and why we do stuff – in order that all employees understand why we need to behave in certain ways and why we do certain things. The culture inside a company is usually described as ‘the way we do things around here.’ For a firm like Z that is insufficient. It is not good enough for Z’s leadership to explain what to do and how to do it.’ ‘Only offering the ‘way’ without the ‘why’ significantly limits what our people can contribute, and in doing so we could risk treating our people as simply cogs in a machine,’ says Mike. ‘Instead we prefer to engage in ‘why we do things around here.’ This captures the identity, the meaning, the values and beliefs of our people individually and then collectively as an entire firm.’ Z Energy understands that realising an extraordinary future requires a level of commitment way beyond that experienced in many companies. In a situation where people are missing the ‘why’ of company culture they will limit the level of commitment they are willing to make to the organisation. Z offers more than that. When it comes down to it, Z Energy is a ‘values based and organic firm of people, not a machine,’ as Mike Bennetts points out. ‘And everything we do is intended to be 100% consistent with that. As simple as all that sounds, we reckon it’s innovative because of the primacy the ‘Z Why’ has inside the firm.’

ADVERTORIAL

The Business of Diversity No one size ďŹ ts all approach Bev Cassidy-Mackenzie is the Chief Executive of the Equal Employment Opportunities Trust, an employer focused organisation which provides equal employment opportunity information and tools for business, raising awareness of the beneďŹ ts of diversity and inclusion in New Zealand workplaces. Here she tells us why Diversity and Inclusion is for all businesses, and how embracing difference can offer a distinct competitor advantage. ith small businesses itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s need that is driving the changes they are making to become more diverse and inclusive. Firstly, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a large migrant base, with 213 different ethnic groups represented in New Zealand and 186 of those residing in Auckland. Second is our ageing population. We have one of the highest labour participation rates of over 65â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in the OECD â&#x20AC;&#x201C; so weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really relying on leaders to fully embrace these shifting demographics in order to drive our businesses forwards and create real economic sustainability.

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or policy around diversity and inclusion. However there is more at hand and resources available. We actually have a template companies can use and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll then go out into a business and show them what the policies mean and how to execute them, so thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no reason for any organisation not to have them. One of the most important things a small business can do is to carry out a stocktake, and we ask all businesses, regardless of their size, to do that. That involves writing a list of all the things they are doing in terms of diversity and LQFOXVLRQ DQG RQH RI WKH WKLQJV ZH Â˝QG DOO WKH WLPH LV WKDW businesses are actually doing something already. This is a never-ending journey, and no one can do everything, but thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an exercise that makes people realise theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re already on the journey, and maybe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not so hard to put a few goals in place to improve in the next year.

Cultivating a culture thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inclusive for all people - whether thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s around ethnicity, age, physical abilities or sexual RULHQWDWLRQ KDV SURYHQ UHDOO\ EHQHÂ˝FLDO WR WKH FXOWXUH RI DQ organisation as a whole. So organisations that have policies and initiatives around this have seen improvements in productivity and engagement across the board.

For those in need of a little inspiration or perhaps a chance to benchmark what they are already doing, the EEO Trust present the annual Diversity Awards NZ, a not to be missed opportunity for businesses to showcase how they value their most valuable asset â&#x20AC;&#x201C; their people. Since it was established in 1997, this awards programme has had nearly 600 entries from organisations of all shapes and sizes across New Zealand. Perhaps 2015 is your chance to get involved and share your story?

This can be a challenge for small businesses, many of whom have little or no formal policies let alone setting out to create a strategy

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DIVERSITY Awards NZ 2015

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Standing out from the crowd

BUSINESSES THINKING DIFFERENTLY

May 2015

Your voice for business STANDING OUT FROM THE CROWD

Auckland has good reason to pay attention to a local phenomenon. Businesses from across the region are thinking differently and being noticed. Out West, there is a business driving innovation and change in extraordinary ways. In the South, a business set out to reinvent itself and in Glen Eden, a community trust achieves commercial accolades a private enterprise would be proud of. Business success comes in many forms and is the result of numerous factors falling into place. Generally it is the adoption of new ideas and strategies, or the adaption of existing plans, products or even placement that gets a business to the front of the pack. Innovation, a willingness to take a different approach and a commitment to evolving what is currently acceptable in some form - in products, strategy, processes, even people - is invariably the factor that can be seen in businesses that are standing out from the crowd.

‘I asked myself what would have been the one thing that I wish someone had told me many years ago, some advice that would have helped me not to make so many mistakes – that advice, is that it’s OK to do things differently. When I started, I read business books, talked to people who told me ‘this is how you do things.’ Then I put structures in place based on how business should do things, hired people in roles like production manager and marketing manager who soon became ‘so busy.’ I realised that I had created complexity to items that need to be kept simple. So one day, I came into work ‘decided this is wrong’ and started simplifying our employee structure.’

A-Ward Attachments Limited Innovation is at the core of A-Ward Attachment’s company culture along with industry leadership and a drive for continuous improvement and innovation.

Simon is busy managing this innovative company toward further exponential growth. A-Ward is an industry leader in the design and delivery of total systems for bulk material handling and recycling around the globe. It’s a New Zealand success story in a truly global marketplace. A-Ward’s ‘think outside the box’ culture is driven from the top. Even though an engineer, Simon Ward doesn’t like to do things by the book and takes measurable risks in all areas of the company. Everything from the markets the business focuses on, right down to each employee is subject to careful risk assessment to understand what would happen in the event of change.

‘The textbooks would say that this idea is unproductive, because there are too many interruptions, but everyone gets to get up and walk to a meeting that is run with an egg timer. I personally feel that it leads us to be more productive, more creative and we get more done.’ Simon describes the culture as relaxed, creative, but run like a sales company. ‘Even though A-Ward is an engineering type business, every employee is a cost centre with profits and loss. We even rank people so we know who is the most valuable. Even our accounting reporting does not follow formal accounting practices.’ Simon is careful to consider the potential risks throughout the business and its marketplace. ‘We target every industry sector – the world is our target market. To focus on one market or one industry can make a business vulnerable. Covering every industry mitigates the risks. With exporting you get told to first focus on one market and do it well. We haven’t done that, we see the whole world as our market,’ says Simon.

Here are three very different businesses in Auckland who are all doing something exceptional.

‘Our business fundamentally thrives on the thrill of innovation for continuous improvement of operations. Our philosophy is FIRST, FAST and FUTURE. First in quality, fast in performance and to lead the field in cutting edge future innovations,’ says Simon Ward, chief executive of A-Ward Attachments Limited.

and move on. Anyone in the organisation at any level can be called to the meeting and anyone calls them, so you don’t mind about the time disruption,’ he says.

‘Now we look at everything we do as an innovative opportunity and we have opened everything up. We encourage new ideas and participation in every part of the business, we now have incredible communication and there are no doors, everyone is in one massive area. I have also removed all job descriptions. Employees have a job title and in their contract a definition for implementing the bonus system, but we work more on a profit share and target type system, so everyone wants to make sure everyone else is doing a good job. We have a lot of systems in place but without the traditional structures. ‘ The business operates with backups so if someone is away other employees make sure that the ball isn’t dropped. ‘Even though it is a very creative environment everyone knows what is going on so they can step in and do things if needed,’ Simon says. ‘Another key thing we do are the ‘fiveminute clarification meetings’ a method that evolved to help quickly clarify problems

The company was founded in 2000, now exports to 49 countries and is an industry leader in loading or unloading bulk material in shipping containers. A-Ward is on a strong growth trajectory - currently focusing on the growing demand in the South American and Asia markets as well as a New Zealand marketing initiative to find new solutions for helping transport stranded whales back to the water. The A-ward team has pushed a rundown taxi over the hills in snow storms in Kazakhstan, worked on a Heineken Brewery in the Congo and travelled with armed escorted guards to sites in Pakistan and Kuwait, just to get the job done. ‘We win customers from around the world because our aim is to be the first to find great solutions. It’s not a matter of ‘this is how we do things’ we don’t think like that, we never say no!’ Simon says he looks at the business’ turnover in terms of turnover across number of staff. Currently the turnover per staff member is $1.2 - $1.3 million. He has benchmarked this

May 2015

against technology giant Apple – who have a ratio of about $1.1 million. Both Apple and Toyota are businesses he likes to watch and study before adapting a few strategies into his own business.

‘Last year we were challenged to reintroduce Rainbow’s End to the market in a new and exciting way and to look at the value propositions for each of our target markets,’ says Rainbow’s End marketing manager Katharine Murray.

He believes that Kiwi businesses tend to go to too many seminars, read too many books to ‘operate by the book’, even University study gives too much structure for how to do business. His advice is to take a few key things from books; a few tips from companies you benchmark against and to then put them together to create your own innovative systems.

‘We undertook to develop a strong five year strategic plan and annual business plans that provide a framework for direction. Along with this we took a look at all our staff structures and chose to create a strategic alignment of our people and their understanding of the importance of their role in the overall business, including the small things. We have developed a strong, committed and hardworking team and have since been recognised for our award winning ‘training’ and ‘reward and recognition’ programmes,’ Katharine explains.

He believes that Kiwi businesses tend to go to too many seminars, read too many books to ‘operate by the book’, even University study gives too much structure for how to do business, all the same way. His advice is to take a few key things from books; a few tips from companies you benchmark against and to then put them together to create your own innovative systems. ‘We never stop to admire the view or wait and see what the competition is doing. Every part of our business is about innovation. My wife and business partner Deborah Ward, brings a strong strategic management skillset to the business. I offer the often deemed ‘crazy’ innovation and design skills and Deborah gathers these ideas and tries her hardest to steer me in the right direction. Couple this with a diverse advisory board, exceptional staff and our ability to innovate and adapt quickly and we have a thoroughly potent strategic business mix,’ says Simon.

Rainbow’s End Theme Park Not many businesses have a mandate to sell fun, but fun is certainly central to the recently rejuvenated entertainment business Rainbow’s End. The theme park has been operating since 1982, which posed some challenges and recently resulted in a plan to refresh, reinvigorate and recapture those in the market for some fun.

May 2015

She also highlights the effort Rainbow’s End makes to do careful analysis of their target market and sub markets and how they present the business to these markets. ‘We have been revitalising our brand to remain relevant and also to address any negative perceptions. We balance and carefully consider our Attraction mix with all new rides introduced. We’ve also brought in ‘state of the art’ attractions such as Kidz Kingdom and Stratosfear, the first of their kind in Australasia.’ For Rainbow’s End, this strong emphasis on all levels of marketing culminated in two Westpac Auckland Business Award wins. Rainbow’s End won Excellence in Marketing Awards in both the Westpac Auckland Business Awards - South and the Westpac Auckland Business Awards ‘Best of the Best’ Awards. ‘We are always seeking change and constant improvement across all faces of the business including the culture of the business,’ says Katharine. ‘Marketing effort includes continual research and surveying to ensure we are listening to our customers and adapting accordingly. We also embrace developing trends such as digital marketing and ride technology and always pay attention to theming and park presentation as well as innovation in improving ‘in park spend,’ particularly in food & beverage.’ The increased visitation and positive brand recognition for Rainbow’s End suggest that the review and rejuvenation of the brand positioning and value proposition for the wide range of targeted markets is paying off.

Katharine says that fun in itself is not a hard proposition to sell. ‘But we have a lot of different target markets from large businesses hiring out the entire park for functions to grandparents bringing the grandchildren for a treat. Our measure of success is seeing growth in all of our sectors. From our research we have identified what barriers there are to visiting Rainbow’s End so by addressing these in our promotional strategies we can see the difference it is making to the bottom line. Really knowing your customer – and we are always working on that – is crucial to any business’ success. We have reached unprecedented levels of visitation and revenue in the past few years so the tactics are working and we are delivering the product and services our customers need. There is always room for improvement though!’ ‘Innovative thinking is important to ensure the business doesn’t stagnate and to ensure we maximise all our opportunities,’ says Katharine. ‘We aim to drive attendance and revenue, to keep staff excited and motivated and to stay ahead of competition. We are always looking at new ways to keep the park at top of mind awareness in our markets. By thinking differently we solve problems, create new opportunities and we are challenged to reassess the way we have always done things. The old saying is if you do things the same way, you get the same result.’

Ou innovation Our als also extends to how we work with our community and how we can help grow the communities we work in. We have a creative and forward thinking team and enjoy eas. embracing new ideas. ‘We identify that we have to look at our business differently and try and test new things. One of our success stories in this area is Night Rides, the series is in its fifth year and is very

popular. Night Rides is an example of thinking differently and introducing our product in a different way to the market, we are always looking at ways to diversify,’ she says. Katharine explains that innovation is crucial in many areas of their operation for example their maintenance and construction teams are often faced with complex decisions and problems to solve from installation of a major new ride to a complete refit of an existing ride.

VisionWest Community Trust VisionWest is an example of a leading organisation in the community providing wrap around support services to address key and complex issues such as homelessness and the provision of social housing, working with youth and poverty.

We continually ask ourselves how will our support bring transformation in someone’s life; how will this lead to healthy communities and how will this bring hope to someone. ‘It is incredibly important for our organisation to be continually reviewing and evaluating the effectiveness of the support we offer and how we address the needs in our community. This informs our strategic planning process, which is developed through team sessions to give us annual and five year plans,’ says VisionWest CEO Lisa Woolley. ‘First and foremost, VisionWest is vision, mission and values driven. Our vision statement is Transformed Lives, Healthy Communities and our mission statement is Building Hope Together.’ In 2014 VisionWest supported over 11,500 people in the community, working with people who were homeless, living in poverty and who needed support for either themselves or their family.

Five years ago, VisionWest was renamed to reflect in the one name their vision and mission statement. ‘As a result people in the community better understand what we offer, we have greater presence with our funders and key stakeholders and our team has a greater sense of engagement with the entirety of our work,’ explains Lisa. ‘We continually evaluate our strengths to establish how we can have greatest impact in meeting the needs in our community and we invest significantly in growth into these areas such as housing for low income families.’ The team at VisionWest have a real passion for the work they are doing. ‘Engaging staff with the skills and the passion for the work is incredibly important and is a key to how effective we are in our work in the community,’ says Lisa. ‘Developing trust and mutual respect to foster good relationships and partnerships has also been important. We have partnered with community, Council, Government, the business community and the philanthropic sector, so we are able to jointly address some of the complex issues in our community.’ Working in the community means it is important that VisionWest seeks to continually achieve new and innovative ways of addressing complex issues. ‘Continuing with what worked yesterday doesn’t mean it will necessarily work today. We have to be brave enough to try some new ideas, learning along the way, which helps to guide our future direction,’ says Lisa. ‘This is always easier said than done and that’s where constantly adjusting our thinking around team culture and how we relate a sense of community and social values, is really important,’ she adds. ‘It’s about seeing someone that has been long term homeless, struggling with issues of poverty and often other underlying issues, start to thrive once they are in a long term house with wrap around supports; seeing their children start to engage with schooling and become healthier and happier; seeing them start to have a sense of belonging to a community and looking to their future with a sense of hope – this is what gets me out of bed in the morning!’ In the community sector, innovation definitely requires

partnering with others. A great example of this is VisionWest’s partnership with Unitec Architecture students; SGA, architectural firm; the business and philanthropic sectors and Government. Through funding from Government and the philanthropic sector, VisionWest was able to work with Unitec and SGA on an innovative project which resulted in two cleverly designed and sustainable housing prototypes for community based social housing. ‘The house designs have won a number of architectural awards including sustainable housing and have been written up in various articles and books. Most importantly, the families love living in these beautiful sustainable houses,’ says Lisa. ‘The result of our efforts and planning has meant that we have seen amazing transformation in the lives of people we are working with,’ Lisa concludes. Lisa Woolley, CEO of VisionWest, is an inspirational leader. She recently won the Excellence in Business Leadership Awards in both the regional Westpac Auckland Business Awards – West and the Westpac Auckland Business Awards ‘Best of the Best‘ Awards 2014. ‘I have a sense of calling to the kind of work that I am doing and have been involved with the work of the Trust from the very beginning and employed by VisionWest for 17 years. I work with an amazing team of committed and passionate people who are able to work in their areas of strength, which enables me to work in my areas of strength. Together we can achieve much more than any one of us on our own. I am reminded of the Maori proverb -

He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata! He tangata! He tangata! What is the most important thing in the world? It is people! It is people! It is people!

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Your voice for business LONG TERM PLAN

Your voice for business

If we don’t - who will?

We often talk of the Chamber fulfilling its role as the voice of business and in recent times you will have seen or heard that public voice helping businesses with their relationship in China, supporting Government on its Free Trade Agreement agenda and in a more focused way as we look at Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (proposed) and the impact it may have on business. There is good reason that business should have its voice heard on this Plan – business makes up just 17% of rate payers but pays 32% of rates. Ironically business pays more than residential ratepayers do for similar valued property and despite repeated research and reports from academic institutions, business still gets hit hardest by a system that is no more than a wealth tax.

So what does o w of the our review l? plan reveal?

THE COUNCIL PROMISES IN THE PLAN • They‘ll keep rates low and affordable for Auckland THE CHAMBER NOTED IN THE PLAN • The Average rate rise in the Council Plan is 3.5% or 41% over ten years. In business we are expected to use innovation, creativity, efficiency and the use of technology to keep prices down. We expect the same from Council and opposed this THE COUNCIL PROMISES IN THE PLAN • To build on their record of prudent and responsible financial management – including reducing debt and increasing savings THE CHAMBER NOTED IN THE PLAN • That debt increases over 10 years from $5.4 billion to $6.5 billion and that it takes approximately 20% of your rates bill to service that debt • That staff numbers are not decreasing We strongly recommended a review be undertaken of what Council does and that a review of assets also needs to occur including the ownership model of Ports of Auckland.

You can view our submission in the 'News & Advocacy' section of our website www.aucklandchamber.co.nz. You will see why business needs to have a strong advocate to ensure it does not continue to be treated as a Golden Goose and why some different thinking needs to come from the Auckland Council.

May 2015

FUTURE NOW: TREND WATCH Thinking about change in the next decade

Emerging themes centre around opportunities that are opening up due to businesses working together in order to succeed, local physical changes within the Auckland landscape, and how the opening up of international markets is affecting the Auckland business community.

The business world is travelling fast. Looking back at the last ten years, few could have predicted where the momentum would take business and what trends would come to the fore. Providing some direction for the next decade to come, three thought leaders identify trends influencing the Auckland business scene. Emerging themes centre around opportunities that are opening up due to businesses working together in order to succeed, local physical changes within the Auckland landscape; and how the opening up of international markets is affecting the Auckland business community. It’s a matter of thinking differently now, as Auckland prepares for the changing times ahead.

Collaboration not competition ‘The future holds great opportunity for small and medium business (SMB),’ says Michael Barnett, CEO of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. A key trend that he sees developing is collaboration, with smaller entities working together to build success by carving out niche markets. Michael Barnett says that the big entities in the commodity market will always be present in a country like New Zealand. However, he says that it is the strengthening of the SMB through creative collaborative efforts that will offer opportunities, with the size of an individual business becoming less relevant. ‘Some of the businesses in the wine industry might be small, they might be niche, and they might be boutique, but when you look at where the demand for their product is – whether it’s a hotel or a cruise ship line – they don’t look at the opportunity and say that they can’t satisfy demand because they are not big enough,’ says Michael. ‘There is going to be the opportunity for SMB to collaborate with each other and to move together to be able to supply larger demands. Instead of trying to do it under just one brand, there’s going to be an opportunity to offer

May 2015

The opening of the China market and the maturing of that market, is offering massive opportunities, says Michael. ‘It’s about carving out specific segments and fragments in the market to address needs.

flexibility and variation in product and brand to a client by working collaboratively.’ Michael says that collaboration coupled with innovation is what finds SMB able to have a much more aggressive pursuit of success. But whether a business chooses to be innovative on their own, or work collaboratively as a team, business is going to come off a base of new thinking and doing things differently.

Retail therapy ‘In the retail sector there are new trends emerging that no one has had to deal with before,’ says company director/chair Ted van Arkel. One of these trends is the diversity of cultures that Kiwi businesses will need to recognise, work with and adapt to. ‘Different cultures have different shopping habits and certainly different preferences where food is concerned,’ he says. ‘Therefore you see the opening up of all the very small boutique, specialised markets and food outlets.’ With retailing, Ted van Arkel says that it’s a matter of recognising these trends, and taking advantage of them. Due to online shopping the retail landscape is also changing and with the Auckland Unitary Plan, he says that businesses need to look at the opportunities that this opens up. ‘Auckland business people need to understand where the Auckland Council is driving the Unitary Plan, where it’s going to, and what opportunities will expand.’ With the stretching of the Auckland boundaries, housing is expanding in every direction, says Ted. ‘Businesses will need to look at opportunities that this presents them with, whether they should have a branch in any of these new areas. It will be different for each organisation, but certainly the spreading of Auckland means that there are opportunities for new store sites.’

May 2015

Balancing work and life Values around work and life balance will also face change with the success of SMB, says Michael Barnett. He says that there will be a trend of increased buying power from the people who create SMB, and those who lead them. ‘People are going to want a better balance in life and they will have reward systems. We can expect to see some changes in the entertainment and tourism industry, as those who are working for successful entities look for time out.’

NZ as best practice In building successful entities, other countries will be looking to New Zealand for knowledge, processes, and guidance. As a country, part of New Zealand’s reputation revolves around our clean and green image. Michael says that this perspective will open up a trend towards New Zealand being considered an example of best practice for its environmental approach to business, particularly in the food and beverage sector. ‘When you look at some of the countries in Asia that have environmental issues, there is the opportunity for some of our technology to be implemented there. Developing countries will be looking for technology around agriculture as their economies mature. It doesn’t matter if it’s China, India or Africa – New Zealand is a step ahead of the game. We are developed and when you look at the way we export, something we have been doing for 150 years, we’re good at it.’ Michael says that development of technology around agritech offers opportunities for local companies to put their technology into maturing markets. ‘These businesses are going to have a good launching pad for their products and their ideas. Going into these new communities and markets, businesses are creating messaging and building brands that are launched off the successful base of New Zealand, where it’s clean and green, a gem in the South Pacific.

‘Whether it’s horticulture, agriculture, beverages, food, or environmental technology, people will look at New Zealand, and see that we’ve been there already, we’ve done it, and we’ve done it well.’

Segmenting the market

Bernard says that it’s time to start looking at ways to use technology to strip out as many costs as possible by evaporating tasks into the Cloud.

With countries keeping an eye on what New Zealand is up to, reciprocal markets present new opportunities to Auckland businesses.

Bernard says that the explosion of people coming to Auckland, whether it be to live, visit, invest or to join family, means that the city is just one big opportunity to discover.

The opening of the China market, and the maturing of that market, is offering massive opportunities, says Michael. ‘It’s about carving out specific segments and fragments in the market to address needs,’ he says.

With even more airlines announcing new routes from Beijing and Shanghai to Auckland, the potential number of people travelling directly to Auckland is set to increase.

‘Demands are going to change as the markets mature. So, you would logically think that there are going to be opportunities for the smaller players - the small medium enterprises who are flexible, nimble and can respond quickly and take advantage of those demands.’

With this trend, Bernard Hickey recommends that businesses start to set themselves up to cater for the needs of the Chinese market. He says any type of business - shops, hotels, motels, tourist experiences - and even those who employ migrants, need to prepare and set up for this specific market and its opportunities.

‘The China market is new to us, it will change and it will mature. You’ll get speciality wants and needs, and those are going to be addressed by New Zealand SMB.’ The market will move away from being new, and grow into a maturing market, says Michael, with opportunities made available as China changes the way that it operates as a country. There will be increased buying power with the ‘new rich’ who want more sophisticated and niche products from New Zealand’s SMB.

Re-orienting business towards China As the China markets open, economist and financial journalist Bernard Hickey says that it’s time for businesses to start thinking of how to capitalise on the burgeoning growth. He says that businesses need to re-orient their focus towards China. ‘Small businesses should see that the boom in tourism from China, and the demand from China for high value goods and services is an opportunity, particularly for Auckland.’

‘Businesses need to ask do we have Chinese language signs, do we have Chinese speaking staff, do we market to the Chinese audience, are we connected to the Auckland Chinese communities, and should we be exporting our product or service to China?’

Preparing for change The pace at which technology is revolutionising every part of business is phenomenal and it’s unlikely to slow down any time soon. For Auckland businesses to succeed, they need to start implementing changes now in order to capitalise on upcoming trends. Bernard says that it’s time to start looking at ways to use technology to strip out as many costs as possible by evaporating tasks into the Cloud. ‘Businesses need to find ways to ‘appify’ the work that is done around the core of their business that they currently employ people to do.’

Bernard says that apps and services such as Vend and Xero and a plethora of others, enable businesses to move their operations into the Cloud, effectively cutting out a layer of costs. Connected to the trend of ‘appifying’ business tasks and processes, Bernard says to think about how your business works inside the smartphone. ‘Businesses are probably using a smartphone to manage a lot their business, they just don’t realise it. It’s time to start thinking what else can be put on it.’ Bernard says that smartphones are also powerful tools for reaching customers. ‘In the old days you would worry and think and plan for making sure that your business’ name was in the local paper, or sponsoring the local rugby club, doing all the things that were needed to be done to get your business in front of your customers in their environments. Now you have to think about being connected and being in front of your audience and customers in the places where they are – for example Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.’

Setting up for success Bernard says in looking towards the next decade, business owners need to orientate their business towards success. ‘This means two things. Targeting those people who are already wealthy, the reason being that they are growing their wealth faster than anybody else and they have disposable income. The other market to target is the over 60s, who generally have lots of equity in their homes and properties, and a real appetite to

May 2015

In preparing for the change that will inevitably occur over the next decade, a careful eye needs to be kept on the political scene and how its decisions will affect Auckland businesses. spend money. This age group are often also working for longer, putting off retirement to continue working.’

Broad-based constituency In preparing for the change that will inevitably occur over the next decade, a careful eye needs to be kept on the political scene and how its decisions will affect Auckland businesses. Michael Barnett sees a shift towards change that is brought about by influencing a broader-based constituency that embraces value-based decision making. He says that for years major industries and groups of people have appealed to the politicians to incite change in their city, but that direct channel is likely to alter in the future. The current conversation around the Ports of Auckland is an example of how the role of politics is changing, says Michael. ‘People have appealed to the whole of Auckland and asked is this what you want? They haven’t gone straight to the politicians. There is ownership, and of course, people vote, so the politicians are sitting there and thinking that the broader-based constituency has got this idea that something should happen, and unless I deliver on it, I’m not going to get voted back in. Change will come from influencing a broader base of people, and there will be a change in the way that politics operates. I know that we still talk about Labour and National, and left and right, but some of the decision making will be more valuesbased and made by a broad set of people. These people have a set of values about how they want their community to be, and how they want their New Zealand to be. It will be about influencing the politicians from a groundswell, up.’ ‘We will see change and we will see debate. But we will see better change than what we’ve seen in the past.’ Article contributed by Catherine Murray

May 2015

IDENTIFYING TRENDS AND ISSUES THAT WILL AFFECT THE PUBLIC SECTOR New Zealand’s Auditor General discusses steps being taken to keep informed of future trends in the public sector and to relay this information to the business sector. The Auditor-General is responsible for auditing every public entity in the country. And those public entities affect all New Zealanders and businesses in some way – whether it is through the payment of tax or rates, driving on the roads, attending school, or posting a letter. My organisation is unique: no one else has the overview of the public sector that we have. From here, we can identify good (and bad) practices, important trends, and issues that will affect the sector in the future. Through our audits we collect a huge amount of information. It would be a waste if we merely fulfilled our obligations, then filed our audit reports away to gather dust. So, to extract greater value from our work, my Office has adopted annual themes to help us draw together insights from our reports that could benefit the whole public sector and maybe other parts of our community as well. The first theme was Our Future Needs – is the public sector ready? We did not seek to answer this definitively – that would be near impossible. What we did was highlight good and bad practices and get people thinking and talking about how we, as a country, can prepare for whatever lies ahead. I believe our findings are of importance to public and private organisations alike. Among them: • More shocks, an aging population, diversity, inequality, and greater pressures on our natural resources mean we require coordinated strategies and action across local and central government.

• Planning for foreseeable challenges is sensible. But the Global Financial Crisis and Canterbury earthquakes taught us that we must also prepare for the unexpected. That means having robust plans in place, and building a workforce with the right skills and the ability to adapt to change. • New ways of working, such as publicprivate partnerships, can potentially achieve good outcomes for tax and ratepayers. An example is the Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) – a series of partnerships between the Ministry for Primary Industries and the private sector. Our PGP audit showed that flexible arrangements are appropriate: building trust between partners is more important than sticking to a rigid, ‘paint by numbers’ checklist. • Our public management system, while seen as world class, needs to move up a gear given the challenges ahead. Our 2016/17 work programme will delve further into the issues facing the public sector around investment and asset management. • Finally, we all must be mindful that everything we do is about people. The importance of good leadership, management, and governance cannot be overstated. Building an effective, efficient public sector is in everyone’s best interest and affects your future. It underlies everything my Office does. Upcoming reports will look at topics as diverse as Whãnau Ora, governance in the arts and culture sector, building consents at Auckland Council, the governance of councilcontrolled organisations and our reflections on service delivery, drawn from our audit work over the past year. Our reports are all available at www.oag.govt.nz. Article contributed by Lyn Provost, Auditor General

Your voice for business THINKING DIFFERENTLY

ways of thinking differently An innate talent?

Go against the grain

Open up communication of ideas

Use reverse thinking

Communicate, communicate, communicate

We know that change is inevitable. We also know that change comes from doing things differently.

Keep asking ‘why’ and then ‘why not’

Value soft data

Question the status quo

Allow emotional empathy

Never accept ‘no’

Embrace ambiguity

But ‘how’ do we do things differently? How do we think differently in order to enact change?

Take a ‘no limitations’ approach

Learn how to weight risk

Get everyone involved in brainstorming a problem

Think longer term

It seems that as a species, we have a unique, natural ability. We were born with a mind that can hold two conflicting ideas in constructive, dynamic tension and if we work with that ability, we can learn to think our way toward new, superior ideas. From two opposing ideas, we evolve a third improved idea. While this is a natural ability, decades of favouring a scientific or mathematic approach to problem solving has taught us to be linear, dualistic thinkers.

Be future now focussed

Tease out all ideas

Set up a creative space

Be spontaneous

Dream big not small

Hire new thinking

Take action – every time

Value customer feedback

Introduce creative software tools

Share ideas

Research new thinking styles and tools

Encourage counter-intuitive thinking

Increase your expectations and be prepared to be accountable for them

Move away from ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ thinking

But we can adjust. We can access our innate, ‘counter-intuitive’ style and begin to think differently, to invent, to innovate and to create. Here are fifty ways we can encourage thinking differently and idea generation within our organisations.

Embrace uncertainty

Be prepared to be up for the challenge Think lateral not linear Leave fear behind Have fun Evaluate authority and delegate responsibility Experiment

Create an ideas repository

Put the ideas first, not your personality Encourage diverse viewpoints Reward innovation Reward collective achievement Involve everyone Triangulate ideas Drop either/or thinking

Increase visual input and stimulation

Welcome complexity, it’s an incubator for ideas

Mix it up (change out teams, ask others, research)

Extrapolate every option

Encourage freedom

Test the decision making process Don’t accept trade-offs

May 2015

What’s on our current economic horizon? Some insights from Westpac on the upcoming economic landscape

Over the past year, the New Zealand economy grew by 3.3% - its fastest pace in seven years. We do expect some softening in growth in the early part of this year, and the strength of activity is expected to be mixed across sectors. Nevertheless, it’s looking likely that growth will remain solid for some time. We’re forecasting GDP growth of 3% in 2015, accelerating to 3.4% in 2016. So what’s going on in the economy? First of all, the export sector is facing some challenging conditions. Prices for some of our key exports, particularly dairy, fell sharply over 2014. Over the coming year, recent dry conditions will weigh on agricultural production. On top of this, demand in many of our trading partner economies remains sluggish. This combination of conditions will be a significant drag on earnings and spending in rural communities. Lingering strength in the New Zealand dollar is adding to the challenges in the export sector. It’s also contributing to strong competitive pressures for local industries that compete against imports. In contrast, the outlook for domestic demand is looking much more positive. A key source of strength for domestic demand is

May 2015

construction activity, which has been ramping up in recent years. In part, this is due to ongoing reconstruction work in Canterbury, which we expect will remain strong for some time yet. We’ve also seen strong increases in construction activity in Auckland over the past year, as well as some pick-up in other parts of the country.

While the outlook for growth remains firm, the outlook for inflation is very weak. Falls in oil prices, as well as a more general softness in prices are expected to result in inflation lingering below the Reserve Bank’s target band through 2015, and below the 2% target mid-point until mid-2017. This will result in a full five years of sub-2% inflation.

We expect construction activity will continue to pick up over the year ahead. A key reason for this is strong population growth. Net immigration rose to a record high of around 50,000 people over the past year, and it looks likely to push higher over 2015. Contributing to this has been strength in the jobs market that has prompted an increase in new migrants and has encouraged more New Zealanders to either stay onshore or to come back from overseas.

Despite this soft inflation outlook, we don’t expect the Reserve Bank will cut the Official Cash Rate (OCR). When setting the OCR, the Reserve Bank looks through volatility in inflation associated with items such as oil, and it instead focuses on longer-term drivers of economic conditions. This is because interest rate reductions can’t offset the effects of oil price declines that have already occurred, and consequently would have only a limited impact on near term inflation. However, interest rate reductions could have unintended consequences down the track, such as super-charging already strong demand in the housing market.

Further reinforcing the strength in domestic demand have been declines in mortgage interest rates and strong growth in employment. These conditions have contributed to strong gains in house prices, particularly in Auckland. They are also supporting gains in consumption spending. On top of this, businesses have reported that they are planning on increasing capital expenditure and staff numbers.

With the domestic economy expected to grow at a robust pace, inflation will gradually pick up, and interest rates will eventually need to rise. Nevertheless, it’s unlikely that the Reserve Bank will begin hiking while inflation is below 1%. We’re not projecting

any OCR increases until September 2016 at the earliest. The eventual hiking cycle is likely to be muted. We expect only two hikes in September and December 2016, which will take the OCR to a stunted peak of only 4%. By the time that 2017 rolls around, some of the current strong momentum in the New Zealand economy will have started to fade. In particular, by that point the pace of reconstruction work in Canterbury will be slowing and net immigration is likely to have begun easing back. As the impulse from these factors starts to fade, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see growth in the economy starting to soften, which will eliminate the need for further rate hikes. While it is most likely that the OCR will remain on hold for some time, cuts are still an outside possibility. Given the strong

outlook for domestic activity, low headline inflation on its own wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be enough to prompt such a change in stance from the Reserve Bank. But if there is a significant disruption to economic or financial conditions, cuts will definitely be on the Reserve Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s radar. Although we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expect OCR reductions, the weak near-term inflation outlook has seen financial markets pricing in some chance of OCR cuts over the coming year, resulting in downwards pressure on fixed mortgage rates. There is a risk that market pricing moves further in this direction over the coming months as we see the impact of recent oil price declines in official inflation statistics. This drop in mortgage rates is providing the Reserve Bank with a proxy easing in financial conditions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; low fixed interest rates are stimulating short-term

growth by encouraging borrowing and discouraging savings in exactly the same fashion as a reduction in the OCR. The Reserve Bank has become increasingly concerned that a boom-bust cycle in house prices could result in financial instability down the track. With mortgage rates at low levels and weak inflation keeping OCR hikes off the table for the next while, the Reserve Bank will be looking at whether it can make use of its other tools to limit housing market pressures. Recently it has been consulting on possible increases in banksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; capital requirements for lending on investment properties. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think that this will have a significant impact on investor demand, but it would open the door for further policy changes in the future. Article contributed by Satish Ranchhod, Senior Economist, Westpac New Zealand Ltd.

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Handling growth successfully While the nirvana for almost every business is never-ending and fast growth, there’s an art to managing a business through the growth stages of its life-cycle. Sometimes excessive demand is the end for a small business and sometimes it is the making of it.

Avoiding over-extending the business is paramount, despite some entrepreneurial instincts suggesting otherwise.

How can the growth and the scaling up of a small business venture be managed successfully? Sometimes in business you cannot plan to grow, but success can bring growth whether you are ready or not. While you cannot always plan when to grow, it is imperative that plans for growth are in place early. Two businesses willing to share the ups and downs, have spoken frankly about their experiences. Planning and budgeting for growth are key considerations, especially where infrastructure is required Experts agree that developing a plan, analysing current resources and projected growth predictions and putting in place mechanisms to ensure the business can meet customer demand, is key to effectively managing potential growth. ‘Managing a growing business requires planning and budgeting, particularly where infrastructure is required,’ says Rainbow’s End CEO, Chris Deere. ‘To prepare for growth we created new positions such as Team Development Manager; we regularly communicated

May 2015

with the team to keep them informed and involved; and we created better working conditions such as a new, larger maintenance workshop and office space,’ he says. From experience Chris suggests a growing business needs a robust Business Plan and Action Plans for projects, a welldefined strategy/vision for the business and strategic alignment throughout the organisation as well as clear and open communication channels. Indentify barriers to growth early An expanding business needs to make sure that current customers are satisfied and the business can continue to meet current demand. It is vital to have contingencies in place or to mitigate vulnerabilities. ‘For an organisation in the business of marketing fun, some basic factors that will reduce visitor attendance are a sustained period of bad weather and an economic downturn,’ says Chris Deere. Entrepreneur and naturopath Kirsten Taylor of SleepDrops International faced huge growth challenges including over demand, shortages of bottle supply, issues with labelling as well as herb supply. Says Kirsten, ‘The only thing keeping us going was positive feedback

Your voice for business HANDLING GROWTH SUCCESSFULLY

A business in growth phase needs to still remain focussed on its USP’s (unique selling points) and what sets it apart from its competitors. from our customers. The retailers were happy, the customers were happy, but we were in pain.’ A little growth allows a little investment, creating a better offering and greater growth Rainbow’s End Theme Park has experienced significant growth in attendance in particular with the growth of the birthday party market as a result of the revision and reinvigoration of the brand and value propositions and a more targeted approach to its markets. Marketing manager Katharine Murray says the growth has been progressive over the past seven years but has escalated over the last three years as the earlier hard work, innovations and the desire to constantly improve have started to pay off.

‘As the business grows and the financial performance improves, more investment can be added allowing the momentum of growth to be maintained. The business has grown due to the combined efforts, dedication and passion of the team and their belief in the park and the direction the park is heading. Avoiding over-extending the business is paramount, despite some entrepreneurial instincts suggesting otherwise. For us it’s time to focus on the core competencies of the business and the things that have lead to its success? A business in growth phase needs to still remain focussed on its USP’s (unique selling points) and what sets it apart from its competitors. This is something that a business like SleepDrops International has clearly demonstrated. Having access to capital is key SleepDrops International also faced the welcome but challenging need to source

more capital. It goes without saying that business growth is stifled if there’s no access to funding. Kirsten Taylor, managing director of SleepDrops International Limited has been on the rollcoaster that is a growing business. ‘Business is like a game of snakes and ladders,’ she says. ‘It has its ups and downs but it’s certainly no game.’ When Kirsten started her business she was doing and paying for everything herself to keep costs down. Then she called in family and friends to help and to fund the business. As the business grew, there was cash flow stress and she felt physically unwell. Seeing the irony, Kirsten recalls how she was working really hard to help people deal with stress and tiredness, remedied by using her products, while she was in need of support herself. Kirsten sought help financially from her family – her parents’ retirement fund. This turned out well and soon the business was gaining media attention and positive

feedback as Kirsten invested in radio and magazine advertising which quickly generated overdemand. To keep up with orders, Kirsten approached a fourth source of funding, the bank and she is now at the stage of seeking investors. For a company aiming to address the problems of stress and lack of sleep in the corporate world, there was plenty of demand within the business during the growth phase. As a business progresses through the stages of growth, managerial factors become more and more pertinent – the owner’s ability to set goals, his or her operational abilities, managerial ability and strategic ability, all influence the business’ success. Gaining investment in the business eventually means giving up control One aspect of managing scaling up in a business is giving up some piece of the business and/or control to investors. Another is getting the right team in place.

As a business progresses through the stages of growth, managerial factors become more and more pertinent – the owner’s ability to set goals, his or her operational abilities, managerial ability and strategic ability, all influence the business’ success. Kirsten Taylor advises that owners have to decide what they want the outcome to be. ‘In my last business it was growing fast and needed some money but my family talked me out of giving up some of ‘my pie.’ So I ended up owning 100% of nothing rather than a big chunk of something successful.’ ‘In my current business now I want SleepDrops to be available everywhere in the world and I can't achieve that on my own so there is no conflict. The challenge is around maximizing value for everyone,’ says Kirsten.

delegate responsibility effectively with controls on performance and latitude for mistakes. The growth phase is a pivotal period in a small business’ life. If the organisation is managerially and financially OK, then there is potential to become a big business, or even to attract a buyer. ‘Growth is a real challenge for small business, but where there is a will there is a way,’ Kirsten Taylor exudes. And that could be a mantra for all business.

Once a business takes off, it is imperative to get in place the right staff that will enable the business to grow and who will grow with the business. The owner needs to be able to

Do you have sleepy, stressed and sick employees? “The long term health of the company is very much intertwined with the health of its employees. In fact evidence is growing to show that when companies neglect their staff wellbeing or see the company profit as being separate from the health and happiness of the team, companies pay a heavy penalty in absenteeism, mental health days, sick days, staff turnover and significantly decreased productivity.” - Ariana Huffington “The number 1 most powerful anti-stress strategy is a good night’s sleep. Sleep must therefore be a primary focus and the very foundation of any company wellbeing programme. Contact my professional team today so we can help you make your company a better, happier, healthier and more productive place.” - Kirsten Taylor

09-418 0479

Read tthe label. Take as directed.

www.sleepdrops.co.nz

How to think like a designer

Remember when you first experienced highlighter pens? Or text messaging? How did the designers of those products and services know that pretty much everyone would need what they had designed? And before long, not be able to live without it?

And the great (and probably surprising) news is - we all have the ability to do it. By following the process that designers use to create genius inventions, we can unlock creativity in our organisations and start to generate really breakthrough, much-needed inventions to solve real problems in the world.

agency called IDEO who realised that the process a designer goes through to create value, is something that we can all follow in business to solve problems and create innovation. They went about teaching it through Stanford Design School (D-School), and it is now taught in most major business schools around the world as a framework for innovation. So how does it work, why has it become so popular and how can you use it to unlock creativity in your organisation?

That ability to uncover a ‘latent’ (or unknown) need, to think differently and to

Design Thinking was pioneered in the early 2000s out of Silicon Valley by an innovation

Firstly, designers always start with observation. They observe the customer or

It is a reasonably well understood truth that designers have a unique ability to create new value and solve problems – often problems we didn’t even know we had.

create a product or service to help you fix problems you experience every day, is the power of good design.

May 2015

That ability to uncover a ‘latent’ (or unknown) need and create a product or service to help you fix the problem you are experiencing every day, is the power of good design. And the great (and probably surprising) news is, we all have the ability. segment of the market they are designing for, for ages. Sometimes, months. They call this ‘having empathy.’ They observe them going about their everyday jobs & interacting with everyday objects, relevant to the business they are designing for. Designers are looking for pain-points, or needs, that they can design a solution for. As well as observation, they get really inquisitive, and often have very emotive, open-ended conversations with consumers about how they are feeling about the situation, and what they most need to change.

Then they form a point-of-view, on who specifically they are designing for, and what particular problem they are going to solve. They come up with a ‘defining statement’ that richly describes this. The statement also highlights an interesting insight that surprised the designer and which evidences what their customer most needs. This forms the focus for their design process, or solution building. Then the really fun bit starts. They conduct ‘wild ideation sessions’ (brainstorming and

May 2015

thinking differently) to come up with a really broad range of ideas for how they might solve the problem, or meet the need they have discovered. They don’t judge, they don’t worry about logistics, or budget, or the feasibility of the idea (at this stage!). Instead they are trying to come up with breakthrough ways to solve the problem. This is a brave and scary stage, but it is the art of great design – being open to creating something truly break-through. Designers then do something really, really clever. They select the best idea, and they prototype it. They don’t assume whatever they have come up with will work – they go and find out. They build a mock-up of their product or solution, really fast and really cheaply (often out of cardboard, or handdrawn) and put it in front of the people they will eventually be going to sell it to. And they listen, they observe, and allow the ‘user’ to interact with the proposed solution. This is a very hard thing to do, as it‘s human nature

to want to launch your product on your consumer – unveiling it in all its perfection and with a big bang. But by not involving the user of the product or service in the development process, you may find that it doesn’t quite work how you thought and your failure could be public and expensive. By being open to it not working, or failing, very early on in the development process, designers discover something from the user that actually makes it better – nine times out of ten. And they keep prototyping – often

putting their ‘test idea’ or ‘experiment’ in front of their consumer three or four times before they decide they have something they want to take into final production. Lastly, they design and manufacture the product in a small run, and create a ‘test market for it. They don’t produce 1000,000 items – they print or produce a small run, and watch carefully in the early stages for ways to continue improving the product. At this stage they are also testing the commerciality of the idea, and refining the viability and profitability of how it is made and marketed, always looking for incremental improvements. Everyone in your business – whatever their role – can use this mind-set of the designer to think creatively and solve real problems. Both for internal and external customers. You don’t ever replace the craftsmanship of designing your actual end product – you will probably still need a product, web or graphic designer to ensure the final version is highly functional and aligns with your brand, but you have created a brief for the designer based on a real insight about your customer or user, that will result in a more powerful partnership with your design team and outcome for your customers or service users. And the whole process will likely have cost you a lot less, and have less risk of failing on the big stage. So whether your company is selling to business customers, general consumers or children, by empowering your people at all levels within the organisation to start with an ‘outside-in’ mentality to product & service development and by putting the needs of the consumer at the centre of everything that you do, you might find that you will unlock an idea that just could be the next blue-tack or Facebook!

Your platform for business BEING A MEMBER

MEMBERSHIP

Participation brings rewards The Auckland Chamber provides services and support to businesses like yours. The feedback and time you take to participate in Chamber surveys and activities, builds a community of interest enabling Auckland business to stay up to date with current market conditions and the rewards and benefits of accessing a wide range of services providing a platform for business growth and success. Here we feature Member businesses who have recently won prizes participating with the Auckland Chamber. Congratulations. Nikki Kent, Business Solutions Manager, Feature It Lucky draw iPad winner for Business Confidence Survey. Using cloud based systems Feature IT undertake analysis of business systems and processes to make sure they are working right. When we called Nikki she thought we were teasing her. “I never win anything. I really didn’t do it for the prize so it was such a surprise,” she said. Nikki completed the Business Confidence Survey because she felt the business was improving and wanted to contribute to the survey and to acknowledge that things are “looking up.” “It’s nice to be working in a really cool business that is doing well.” Nikki also likes to attend Chamber networking events such as Business Update. “It’s a great opportunity to share ideas and find out what is going on in the marketplace.” Greig Taylor, Director, Freshco NZ Limited The lucky winner of the recent 2015 New Kiwis Employer Survey iPad draw is Greig Taylor of fresh fruit exporter Freshco NZ Limited, which was founded in 1989. Greig says the win was awesome. ‘It was totally unexpected. I didn’t complete the

survey to win the prize. I did it because it is a Chamber initiative and because I have a passion for New Kiwi’s, having lived offshore myself. Hiring New Kiwi’s creates diversity in the business itself, they tend to be hardworking people who need a start, having already made a big decision to come to New Zealand,’ he says. Gail Evens, Administration manager of North Shore based Enertec Power Solutions Lucky draw iPad winner for Business Confidence Survey. Enertec are experts in power solutions. The timing was perfect. Coincidentally Gail won her iPad at just the right time when she was planning to get one for her grandchildren. Enertec enjoys the benefits of the Chamber Alliance Partner services. Employees of Enertec make the most of the Z fuel card offer. They keep up with Chamber events and offers through the e-newsletters. In October 2013 Enertec signed up for the OfficeMax offer and they now go online to order everything including stationary supplies, laminators and more. The business’s first offer saved them over $1000, Gail said. Hugh Bowden, Partner at Bowden Williams Lucky draw iPad winner for Business Confidence Survey. Bowden Williams are a small accounting practice based in Newmarket A member since 2010, Hugh commented, ‘I usually do complete the surveys as it is a good way to compare my results to Auckland businesses generally.’ Hugh loves the convenience of an iPad. ‘It’s great for a paperless office. We can go from room to room for meetings and take all we need with us on the iPad.’

Hugh also attends the Lunch with the Prime Minister and Finance events and the business has an OfficeMax account. Based on their experiences so far, Hugh is keen to make more of the firm’s Chamber membership. Ian McCombe Partner, Brookfields Lawyers Winner in Finance Campaign draw of night for two at The Langham Auckland. Brookfields specialise in local government, property and resource management for commercial and institutional clients. Partner Ian McCombe says the prize was given as a reward to their office manager, Heather French, for all her hard work. As a long-standing member since 1985, Brookfields have used the training workshops offered by the Chamber and have attended events including the annual Finance event, Ba5’s and the China Business Summit. Lawyers from the firm have also attended trade delegations, and completed the Business Confidence Survey. Selwyn and Anne Wong Doo Acupuncturists and Herbalists and business owners Winner in Finance Campaign draw of $1000. Second generation acupuncturists and herbalists Selwyn and Anne Wong Doo have practiced at the Wong Doo Health Clinic for 35 years, following in the footsteps of their late father, William. Selwyn said he was very excited and surprised by the win of $1000. ‘It will pay for some of the expenses. We will put the money back into the business.’ They have often attended Chamber Ba5’s and enjoy the networking and the speakers that Business Club offered. Now renamed The Marketplace, Selwyn said, ‘we pick up a lot of ideas at The Marketplace, it’s not Continued on page 52

May 2015

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MA AJOR EVEN NTS

I have been involved in Awards ceremonies for many, many years – Music Awards, Kora African Music Awards, Company Growth Awards and when I became a Kiwi a few years ago I discovered that New Zealand actually hosts all kinds of Awards – the Entrepreneur Awards, Retail Awards, Franchise Awards, Export Awards and of course, the Westpac Auckland Business Awards. Through our involvement over the last five years with the Westpac Auckland Business Awards I feel that we are in a good position to ask, ‘What is in it for businesses entering the awards journey?’ We’ve met some wonderful people while doing the filming of each business and have discovered that people enter for different reasons. For some the Westpac Auckland Business Awards are a marketing opportunity and

W t iss in it for you What u as an n entraant? Everyt Eve e thiing. An opp portunitty to o share sha a yo our busineesss, to share th he busineess values with your stafff, to celeb brate and en njoy succcesss at the Galaa events butt most of all,, to see ho ow you con ntribute e to o a veryy successfful econo omyy and dm maaakke ke a differeence in peo oplee’s livess.

you enter more than once, for others it’s a product introduction. Some enter for more profile as a small business while others are nominated or invited to enter. For all, you find yourself in the midst of an action packed adventure - examining your business with new eyes, asking and discovering answers to questions that might not have been asked before, attending workshops, evaluating small and larger success milestones, learning from judges’ visits and then waiting to hear if you have made it – your competitive spirit driven by the passion to be recognized and acknowledged. Sometimes it’s challenging to answer all the questions. It is like completing a questionnaire for a bank or investor. Some of the questions are searching, some make you think, for some answers you have to engage your staff and all of this is actually part of discovering your business in a very different way. There is good reason for referring to the awards as a journey – you are on the road to redevelop, reevaluate and enjoy your business or you may decide to drop out and know that the time is not right to enter. You may not like to withdraw, but that is also a positive outcome since you have been exposed to the real issues in your business and now you can address them.

May 2015

Let me tell you the greatest value in entering. If you are committed to success, you will find the Awards a fantastic way of creating a yard stick for your businesses progress. You will gain unexpected insights by taking the time to reevaluate and you will enjoy the outcome for you and your staff but most of all for the future of your business. The Awards offer more than recognition of success. They are a platform for business success. For New Zealand’s small to medium business entrants they know who they are, what they bring to the market and what they want from the future. For the larger businesses, they often reinvest after looking in the mirror of evaluation for an award and they invest differently in their people, their marketing and their future. With the Westpac Auckland Business Awards you can make use of the opportunity to discuss your business for free, with business advisors; get feedback for how to compile the entry form; access workshop sessions and most of all, take your whole team to celebrate your success at the Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony – one for each region and a final Auckland wide Best of the Best. You will see a difference on all levels after completion of this journey. Yes it takes time that you might feel you don’t have, but stay involved, eventually it will bring dividends that you also did not plan for.

May 2015

In the beginning of the filming process we often got to a business and it was the secretary or office person who waved us in and left us to film what we needed to. But now businesses have seen past Awards videos and realise the value of the little video clip for what it is, a marketing opportunity to a captive audience. CEO’s now wait for us, show us around and proudly share their successes. When recently involved in the New Zealand China Chamber of Commerce Awards for New Zealand based Chinese businesses we were overwhelmed with the passion these immigrants have to be part of the New Zealand business scene. They know the value the video clip has on their websites, for their staff and to show in China where they also like to show the success they have achieved in their new country. What is in it for you as an entrant? Everything. An opportunity to share your business, to share the business values with your staff, to celebrate and enjoy success at the Gala events but most of all, to see how you contribute to a very successful economy and make a difference in people’s lives. If you become a finalist or winner, a banner on your website branding you as an award winner has the same power as a testimony of your excellent service. You can also use e-signatures and links to the Westpac Business Awards You Tube channel for all the

Enjoyy th he journeey, the beenefitts outw weig gh the efffo ort and next year you could eve en mottiva atee somee of your clien nts to enteer. Tell th hem about th he learn ning g proceesss, the pleasure of taastin ng succeesss and of being reccogn nissed for whaat you do o well. videos that promote you and the Awards. Customers and suppliers see how credible your business is and that you are committed to excellence and innovation. Enjoy the journey, the benefits outweigh the effort and next year you could even motivate some of your clients to enter. Tell them about the learning process, the pleasure of tasting success and of being recognized for what you do well. Article contributed by Helena van der Merwe, CEO, Invesure Productions. Invesure provides video and media production services to the Westpac Auckland Business Awards.

You ca an enter the Awaards at no costt. Entriess arre now opeen. Entries cllosse 4.00pm m, Thursday 18 June. oree informatio on about th he Awards, For mo ontact Rebeecca Seymo our-EEasst please co 2 9910 or em mail on 302 mou ureast@cham mber.co.nz. rseym

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GLOBAL

The world is our oyster and New Zealand enterprise has always risen to the challenge N New Zealand has some sta stand out innovators wh who have the tenacity and ingenuity to look beyond our geographic isolation and who strive to become global players in tries and on an their industries t export front.

New Zealand has exported the Britten motorcycle, the electric fence, bungy jumping, the modern jetboat, the disposable syringe, aerial topdressing and the world’s first powered flying machine. Starting with the successes of a clean green agricultural sector, New Zealand’s global reputation has been built on invention and innovation that has been shared with and swiftly adopted by the rest of the world. And our global ambitions continue because we realise more than ever, that our economy must grow in all sectors and with increasing reach to global markets, if we are to thrive in the future. Indeed, New Zealand has some stand out innovators who have the tenacity and ingenuity to look beyond our geographic isolation and who strive to become global players in their industries and on an export front. The Westpac Auckland Business Awards for 2014 attracted two particularly worthy and contrasting examples of kiwi exporting success in Milmeq and SnapComms. Milmeq industries has been in operation since 1952 and in that time they have established themselves as world leaders in the invention of machinery and systems for the safe processing of meat and other food products for export throughout the world. The first shipment of frozen meat from New Zealand to England took place in 1882 and paved the way for the trade in frozen meat and dairy products that was to become the cornerstone of our country’s modern economy. Today Milmeq continues this legacy.

May 2015

‘We are immensely proud to represent New Zealand in this industry. No matter where we are in the world we are always reminded of New Zealand’s reputation in this industry. We really are looked up to as a world leader within the agricultural sector,’ says Mike Lightfoot, CEO of Milmeq Limited. Of course the journey to international fame and fortune is rarely without a few bumps and some necessary detours along the way. ‘If we had the chance to do things again we would certainly take more care to always manage the new opportunities with the resources we had available. Growth can put a lot of pressure on a business and its people. My advice to others in the same position is to always make sure you are growing as you can afford. Our other challenge has been around managing the varying health and hygiene standards and regulations in our different international markets. We have overcome this by having great agents located in each country so we always get the best advice and can be adaptable to any changes that might be needed,’ he adds For companies who are just starting out in exporting, working within a respected network such as the International Chambers of Commerce brand is another way to help negotiate the different cultural intricacies. Being an internationally recognised business network means companies who are new to establishing their own international reputations can trade with the backing of a trusted and respected brand behind them. More than 12,000 international Chambers of Commerce are networked globally, representing a vast range of businesses trading and operating internationally.

Your platform for business TRADING GLOBALLY

Ou advice to anyone looking to Our exp export would be to invest as much time and resources as possible in d researching your competitors and try. the developments in your industry.

W knew that for us to We ga gain some credibility in an any of the other global markets we needed some large US based customers to come on board first. Succeeding in the US would help other companies in es notice n other countries us and see uss in a more ht. favorable light. By partnering with the Chamber of Commerce businesses can open valuable doors in foreign markets as well as benefiting from practical advice. ‘Providing access to these Chambers and the companies that support them is our way of leveraging you into this international network,’ says Smitha Shanbhag of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. An example of a new breed of kiwi exporting success is communication technology innovators SnapComms. SnapComms help companies communicate more effectively with their staff across a wide range of mobile devices, tablets and PCs. As a self-funded business that started out from simple home office beginnings, SnapComms has evolved into a multi-national operation with customers in North America, Europe, Southeast Asia, Australasia, the Middle East, Africa, India, the Caribbean and South America.

With the option of being based anywhere and the freedom of operating in the digital environment, SnapComms have been proud to maintain their head office in New Zealand, just a five minute walk from beautiful Takapuna beach on Auckland’s North Shore. SnapComms expansion to offshore business markets came out of necessity when they realised that there were simply not enough ‘large corporates’ locally, to sustain SnapComms in the long term. But getting noticed and building the trust of large global corporates was a significant challenge for a small business from New Zealand. SnapComms took the very strategic approach in beginning their exporting activities of not shrinking from the big markets and testing the waters somewhere smaller. Instead they targeted the US as their first step offshore. ‘We knew that for us to gain some credibility in any of the other global markets we needed some large US based customers to come on board first. Succeeding in the US would help other companies in other countries notice us and see us in a more favorable light,’ explains Sarah Perry, SnapComms Chief Executive Officer and founding Co-Director. To achieve their goals, first in the US and then by expanding into other countries, SnapComms sought out partnerships with other like-minded companies. ‘When we were breaking into the US we found that a partnership with Melcrum – an internal communications learning organisation – proved to be a great alliance for us to have. It worked by helping to give us a profile and they were supportive in helping us because they didn’t view

SnapComms as a competitor. We have since established offices in the US and the UK which helps us with the time-zone differences and keeping up with what is happening locally there,’ explains Sarah. ‘Our advice to anyone looking to export would be to invest as much time and resources as possible in researching your competitors and the developments in your industry. In our opinion this has been the factor that has most helped us get our name out there in these new markets. If you know what your points of difference are and what makes your offering unique you can focus on promoting this to get cut through,’ says Sarah. The consistent message across all export success stories coming out of New Zealand is the role credibility and reputation plays in getting noticed in new foreign marketplaces. Businesses that seek support from organisations like NZ Trade and Enterprise and the New Zealand Chambers of Commerce, are assisted in many ways to promote their individual success stories and with this backing, can combine to create a powerful introduction as an emerging kiwi export hopeful. Most New Zealand companies recognise that international markets provide much required potential for growth. By combining expertise, international contacts and resources, sound research and determination to find a solution, Kiwi businesses are proving taking up their place in a long line of Kiwi exporting success stories and innovations. For more information visit the 'Global' section of our website at www.aucklandchamber.co.nz or phone 309 6100.

May 2015

0800 BUSINESS SUPPORT

What single factor, if any, is most limiting your ability to expand your activities? This question is posed by the Chamber every 3 months in its quarterly business confidence survey. The replies from our Members are watched closely by the Chamber team as your comments help drive our efforts to effectively support business in Auckland. The following are just a small selection of the many comments we receive from our Members. With the help of our business support partners, we offer some expert perspectives and some realistic and achievable solutions in reply. MEMBER: ‘I don’t have enough time to develop my business. Current budgets don't allow for additional staff members, which means having to be very operational in the business.’ RESPONSE: We see this challenge in the SME sector all the time. This can often be as a result of one of the following – 1. Owners not willing to delegate 2. Owners doing tasks that they were never trained in 3. Owners focusing on projects and tasks that don’t add value 4. Owners not making time to take stock of their business and which areas should be prioritised THE SOLUTION: • Apply the 80/20 rule in everything you do in your business. 80% of the results for your business with come from 20% of your effort • Work to your strengths and call in the

May 2015

support of experts where needed instead of losing time and dollars trying to learn. A short term, up-front cost to get expert advice can be a much better option than revenue ‘leaking’ from hidden costs in inadequately addressed issues Solution provided by Warwick Russell, SMEtric Consulting Group, www.smetric.co.nz MEMBER: ‘I’ve chosen not to grow too fast because it is too stressful growing too quickly.’ RESPONSE: If you want both freedom and growth from your business, you need to create an income stream that doesn’t depend on you. SOLUTION: • Leverage your team and staff You are a limited resource – but others are not. Create the lifestyle and wealth you want by learning to get results through other people. Outsource areas which don’t impact the customer or create competitive advantage. Invest time and dollars into your high performing staff, multiplying their skills and knowledge • Leverage your clients and networks I dentify your high ROI clients and focus on anticipating their needs. Up sell, in sell and on sell to these high worth clients. Develop strategic alliances with people who share your values, the same target market and complementary products, creating a win/win for both • Leverage your thinking Quarantine time to think. Keep an open mind, learn from everything and everyone.

Never get attached to the need to be ‘right.’ The enemy of growing, is knowing Solution provided by Rosina Webb, Marketing Director, Energise & Associates, www.energise.net.nz MEMBER: ‘There’s just too much internal politics within our company, it’s definitely holding us back.’ RESPONSE: Inevitably in business you’ll find people who excel at internal politics. They’re often the ones driven by a high ego and the desire to succeed at all costs. However, truly successful people are those who recognise that internal politics exists, but have strategies in place to successfully negotiate their way through these situations effectively and quietly. SOLUTION: • Be observant. Consider the requirements for each situation and each person and apply the best approach, tone and style to suit that situation or person • Know who the gate keepers are – the people with the ability to control access or information - this will help you better manage the flow of resources, information and decisions • Develop your own skills in understanding people’s behaviour – including paying attention to their nonverbal signals • Be measured in your approach and reactions. Strong advocates with narrow views don’t usually fare well in organisations

Upcoming Events Book these into your event business calendar for 2015. BUSINESS UPDATES Quarterly update with Auckland Chamber chief executive Michael Barnett and economist and financial journalist Bernard Hickey presenting key findings from the Chamber’s quarterly Business Confidence Survey and the trends and developments anticipated for Auckland’s business community. DATES:

Wednesday 20 May Wednesday 19 August, Wednesday 18 November TIME: 8.00am - 9.00am (7.45am registration, with arrival tea/coffee) VENUE: The Northern Club, 19 Princes St, Auckland City TICKETS: Members $20.00 + GST Non-members $35.00 + GST

• Be flexible in how you go about accomplishing tasks Solution provided by Tracey Ashworth HR Team Manager, POD, www.pod.co.nz MEMBER: ‘We want to grow but we are finding it hard to match up our in-house skills and experience to what our business now needs.’ RESPONSE: Learn to leverage talent from within. Make sure you know the skills and the potential sitting within your existing team. SOLUTION: Take a skills audit to determine whether your business will be able to meet its goals. To do this, identify the qualities, skills and experience you need and then get your individual team members to self-rate using a numbered competency scale. Once the audit has been completed you will be able to see where skill gaps exist and target your training and recruitment accordingly. Solution provided by Tracey Ashworth, HR Team Manager, POD, www.pod.co.nz MEMBER: ‘We are finding it harder to recruit staff and to keep them, especially unskilled staff – they start and then don’t want to work, so stop coming.’ RESPONSE: Recruiting talent can be a challenge for many businesses in today’s market. SOLUTION: It’s important to know the levels of

competence required for the role you are recruiting and make sure a current position description and person specification is in place. Once you’ve found the right person, a wellplanned and structured induction is essential. If your employee has been hired on a 90 day trail period it is important to monitor their performance during the 90 days and act immediately if you have areas of concern. Once established it is important to review them in line with their position description, targets and expectations. Give feedback – if they are doing well, give praise relating to the specific area they’ve performed well in. This is motivating for the employee, and you’ll reinforce the behaviours and activities you want repeated. Solution provided by Tracey Ashworth, HR Team Manager, POD, www.pod.co.nz CHAMBER 0800 BUSINESS SUPPORT LINE Sometimes in order to see your way through challenging times you need a new perspective and good advice based on sound experience. As a member of the Chamber you have access, at no initial cost, to business support through our business support service and to a wide range of free business resources. Call 0800 242 623 to talk to one of our team or visit www.aucklandchamber.co.nz and take advantage of the free resources you can download at no cost to your business.

AP DAY BREAKFAST Always a delicious way to start your working day, this year’s breakfast event brings you comedians Dai Henwood and Paul Ego with some wonderful goodie bag treats to take home too. DATE: TIME: VENUE: TICKETS:

Wednesday 27 May 8.00am – 10.00am The Grand Tearoom, Heritage Hotel, Auckland Members $70.00 + GST, Non-members $90.00 + GST TABLE OF 10: Members $650.00 + GST, Non-members $850.00 + GST

THE MARKETPLACE Book your own table-top exhibition space, listen to inspiring guest speakers, network with over 300 local businesses. Proudly sponsored by Westpac. DATE: Thursday 21 May TIME: 4.30pm - 7.00pm VENUE: Guineas 2 & 3, Ellerslie Event Centre, 80 Ascot Ave, Remuera TICKETS: Complimentary to Members & invited guests TABLE TOP EXPO: $200.00 + GST (Member only)

THE MARKETPLACE WILL ALSO BE HELD IN OCTOBER DATE: Thursday 15 October TIME: 4.30pm - 7.00pm VENUE: Guineas 2 & 3, Ellerslie Event Centre, 80 Ascot Ave, Remuera TICKETS: Complimentary to Members & invited guests TABLE TOP EXPO: $200.00 + GST (Member only)

CHINA BUSINESS SUMMIT DATE: Tuesday 7 October TIME: 8.30am - 5.30pm VENUE: The Langham, Auckland

To register email events@chamber.co.nz or phone 309 6100 Or register online at www.aucklandchamber.co.nz

May 2015

EVENTS

Return of the boutique marketplace Sometimes we’ve just had enough of mass marketing and multiple platforms. But is the convenience of doing everything from a phone or the internet the way of the future or are more and more of us looking for a way to spend productive time face to face, as long as it is productive? In recent years the small, boutique farmers’ market has seen a massive revival – their popularity largely due to a tacit agreement that everyone is there to do business, exchange ideas and secure longer term relationships. Maybe the world of commerce has something to learn from these small stallholders who have regular customers and loyal support? In a commercial environment, exhibitors are also there to quite literally stand by their product. They will take the time to demonstrate, talk you through what’s on offer and give you the opportunity to try before you buy. For a business marketplace it becomes more about best value rather than just best price. This is a far more appealing proposition to your customer who in measuring the value of your product, counts price as only one of the measurements. The marketplace experience is also vastly different from the drive to work experience where an overenthusiastic salesperson

May 2015

shouts out across the radio that this bed is superlatively better and priced only for sale this weekend. Instead, the marketplace is where everyone is in less of a hurry, the atmosphere is friendly and your interest can be piqued. And just like your local supermarket everything is under one roof. The boutique marketplace appeals because it is not just commercial, but social and educational.

T Auckland Chamber The of Commerce has recently launched The Marketplace, where you can experience rket a true ‘marketplace’ nt. environment. As well as the standard information, you will no doubt hear an exhibitor’s product or service story, hear them share some extra tips and secrets, or direct you to more information. Best of all you have an opportunity to ask questions, look them in the eye – and get answers. As is so often the case, the learning is in the trying. ‘Oh, you push that button, not the one at the top to get it started. Now I understand!’

The marketplace offers you a chance to ‘get local’ especially if you are a business with a wider regional or nationwide presence. Local businesses like to feel that you are completely available to them and have their direct interests at heart. The Auckland Chamber of Commerce has recently launched The Marketplace, where you can experience a true ‘marketplace’ environment. This marketplace expo provides budgetfriendly table prices to local and regional vendors, as well as those companies with a national market presence. There is also an entertaining and informative guest speaker, drinks and nibbles on arrival and the opportunity to network with over 300 local businesses. Use The Marketplace to meet, connect and build rapport with your customers, enhance your brand visibility, promote new and existing products, generate leads, and drive sales. For more information on Chamber Events email events@chamber.co.nz or phone 09 309 6100. For the latest on the Auckland Chamber Event Calendar and Events Series visit www.aucklandchamber.co.nz.

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Prices Exclude GST. Vodafone Secure Device Manager (VSDM) terms: VSDM Basic is included for one device on Red Business Essentials, Red Business and Red Business Super plans, but costs $2.50 excl GST on Business Basics plans. VSDM costs $5.00 per licence per device monthly on Red Business and Business Basics plans (set up fee applies). To sign up for VSDM or VSDM Basic you need to call 888 to activate the service. Once the service is active you will need to enrol the devices you want to manage. You will need to have access to the Internet and a supported browser in order to manage your devices. VSDM basic and VSDM are available on most operating systems. The monthly licence fee for VSDM & VSDM Basic will allow management of one device per licence. As part of the VSDM product there is a one off set up fee of $399 (ex GST), to include a web based training session. There is no required set up fee for the VSDM Basic product. VSDM Basic and VSDM products cannot be used in conjunction with each other.

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MARKETING SERVICES

Keeping your messaging out front We were fortunate enough to have a very senior client in our offices recently to talk to our team about where they are taking their business and particularly the rise of multichannel and what it means to them. Encompassed in this conversation were all sorts of power words – email, big data, online, second screening, smartphones, Apps, personalized shopping. What struck me about all this new buzz is that it is still fundamentally direct marketing. Wikipedia describes it thus: ‘Direct marketing messages emphasize a focus on the customer, data, and accountability. Hence, besides the actual communication, creation of actionable segments, pre- and post-campaign analytics and measurement of results are integral to any good direct marketing campaign.’ Communications are getting more personalised, data is getting bigger and more sophisticated and accountability is increasingly important. Little wonder that advertising is changing at such a great rate of knots. Having the skills within your team to understand this is becoming harder and harder as there are simply not enough people with the right experience to go around. So in many ways most marketers involved in comms work are becoming direct marketers by stealth. And the new channels are being adopted by classic direct marketers who generally have a more ‘end to end’ approach

MARKET YOUR BUSINESS Make sure your business is top-of-mind with other businesses. As a Chamber member, you’ll have more opportunities than ever to connect with other Auckland businesses. To make sure you get the most out of your membership, you can access a range of marketing services available exclusively to member businesses, to promote and advertise your business.

May 2015

to these channels than classic advertising focused marketers. This means for example that the work to capture people on Facebook needs to be driven into an actionable database, sales visits or active leads for a brand, not just a set of ‘likes’. Migrating ‘likes’ beyond Facebook is really important as part of leveraging an engagement strategy, for example onto an email permission list. It means that a Smartphone App is a living breathing indicator of customer engagement – how many times have you opened it, how long have you spent on it, what are you doing on it, recency of use, etc. All the data is there to be analysed, and then fed back potentially through a multi-channel communication strategy (for instance push notifications, in App messaging, email, instore activation). Email databases need to be constantly refreshed and engagement measured and tracked; testing around subject lines, creative approach, click engagement and other key metrics are all vital to maximizing the value of such a database and not just treating it as a glorified mailing list (which will simply drive average returns when it could be much more). The data that digital streaming provides has huge commercial value for future contact strategies. If you are one of the TV networks, if people have to login to view, you know

CHAMBER MAGAZINE Published in April and September 2015. Select from a variety of advertising options. BUSINESS SAVINGS E-NEWSLETTER For less than 5 cents per contact, you can send your offer to more than 5,000 decision makers through the Business Savings e-newsletter. DIRECT MAIL SERVICES Market your offer with a targeted mail-out to businesses throughout Auckland, or in select parts of the region.

what they watch, frequency, etc., so you can serve ads to them on this basis; but you also know what you should be retargeting them with in terms of programme promos, upsell, commercial partnerships. And they can share this with advertisers for a richer understanding of people’s interests based on profiling of viewing based on actual data not traditional audience research. How can a viral video be direct? It could be as simple as: produce a piece of content that people simply have to watch, seed it out to your database if you have it (otherwise use alternative media engagement), and have a clear call to action at the end of the video and a landing point which is all about data capture. Meanwhile, with all the new technology going on, direct mail has been experiencing something of a renaissance thanks to less cluttered mailboxes and the perceived ‘surprise’ factor that someone has taken the trouble to use an addressed piece of mail leveraging personalized information. Across the board, the industry has been reporting increased response rates and engagement. So, direct marketing is alive and well and increasingly living in more and more aspects of people’s lives and therefore the demand for direct marketing skills and knowhow is simply going to exponentially increase. Article contributed by Ben Goodale, Managing Director, justONE/.99

EVENT HOSTING Show off your premises, your team and your expertise by hosting a Business After Five (ba5) event. THE MARKETPLACE With guest speaker, drinks and nibbles and an opportunity to showcase your business, The Marketplace is a premier networking event on the Auckland Chamber events calendar. For just $200 + GST, you can secure a table-top exhibition space to showcase your products and services to local business owners.

Your platform for business BEING A MEMBER

MEMBERSHIP

Chamber membership pays off Our new and long standing Chamber members share their experiences of being a Chamber member. Kelly Kim, Business Manager, Korea Trade Commission (KOTRA). Chamber Member for 31+ years ‘We are a Korean Government Agency and our purpose is to promote business and investment opportunities between Korea and New Zealand. Our New Zealand offices opened here in New Zealand in 1973 and we have been a member of the Chamber for a very long time! The networking opportunities that the Chamber offers are a very important part of why we are a member because they give our agency and the Korean businesses we represent a chance to connect with New Zealand business opportunities and therefore establish better trade relations between our countries.’

Angela Lewis, Corporate Relations Manager, Villa Maria Wines. Chamber Member for 31+ years ‘We are involved because we are an Auckland based business with an international focus. We don’t see ourselves as a big corporate, we identify with other entrepreneurs because that’s how we began and we have remained a family run business.’ Through the Chamber we enjoy building relationships with other like-minded professionals who share the same values and ambitions. We are New Zealand’s most awarded winery and we value the fact we are achieving on a world stage but still remain a family owned, Auckland based business at heart. We feel very honoured to be able to support the Westpac Auckland Business Awards which are run by the Chamber and ATEED because it allows us to get behind great Auckland businesses and encourage other New Zealand entrepreneurs to aim high and strive for success.’

Paul Redman and Dianne Watson, Oxide Distributing Co. Ltd. New Members September 2014 ‘We purchased our business in April 2014 and by September 2014 we were facing some major challenges in our business and this motivated us to join the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and in particular their Business Mentor programme. Meeting our mentor was great, it gave us someone to talk to that had been associated with the same industry and understood some of the challenges we were facing. The Business Mentor programme was our first introduction to the Chamber but since then we have utilised the Chamber's training workshops, the Business Update event and attended the recent New Members networking evening. Getting involved with the Chamber has been a great way to meet other business owners. At the last event we were even able to help another new member with the contact details of a company they could do business with. The Chamber is a great organisation to bring together business owners from a range of industries and experience.’

Li Zhang (Kevin), Li Photography. New member since March 2015 ‘I am very glad to have made the decision to join the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. As a new member I feel like I’ve been taken good care of and I’ve found it easy to understand and access a string of services already. At this stage in my business, the events & networking activities are of most interest to me. Each event has enabled me to build business connections and being under the Chamber umbrella seems to make these

May 2015

The Auckland Chamber of Commerce Membership team actively participates in supporting Auckland businesses. For information about Chamber services, business support, the Business and Exporter Heathcheck. To join or to find out more about what the Chamber can do for your business call 0800 543 543 or 09 309 6100 or email membership@chamber.co.nz.

events more relaxed but still effective. I’ve found it has been easy to engage in some good talks and to meet like-minded business people at these networking events. I have been thrilled to receive almost continuous follow-up calls and emails from people I have met through the Chamber. I feel like the Chamber team has a real passion to help my business to grow. Thank you!’

Rob Leinwand, HR Holdings Ltd. New Member since March 2015 ‘Helen and I attended our first Chamber function at Orams Marine in March this year. We were impressed by the number of members attending, as well as the organisation of the function. We were immediately made to feel welcome. The members we met were all friendly, open to discussion of both our business and theirs, and in most cases offered suggestions for further contacts for our business. We were even introduced to a marketing specialist who offered to meet with us and provide a basis for the expansion of our electric bike sales. We were also made aware of several Chamber services available to members, both online and in person that we had not previously been aware of. The Chamber has a lot to offer businesses like ours. We will certainly attend future events offered by the Chamber.’

Bianca Mueller, founding Partner, Law Down Under. Member since June 2013. ‘As a migrant, my advice to other new migrants is to not be afraid to take a few steps back in status from where you feel you should be in your career. Invest some time into learning about the Kiwi way of doing things and definitely join the Chamber.

May 2015

What has really impressed me about the Chamber is that they take an active interest in growing your business. I get regular phone calls and emails from the Chamber passing on contact details of businesses or people they think might be interested in my firm. The Chamber knows that when you’re a migrant setting up a business in New Zealand it isn’t just about finding clients. It’s about connecting with people who think in the same way and who I can collaborate and share ideas with.’

Craig Brown, General Manager Lending, Lock Finance. Members for 31+ years ‘Lock Finance is proud to be involved with the Chamber and is a long standing member because we support the Chamber’s commitment to encouraging business and we share their goal of greater prosperity for our City’s business sector. The Chamber has always played an important part in bringing our business community together and providing a voice for business and it offers businesses of all sizes a great network to be involved in. We encourage other businesses to start benefiting by becoming members too.’ Whatever size of business you are, joining Auckland Chamber of Commerce is one of the best investments you can make. It will open the door to new business opportunities, networking, essential advice, information and expertise all aimed to help your business grow.

Your platform for business MOBILE APPLICATIONS

MARKETING SERVICES

Mobile Advertising The future of advertising is in the palm of your hand. It’s the pocket sized rectangular block of plastic, microchips, glass and flashing icons that you won’t leave home without. ‘For businesses of any kind mobile advertising offers you a key advantage because you can talk and interact with your potential consumers whilst they’re out and about and ready to buy from you,’ explains Alex Lawson, Group Business Director at Zenith Optimedia. ‘We can even target advertising using GPS so that we know our message is getting to potential customers who are close by. We can push dynamic creative that reflects unique factors like demographic, special interests, location, all to the palm of the consumer’s hand, whilst they’re out and about and shopping.’ With 100% smartphone penetration tipped to hit our nation by 2016, we are well placed to lead the charge on driving advertising and marketing opportunities via this new technology.

as a market aware business, mobile is the channel you want to be in.’ The appeal of this new technology lies in its ability to be extremely targeted and personalised in the message it delivers, making it an extremely cost effective marketing avenue for small to medium sized entities. ‘Developing mobile advertising is mostly a case of always keeping in mind that your communications need to fit within various mobile device screen sizes,’ Alex explains. ‘On a basic level, if you’re using Facebook for your mobile campaigns – then always make sure you’re optimising your activity towards mobile as the majority of Facebook usage is now viewed through mobile.’

‘Whether it’s a tailored application that can push your company message out whenever your customers need you most or a mobile and social media campaign with all its viral benefits, the future of advertising is mobile – and it’s time to get your business moving in the right direction.’

The most successful mobile campaigns tend to capitilise on its interactive possibilities. By engaging potential customers in a two way conversation their sense of connection and loyalty to your brand grows. Linking the advantages of mobile with the reach and viral possibilities of social media is another way smaller companies with small budgets can achieve great things in this arena.

‘New Zealand is in a great space on this front,’ says Vodafone’s sales manager Zach Macbeth. ‘We have 99% internet coverage here in New Zealand and as of last year people are now officially spending more time looking at their phones as opposed to a computer screen. So if you want to be seen

‘It’s about being nimble and appearing in touch with your market. Understanding where they hang out and being there alongside them helps you learn what it is they like and what ultimately drives them to spend. Some of my favourite mobile campaigns I have worked on have been for

TO APP OR NOT?

An app is a program built specifically for your business to live on mobile devices to connect better with consumers. The best apps are functional and provide a real life benefit for your potential customers. Here’s a hint, being told about your business or the things that you think are great about it is not the basis for a good app! Look at your own phone. How many apps do you

our alcohol clients,’ says Alex. ‘A campaign earlier this year for Smirnoff asked users to take a picture of their fridge and Instagram it, then Smirnoff would respond to them with a drink suggestion based on the ingredients that were shown in the fridge.’ The interactive nature of the mobile medium is the characteristic which makes it cost effective and measureable but it also means that businesses must commit to their mobile strategy fully or risk losing the interest of their market because they haven’t kept up their side of the relationship – a bit like the deadbeat friend that never calls back! ‘Whatever you do, if you are going to get involved in mobile advertising, I’d strongly advise taking the time to plan and make sure you devote sufficient resources to support your efforts,’ urges Zach Macbeth of Vodafone. ‘This is a big area of opportunity and yes it’s great to get in at the start, but a lack of forethought or a poorly executed campaign can still cost you and potentially lose you customers too,’ concludes Alex. Whether it’s a tailored application that can push your company message out whenever your customers need you most or a mobile and social media campaign with all its viral benefits, the future of advertising is mobile – and it’s time to get your business moving in the right direction. The Chamber thanks Alex Lawson, Group Business Director, Zenith Optimedia and Zach Macbeth, Sales Manager, Vodafone NZ

have that you use regularly? Why do you use them? How many apps do you have that you downloaded once, but then hardly ever open? If you are looking to develop an App for your business then learn from your own experience before you develop yours. Good apps keep your customer informed, entertained or they make things easier for your customers in day to day life.

May 2015

The changing face of doing business in Auckland

What is the reality? Employers have been reporting an increasing skills shortage over the past three years, with more than a third of businesses consistently indicating that it is harder to find the skills needed. Penny Smith, employment division manager of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce says there are things employers can do. ‘In Auckland multiculturalism is already becoming the norm and businesses around New Zealand will need to embrace recruiting a multicultural workforce if they are to address the skills gaps they are facing. Encouragingly our research shows that particularly in Auckland, the lack of New Zealand work experience is no longer a significant barrier to hiring.’

In Auckland multiculturalism is already becoming the norm and businesses be around New Zealand will need to embrace recruiting a multicultural workforce if they are to address the skills gaps they are facing. Encouragingly our research shows that particularly in Auckland, the lack of New Zealand work experience is no longer a significant barrier to hiring.. Today the Auckland region is the most populated and ethnically and culturally diverse. According to the Auckland Overview of Labour Force Trends 2014 published by Immigration New Zealand, 39% of Aucklanders were born overseas and nearly 30% of the population speak more than one language. According to the 2013 Census, more than half of the working age population in Auckland (58.9%) was not

May 2015

born in New Zealand. Current unemployment figures are low, down to 6.3% from 6.7% in the past three months and job openings in Auckland are up 8% on an annual basis. ’But there is still a mismatch between the skills/experience of those that are job seeking and the skills/experience employers are looking for right now,’ explains Penny. Based upon the latest Census, the top employment sectors in Auckland are professional services, scientific and technical services, manufacturing and retail trade. Some key sectors continue to experience a skills shortage including ICT, food and beverage and construction. The solution? Train more people in areas where we need more skills and attract and retain more migrants who already have experience and a wide range of skills. This changes the face of doing business in Auckland and has an impact on many businesses who need to ask what is practical, how does this affect business management decisions and what are the recruitment implications? What can employers do to find and retain the right skills? How can employers adopt the right approach and access the right support to manage the adjustments needed to help newcomers and returning Kiwis settle in and stay in employment?

a three day initiative for newcomers called ‘New Kiwi Career Success’. ‘Participants are ‘on fire,’ says Penny, ‘we help them understand NZ workplace norms, the power of networking, how to rework their CVs and how to prepare for interviews NZ style. We also help them understand how to present their overseas experience as relevant to NZ employers. These are great people with great skills and over 80% are securing good roles within the first four months.’ ‘For employers we also have the www. newkiwis.co.nz website and wider nationwide service funded through Immigration New Zealand,’ adds Penny. ‘Migrants register their interest in working and employers can confidently search this candidate pool and access our wider support services – without advertising. All job seekers have registered within the last 6 months so this is a rich pool of actively job seeking candidates both onshore and from overseas. An increasing number of businesses are actually finding they gain valuable and extra skills through those who bring overseas experience with them.’

There are solutions for both migrants and employers.

Patrick Teo, chief executive of technology hardware solutions company BCS Limited, a company that has worked with the Auckland Chamber says, ‘We have people from more than 40 different countries through a combination of coincidence and deliberate employment strategy but primarily because we keep a pretty open mind about people’s ethnic background. After all, it’s all about the best people for the various roles that we have.

To help recently arrived migrants learn about New Zealand workplace and cultural norms, the Auckland Chamber, in partnership with the Ministry of Social Development offers

Language and adjusting to New Zealand life is probably the biggest challenge. Language barriers are removed with time as long as there is a willingness for both parties to be

Your platform for business DIVERSITY FIT FOR SKILLS SHORTAGE

patient, for the newcomer to have the will to learn and very importantly, for all parties to have the will to try to understand each other,’ he adds. How can we maintain and grow Auckland’s contribution of 35% of the country’s economic output if we cannot increase productivity? ‘New Zealand’s economy-wide labour productivity growth has been lower than most other OECD countries. However the connection between helping employees settle and productivity is the same whether the employee is a migrant or not. The challenge is to take advantage of the wide range of different cultures and know how to deal with this,’ says Penny. How do we think differently about the productivity of new Kiwi staff? Penny adds that while many migrant employees come to New Zealand with valuable skills they do need support to settle. ‘Many of the issues faced are the same as someone moving from Christchurch to Auckland but with a whole extra layer added in. Employers need to look at what will help new employees. While this means managing a multicultural workplace better to increase productivity, the steps are straight forward and not costly, it just takes a little understanding and believe me, a little goes a long way.’ Practical ways to support new Kiwis include • Let your existing team know who is coming and a bit about their cultural background • Be there to meet the new employee and welcome them, in some cultures status is important, being the manager and being there, will be an important first impression

There are also external resources and support networks available to help both employers and new migrant employees.

• Ensure that there is an structured induction process • Introduce a buddy or mentor – their ‘go to person’ – and ensure the buddy is fully committed to the role they will play in settling in • Make sure the job description and/ or job tasks are well-documented and understood • Explain workplace etiquette, how things are done around here • Find out about the new employee’s cultural values and work style, the more you understand about how they are used to doing things, the easier it will be to introduce your norms • Host social events – let everyone see we generally have the same values even though we might do things differently – it could be something as simple as a shared lunch • Set up specific training or extra training in communications and the workplace • Encourage a culture of learning and the ability to ask questions, anticipate and deal quickly with any negative assumptions around particular cultures through lack of understanding • Provide family support – wherever possible. This can make all the difference and can be as simple as giving advice on schools, transport or healthcare services The New Kiwi’s nationwide Employer Survey conducted by the Auckland Chamber in partnership with Immigration New Zealand in March 2014 revealed that whilst employers recognise the changing face of the New Zealand workplace, the proportion of employers that have nothing in place to help settle migrant employees more than doubled to 30.3% in 2014 from 12.5% in 2013. This trend looks likely to be similar in this year’s survey results.

WorkTalk is an online tool provided by Immigration New Zealand developed in collaboration with Victoria University of Wellington. It is designed to help improve communication between New Zealand employers or managers and new migrant employees from other cultures. www.worktalk.immigration.govt.nz Immigration New Zealand’s website provides an ‘Employer Hub’ with general

Penny points out, ‘This trending needs to change and the benefits to the business are clear. Managers are naturally acquiring greater experience managing a diverse workforce, but there’s a lot of help out there for employers to realize the potential of their workforce earlier. The Chamber and Immigration New Zealand have developed a number of comprehensive resources to help employers and newcomers in this space and local migrant networks are also accessible and able to provide ‘informal’ settlement support to new migrant employees. Being prepared for new migrant employees improves the chances of a successful recruitment outcome and of keeping your new employee.’ Of those surveyed who have something in place for migrant employees, 34.6% host staff social events to help them transition into the workplace. 28.4% of respondents arranged for a mentor or used a buddy system, 15.8% provide a structured training programme (internal or external) and 11.5% also provided wider support to the partner and family. ‘Employers can prepare for the arrival of newcomers to ensure they settle more quickly. The ongoing benefits include lower staff turnover and greater productivity,’ explains Penny.

CHAMBER SUPPORT For more information about any of the Chamber initiatives and resources or if you are looking to fill a current vacancy, please contact the Auckland Chamber employment team on 0800 709 907 to discuss the no-cost recruitment process. To view current candidates ready and available to start work today visit the newkiwis.co.nz website and www.aucklandchamber.co.nz. Look for ‘Find Staff’ in the section ‘Business Support.’

information and resources aimed at assisting Employers attract, recruit and retain migrants with the skills they are looking for. www.immigration.govt.nz/employers Recruiting from offshore? Connect your new employee to this very useful tool that will help them plan their whole migration, including things they may not have even thought of: Getting New Zealand ready. www.nzready.immigration.govt.nz

May 2015

Electrical engineer Kasra with his wife and son; a new job in New Zealand; and a new life.

A successful outcome An adventurous spirit and a desire for a peaceful lifestyle drew the Radvarzanganeh family to their new home in New Zealand in late 2013. Thanks to Kasra’s career as an electrical engineer they had already lived and worked on short term projects in exotic destinations such as Finland and China. But the family chose New Zealand as the place that would satisfy their love of nature, their desire for a healthier and safer society and a community that respected families. The family’s immigration experience took almost two years and Kasra was determined to manage the process personally to help them prepare for any challenges that might lie ahead. ‘I put a lot of time and effort into researching our move and what we needed to organise for our new lives in New Zealand.’ By accessing services such as New Kiwis, the Chambers of Commerce networks and Immigration New Zealand Kasra felt supported in navigating his way through this new and very unique job market. The resources provided by Immigration New Zealand were particularly useful and he also made a point of checking in with the Auckland Chamber of Commerce which is how he discovered the New Kiwis programme.

May 2015

Kasra registered on the New Kiwis website (www.newkiwis.co.nz) in advance of their move so he could gain access to the online advice, view available jobs and prepare for the realities of job hunting in a new country.

The New Zealand job market needs skilled workers so Kasra is quick to recommend a service like New Kiwis as an invaluable resource when considering job searching in New Zealand.

When Kasra arrived in New Zealand he followed up with the Auckland Chamber of Commerce’s employment team and made sure he was booked in for the New Kiwis Career Success programme.

‘You have to stay motivated and proactive, always,’ he explains. ‘I had made it my first goal to just get an interview and I managed to get a few interviews with very good companies, but no offer. When Cheng from New Kiwis coached me on my interview techniques things really changed. Suddenly I received three job offers from great companies and I am now employed as a Project Manager with BCS Group who are based in Auckland and have offices all over the world.’

New migrants arrive with a multitude of skills, experience and professional qualifications. The New Kiwis programme helps new migrants adapt to the New Zealand job market. The Chamber of Commerce’s employment team provide oneon-one coaching sessions to help migrants understand the importance of adjusting their expectations and shows them how to best present their overseas experience in a way that resonates with New Zealand employers. Migrant job seekers are given advice on how to maximise their ‘value added’ attributes. These include additional language, knowledge of overseas markets and a new way of looking at things. They also helped to prepare their CVs for specific roles using a locally respected format and refine their interview presentation skills to match the New Zealand style of communication. The Chamber and the New Kiwi’s programme also provide invaluable support on how migrants can build their network of professional contacts and character referees within this new cultural context.

The New Zealand job market is limited and so Kiwi employers are right to be cautious. They should do everything they can to make sure they are employing the right person,’ he says. ‘When you talk with other new migrants you realise that many of us have come from very experienced roles in our home country but sometimes it can still be hard to get a start here.’ ’I believe that with the Chamber of Commerce delivering services like New Kiwis this will help employers think differently about employing new migrants and I hope they will feel more confident about trusting applicants who have built up their careers and their skills outside of New Zealand.’

Linking New Zealand employers with new and returning Kiwis

Are you seeking skilled staff? Tap into local talent or we'll help you go global. New Kiwis is a web based recruitment service available to NZ Employers at no cost • Search for skilled people from our database of job seekers • Advertise a vacancy • Access our one-on-one assistance including HR advice •

Call us now on 0800 709 907 or email us at newkiwis@chamber.co.nz

Partnership project with:

www.newkiwis.co.nz

From marketing to everything Over the last year Scott Russ, National Manager Groups & Associations, OfficeMax New Zealand Limited, has also been a mentor with Business Mentors New Zealand (BMNZ). Incredibly, the mentoring service has now assisted over 70,000 SME owners and engages with an average of over 4,300 clients every year. It is supported by over 1,970 volunteer mentors like Scott and 18 Agents (Economic Development Agencies and Chambers of Commerce) based throughout New Zealand. Scott has worked with a variety of SME clients across South Auckland, often family owned businesses who have applied for mentors to help them market and grow their businesses. Whilst the common request is ‘we need help with our marketing,’ discussions often expand beyond marketing into the areas of goal setting, growth strategies, staffing structures, management support, better resource allocation and more. ‘Most clients identify a number of areas that they would like to invest time in exploring and which all contribute to how effectively the business markets itself,’ says Scott Russ. ‘My first meeting with a client often starts with the question, ‘tell me what you want to get out of this process?’ and we are soon covering a number of areas on how their business works and the challenges they face.’ ‘I tend to follow a four step process with clients,’ explains Scott. ‘We start with the ‘Discovery’ phase. This helps identify goals and current strategies, ideas and issues that need to be on the table. We then prioritise these and begin the ‘Design’ stage on the highest priority items. This helps the client test an initiative on a small scale. We can

May 2015

then ‘Test’ the results to ensure the change delivers the expected improvement. If it has, we move to ‘Implementation’ on a wider scale. We can often repeat the process several times over the course of our meetings.’

Scott encourages businesses to think about what they want to achieve over the next six to twelve months and longer, as well as how they measure success. He also helps clients identify resources they may not have been aware of.

Scott’s experience has been that the most successful outcomes happen when clients actively participate in the process. Applying for a mentor requires a leap of faith. Clients are inviting a stranger into their business who will be a neutral, third party. The business owners and principals need to ensure that everyone is on board with this ‘outsider’ approach to increase the likelihood of a successful outcome.

‘Business mentoring can be rewarding for both parties,’ enthuses Scott. ‘It is a very real process of going through the ups and downs with a business and the steps they take to succeed. Ideally it provides the client with a lasting set of tools and resources that they can use in the future to stay on track.’

Businesses benefit from a third party pointof-view. ‘At times, business owners can have differing goals,’ says Scott. ‘One advantage of having a mentor is that we don’t have any family ties and are not financially invested in the business which allows us to have an independent relationship with everyone. This can be very refreshing for small businesses who can sometimes feel they are too close to get clarity.’ ‘In speaking with other mentors, we all see lots of business owners and operators who are full of enthusiasm, passion and great ideas. The common thread is that many business owners lack the time to consider, develop and convert these ideas into action,’ adds Scott. ‘Having a mentor is sort of like having a personal trainer in that you’re more prone to use them since you committed to the arrangement. We are able to support business owners by helping them reflect on why they got started, what they were aiming for, and how they are achieving.’

Scott has been in business for more than 30 years. After working in various operations and sales roles he became an internal business improvement consultant in the U.S. After 13 years at OfficeMax in New Zealand, he took the opportunity when his role changed at OfficeMax, to become a mentor with Business Mentors New Zealand.

The cost of a business mentor’s support is often less than an hour or two with an accountant or other business advisor. Mentoring is completely confidential. Registration is a one-off $225 + GST which provides a mentor with a skill set that matches the client’s needs for up to 12 months. It also provides the client with a discounted one year membership to the Chamber of Commerce who provide a host of services that can further assist the client. For more information contact Kerry Carr on 09 309 6100, email kcarr@chamber.co.nz or visit www.businessmentors.org.nz.

FIREFIGHTING SUPERHERO. Rongomai at Rotoform, has more than earned his keep.

Firefighting Superhero An employee’s story: Rongomai Henry It was late in the nightshift when fire broke out in one of the large moulding ovens on Rotaform’s main factory floor. Plastic, chemicals heated to melting point. The fire grew quickly in these conditions and workers were forced to scatter for safety. But surveillance footage also showed another story taking place. Rongomai Henry, CadetMax graduate and one of Rotaform’s newest employees moved swiftly and calmly towards the source of the blaze, closed the heavy oven doors to contain the fire and then proceeded to hose down the fire through the small safety hatch on the oven wall. Exactly as he had been taught during the fire safety drills. Rongomai stayed in this position, keeping the fire under control until the Fire Department arrived and could fully extinguish the blaze. According to the fire department crew and Rotaform’s Management team Rongomai saved the company millions in damaged property and lost business not to mention the danger faced by his co-workers. Rongomai lets his humble side rule when asked how it felt to be in the midst of a fire.‘…um, yeah, it was really hot,’ is as much as he can bring himself to admit.

Heroics aside, Rongomai is a thriving example of how important the work of CadetMax is within our community. Rongomai is one of 700 young people who are now making a future for themselves and their family as productive members of the workforce. For Rongomai, who has a partner and two young children at home, securing full time work within this challenging industry has been a huge opportunity. And thanks to the forward thinking attitudes of Rotaform’s Management team, and in particular Operations Manager Pieter Muller, Rongomai is now proving his worth every day. ‘I understand where some of these cadets are coming from,’ says Pieter. ‘I started out in South Africa and had a tough start. My first job in the plastics factory was as a cleaner, but I worked hard and worked my way up. I see myself in these cadets and I want them to achieve. It’s good for our company to give back to our community and give these young people who are ready to work hard a fair chance. Our CEO and everyone in our Management team are behind CadetMax and are very proud of the cadets we have working for us.’

But Rotaform’s CEO is quick to add ‘That boy goes nowhere!’

May 2015

Youth employment

A BUSINESS CENTRIC SOLUTION Leah Gates, General Manager of Employment with the Auckland Chamber of Commerce explains how an employer centric programme to prepare youth for employment, benefits business and also provides solutions to the broader implications of engaging youth in productive outcomes.

‘High youth unemployment statistics impact on the standard of living across our whole city. It leaves large sectors of our community battling the effects of negative self-esteem and social exclusion, not to mention hampering economic productivity and the growing costs of social welfare to the tax paying public,’ explains Leah. To make headway with this economic and community problem the Auckland Chamber has invested eight years in building an impressive youth employment service that would challenge business’ idea of the Chamber as a conservative, pinstripes and CBD focused entity. In addition to the central city office, the Chamber also runs an office of 20 staff in the centre of Manukau. ‘Unemployment is a major issue for South Auckland but it is also the home to our city’s main industrial areas where businesses need access to a pool of talented labour. Our employment initiatives work because we are where we are needed most,’ says Leah

Technology has become the youth candidate’s competitive advantage. Leah’s team facilitate two youth programmes – CadetMax and Career Start. The success of the CadetMax youth model has meant that over the past 12 months the Auckland Chamber’s efforts have expanded and its sister programme, Career Start, has taken off in Glen Innes, Panmure and Point England. Career Start operates in partnership with the Tamaki Redevelopment Company and is integral to achieving the wider objectives of helping the Tamaki region achieve its goal of social and economic revitalisation. * CRSI Young Driver Intelligence Assessment 2013.

May 2015

‘We are making a real impact. This is because we have the networks within the business community to connect talented and motivated young people with local industry and to guide them into becoming productive members of our workforce,’ says Leah. Auckland Chamber of Commerce has placed 700 young people into meaningful employment thanks to the CadetMax and Career Start Youth Employment programmes. As the success stories mount up other businesses step up to take this opportunity to have young, motivated talent join their team and bring with them the backing and mentorship of the Chamber for their first 12 months of employment. ‘When times get tough for business, it’s always the new entrants to the workforce who suffer most,’ says Leah. ‘But as our economic climate improves employers become more willing to give first time job hunters a start and they see the potential and economic imperative of developing their own skilled workforce.’ Roles in the field of administration which traditionally valued past experience are now becoming hot options for young people because of their competence with new technology, especially in relation to social media and telecommunications. Technology has become the youth candidate’s competitive advantage.

CHALLENGES Casualisation of the workforce ‘Unfortunately we are seeing a casualization of the workforce by businesses. Casual contracts have their place in companies with fluctuating workloads. However, many job opportunities for young staff are initially casual as a means of proving their value before being offered a permanent contract by the business. Some employers believe this

will provide them better protection in case untested staff members don’t measure up,’ explains Leah. The Auckland Chamber’s view is that employers will be better placed to get the most out of new staff if they embrace permanent contracts and the protection the 90 Day Trial Period term is designed to give them. ‘By putting youth who are new to the work environment on casual contracts employers are actually creating a sense of uncertainty which tends not to lead to fully committed working relationships for either party,’ says Leah.

Transport and Drivers Licences Auckland Chamber has been at the forefront of advocating and seeking solutions around the single biggest barrier to entry for young people getting into jobs – drivers licences. Leah estimates that 70% of entry level jobs in Auckland require a minimum of a restricted or full driver’s license. ‘The jobs that require a driver’s license include most trades and any kind of shift work, like the hospitality sector, manufacturing or warehousing and logistics. These industries represent prime opportunities for young career starters to make their mark but they just can’t get past the basic hurdle of being able to reliably and safely get to work,’ says Leah. ‘We know that employer tolerance for lateness or no shows due to transport issues is zero and public transport access in many areas in Auckland is inadequate or unreliable outside of normal 9 – 5 commute times,’ says Leah. ‘In Auckland that means that unless your place of work is on the main train line or within safe walking distance then your job prospects are extremely limited.’ This wouldn’t be a problem, except that 80% of CadetMax and Career Start job seekers have no licence or a learner’s licence and are therefore unable to drive to work.

Your platform for business EMPLOYMENT

This is not just an issue for youth from low-socio economic backgrounds. In New Zealand today, amongst those aged between 15 – 24 years, 90,000* have not even started the driver’s licensing process. Leah is convinced providing this core skill is the silver bullet to addressing the problems surrounding youth unemployment. Auckland Chamber’s CadetMax and Career Start shepherd cadets through the driving licence process including instructors and paying for tests. The Auckland Chamber is one of the largest driving licence providers in South Auckland.

A Addressing youth unemployment will require une a sshift in thinking for many businesses and perhaps a leap of faith. But the Chamber believes that their CadetMax and Career Start programmes provide a positive ositive and safe model for both oth employer e and employee. e. Career Advice Taking a longer view, the other critical barrier to employment for young Aucklanders, according to Leah, is access to good career advice during their final years of school.

‘We want to have a voice in any decision making on this issue as it plays such a strategic part in the solution to Auckland’s youth employment statistics,’ insists Leah.

David Turner, International Consultant in youth employment for 30 years recently advocated in a presentation to Auckland leaders, that in order to make good career training decisions during the final three years of schooling and on into relevant tertiary training, young people when aged between 12-15 years old need a minimum of four meaningful engagements with employment including work experience, site visits, guest speakers and support from home e.g. observing family members in their workplace or a family business.

What are CadetMax and Career Start?

• Young people (aged 18 – 24) complete a rigorous induction course designed and run by the Chamber team.

In addition to facilitating practical training the Chamber is also active on the Young Drivers National Working Group alongside the NZTA and ACC.

CadetMax is an eight year partnership between the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of Social Development. CadetMax offers young people from South Auckland a path away from welfare dependency and into careers. Career Start is a sister programme in partnership with the Tamaki Redevelopment Company. The programme connects local youth with local employment opportunities, thereby helping the Tamaki region achieve its goal of social and economic revitalisation.

• The Chamber taps into its business networks to source job opportunities and work experience for Cadets and works to connect cadets with those opportunities. • The Chamber and the Cadets embark on an intensive job hunt process. Computer facilities and internet access is provided on site within the Chamber’s Manukau office base. • Cadets are prepared and supported throughout interview stage.

‘Our work to date has shown us that most kiwi kids, especially from lower socio economic groups, are not getting anywhere near this sort of influence and guidance,’ says Leah. ‘As a result they make subject and course choices without any awareness of actual job opportunities. We have a major debt problem looming as a new generation is left with student loans to repay for courses that are not consistent with the individual’s job aspirations, not the right match or that offer skills few if any employers actually want. It’s almost immoral that we allow young people to take on these levels of debt without testing a job to see if it’s a realistic fit or without any sort of assurance of job prospects at the end of it all,’ adds Leah. Addressing youth unemployment will require a shift in thinking for many businesses and perhaps a leap of faith. But the Chamber believes that their CadetMax and Career Start programmes provide a positive and safe model for both employer and employee.

• Cadets study, practice and sit their drivers’ licences. They may attend other short courses to improve skills, such as forklift licences. • Once employed the Chamber supports cadets for 12 months, providing mentor support to ensure the transition into employment runs smoothly for both cadet and business. For more information on how your business can participate and benefit from the CadetMax or Career Start programme please call 0800 709 907.

May 2015

MEMBERSHIP

Participation brings rewards continued from page 29 too overcrowded and some speakers are inspirational. It’s a marketing opportunity – everyone can do with more business.’ McConnell Group Caroline White, Group Accountant McConnell Group Winner in Finance Campaign draw of $1000. McConnell Group is one of New Zealand’s largest privately owned construction, property and infrastructure groups. Caroline was thrilled to win the prize draw. ‘We very much enjoy being part of the Chamber of Commerce and this is another added bonus.’ McConnell Group has been a Chamber member since 1996. The networking is important. ‘Auckland is a small place so it is easy to get lost if you don’t have a connection. New Zealand is very much about connections. The Chamber facilitates the ‘how’ of connections,’ says Caroline. T&T Fashions Limited Darrin Johannink Winner Finance Campaign prize draw of $500 Congratulations to clothing manufacturer and retailer T& T Fashions who also were rewarded with a $500 prize draw win in the Finance campaign earlier this year. Training Within Industry Terry Brook Winner of Finance Campaign draw of $500. The company provides in–house tailored training covering effective leadership, team work/building, Train the Trainer, Health & Safety and LEAN tools and methods training. Training Within Industry has been a member of the Chamber for over 20 years and Terry regularly attends ba5 events, Business Update, and Vital Training courses. ‘I also enjoy reading articles in the Chamber magazine,’ he says. ‘I will put the prize money towards updating my IT Systems.’

May 2015

Catherine Peters PRaxis Public Relations Limited Winner of Finance Campaign draw of $1000. PRaxis Public Relations are a full service public relations consultancy. ‘It was a big thrill to win a prize like this. We support the Chamber’s goals and activities. To find ourselves rewarded with a bit of a win is great! It’s a generous and wonderful gesture from an organisation that is at the heart of commerce in the city,’ says Catherine. PRaxis has been a member of the Chamber of Commerce for around 25 years. ‘The Chamber does an outstanding job representing the concerns of business to government and local government. The Chamber is New Zealand’s commercial touchstone and a necessary, unfiltered reality check for politicians. We value this lobbying and advocacy, which we know is carried out behind the scenes as much as in the public arena. The events the Chamber hosts are icing on the cake – we attend as many as possible. Finally, the Chamber’s support of immigrant talent is outstanding. We know you place 1000 new, New Zealanders in jobs a year in this city. Auckland cannot do without immigration, and the Chamber’s actions to back these enthusiastic employees is a credit to you and a big benefit to the city,’ she says. Catherine said that a third of the prize money has already been donated to the Auckland City Mission and for World Vision’s Vanuatu relief appeal. ‘The rest will be squirrelled away for a rainy day – and maybe a special lunch for colleagues and contractors at PRaxis! We like to share our good fortune.’ Meisam Ziaei Won an iPad as the lucky New Kiwis job seeker who registered on the New Kiwis website at the time of the December 2014 draw. Meisam, an architect from Iran, moved to Auckland to support his wife

who is completing her PHD in Pyschology. Meisam explained that one of the most valuable lessons learnt while on the New Kiwis programme was the importance of networking within the Kiwi business community. He is working hard at proactively making contacts within his industry. Meisam is currently working (acquiring NZ work experience) as an Architectural Technician at ProDesigners Architects Ltd. He is still actively seeking new opportunities in the field of Architecture. Helen Slatter Modern Signs and Plastics Winner of a Samsung Galaxy in the New Zealand Diversity Survey draw in December 2014. Thankyou for supporting the EEO Trust and participating in the New Zealand Diversity Survey and congratulations on being selected as the winner of the very smart Samsung Galaxy.

Being a Member is a rewarding experience in many ways. Making the most of networking opportunities, the economic and market updates and the business support tools offered by the Chamber makes good business sense. Have your say by voting next quarter in the Business Confidence Survey and stay informed about issues that impact your business. Visit the ‘Why Join’ section of our website to see ‘Benefits of Membership’ at www.aucklandchamber.co.nz or sign up for the Auckland Chamber e-newsletters to keep up to date with what the Chamber can offer your business.

Three smart ways to invest in your business, at no cost. Business HealthCheck Providing insights for your business Right now for no cost, you can complete a snapshot of your business to identify key areas of strength, improvement and opportunity so you know the best way to move forward. Following your Business HealthCheck we can help you to find solutions to bridge and close the ‘need’ gaps and secure a positive impact for your business. Then you can concentrate on what you do best ‘growing your business.’ All information and feedback is confidential to your business. START NOW by visiting www.businesshealthcheck.co.nz

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Business Search online member directory BusinessSearchAuckland.co.nz is an online member directory for members of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. As a Chamber member you can promote your business to potential customers nationally and internationally. Log into the Member Portal to ensure your listing is up-to-date. You can make your listing more engaging by uploading your logo and writing a description of your business. You can also add a special deal or discount for other Chamber members as an incentive for them to choose your product or service. Adding additional trade categories and keywords will also make your listing easier for potential customers to find. Take advantage of this no cost opportunity to put your business in front of over 5,000 member businesses in Auckland. For more information on any of the above services contact the Chamber on 09 309 6100. Or visit www.aucklandchamber.co.nz.

Entries are now open for the Westpac Auckland Business Awards 2015 Enter the Awards to be in the draw for a range of business support services valued at over $15,000. Our team of business facilitators can help you write your success story and highlight your achievements. There is no cost to enter. Visit: www.aucklandbusinessawards.co.nz

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If you would like more information about entering the Awards please email Rebecca on rseymour-east@chamber.co.nz or visit www.aucklandbusinessawards.co.nz to download an entry form.