Innovate August 2013 by Auckland Chamber

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CONTENTS

2 REGULARS

8 22

Editorial: In Defence of Local Government News Economic Update Business Reads Dollars and Sense: Doing Business in Australia The Business Coach: KPI’s can be Business Changing Members Gallery

2 4 7 20 32 35 47

FEATURES When Opportunity Comes Knocking – Youth Unemployment Planning for a Productive and Sustainable Auckland Waterfront

Published by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce

Q&A: Two Business Leaders Talk About The Economy

Publisher and Editorial Director Michael Barnett

Going Social: The Pros and Cons

Editor Charles Fairbairn Creative Director/Designer Raymond Yeung

One copy of Innovate is supplied free to each Auckland Chamber of Commerce member company, with complimentary copies distributed to Chambers in other locations. 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. Innovate is the Chamber’s magazine and is directmailed and distributed free of charge to Chamber members. The Auckland Chamber is one of the largest business sector organisations in Australasia.

Advertising Stacey Swanton Deputy Editor Sara Foley Contributors Catherine Murray Nicole Crump Richard Ashby Bernard Hickey Lisa MacKay Zac de Silva Distribution Auckland Chamber of Commerce Printing Soar Printing For Content and Advertising enquiries p. +64 9 309 6100 e. innovate@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

CHAMBER SPOTLIGHT Employment Solutions

Chamber Events

On The Job: How To Keep Your Superstars

Global: China’s New Leap Forward

Membership

Upskill: Some Home Truth About Social Media

Business Support: A Business Mentor Provides Illumination

Chamber Spotlight

Business Savings

It is business, of course, that generates the wealth and jobs, that drives our economy and living standards but local councils play a vital role too. We are dependent on councils for core services which we expect to be managed and delivered efficiently, effectively and with a maximum of customer responsiveness and minimum interference. And in today’s global economy, in which cities of scale and diversity – like Auckland – are where businesses create the critical competitive goods and services that maintain a nation’s living standards, there is a renewed emphasis on the role of local government to be pro-business and proactive to make regulations and rules that support local choices to suit local needs. Local democracy is again taking its place, alongside efficient service delivery, as part of the core role of local government. Businesses are looking to their local councils for support, if not encouragement and leadership. It’s no secret that some councils could do better to improve infrastructure such as stormwater, wastewater and roading activities, and some engage in activities that should be left to the private sector. As a general rule, we would say that local councils should focus on activities that cannot be undertaken efficiently by individuals, businesses and/or voluntary groups, and that are not performed by central government. There are also long-standing concerns over the level of rates and other charges. The business sector pays about half the country’s total rates bill. And the level of rates that businesses pay is often significantly disproportionate to the level of services supplied to them. The new purpose statement for local government in the recently updated Local Government Act is designed to address these concerns. The purpose of councils is now: “to meet the current and future needs of communities for good-quality local infrastructure, local public services and performance of regulatory functions in a way that is most cost-effective for households and businesses”. The new purpose statement encourages councils to take a fresh look at what they are doing and why; to focus on doing

Innovate August 2013

things only they can do, and do them well. It encourages them to reduce red tape and compliance costs; minimize rates; lower debt and provide high quality infrastructure in a cost-effective way. The Chamber has been Auckland’s voice of business for more than 150 years. A stand out feature throughout most of this time has been the dynamics of the relationship between the Auckland Chamber and local councils, now consolidated within Auckland Council; of how each see each other and have worked or not worked together for the benefit of business and community. There has never been a more important time for our voice and influence to be exercised on issues of concern to business. And there has never been a more important time for Auckland Council, to be responsive to business and community needs. Among Auckland’s stand out issues is the interdependent potential of a number of long-proposed infrastructure investments to drive economic growth and change across Auckland – transport, housing and an international convention centre - and the need to address the Greek-like levels of unemployed youth and workers with no formal school qualifications. Three signature transport projects - the Central Rail Link, the AMETI & East-West Link in South Auckland, and an additional Waitemata Harbour Crossing - and a number of lesser transport projects, have the potential to create thousands of job opportunities during construction, to shape urban development growth and give business and investors the critical confidence that Auckland is getting on top of its key issues. The unemployment rate for Auckland’s 15-19 year-old youth is around 30% and for 20-24 year-olds about 15%. The unemployment rate for workers with no formal qualifications over the past 2-3 years has fluctuated between 45% and 30%. Clearly training for employment programmes and long-term growth, in sectors which typically pick up youth and low-skilled workers, is needed to facilitate job growth and opportunities for these Aucklanders. Going back well before a meeting I had with Prime Minister John Key last April, the Auckland Chamber, with other business groups, has worked passionately to

encourage central Government to embrace and accelerate the Auckland transport infrastructure investment programme. They have, as was recently reinforced in John Key’s “Backing Auckland” speech to a Chamber audience. Likewise, the Auckland Chamber with the Government’s Ministry of Social Development has collaborated on a skills training and job search programme for unemployed Auckland youth. This involves training support to develop a CV, how to present to a prospective employer, and help with searching for a job. In the last 12 months, Auckland Council has recruited some 150 youth workers from the programme. Despite what you may read and hear about the business-government relationship, at the end of the day we all want the same – a successful, thriving Auckland. There is a lot of goodwill between Auckland Council, the Government and Auckland Chamber to make a difference on Auckland’s big issues. And nowhere is their passionate support more valued than the collaboration that has been developed to reduce Auckland’s high youth unemployment. Auckland’s economic prosperity and liveability will remain in doubt while our youth continues to be the hardest hit in the labour market. As Auckland Council has responded, we need more businesses and employers to put their hands up to help reduce our extremely high youth unemployment levels. As the so-called power house of the New Zealand economy, it is unacceptable that our youth unemployment rate persists at around 30% while that of the rest of New Zealand is about 20%. The nationwide level is bad enough, but the Auckland level should be much less and declining….. It’s up to Auckland. It’s up to business. To put your hand up, give me a call on 0275 631 150 or send an email message to mbarnett@chamber.co.nz

Michael Barnett CHIEF EXECUTIVE AUCKLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

EDITORIAL We need more businesses to put their hands up to help address Aucklandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Greek-like levels of youth unemployment...

IN DEFENCE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT... August 2013 Innovate

NEWS Westpac Auckland Central Business Awards 2013 – Celebrating our entrants Thank you and congratulations to all the Central Auckland businesses who entered the Westpac Auckland Central Business Awards this year. Entering the Awards gives businesses a chance to recognise their successes but also to step back and undertake a strategic review of their business. Auckland Chamber of Commerce CEO Michael Barnett says that the Awards are a fantastic opportunity to learn from other businesses. “We hope that Awards entrants have benefitted from the process of discovery – reviewing what their business does and whether the business is still aligned to its original purpose. We wish all entrants luck as they participate in the judging process which is now underway,” he said. All entrants are invited to join us, the judges and sponsors at Orams Marine Boat Park, Westhaven Marina, Auckland, on Wednesday 4 September. We will be announcing the finalists of each of the Award categories and the winners of the prize of $2500, and the night for two at the Langham Hotel, Auckland which open to all entrants who submitted entries by the deadlines. Winners of each category and the Supreme Award winner will be announced at a blacktie Gala Dinner at the Langham Hotel on Thursday 7 November 2013. To book your table please contact the Chamber Events team on events@chamber.co.nz and check our website for further details.

Innovate August 2013

Consensus on transport funding options needs converting into real progress “It is nice that a diverse group of Aucklanders has been able to reach a consensus on options for addressing Auckland’s transport funding shortfall,” notes Auckland Chamber of Commerce head Michael Barnett. However, for real progress to be made a comprehensive assessment and modelling of the two options left on the table by the Consensus Building Group (“CBG”) – a single cordon or a motorway network scheme coupled with increases in existing funding methods – needs to be undertaken and translated into firm proposals that Aucklanders and central Government can assess. The need for a comprehensive assessment of the impacts of the single cordon and/ or motorway network option was made in feedback to the CBG some time ago, and now has added urgency given Prime Minister John Key’s recent announcement of a willingness to help fund and accelerate delivery of some of Auckland’s major transport projects, said Mr Barnett.

“All Aucklanders need to understand that if they are going to continue to use their car in the future, there will be an increased price to pay. “Some of that increased price is driven by the relative inefficiency of the public transport system, and which also need to be addressed.” The long-game for funding Auckland’s major transport infrastructure needs to involve a shift to a stronger user-pay element, whether it is for using a car or public transport. Meanwhile the Government’s announcement of a willingness to contribute and accelerate funding on Auckland transport is a game changer, as were its recent announcements confirming an International Convention Centre and action to address Auckland housing problems. “This acceleration of action on Auckland’s major issues is exactly the real progress Auckland needed. The momentum must be maintained,” concluded Mr Barnett.

We’ve Gone Social! You can now keep up to date with all of the latest happenings here at the Chamber via our social media channels. Find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and connect with us on LinkedIn for up-to-date news, events and competitions: Facebook: www.facebook.com/AKLChamber Twitter: @AKLChamber LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ auckland-chamber-of-commerce YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/ AucklandChamber

Leadership changes at Auckland Communities Foundation Auckland Communities Foundation announces the appointment of Hilary Sumpter as new Chief Executive. Hilary, formerly CEO of YWCA Auckland, brings to the role a well-honed ability to identify strategic and innovative operational opportunities, build strong collaboration partnerships, and relationship management skills across the three sectors and at all levels of an organisation.

BIG Little City Launches ‘Love Your City’ Campaign

NZ Official Yearbook 2012: Time for change

BIG little City’s ‘Love Your City’ is an Instagram-driven campaign, inviting Aucklanders to share with the world the things that they most love about our beautiful city via the addictive photo app.

Times are changing in New Zealand and Statistics New Zealand is moving with them. After 120 years of printing official yearbooks, Statistics New Zealand is now publishing them exclusively online, making them more accessible to all New Zealanders and at no charge.

The campaign encourages Instagramers to capture the central city in all its glory. BIG little City has published a list of 453 definitive Auckland experiences to snap. You can see BIG little City’s full list of ‘Reasons to Love Your City’ by visiting www.biglittlecity.co.nz/love-your-city. To take part, simply upload your photographs to Instagram with the hashtag #loveyourcityblc. BIG little City will then curate the images in a dedicated gallery on the BIG little City website and Facebook page. The best images will be shortlisted and featured in a series of street posters throughout the central city this August and the best of these images will be exhibited during Art Week Auckland in October images. So get snapping!

Information from Statistics NZ shows that 2.8 million people in New Zealand, aged 15 years and over, use the Internet, with 93 per cent of them accessing it at home and 61 per cent using a laptop. While online, 73 per cent of these people are doing their banking, and other popular online activities include shopping, social networking, and visiting government websites. These facts and much more can be found in the New Zealand Official Yearbook 2012, which has just been released. The yearbook’s bite-sized stories offer a statistical snapshot of life in New Zealand in 2012. Topics covered include jobs, the screen industry, the Olympic Games, crime, Canterbury’s earthquake recovery, the population, and the climate. “The information collected and held by Statistics New Zealand and our partners in the Official Statistics System helps to tell the statistical story of the country, and the New Zealand Official Yearbook is a graphic illustration of this,” deputy government statistician Carol Slappendel said. View the New Zealand Official Yearbook 2012 at: www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_ stats/snapshots-of-nz/yearbook.aspx

August 2013 Innovate

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The economy is picking up, and on track to accelerate over the next two years as the Canterbury rebuild ramps up. Meanwhile inflation is low, and the strong NZ dollar will keep inflation subdued for some time yet. As a result, we don’t expect the RBNZ to begin raising the OCR until 2014. Sustained low interest rates will stoke the already-hot housing market and boost household spending – at the cost of rising economic imbalances.

Economic Update By Anne Boniface

Canterbury is off to the races. In the March quarter, Canterbury growth was double the rest of the country, while commercial construction was more than the rest of the country combined. And there’s more to come. With official estimates of rebuild costs at $40 billion or 20% of GDP, activity will last a decade or more. That said, recent business and confidence surveys suggest that economic momentum has broadened. Twelve out of fourteen regions recorded a lift in activity in the March quarter. As a result, households are opening up their wallets. Retail sales followed up December’s blockbuster increase with another solid rise in March. There are, however, pockets of weakness following the drought. The impact from lost farming activity could be substantially offset by a boost to farm incomes from higher dairy prices though, which have surged in response to production concerns from the local drought and generally tight global supply. After combining the higher prices with a rebound in production, 2013/14 is shaping up as a bumper dairy season. We forecast a lift in the milk price to $6.50 per kg of milk solids for the coming season, while Fonterra is more bullish forecasting $7.00 per kg. Even a lift to $6.50 equates to an extra $1.2

billion for the dairy farm sector compared to the 2012/13 season. What is exciting for economists is that the accelerating activity is not leading to inflation. We’ve labelled 2013 as a Goldilocks year for the economy. March quarter annual inflation was 0.9%, the third time in a row below the RBNZ’s target range. There are signs of cost pressures in Christchurch, but they appear contained for now. While we expect some softness in the currency through mid-2013, we expect it to regain much of this lost ground, particularly on a trade-weighted basis, by year end. Aside from the drought, the economy is accelerating as other developed economies remain stuck in quicksand; our commodity export prices are high; the economy is well-placed to benefit from ongoing Chinese growth; and, New Zealand also looks a relatively good prospect with stable government, lack of corruption and room to move on fiscal and monetary policy. While recent falls have helped, the strong currency is making life tough for tourism and non-commodity exporters. Unlike some primary producers these industries are not receiving offsetting high world prices. Export performance will also depend heavily on markets – growth in most Asian economies is robust, Australian growth is slowing, while the US and European economies are soft and weak respectively. A key driver of the broadening growth has been the strong housing market – house prices in May were up 8.7% on a year ago. Aside from the obvious shortage of houses in Christchurch, prices are rising nationwide off the back of historically low interest rates. We expect interest rates to remain low this year, meaning housing market strength can continue this year and into next.

to incomes. Along with the high currency, a falling saving rate, and a widening current account deficit (from next year), it appears economic imbalances are returning. The RBNZ is particularly concerned that house prices are overvalued and could fall in the future. A sharp decline in house prices could imperil the sound and efficient functioning of the financial system. To offset these risks, the RBNZ is requiring banks to hold more capital from September, and it appears that it is looking to introduce restrictions on high loan-to-value (LVR) residential mortgage lending. While we are not convinced that these will have a material impact on house prices, it is clear that the RBNZ wants to give them the benefit of the doubt. Moreover, it appears ready to introduce LVRs before it increases the OCR. Our bottom line is – low inflation means the RBNZ can wait and see before lifting interest rates. We expect a first increase in the OCR early next year. From there, the pace of hikes is also likely to be fairly gradual – though we still expect interest rates to peak at a higher level than markets are currently pricing in. Like the 2013 wine vintage, the 2013 economic vintage may turn out to be a cracker. However, time will tell how long it lasts. For now enjoy. But be careful not to overindulge – hangovers can be painful.

Household debt is rising. Also after falling between 2008 and 2011, house prices are now high relative

August 2013 Innovate

WHEN OPPORTUNITY COMES KNOCKING

How the right support can improve youth employability BY CATHERINE MURRAY

Innovate August 2013

FEATURE

It starts by preparing youth in school, so they can see that participation in the economy is their right and also an opportunity

Youth unemployment affects not only those missing a pay cheque – the social and economic impacts are felt by the broader community. So initiatives that place young people in the workforce create a brighter future for the individuals and their families but also for communities, townships and regions. The New Zealand unemployment rate currently stands at 6.2%. In the May 2013 Quarterly Labour Market Report, youth unemployment is 16% – which is the lowest rate for four years. This is mainly due to a fall in unemployment in the 20-24 year age range, from 13.1% to 9.7% over the quarter. While these figures may seem slightly encouraging, reality begs to differ. In Auckland 16% of all beneficiaries are youth, a total of 15,600 young people in the 16-24 year age group. The ‘not in education, employment, or training’ (NEET) rate, which is a measure of youth disengagement from the labour force, is at 12.5% – and these are the young people whose futures need to be addressed. CHANGING THE OUTLOOK Citizens need to have the ability to participate in their community and in the economy, says Michael Barnett, CEO of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. However, often past experiences limit expectations. “In some areas of Auckland we’ve had one or two generations of people where unemployment has been a part of their family; it’s been a part of what their families expect. Therefore,

there are a significant number of people whose view of life you are looking to change.” Barnett says it starts by preparing youth in school, so they can see that participation in the economy is their right, and also an opportunity. “It’s about changing the mindset so you’re not looking at a group of young people who if unemployed around 18-20 years old, have a high chance of being unemployed for the next 15-20 years.” SKILLS SET FOR THE FUTURE Youth unemployment is a huge issue that needs to be addressed right now, says Leah Gates, General Manager – Employment at the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. “It’s about growing skills for the future. We’ve had a decade or two-long stall in developing the skills of young people, and this can be seen particularly in the trades and apprenticeship areas. There are other notable industries, for example truck driving, where we are looking down the barrel of severe shortages because we haven’t trained enough young people to pathway them through.” ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING It’s in industries struggling to find skilled staff that employing a young person can have major benefits – as long as that young person has the right attitude. “When you look at it from an employer perspective, there is a whole range of industries where you are looking to employ attitude,” says Michael Barnett. “There are a whole lot of tasks out there – manufacturing, storage and distribution, roading, and construction –

where young people with the right attitude can come in and take the opportunity. Employers in a lot of industry sectors are prepared to contribute skills; they are prepared to invest in young people, and to give them the skills. Again, if the young employee can bring the right attitude, it’s going to totally change not only their lives, but also the lives of the families. But let’s not forget that they’re also filling an important gap, and that’s providing employees to industry sectors that are growing and have demands for those attitudes and skills.” LIMITED SERVICE VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME For some youth it’s their attitude and behaviour that restricts their participation in the workforce. The Limited Service Volunteer (LSV) programme, run by the New Zealand Defence Force in partnership with Work and Income New Zealand, is a free six-week motivational training course for 17 to 25 year olds, aimed at increasing the number of young people entering employment or training. By addressing areas such as confidence, motivation, self-discipline and initiative, those completing the course become more attractive prospects to potential employers. The Auckland Chamber of Commerce provides work readiness training at LSV to create CV’s, and provide training in interview skills and workplace norms. “There a group of young people who have been judged by their communities – probably for a very long time – as being socially unacceptable,” explains Barnett.

August 2013 Innovate

“In Auckland we have around 700 youths a year go through the LSV programme. These kids have put their hand up, and are taking an opportunity to change their lives.” Speaking at the Prime Minister’s luncheon in Auckland on June 30th, Barnett spoke of the LSV and the opportunities the programme offers the youth of Auckland. “When they come in they’ve got the hoodies on and the phones hooked to their ears and their eyes pinned to the ground. When they come out, they’re standing up, they’re looking you fair and square in the eye, and they are ready to work. They’re at the most employable stage of their lives – they’re ready to participate in society. Last year the Auckland City Council took over 150 of these kids, they gave them work experience, and that provided a platform for these kids to restart their lives, to be able to participate in their communities.” Barnett urged audience members to consider what they and their businesses could do to offer these young people work experience and employment. Barnett says it’s up to the business community to provide opportunities for these young people – opportunities that will make a real difference. “If an employer is prepared to take the risk, and perhaps go the extra mile with a bit of mentoring, then you can make a lifetime of difference to a young person, and that, to me, is a very, very special opportunity. Employment is also a partnership, although many of these young people still see the employer as a bit

Innovate August 2013

If a employer is prepared to take the risk, and perhaps go the extra mile with a bit of mentoring, then you can make a lifetime of difference to a young person, and that, to me, is a very, very special opportunity of a mountain to climb – but they’re not. If you stop and look at it, if an employer wants to grow their business, then they need the help of their employees. For me that’s an important partnership, and if it can be seen that way by both the employer and the employee, then you get a very different relationship coming through.” WORKING TOGETHER It’s recognised that one of the barriers to employment is the lack of a network that promotes employment and offers opportunities. “Young people rarely get jobs by applying for them on Trade Me or Seek,” says the Chamber’s Leah Gates. “They just can’t compete. Young people get jobs because their parents, their family or their networks pick up the phone and say this guy is great – you should employ him. That is how young people get jobs.”

Auckland Chamber of Commerce has taken the lead on this issue with the solution-based programme CadetMax. The programme was developed as a response to youth unemployment in South Auckland, and targets youths aged 16 to 20 who have left school, but are not in employment, education or training. Since its inception in 2008, CadetMax has worked with over 900 young people, providing essential life skills, mentoring and career counselling. Gates says that the CadetMax programme is about using the Chamber’s networking ability to introduce young people to employers. “There is a lot of conversation at the moment around high youth unemployment, but there is equal push back from employers about the employability of young people. Young people are not coming out of school with CVs, they don’t have interview skills and they don’t have appropriate communication and behaviours. We mitigate risk for employers because we do the work readiness training so young people are ready to go out into the market and sit down in front of an employer.” CADETMAX IN ACTION Natalia Peyroux has first-hand experience of the benefits of the CadetMax programme. After graduating from CadetMax in February, the 24-year-old mother of two started working as a store person at Supply Chain Solutions, and is able to support her children. “I really enjoyed CadetMax, with people there to support you in all aspects of your

FEATURE

life. Without motivation and commitment you won’t be able to get a job and succeed.” Colin Coetzee is the operations manager of Supply Chain Solutions, and also a regular speaker at CadetMax induction programmes. Supply Chain Solutions is a major employer of cadets, and he says their company is keen to give young people opportunities. “We need a good team, good dynamics, great customer service, and good systems in place. I prefer getting young cadets because you can train them the way you need to. They are keen and eager to learn your systems.” GLOBAL RECOGNITION OF CADETMAX At the recent World Chambers Congress, organised by the International Chamber of Commerce World Chambers Federation, CadetMax was nominated as a finalist in the Best Social Responsibility Category for a Chamber. For this nomination, applicants had to have developed a project addressing business and their social responsibility actions towards community, environment, workplace and marketplace activities. “Youth unemployment was one of the key issues of the Congress, and the topic came up in almost every session,” says Leah Gates. “Of note was that in Europe and the Middle East civil unrest is seen as a consequence of youth unemployment, whereas in New Zealand we are concerned about benefit dependency and economics.”

ENABLING POSITIVE CHANGE Business has the ability to champion change in youth unemployment, by working together with young people and organisations. “It’s all very well for businesses to sit back and say we want people to come to us, and that it’s really up to family, to education and other sectors,” says Michael Barnett. “But I think that organisations such as the Auckland Chamber of Commerce can make a very positive contribution. We know what a job strategy is, we know what a good CV looks like and we know what transferable skills are. We can make a difference to these young people, and it’s a difference that will stay with them for a very long time.” Michael Barnett CHIEF EXECUTIVE AUCKLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

CadetMax The Auckland Chamber of Commerce and Ministry of Social Development launched CadetMax in 2008. Over 500 young people have started their careers through CadetMax – through training, recruitment and post employment mentoring.

LSV Limited Services Volunteer is a sixweek, live-in, motivational and training programme for young people run by the New Zealand Defence Force in partnership with Work and Income. The Auckland Chamber of Commerce provides career readiness training as part of each intake. For more information about the programmes or to contact the Chamber about employing a career starter please call 0800 709 907 to speak to one of our Employment Team.

Leah Gates GENERAL MANAGER - EMPLOYMENT AUCKLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

To view video commentary about these services please visit our website www.aucklandchamber.co.nz and click on the YouTube icon.

Colin Coetzee OPERATIONS MANAGER SUPPLY CHAIN SOLUTION

August 2013 Innovate

PLANNING FOR A PRODUCTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE AUCKLAND WATERFRONT For over 100 years, Auckland’s downtown waterfront has been the domain of port-related trade, from fish to fruit and vegetables, from logs to containers. Over the past 20 years, with the growth of containerisation and the gradual consolidation of the port eastwards, the waterfront area has been progressively opened up to the public. In November 2010, Waterfront Auckland was established with the mandate to plan, design and develop the inner city public waterfront as part of making Auckland the world’s most liveable city. In the three years since the organisation has quickly made a name for itself, as an agile, design-focused development agency which has succeeded in delivering both public goods and commercial outcomes. The opening of the first development stage of the Wynyard Quarter and the re-design of Queens Wharf into a public space prior to the 2011 Rugby World Cup is a tangible example. The strong urban design-led approach won a number of industry awards

Innovate August 2013

locally and internationally and won the hearts of Aucklanders, who have flocked to these new parts of their city in droves. Those successes are just the beginning. Over the next 20 years the organisation will be overseeing the master planning and development of 18.5 ha of prime waterfront CBD land in Wynyard Quarter. This project will be New Zealand’s largest urban regeneration outside of Christchurch. It will see the delivery of a mixed-used inner-city community comprising residential, commercial and retail units alongside the marine and fishing cluster currently residing there. The first tranche of privately funded development involves a 28,000sqm block to be known as Wynyard Central and plans for a five star hotel overlooking Viaduct Harbour. Waterfront Auckland chief executive John Dalzell says it is an unprecedented opportunity and stresses quality of delivery is key. “We have a strong vision for Wynyard Quarter to be an exemplar of superbly designed sustainable urban transformation that provides unique value to attract investors, businesses and residents.

“Our quest has always been to find the right investment and development partners to come on board. It’s about partners who are as passionate about the potential for the waterfront as we are.” Already 29 parties have submitted expressions of interest to share in that vision and to partner up with the agency, a vindication of the public projects Waterfront Auckland has delivered to date in the area. In the same way Waterfront Auckland recognises that the private sector is critical to its future success, as a source of investment and development partnerships, it also puts a high value on its working relationships with waterfront businesses in marine, fishing, cruise, tourism, event industries and the port. Already the central Auckland waterfront is a key part of the region’s economy supporting nearly 7,000 direct full time equivalent (FTE) jobs and generating $710 million in direct GDP per year. By 2040 once the redeveloped waterfront is estimated to support close to 40,000 jobs and $4.12 billion in GDP on an ongoing basis.

ABOUT WATERFRONT AUCKLAND Waterfront Auckland was established in November 2010 when six territorial authorities and a regional council were merged into a ‘Super City.’ Seven council-controlled organisations (CCOs) were created and deemed responsible for the delivery of significant service activity either as an owner or manager of assets on behalf of the new Auckland Council. After initial bedding-down issues these quasi-government bodies, with arguably more of a commercial mandate than the Council itself, have forged key partnerships within the local business community. Waterfront Auckland, the CCO responsible for the planning, design and development of the inner city public waterfront as part of making Auckland the world’s most liveable city, exemplifies the success of this formula. In the three years since its formation the organisation has made a name for itself as an agile, design-focused development agency which has delivered on public and commercial outcomes.

Mr Dalzell says the key to unlocking this growth will be the delivery of key catalyst projects which will lead to increased visitation and activity on the waterfront, as outlined in its strategic document, the Waterfront Plan. These include projects such as the refurbishment of Shed 10 as an events venue and cruise facility, and a cycleway and walkway from the Harbour Bridge to Wynyard Quarter giving unprecedented public access to the water’s edge, in addition to a number of marina and commercial projects. “Over the next 30 years our strong ties with the private sector will become more important as we look to leverage public assets to deliver these transformational change projects along with a new part of the city in Wynyard Quarter. “We all have a vested interest in this as there will no doubt be a plethora of business opportunities for us to explore with like-minded organisations as we look to share the economic prosperity that will result from a more productive and sustainable waterfront.”

August 2013 Innovate

THE PANEL PHILLIP MILLS CHIEF EXECUTIVE, LES MILLS INTERNATIONAL DAVID KELLY CHIEF EXECUTIVE, ZEALD

WHAT ARE THE MAJOR CHALLENGES NEW ZEALAND CURRENTLY FACES ECONOMICALLY AND SOCIALLY?

down theory does not work, especially in recessionary times when the wealthy simply stash it away, often in overseas tax havens.

PM Economically I'd have to say lack of capital. Our failure to implement compulsory super makes it more difficult for NZ entrepreneurs to raise capital than for those of other developed nations, subjects us to the risk of becoming an overseas-owned serf state as wealthier nations buy up NZ assets that we cannot afford to, increases our interest rates and inflates our currency. We also need a capital gains tax to shift people’s investments from real estate speculation to more productive areas, and to discourage overseas speculators from buying up our assets and sucking wealth out of NZ’s economy.

Socially we also need to improve New Zealander’s health. While wonderful in all sorts of ways, the traditional medical system is not the most effective way to deal with the dramatic increase in lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and many cancers. We need to get people exercising more and eating better, increasing Phys. Ed. and banning junk food in schools and improving urban design

Socially we are still too influenced by the monetarist ideology of the 80's. We are consequently creating a growing underclass of underprivileged, disenfranchised people, which is unfair in itself and will lead to increasing crime and social unrest. Again we need a capital gains tax to stop people (including overseas owners) constantly bidding up the price of housing and making it unaffordable for young people. We also need a more progressive tax system where wealthier people pay higher tax rates than poorer people. Some will say that lowering tax rates for wealthy people stimulates the economy through greater spending, but world-leading economists like Paul Krugman and Joseph Stiglitz argue that trickle-

Innovate August 2013

Keep driving tobacco taxes up (we still spend more on tobacco-related illness than we collect in taxes) and reduce environmental pollution, which has a greater effect on our health than most people understand. DK A major challenge I see is the breakdown of the core foundational ethics of honesty, integrity and hard work and the fact that individuals and organisations can act contrary to these key morals without material consequence. There is also a general entitlement mentality that is prevalent throughout the country. Other challenges include local businesses competing in a globalised economy but not on a level playing field in the sense that the costs of doing business and particularly labour costs are so much higher in New Zealand versus in many other countries (India, China etc).

New Zealand also has a preoccupation with property investment and selling properties to each other at continually increasing prices. This contributes to the increases in personal debt, which combined with government overspending, will affect our economy for years to come. WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE NEEDS TO BE DONE TO IMPROVE NZ’S ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE? PM All of the above – even improving the health system helps, by making people more productive and allowing us to shift resources into more productive areas. And there are hundreds of studies showing that our young are smarter and more successful in the workplace when physically active. In addition to this, we need to create a regulatory system that favours investment in innovation. Well-targeted Research & Development and start-up investment incentives; more support for schemes such as Auckland’s Icehouse, which coordinates university and entrepreneurship; and many other means of support for areas in which New Zealand has competitive advantages, or create preferred outcomes in terms of quality of life and increased employment. Some of the largest overall opportunities lie in “green” industries, because the world has such a desperate need to deal with problems like climate change and sustainably supporting its growing population. If the

WE ASKED TWO BUSINESS LEADERS ABOUT THE CURRENT STATE OF THE ECONOMY, THE CHALLENGES THEY FACE IN BUSINESS AND THE YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT ISSUE

world (and New Zealand as a responsible player in it) does not soon deal with the major issues of ecological sustainability, all other economic initiatives will become worthless. The good news is that this creates major opportunities for those with solutions. New Zealand has many strengths in this area that could lead us to long term economic prosperity if we intelligently pursue them. Visit www.pureadvantage.org for a summary of this situation and our strengths as identified by a major 2012 study by London School of Economics and Auckland Uni.

PM For a number of sociological reasons, fitness is a sunrise industry. There are big opportunities and a huge amount of competition. Our challenge is always to be the best, which is hard when you come from a country of 4.5million people a long way from anywhere. We have to hire and develop great people, to work together with the best partners New Zealand has to offer in many areas, to constantly research and innovate, and to create a mission to which people passionately want to contribute. We have to always punch above our weight.

there are so bad we will be lucky not to see serious political upheaval comparable to the worst times of the 20th century. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nevertheless something we have to work hard on, to reduce inequality and crime in our society, and to avoid seeing our best and brightest head off to better opportunities overseas.

Finally we need a greater emphasis on education. Teaching has to become one of the most valued professions in our society and we need to invest in creating a worldleading curriculum. Superbly educated people are the key to our future.

DK Many companies in our industry outsource their website development overseas, including their support teams. Zeald has a high performance team locally in New Zealand, but we have to be smart about keeping costs down in order to deliver the higher value product service that New Zealand businesses require. We are passionate, born and bred New Zealanders and it is our desire to develop successful New Zealand businesses that benefit the New Zealand economy on all levels.

CAN YOUR COMPANY DO SOMETHING TO COMBAT THIS AND IF SO WHAT?

DK There needs to be less incentive (and tax advantages) around property investment and more incentive on general business investment, particularly around research and development and innovation. With better education around financial management and prudence on all levels; personal, business and government; and improved education on ethics with more obvious consequences for violating principles, New Zealandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy would show improvement. WHAT IS THE MAJOR CHALLENGE YOU FACE IN YOUR INDUSTRY?

DO YOU BELIEVE THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT IN AUCKLAND? AND TO WHAT EXTENT? PM Recent stats put youth unemployment at 16.1%, higher amongst Maori and Polynesian populations and higher overall than the OECD average rate of 12.6%. This is not as bad as the worst European economies with averages of more than 25% - things

DK I am not too sure. However there never seems to be a shortage of people applying for positions, even before they become available.

PM What can our company do about this? Again, fitness is a sunrise industry that is employing more and more people. Our challenge is to create a cool culture and enough opportunities that people want to stay here and work with us. DK Zeald continues to have an extensive internship programme that educates participants about good working attitudes and shows them what is required to be very successful in their chosen career. We also have a carefully developed career development program that provides feedback on a quarterly basis to all staff and shows them the attitudes necessary to be successful within any organisation (not only Zeald) throughout their career.

August 2013 Innovate

Exclusive Chamber mem ber discount of $2 21 available^

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ies. Standard NZ

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With Vodafone Red Business all calls and texts to NZ mobiles and landlines are included, so you can get on with doing business. For only $147.82 per month on a 24 month term you also get: • • • • •

2GB of data 4G included~ $1,050 off a smartphone All calls to voicemail included Data Angel® - so you always know where you stand on data

Vodafone New Zealand Limited ^Discount shown is the total of half price access for three months. Plan pricing excludes GST, smartphone discount includes GST. Vodafone On Account mobile terms and conditions apply. Included minutes and TXTs exclude special, premium and international numbers. Early termination and plan transfer fees apply. Fair usage policy applies. Data Angel® – some exclusions apply. See vodafone.co.nz for full details. ~ To experience 4G you will also need a 4G device and 4G coverage – see vodafone.co.nz/4G for device and coverage details.

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To take advantage of this great deal, call us on 0800 888 129 or talk to your local Business Sales Consultant today.

Celebrating the best of Auckland Central businessâ&#x20AC;Ś Westpac Auckland Central Business Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner Thursday 7 November at The Langham Auckland, 6.30pm onwards. To register please email events@chamber.co.nz

Presented by

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Going social: the pros and cons By Bernard Hickey There's an old saying in marketing that it pays to â&#x20AC;?fish where the fishes areâ&#x20AC;?. That makes using social media such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn an attractive place for many small businesses to promote themselves, to interact with customers and to build a brand. Adcorp reports Facebook had around 2.3 million users in New Zealand in April, while LinkedIn had 780,000 and Twitter had almost 400,000. YouTube, which also has a strong 'social' flavour, has 2.3 million active users in New Zealand. There are even some specialist social media such as TripAdvisor, which had 230,000 New Zealand users in April, 1.1 million Australian users and 74 million users world-wide. The advent of smart phones has turbo-charged the use of social media to the point now where it cannot be ignored as a way to interact with your customers, suppliers, competitors and employees. More than half of New Zealanders now use these phones to access the internet to run their social lives, their business lives and their shopping lives. But as every fisherman will tell you, simply jumping on a boat and throwing your line overboard doesn't guarantee you a fish. You may catch something that is under the legal limits or, even worse, catch a shark that pulls you out of the boat and has you for lunch. So here's a few of the pros and cons I've found in using social media in my (albeit small) business. I'm a business and economic writer, commentator and speaker. I write columns for the New Zealand Herald and Interest. co.nz. I commentate on Radio Live and Radio New Zealand, and also make the occasional appearance on TV3 and TVNZ. My job is to gather, process and reformulate news, opinions and information in a way that is useful and accessible to a wide audience. That can take many forms in many

media, including social media. I've used social media such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter for the last four years to help me in a variety of ways, and not just in a promotional sense. Twitter is a particularly good way to keep tabs on the news and the opinions of many of New Zealand's newsmakers. It's been the most effective way for me to build a base of people who want to follow what I'm doing and saying in various places. The beauty of Twitter is its immediacy, the ability to include a hyperlink to an article, and the ability to talk directly with your audience. I now have over 10,400 followers, many of whom retweet links to my articles and give me all sorts of feedback - not all of it favourable! I have set up my Twitter account to automatically send my tweets to my Facebook account, which means I get some limited feedback via Facebook. I've found Facebook less helpful because it's much more about 'social' activities than about 'work' activities. I also think Facebook has become a very 'noisy' place with far too many low quality connections. Facebook's growth has stalled in the last six months and I wouldn't be surprised to see a backlash grow over privacy issues and its increasingly 'spammy' commercialism.

LinkedIn is a much more 'business' oriented social network and I've found it quite a 'rich' place to connect with people in my field. I haven't used it as much as I could have and think it's probably the best place for anyone in professional services. LinkedIn is not as cluttered with the white noise of a lot of social networks and is frankly a nicer place to be. A lot of social media can feel like the worst type of school playground or prison yard, full of bullies, bad language, pointless bragging (or bagging), and a dispiriting meanness that is best avoided. I've found the best way to use social media is to avoid slanging matches, to be a 'real' person without being too personal, and to be as useful as possible. At its best social media can be a very productive and engaging tool that creates many great new connections in an easy and low cost way. I always ask myself a couple of questions before I 'publish' a tweet. Is this useful to my audience? Does it contain a link to information or insight they could use to make their lives or businesses better? Would I be comfortable if my mother/daughter/ wife read it on the front page of the paper? Does it feel like it came from a machine or a person? Just as in fishing, there are lots of different fish, boats, fishing rods, fish finders and bodies of water to choose. LinkedIn best suits professional services. TripAdvisor is best suited to those in travel and tourism. Facebook is more suited to the mass market. There are of course many social media consultants who can advise you how to use these media, or even do it for you. However, I would suggest taking some time to use and understand your own social media profiles, if only to monitor what your customers and competitors are saying about you. Sometimes the experience of fishing can be fun and useful, even if you don't catch any fish on the first trip.

Bernard Hickey CONTRIBUTING EDITOR BUSINESS ECONOMIC COMMENTATOR

August 2013 Innovate

BUSINESS READS

App REVIEWS

BITLY The bitly app is a new application but I use this on a daily basis. Bitly is an abbreviation of Bit Library and the bitly app offers me flexibility when deploying marketing content. Provided that I have saved the relevant URL I can access it from my phone and Tweet, email or SMS this content. Bitly records clicks so I can quickly gauge whether the current mix of content is working. If there are no opens it’s time to rethink a message, or create a new one!

LOGMEIN This is a new app but I can see great potential. I don’t need to email files to my personal cloud email if I want to work in the evening. With LogMeIn I can now access my work computer remotely. I can be waiting to meet friends and re-read the draft of a radio advertisement. It’s going to make things more effective. Charles Fairbairn MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER AUCKLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Recently Released READS

START WITH HELLO Linda Coles Published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd

Linda Coles is an Auckland-based social media coach and commentator. Coles has pedigree – she is one of LinkedIn’s official ‘influencers’ and via Blue Banana, her company, she is helping companies and individuals make sense of the new way to market a brand. Coles has a new book due out in September; Start with Hello – how to convert today’s stranger into tomorrow’s client. The book is a collection of anecdotes based around a basic premise – very often the simple act of saying ‘hello’ can open the door to a new change or direction. Think about that for a second. If we walk past someone in the street do we say ‘hello?’ Not usually. Society has changed since the Walkman first arrived in the 1970s. Now it’s acceptable to walk around in a fog of indifference – looking at the screen of your phone, listening to music or just looking at the pavement. The days of acknowledgement of people in public space are disappearing and Coles is riding against that behaviour. If your business is networking, or picking up new customers, saying ‘hello’ to strangers is where it all starts. Look out for Cole’s “Say Hello Project” coming your way on 4 October.

Innovate August 2013

THE NEW DIGITAL T AGE: RESHAPING A THE FUTURE OF T PEOPLE, NATIONS P AND BUSINESS A E Schmidt and Eric Ja Jared Cohen Published by Pu A Alfred A. Knopf

Years ago, I read Alvin Toffler’s seminal books about the future. One of his observations, about the sum of human knowledge accelerating at an increasing speed, lodged in my frontal lobe. Well that change is here now. Look around. The rate of change in marketing methodology is my reference point. New social media platforms and apps are launched all the time. Keeping up is difficult – and social media is a small slice of the overall technology spectrum. It’s too early to compare Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen’s epistle with Future Shock, although their technology pedigree is impeccable. This book is undoubtedly an important one. The internet is a great enabler but the privacy and security issues that come with having broadband in your home will only gain momentum. The Google revolution is creating profound change and the immensity and depth of the change are absorbing. The New Digital Age provides some great examples of this change.

Skilled & qualified people New candidates join us weekly and are available for work now • No recruitment costs • No obligation Candidates are seeking: • Employment • Project Work • Work Experience

Auckland Chamber of Commerce has a carefully selected group of job seekers qualified in a variety of industries including: engineering, technical, accounting and finance, sales and marketing, IT and professional administration fields. Please note commission only and work from home roles cannot be considered.

They are available to work for your company for agreed placement periods with no obligation and at no cost, on a project basis or for work experience. (some conditions apply)

This programme is just one of our initiatives to link employers with job seekers at every level of experience and across a range of industries.

Call 0800 18 23 23 for more information today Candidate profiles are updated weekly in the ‘Find Staff’ section of www.aucklandchamber.co.nz

www.aucklandchamber.co.nz August 2013 Innovate

Enjoy quick, hassle-free and no-cost recruitment We’ll find the right person for you. Call us to receive a quality shortlist of candidates: • Career-starter to skilled professional • Full-time, contract and part-time staff • Ready to start today

Save time and money, call 0800 709 907 for more information or visit the ‘Find Staff’ section on our website. 22

Innovate August 2013

EMPLOYMENT Nastazia Role Seeking: Early Childhood Education I am looking to start my career in Early Childhood Education as an Educator. I have my Bachelor in Early Childhood Education, a current First Aid Certificate and experience in the education field. I am goal focused, disciplined, creative and easy to get along with. • • • • • • • •

Confident and motivated First Aid Certificate Pride and care given to personal presentation Focus driven Team player Love working with children Passion for teaching Eager to learn new skills

Qualifications: Bachelor in Early Childcare Education, Diploma in Early Childcare Education, Auckland University of Technology; National Certificate in Early Childhood Education (Level 5), New Zealand Career College (Pasifica); Certificate in Early Childhood Education, New Zealand Career College

Karine Role Seeking: Assistant Accountant/Bookkeeping/ Accounts Administration • •

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New Zealand and overseas experience in commercial organisations Excellent understanding of financial systems, contracts, tax requirements, industrial and commercial law Accounting skills – preparation annual reports; management of financial reporting systems Experienced in IRD compliance returns, preparing tax returns, reconciliations, PAYE, GST, FBT; Payroll Reliable, intelligent and results-driven Flexible, mature and trustworthy with a good sense of humour

Computer skills include: MS Office, MYOB, Great Plains, NZ Gold, Comacc, Cash Management, BankLink, Attache, Exonet, XERO, Photoshop Value added: Fluent in Russian Qualifications: Graduate Diploma Business Studies, Massey University; Bachelor of Commerce (Commercial Law), University of Auckland; Small Business Management, The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand; Master Studies, Applied Mathematics, Moscow State University of Oil & Gas

Milo Role Seeking: Events Co-ordination/Customer Service/Sales/ Audio Visual Technician •

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• •

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6+ years of experience in face-to-face, phone and online customer service for corporate clients, including inbound and outbound calls 6+ years of experience in a busy and fast-paced events industry including concerts, conferences, and tradeshows Experienced Live Sound engineer and AV Technician Mixed bands for festivals and concerts using state-of-the-art digital desks and line arrays Maintains strong relationships with key clients by providing a high level of customer service Highly developed administration skills Experienced in creating financial reports for IRD including Income Tax and GST returns Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal Solutions-focused problem-solver

Computer skills include: Microsoft Office, MYOB, AutoCAD Value added: Bilingual – Fluent in English and Filipino (Tagalog)

www.aucklandchamber.co.nz

Just a few of our current candidates available for work today. August 2013 Innovate

UPCOMING EVENTS AND TRAINING

AUG 2013

Vital Training Course:

ba5 with Next Generation

Vital Training Course:

Power Pitching your Business

Microsoft Word

Economic Briefing

Vital Training Course:

Speed Networking Central

Discipline & Dismissal

EEO Trust and Auckland Chamber Diversity Breakfast

ba5 with Metrolanes

Women Directors Networking Evening

Vital Training Course:

Innovate August 2013

Budgeting and Cash Flow Management

China Business Summit 2013

Women Directors Strategy and Finance

Vital Training Course:

Organisational Mentoring

Westpac Auckland Central Business Awards Gala Dinner

Vital Training Course:

Business Planning

Customer Service Skills

SEPT 2013

Women Directors Strategy and Finance

Vital Training Course:

Marketing your Business

Upgrading to Microsoft Office 2010

Westpac Auckland Central Business Awards â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Finalists Announced

Vital Training Course:

Microsoft Excel I

Microsoft Excel III

Customer Service Skills

Powerful PowerPoint Presentations

Vital Training Course:

Microsoft Excel II

Accounting for Non-Accountants

NOV 2013

26 Speed Networking Central

OCT 2013

Vital Training Course:

Business Club

Success with Sales Skills

Successful Business Communication

Vital Training Course:

EEO Trust and Auckland Chamber Diversity Breakfast

Vital Training Course:

Economic Briefing

Speed Networking Central

Marketing your Business

Taxation Toolkit

5 Vital Training Course:

Microsoft Word

REGISTRATION INFORMATION For more information about any of the events or training profiled, please contact our Events & Training Team on 09 309 6100 or email events@chamber.co.nz

Visit www.aucklandchamber.co.nz

August 2013 Innovate

MARK YOU YOUR UR R CALE CA CALENDAR ALE LEN EN ND DAR

China hi Business Summit 2013 Wednesday 16 October

China became New Zealand's top export destination in the March 2013 quarter, overtaking Australia for the first time according to Statistics New Zealand. Both imports and exports with China are projected to continue growing. China is the world’s second largest economy. New Zealand’s exports to China have more than tripled since the signing of a free-trade agreement (FTA) in 2008. Attend the 2013 China Business Summit to learn more about doing business in China. The summit will provide a platform to prepare New Zealand businesses for trading in China and collaborating to build the New Zealand brand. This is a full day summit, bringing together key figures in the New Zealand - China story. Date & Time: Wednesday 16 October 8.30am – 5.00pm Venue: The Langham Auckland

ECONOMIC BRIEFING

WOMEN DIRECTORS

ba5

Market Performance

Strategy & Finance

Thursday 22 August

Friday 9 August

Explore Auckland’s first Lifestyle Club

Get a snapshot of how the markets are performing this quarter at our Economic Briefing. This one hour breakfast briefing will follow on from our Business Confidence Survey due to be completed in August. Have your say in the survey and then join us to hear the local results put into a global context.

Brought to you by The Boardroom Practice, the Women in Governance series is a programme of seminars for women who are directors or seeking directorships.

Chamber CEO, Michael Barnett will analyse local business confiderence and economist Bernard Hickey will present his analysis and a future forecast for the New Zealand economy. So, if you have an appreciation for good-looking chart, you’ll definitely be in the right place! Proudly sponsored by Westpac. Date & Time: Thursday 22 August 8.00am – 9.00am Venue: Wintergarden Room, The Northern Club, 19 Princes Street, Auckland Cost: Members $20.00 + GST Non-members $35.00 + GST

Wednesday 7 August

You’ll feel so healthy that you’ll never want to leave! Next Generation, Auckland Domain, invites you to come and explore Auckland’s leading lifestyle club - with health, fitness, tennis and lifestyle facilities.

This Strategy and Finance in Governance seminar is the follow up to our Introduction to Corporate Governance course. The session will cover: •

Finance - understanding financial accounting, measuring company performance, capital expenditure and some areas of focus for a board.

•

Strategy - the board’s role in strategy formulation, critical questions to consider as directors and strategy exercises.

Come along and take a tour of the $26m club which includes health & fitness facilities, tennis courts, regeneration day spa, aquatic facilities, conference facilities for up to 400 delegates, and a restaurant and lounge bar. Date & Time: Wednesday 7 August 5.30pm – 7.00pm Venue: 1 Tennis Lane, Auckland City

A workbook, light lunch and afternoon tea will be provided.

Cost: Complimentary, but registration essential

This event is jointly organised by the EEO Trust and the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. Date & Time: Friday 9 August 9.00am – 3.00pm Venue: Level 1, 100 Mayoral Drive, Auckland Cost: Members $430.00 + GST Non-members $530.00 + GST

Stop Press: Business Club Business Club is our largest networking event of the year, with over 300 businesses, a guest speaker and a table-top expo. Best of all it’s free to attend. Business Club is hugely popular and takes place just twice a year so be quick to reserve your place. Members and non-members welcome.

Date & Time: Wednesday 30 October 4.30pm – 7.00pm Venue: Tasman Room, Level 1, Alexandra Park, Cnr Greenlane and Manukau Road, Greenland, Auckland Cost: Complimentary, but registration is essential.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION For more information about any of the events profiled, please contact our Events & Training Team on 09 309 6100 or email events@chamber.co.nz.

Innovate August 2013

Jo-Anne Cooper EVENTS AND TRAINING MANAGER AUCKLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

SNAPPED AT RECENT AUCLKAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EVENTS

Westpac Auckland Central Business Awards 2013 Launch

Business Club May 2013

Administrative Professionals Day Breakfast

Lunch with the Prime Minister

August 2013 Innovate

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ON THE JOB

How to keep your superstars You go through the pain of recruiting, training, encouraging and motivating... and then they up and leave... and you have to start over! So how do you live with this and keep your stars engaged for the optimal period of time? 1. BE REALISTIC IN YOUR EXPECTATIONS The days of a “job for life” are over. Young people are eager to learn and try new things, but haven’t necessarily decided what their final career will be. When you think about recruiting and training people (particularly young people) work on the principal that they will not be with you forever. However staff turnover can sometimes be a good thing, and it should be taken as a compliment if they are moving onto bigger and better things. 2. UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE ARE LEAVING Flat structures and small companies can mean that opportunities for promotion and development are limited. If people want to advance they need to go to other companies. If they are leaving for a promotion that you can’t give them, this is great, and you should pat yourself on the back – you have trained them well.

won’t even get to step one, looking at job vacancies. This is not about paying huge salaries, in fact money is not a motivator, but (perceived) lack of money is a de-motivator. All too often salary is the measure that people use to see how much the “boss values me”, because of lack of other tangible measures. 4. HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY ARE VALUED? It is a combination of a whole lot of things, and different people will perceive their worth in different ways. Here is a quick list of suggestions about how to ensure people know they are valued by your organization: •

•

However, if people departing are making a sideways move this is often an indicator they are leaving your company because they don’t want to work for you. You need to look at the causes of this. 3. MAKE SURE PEOPLE DON’T EVEN THINK OF LOOKING FOR ANOTHER JOB To get another job you have to actually do something – apply for the job, go for interviews, research the company. But if you are doing a job you love then you

•

Give feedback – positive and negative. I have yet to meet anyone who is coming to work intending to do a bad job. People do the wrong things for what they perceive to be the right reasons. A Performance Appraisal System will ensure that this happens in a constructive and consistent manner. Genuinely praise in public – if someone has done a great job, acknowledge it. Be careful of being overly prescriptive. Don’t praise “Sam” just because you haven’t praised them for a while... or because it is the staff night out so you have to praise someone. Your staff will spot this and then all “praise” will be relegated to the “they are doing that because an article told them to”, rather than a belief that you have recognized their effort. Give opportunities to do more – particularly for entry level roles as these can be mundane. You can create engagement by involving people in tasks and projects outside the norm.

•

Structure roles to be interesting – It can be satisfying seeing a project from start to finish, but if roles are structured so that you only get involved with one small part this can be dis-enfranchising.

•

Recognize and acknowledge skill sets – (totally ageist, I know) but the majority of 20 year olds know more about Twitter, smart phones and other technology than your average 50 year old. Equally the 50 year olds often know more about the inner mechanics of their specialist area because they have had the experience working through issues when things have gone wrong. Rather than resigning yourself to “never the two shall meet”, acknowledge the differing strengths in your team.

WE ARE HERE TO HELP As a Auckland Chamber member, you have access to our 0800 CHAMBER (0800 24 26 23) service, which gives you free phone support from our professional HR team. If you want to get more from your team we can help. We offer fee-based HR consultancy service and template documents (including DIY performance appraisal tools) to help with your employee-related challenges.

Lisa Mackay VITAL TRAINING FACILTATOR and MANAGING DIRECTOR BUSINESS HR ADVICE/HRTOOLKIT

August 2013 Innovate

Power to the (productive) people Companies are getting lean and mean by acting on staff ideas for efﬁciency. By Matt Philp 30

Innovate August 2013

very week the senior managers at Soar Printing meet to go through the latest brainwaves from the shop floor. In management speak, these ideas are known as OFIs, or ‘opportunities for improvement’. Managing director Fred Soar calls them pieces of gold. “A classic example is one we got from our printers, which was to move the ink rack one metre from the wall so it could be accessed from both sides. That simple change has saved so much time and wastage.” The Auckland-based, third-generation family firm has spent the last two years instituting lean manufacturing principles. Why? In the cut-throat printing industry, superior productivity might be the difference between success and failure. The ‘productivity problem’ is a constant in discussions about New Zealand business and the economy. It’s not that productivity has shrunk — although there were outright falls in capital productivity between 2006 and 2011 — but that

compared with others, we’ve fallen off the pace. At individual company level, so-called solutions often turn out to be duds. Open plan offices? Depends on the workplace, but evidence suggests they’re a productivity killer. Yet there’s a nugget in there. When it comes to improving workplace productivity, the crux is staff engagement. Soar first saw lean manufacturing principles in operation during a tour of printing plants in Europe and the UK two years ago. Also known as kaizen (Japanese for ‘good change’), the philosophy promotes incremental, but continual, improvement of an organisation’s efficiency. Soar is among the country’s largest printing companies, with 70 staff and a customer list that includes Auckland Council, ASB and Nestle. “We needed an edge,” says the managing director. “Kaizen is best practice because it promotes staff engagement. You want people to give 100%, not 60%, and you do that by allowing people to feel they have control of their job, and that if something doesn’t make sense they can change it.” Soar employees are now trained in the so-called ‘5S’ system to better organise their work areas — basic time and motion stuff, such as using tool shadowboards. Another development is the use of those weekly suggestions from employees on better ways of working. Are staff convinced? “It’s a long journey, but as they see their recommendations adopted it creates more buy in,” says Soar. “We’ve also started to measure our operating effectiveness, publishing our KPIs so that everyone at the plant can see things like what our wastage is, what our on-time delivery rate is, and so on.” It’s still early days, but Soar says the changes are starting to work. “In terms of specifics, our on-time deliveries have improved from the mid-80% range to 94%, and we’ve seen 5% increased efficiency in our labour. Our industry is going through a lot of change, but I’m happy to say that we’ve maintained our margins in a fiercely competitive environment. Quite an achievement.” In Christchurch, nanotechnology outfit Izon Science is taking a different approach to improving staff engagement, offering employees a chance to take a financial stake in the company. “If they do a good job, we give them a bonus and they’re able to use that bonus to buy options,” says executive chairman Hans van

der Vorn. When it comes time to exercise the options, they can swap them for the same dollar value in shares. “We want people to act like they own the business. We have an extremely loyal team, I think, and we work hard under a lot of pressure. If we are successful, they will get some financial benefit from it.” Mario Wynands, managing director of Wellington digital game developer PikPok, says the issue of productivity and how to improve it can be complex. “In a business like ours, where we are producing a creative output, it can mean many different things. Obviously we want to be operating in a timely, cost-efficient manner, but we also need to produce something of quality that will resonate with the market.” To that end, PikPok has moved away from the rigid ‘Waterfall’ working process favoured by many software developers, to the ‘Agile’ method, with a ‘Scrum’ flavour. The whole team meets for a quarter of an hour each morning to discuss what was achieved the previous day, the current day’s plan, and any problems. “That quick meeting has a huge impact on people being more accountable for things, and reaching out for help a lot earlier,” says Wynands. “Creating a more supportive and collaborative environment has been one of the key improvements of using Scrum.” PikPok has also instituted live screening to show employees the impact when a new game is released. “We’ve always been pretty open with staff. Now we have data flowing in that shows not only the usage side, but also the revenue side. People can understand the performance of the company and individual products at a glance. [It’s a move] to try to shortcut the decision making as issues and opportunities arise with our product releases in a live environment.” Wynands says the company is clearly more efficient. Profitability is up and more games are being released. “And on the less tangible side, we’re arguably doing our best work ever.”

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August 2013 Innovate

DOLLARS AND SENSE

DOING BUSINESS IN AUSTRALIA – a tax perspective

For many New Zealand businesses, Australia is the first port of call for dipping the toes in the water for global expansion plans. Most of us want to ensure that we get the maximum return for every dollar of investment that we make, and one of the prime considerations in any foreign jurisdiction, not just Australia, is how much the local taxing authorities will want to take from us, and what impact this will have on the ultimate investment return. LEVEL OF PRESENCE IN AUSTRALIA My first question to clients looking to expand offshore, is what level of presence do they require in the foreign jurisdiction as this will dictate the type of structure required and the resulting compliance implications for the business. The level of presence in Australia for example, usually determines Australia’s right to tax the income and this will be on the basis of whether or not your business is considered to have a permanent establishment (“PE”) in Australia. If you either incorporate an Australian company or establish an Australian based office for your existing NZ business entity, there is little doubt that you will have an Australian PE – which will give the Australian tax authorities the right to tax any profits attributable to that PE. DOUBLE TAX TREATY What is not so clear however and is often overlooked, is that the Double Tax Treaty (“DTA”) agreement between NZ and Australia also contains a provision where your business will be deemed to have an Australian PE where you have a person based in Australia who has the authority to “substantially negotiate or conclude” contracts on behalf of your business. Once Australia gains a taxing right, your ultimate cost of doing business offshore from a taxation perspective can increase to 53%. In other words, for ever dollar of income you earn, you have 47 cents left over once the Australian and NZ tax authorities have taken their share. BUSINESS STRUCTURES Typically, a NZ business looking to expand offshore will utilize one of two common structures mentioned earlier – an Australian company usually 100% owned by the NZ parent company or the NZ company will trade directly in Australia, commonly referred to as a branch operation.

Innovate August 2013

Under either of these structures, Australian income tax of 30% is payable, and essentially this is your total income tax cost if the tax paid profits are simply to be retained in your business to fund ongoing operations. However, should you wish to repatriate the Australian income to your NZ shareholders, usually via a dividend payment, a further 33% withholding tax must be paid to the NZ Inland Revenue at the time the dividend is paid. As a consequence, your total income tax cost has now increased to 53%. However all is not lost, there are alternative structures available. For example, the relatively new look through company (“LTC”) regime provides an opportunity to still limit your total tax from doing business across the ditch to 33%. The LTC trades similar to a NZ company branch operation. It still pays income tax of 30% in Australia, however due to the look-through nature of the LTC from a NZ taxation perspective, the LTC shareholder (often a family trust) has the direct obligation to pay any NZ income taxes on the Australian sourced income, gets to claim a credit for the Australian tax paid to the extent of the NZ taxes payable on that income, and in a trustee income situation (a trust shareholder retaining the income as trustee income) only requires a top up tax of 3% to be paid to the NZ IRD. Net cash in the hand to you is therefore 67 cents. The LTC structure does have a number of limitations including a restriction on the maximum number of counted owners to five, however it offers an attractive alternative to the more common structures, if you can tick all the boxes. Should the LTC scenario not work for you, there are a number of other investment vehicles to choose from. At the end of the day, seek the advice of a suitably qualified person to assist you with structuring your business expansion appropriately. As a tax specialist my views are naturally biased towards minimizing the total tax impact to your business bottom line however taxation mitigation should certainly not be the sole focus of your structural decisions and the numerous commercial issues that your business will face entering a foreign trading jurisdiction also need to be taken into account. Richard Ashby TAX SPECIALIST GILLIGAN SHEPHERD

BUSINESS CASH FLOW A PROBLEM? The Interface Financial Group can turn your invoices into immediate cash

CASH FLOW SOLUTION Ensuring a business has the cash flow it needs to manage its working capital is a critical management responsibility. Cash flow is often described as the “oxygen of business” and without it the business will die. There are times when all businesses –regardless of size – require additional cash, whether it is to fund expansion plans, secure an opportunity, restructure the business or meet normal operational commitments because of an unforeseen change in circumstances. In many cases, the bank is able to provide increased loan and overdraft facilities to cover these increased requirements, but what happens when the bank is unable to help? The Interface Financial Group (”Interface”) provides the answer with an innovative, user-friendly and cost-effective financing alternative in the form of its invoice discounting program. USER-FRIENDLY APPROACH Invoice discounting is a long-standing financial service that Interface has specialised in providing for over 40 years. It is not factoring, but rather a use-it-as-you-need-it approach to providing cash for a business. Interface purchases specific assets in the form of accounts receivable at a discount to the invoice face amount. The business receives the short-term working capital required on an immediate basis enabling them to make important creditor payments on time. HOW IT WORKS The chart above outlines how the Interface invoice discounting process works. Interface can pay up to 90% of the invoice amount immediately. FLEXIBLE FINANCING There are no other costs involved other than the discount fee earned by Interface on the invoices purchased. Because there are no minimum volume requirements and no hidden extras, Interface provides a

cost-effective service. The arrangement can be used at the sole discretion of the business owner. BUSINESSES WHO USE INTERFACE The Interface service is used by a broad range of businesses, including those involved in the manufacturing, wholesaling, business service, construction, transportation, wholesale distribution, import, export sectors and many more. THE NEXT STEP If your business requires cash and is unable to obtain it from a traditional funding source, i.e. banks, then contact Interface. When time is important, Interface can react accordingly. Whether you use the Interface service on a regular or less frequent basis, it’s good to know that the facility is there when needed – giving the business the freedom it needs to make commitments to expand its bottom line as opportunities arise.

ABOUT THE INTERFACE FINANCIAL GROUP The Interface Financial Group is New Zealand’s largest alternative funding source for small business. Interface has been providing short-term working capital funding in the form of a unique Invoice Discounting service since 1972. Interface operates from offices in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. New Zealand operations commenced in 2004 and there are now 13 offices in the main centres around New Zealand. Interface's innovative Invoice Discounting service is a fast and easy way for small businesses to turn receivables into cash.

For More Information: Telephone: 0800 438 434 Email: ifgnz@interfacefinacial.co.nz Website: www.interfacefinancial.co.nz

August 2013 Innovate

KNOWLEDGE

EXPERIENCE

COMMUNITY

Make Business Mentors experience your success People in businesses often feel very isolated. The Business Mentoring programme provides an empathetic person to listen to the challenges and difﬁculties small businesses can face. Sometimes this alone is all that is needed to identify strategies and opportunities for growth.

Visit www.businessmentors.org.nz

or call 0800 209 209

A fully funded service of Business In The Community

Build your business skills and management capabilities The Chamber is pleased to bring you an innovative series of Vital Training programmes to help you fill skills gaps and prepare you and your team for all aspects of your business. •

Know where you want your business to go but not how to get there? Our Strategy workshops will help you steer your business in right direction.

•

Want more customers? Learn how to communicate more effectively with the right customers at our Sales, Marketing and Communications Workshops.

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Need to increase your productivity? Then let us help you use your technology more effectively at our Technology workshops.

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Are you making good business decisions? Join our experts in Accounting & Finance workshops to help you make sense of the numbers and unravel the complexities of your financial reporting documents.

•

Want assistance in dealing with employment issues? Attendance at our Managing People workshops will help you recruit and manage good staff and assist you in dealing with employment issues.

www.aucklandchamber.co.nz

training

THE BUSINESS COACH

KPIs CAN BE BUSINESS CHANGING Think back to a successful period in your career or business life. Was it at a time when you were totally aware of everything that was going on in your business or area of responsibility? When I look at the clients I work with as a business coach and also at my own business career, it’s clear that the memorable stints came when we were wellinformed on every area of our business. Conversely, the worst times occur when we had no real-time idea of what’s going on – it’s at these times that we stumble across a nasty surprise or two that curtail our success. How do you prevent unwelcome curveballs? You don’t need a crystal ball – just make the most of the information you have available about your business. Implement proactive KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and know what to do with the information those KPIs give you. As the saying goes, predicting rain does not count – building arks does! Once you have KPIs, make sure you act on what they are telling you. Measuring key information in your business is nothing new. Galileo said in the 16th century, “Measure what is measurable and make measurable what is not so”. And Lord Kelvin (William Thomson) in the 19th century said, “If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it”. It’s all very well knowing you

should be getting information on areas of your business, but for some business people it can be a struggle to do it in a way that helps you run your business better. Here are a few ideas to consider when deciding on what KPIs to use: 1. Some areas of business are easier to have KPIs for than others, for example, stockturn or gross profit is easier to track than customer experience or employee engagement. 2. The less subjective a KPI, the better. It’s most helpful to have straight data that you can make decisions from. Although, in saying that, sometimes measuring success in marketing and advertising might be considered subjective. 3. Every person in your team should have personal KPIs. As well being an excellent motivator, KPIs can be used to monitor and manage performance, keeping your staff accountable. 4. To have an effective business plan and to know where you are going, you need to have good KPIs in place at all levels of your business, from the CEO to the administration team. Amazon has 452 KPIs which they build into 8 headline KPIs that are tied into their business and departmental plans. 5. Some KPIs may need to be kept secret (for example those linked to individual bonuses), but some should be totally transparent. It is a great way to communicate to the company what is

important to your business, what they need to do to achieve it, and how the business is performing. The right KPIs will add motivation to your team. 6. There are many metrics you can have in your business, but not all of them will be KPIs. To make sure your KPI is a true KPI, ask yourself - is there anything you can do about the result; if you can do nothing to improve it, then it is not a true KPI. 7. KPIs do not need to be exact. Obviously the more accurate they are, the better, but sometimes an approximate view is ok if the KPI can help clarify a trend for you. A retail example would be the in-store conversion rate of foot traffic. For me, there are three main areas that KPIs can be most helpful in measuring. They are: what your customers think is important; problems that you would like solved; and the business objectives you are aiming to achieve. KPIs don’t lie. Come up with the right ones for your business and you’ll get incredible business insights, from what problems could be coming your way (as always, an ambulance at the top of the cliff is always better than one at the bottom), to how you can improve your business and profitability by making better decisions. Zac de Silva BUSINESS COACH BUSINESS CHANGING

August 2013 Innovate

New Kiwis ready to assist your organisation First Assistance, a multi-national company providing assistance products, needed to hire a Mandarin speaking medical assistance assessor. First Assistance HR advisor Tala Walding, had heard a radio advertisement for the Chamber’s recruitment services, so she called the Chamber’s employment team. “We like to widen the net in our search for a candidate to capture the right candidates for the role. We felt that simply advertising on seek or Trade me was not enough for this role. “I loved the service offered by the Chamber. I thought it was seamless and professional, especially dealing with Val (Maskell) who is very proactive and paid attention to the brief that we supplied about the role and what we were looking for in a successful candidate,” she says. First Assistance employed two candidates – Bin Gong and Lance Li, who had both registered on the New Kiwis website - www. newkwis.co.nz and completed the New Kiwi Career Success Programme run by Auckland Chamber of Commerce.

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.

“I would recommend the New Kiwi Career Success programme and service to other migrants. It makes new Kiwi’s better prepared for the New Zealand job market and staff at the Chamber are really helpful – helping new migrants in every aspect of their job search,” says Bin.

If you are looking for carefully selected, high quality candidates, available to start work today for your organisation, please call Val Maskell, Employment/Migrant Liaison, on 09 309 6100.

•

• •

New Kiwis is a web based recruitment service available to New Zealand 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 18 23 23 or email us at newkiwis@chamber.co.nz

Val Maskell EMPLOYMENT/MIGRANT LIAISON AUCKLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Innovate August 2013

Partnership project with:

Facilitator, who is not there to tell you how to run your business, but to act as a sounding board, to challenge and stimulate your thinking. Business improvement tools Developed over the past 20 years by The Alternative Board network throughout the world. These tools include diagnostic and planning tools for small and medium sized businesses. Join a Rimu, Totara or Kauri Board Depending on the size of your company, taking into account annual sales and number of employees, you will join a group of business owners each month to share challenges and opportunities. MEMBERS' COMMENTS Lee Crook of Classique International - a retail packaging company with offices in Auckland and Melbourne:

A BOARD SMALL COMPANIES CAN AFFORD Auckland has responded enthusiastically to the arrival of a concept which gives experienced governance to companies of all sizes. Usually reserved for the privilege of larger companies who can afford the directors' fees, smaller companies miss out on the guidance of an experienced boards – until now. “The Alternative Board” has been brought to New Zealand by Auckland businessman, Stephen James. The Alternative Board brings together groups of business owners who have similar sized and non-competing companies to serve as each other's board. “About 70 percent of all business challenges are the same,“ said Stephen James. “So when you get a group of business owners in the same room under agreed conditions, it’s

THE ALTERNATIVE BOARD'S FACILITATORS from left; Richard Simmons (Auckland South), Gordon Stuart, (Auckland Central), Stephen James, (North Shore)

surprising just how many have had similar challenges to overcome and how many answers are already there around the table.” The Alternative Board is operating in USA, Canada, UK, Germany and Ireland helping over 3,000 business owners every month. Over the last 23 years, more than 15,000 companies have enjoyed the benefits and value of a board of their peers. Launched in Auckland only a year ago, there are already over 40 business owners serving each other at alternative monthly board meetings over Auckland. HOW IT WORKS Monthly meetings Up to ten business owners meet with their peers for a half day each month. A formal agenda keeps the meeting on track and each member has opportunity to discuss an issue he/she is facing. Each meeting is confidential within the board members. Each board member has a responsibility to follow up on actions agreed and report results back to the board next month. Business coaching Each board member also gets one-to-one time with the Board

“You could say I have gone through a process of knowing my own strengths and knowing what skills I need to take the business further. “Scott (the company's new manager, Finance and Operations) has joined the company as a direct result of the disciplines The Alternative Board has placed upon me,” he said. Oliver McDermott founding partner of Blender Design – an industrial design company with a record of successful product designs: “The Alternative Board gives us affordable access to decades of business experience. It will be an important component of our future growth. It is an excellent sounding board and offers us answers about how to grow,” he said.

To find out more, ask about our sample Board meetings. If your business could benefit from more diverse business experience, call Stephen, Gordon or Richard. There will be a series of complimentary “sample” board meetings within Auckland so you can try one out for yourself. Or become a guest at one of our regular alternative board meetings.

August 2013 Innovate

CHINA’S NEW LEAP FORWARD – PROSPECTS FOR NEW ZEALAND BUSINESSES ARE PLENTY – IF YOU DO IT RIGHT New sweeping plans in China to move 250 million rural residents into newly constructed towns and cities over the next twelve years will provide another groundswell of business opportunities for New Zealand exporters to consider. It could set off a new wave of growth or it could saddle the country with problems for generations to come, all driven by the Communist Party’s priorities in finding new sources of growth for a slowing economy by increasing the consumer class of city dwellers. The scale of migration is epochal and transformational. In theory, new urbanites mean vast new opportunities for construction companies, public transportation, utilities and appliance makers, and a break from the cycle of farmers consuming only what they produce. “If half of China’s population starts consuming, growth is inevitable,” said

Innovate August 2013

Li Xiangyang, Vice Director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics, part of a government research institute. Ian Johnson in the New York Times says “The ultimate goal of the government’s modernization plan is to fully integrate roughly 900 million people, into city living by 2025, but currently only half these live in cities.” Here, New Zealand’s reputation and world leading practices in the following areas can contribute to China’s agenda: •

Environmental protection

•

Old age care

•

Rural area development

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Financial products

•

Luxury goods and services

•

Social policy leadership

China’s economic path may further strain the environment. Air quality across the country is

poor, causing pollution-related illnesses and loss of productivity. China’s water situation is no better. China is home to 20 per cent of the world’s population yet only holds six per cent of the world’s water resources. The deteriorating natural environment will constrain the economic growth of China in the next 5-10 years with demand for pure natural resources ever in high demand. New Zealand offers a source of high quality of water. This will be attractive to China. Water export or water purifying products and technology will also provide an opportunity for New Zealand companies in the Chinese market. In other areas, products and technology that help China reduce air and water pollution would be welcomed. China’s ageing population is increasing rapidly while the country’s birth rate remains low. It is estimated that the percentage of China’s ageing population will reach

GLOBAL

16.7 per cent (200 million) of the total population in the next five years where over 123 million people aged over 65 in 2011 constituted about 9.1 per cent of the total population.

providing rest homes services, monitoring systems, healthcare, healthcare service training, as well as private insurance and pension institutes to meet China’s growing needs.

property in geothermal initiatives, and high level artificial breeding/insemination programs, goods and services in the farming and agriculture sector and quality water supplies.

Also, China’s market reforms are being blamed for accelerating the breakup of the traditional extended Chinese family, causing the Chinese authorities to amend its laws about the elderly, requiring that adult children visit their aged parents ”often” – or risk being sued by them. What ‘often’ means is unclear but state media says the new law will allow elderly parents who feel neglected by their children to take them to court. This comes as growing reports of elderly parents being abandoned or ignored by their children.

New Zealand’s social policies and practices about the elderly make it uniquely positioned to provide practical long terms solutions towards aged care.

However, New Zealand businesses interested in rural Chinese opportunities will need to understand what they are up against because living standards in such areas are generally low and it will require hard work and a long term strategy.

In caring for its aging population China’s adult children’s response in the next 5-10 years, could involve looking to New Zealand companies specializing in old age care,

Despite government plans to move millions of people from the rural hinterland to urban areas, these rural areas equate to more than half of China’s land mass (roughly 55%). Opportunities will remain in the northwest and western regions. Ensuring there are reliable food-producing areas is part of the Chinese government growth plan. New Zealand is in a unique position to offer agricultural services to China. Key assets include intellectual

Access to legitimate sources of capital remains a barrier to Chinese businesses. Many rely on “underground finance” and a shadow banking system, (very high interest rates, often illegal and notoriously risky). The Chinese government’s public announcement on fighting corruption and bribery is welcome news to all business sectors. China is reforming parts of its financial sectors to legitimize underground

August 2013 Innovate

finance and licensing new “micro finance” companies to provide much needed capital to China’s SMEs. Getting capital to the companies and individuals that can best use it is one of China and New Zealand’s biggest opportunities. Mature New Zealand finance companies can explore the opportunities in areas of capital markets, stock market advisory groups, finance and insurance. New Zealand companies interested in providing financial products to China are recommended to engage a local financial product specialist, through the local Chamber of Commerce who can help identify barriers, provide implementation support, monitor the development of the array of public policies and liaise in partnerships with local firms. New Zealand government and private sector institutions with high levels of financial accountabilities could also be points of future collaboration within regions and districts.

By 2015 Chinese consumers will account for more than 20 per cent of the global luxury market. But moving beyond handbags, jewellery, fashion, and the like, a growing number of Chinese luxury consumers are also buying wellness and health related services and products. New Zealand’s clean and green brand reputation provides a unique advantage in health and luxury products. The Chinese middle class have become more sophisticated and are significantly younger than their western counterparts. This trend gives New Zealand companies some food for thought. Targeting of suitable age groups and understanding what products and brands this generation wants, opens up opportunities in China’s luxury market.

new prospects. Leveraging off existing relationships and new partnerships will greatly assist both countries.

REFERENCES • • • • • • • •

www.nytimes.com www.news.xinhuanet.com www.usa.chinadaily.com.cn www.china.org.cn www.citibank.com www.chinadevelopmentbrief.cn www.forbes.com www.nydailynews.com

Fuimaono Tuiasau INTERNATIONAL MANAGER AUCKLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

SUMMARY The significant internal migration and the China’s economic drivers provide New Zealand businesses with considerable

Auckland Chamber of Commerce

The international summit where New Zealand business discovers the real opportunity China offers and an opportunity for China business to connect with New Zealand. DATE: Wednesday 16 October 2013 VENUE: The Langham Hotel, Auckland For further information please email: nz@chinasummit.co.nz

Innovate August 2013

Brought to you by

MEMBERSHIP

MEMBERS OF THE AUCKLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOIN: • • • • • • •

To make new contacts and do business with other Chamber members To get information: the latest business issues and news For business support: HR, business advice and recruitment assistance To up skill: practical training workshops and informative events To promote themselves, their products and services to fellow members For business savings: to save money on essential business supplies For “representation” at a local and central Government level

Want to find out more about how we can help? Contact us on (09) 3096100, email membership @chamber.co.nz or visit www.aucklandchamber.co.nz

We spoke with several members, who told us networking events get great results. NEW ZEALAND KETTLE KORN

INNOWAY CLEANING SUPPLIES

Trent Brock is a young entrepreneur from Louisiana, USA. He joined the Chamber when he realised that it was easier to do business when you know people. He values networking and says as a workaholic, he is always talking about his business New Zealand Kettle Korn.

Christine Song and Rob Goddard, directors of Innoway Cleaning Supplies, joined the Chamber to network with other businesses and promote her company and its products.

“What better place to talk about your own business than a place where everyone is talking about business – at the Chamber’s Business Club,” he said. “We are definitely going to get a table at the table-top expo at the next Business Club in November. We have some bucket tins for corporate gifts that are huge in the US; we think they may lead to business in the near future.” Trent made a great business contact at a recent Chamber Speed Networking event, and he believes long-term business arrangements may result. “I would recommend the Chamber, and have already done so to three or four new members. Small business guys look out for each other – so I have suggested to some of my suppliers and customers and other small businesses that they call Glenys and join the Chamber.”

They have attended Business Club – where they took part in the table top expo, Economic Updates and the recent Prime Minsters Lunch. Innoway has also used the Chamber’s HR recruiting services. “We are new members. We haven’t signed any deals as a result of Chamber networking events yet, but we have a few good leads,” she said. “We would recommend the Chamber especially the events e.g. the Prime Minister’s Lunch and the Economic Updates which are interesting and helpful. We also enjoy the networking opportunities with other businesses. “Because the Chamber has been helping other businesses owners for over 150 years and is a recognised brand, we know we are going to get good business support.”

VIDEOLIFE VideoLife has been a Chamber member for over 7 years and celebrates 10 years in business this year. Arthur Warner, managing director, says that Auckland Chamber of Commerce has been an integral part of the company’s marketing strategy. “We believe in building relationships with people – to be of service to and to partner in the long term. Chamber events are good because we rub shoulders with like-minded people,” he says. VideoLife has utilised the Chamber’s email marketing services, staff have attended training courses, and in more recent times Arthur has been leveraging off the events he has attended – Diversity Breakfasts, Economic Briefing, the Prime Minister’s Lunch, Business Club and Ba5’s. This has resulted in a number of new proposals and projects. “We absolutely recommend the Chamber when we meet up with people in start-up businesses or people who want to increase their market exposure – we tell them to join the Chamber,” he says.

Networking isn’t the only fantastic service we offer our members – visit our website www.aucklandchamber.co.nz to discover other events, training, marketing opportunities and business resources.

August 2013 Innovate

UPSKILL

Some home truths about Social Media

There are many ways we can converse and build relationships with our market; and social media platforms are just one of them. Social media enables us to have conversations with people in an online environment as opposed to the more conventional ways we communicate (like via face-to-face or by telephone). Some of the social media sites you may be aware of include Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and specialist blogs. Is social media changing the way we can communicate with our market? Yes it most definitely is. It is opening up new avenues and ways for us to engage and get feedback from people who are interested in our businesses or brand. Social media does not necessarily generate immediate sales, but it is key in developing relationships. This is important because people buy from people, and having good relationships with your market increases your chance of being top of mind and provides the opportunity to sell to them. Because social media generally has lower running costs and because it achieves almost instant communication with audiences, it is often used as a central communicating medium for businesses. But, let’s take a moment to dispel a few myths: 1. Social media is free

As resources are required to make best use of it, effective social media is neither free nor necessarily easy at times. Resource must be given to managing your company’s online presence, from updating any content which you control, to reviewing and understanding what your customers and competitors say about you. As with most marketing activity, having a good understanding of your identity and that of your customer is the key to creating an effective online marketing campaign. Lastly, social media is certainly not for everybody; it works best in specific industries, with certain audiences and with companies that take the right approach. SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS Social media platforms are constantly evolving, but tend to categorised into a number of purposes. For example; Facebook is more personal, customer-interactive and offers a variety of different promotional and communicating tools such as images, videos, custom applications, opinion polls, competitions and advertising. And in this sense, is perfectly suited for “product based” applications. Pinterest, on the other hand is a great platform for creative businesses. For the uninitiated, it is essentially an online image pin board, a place for you to scrapbook pictures that inspire you, make you laugh or to collect links to informational web pages.

2. Social media is for everybody 3. A company might as well have social media, after all it can’t do any harm These are risky misconceptions when utilising social media as part of a company’s marketing activity and are surprisingly common, even in marketing circles. ‘Social media’ has become a buzz word in marketing circles as clients become more interested in what the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Four Square can do for their business. It is often considered an ‘easy way’ to get the message out. However, by committing to social media a business opens itself up to consumers more than ever before and while the company may create the brand message, social media hands the control of that message over to the consumer. And in turn, people enjoy a public forum along with relative anonymity to express their honest opinions of your brand.

Innovate August 2013

In comparison, LinkedIn can be described as a more professional network that bases itself on ‘secure’ connections and company pages that people can ‘follow’, with the ability to list products and services, or business group discussions as a way of interaction. The idea is to choose a platform that connects with and is right for your type of business; for example a product company versus a service company may be suited to quite different platforms. So is it worth your while? If you think it is, here are some quick tips to tweeting, pinning and posting: FACEBOOK DOS AND DON’TS: • DON’T start a Facebook page through a feeling of obligation or a sense that “we have to be there”. • DO vary your content between brand/ product promotion and lighter “entertainment” posts.

training

• DON’T treat Facebook like a website. Talk with your community, encourage them to participate and let them help you shape the environment.

• DON’T write messages over multiple tweets, find a way to make it fit.

• DO ask questions to encourage people to comment on your posts.

• DON’T use long or overly formal language – abbreviation is accepted here.

• DON’T spam Facebook. Two to three posts a week is sufficient.

• DO follow your target audience, it’s a good way to get them to follow you back.

• DO have a dedicated resource. A single staff member with time to dedicate to Facebook should be charged with populating the page, creating content schedules, ensuring the posts are aligned with all other marketing, and managing the community feedback.

• DO hashtag and learn how they work.

• DO use links through to your website or to third party endorsements.

• DON’T pin a million things at once. A few a day will spread your content evenly over your followers’ news feeds. If you are considering social media, firstly weigh up how relevant it is for your customers and if they will engage with you in this environment. If you are fortunate enough to be in an industry where social media can work for you, I encourage you to be excited and get involved.

PINTEREST DOS AND DON’TS: • DO pin your products. • DO link back to your website. • DO place prices on your products.

TWITTER DOS AND DON’TS: • DO strike a balance between conversation posts and product posts.

• DO follow boards for companies in your field – they may follow and pin your images in reply, opening you up to a whole new market.

• DO tweet promotions and brand relevant information – this is the right forum.

• DON’T pin everything to one board, create multiple boards for multiple uses.

Nicole Crump VITAL TRAINING FACILITATOR and DIRECTOR TACTIX

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SUPPORT It’s a good thing to have a mentor. I get engrossed in the day to day drudgery of running my business, but I don’t want to waste his time. Meeting up with my mentor gives me a timeline and accountability to develop my business. And it is great motivation. truth. I like having someone completely objective with no personal ties. “We have been meeting for over year. It’s a good thing to have a mentor. I get engrossed in the day to day drudgery of running my business, but I don’t want to waste his time. Meeting up with my mentor gives me a timeline and accountability to develop my business. And it is great motivation,” he said.

A BUSINESS MENTOR PROVIDES ILLUMINATION Kyle Cooper and Jim Johnston have great respect for each other and the skills and enthusiasm they each bring to the business world. Kyle Cooper is a gun snowboarder and a determined entrepreneur. Cooper started his own custom sticker business in 2007 before going full-time with it in 2010. He had corporate experience in sales at Coke and after 18 months decided to set up his own business. As owner and director of Custom Stickers, he is a one-man band, contracting services that are outside his skills or when he needs machinery. After a few years he says he felt misguided in the path he had chosen. “At 11pm one night, I decided something needed to change. Someone mentioned Business Mentors to me, so I googled it and found them, paid and three weeks later I had a mentor,” he said. “Mentoring gives me someone-else’s perspective. He is objective and tells the

Innovate August 2013

“We met every 3 to 4 weeks at the start, then as things evolved we’d meet less frequently for coffee with information and goals and objectives from the last meeting. I can email him randomly with certain things I would like him to look at. Having a mentor like Jim gives me the confidence to make justified plans.” Jim Johnston, a business consultant and a former marketing and sales director for Nestle, is Kyle’s mentor. Jim had a long career with Nestle in Australia, Switzerland, Thailand and Philippines and South East Asia. Jim became a mentor because he realised that he liked imparting his experience and wisdom to others, he enjoys meeting people and he enjoys business. He also mentors to stay in touch with the younger generation (he’s 70) – social media, in particular, is something he wants to keep abreast of so that he can talk about these concepts with this generation. “Jim has a wealth of business skills from his time at Nestle, particularly knowledge of the little things that come with experience. There are many things that I've picked up from him that have been like a light bulb moment and have turned my life around. He gives encouragement and confidence. He looks at things I have done and helps me work through things, so that I can make decisions based upon valid information,” said Kyle. Since 2005 Jim has helped 16 business owners. Currently he has three business owners he is mentoring.

Mentoring is for anyone with business experience. “It is not rocket science, it’s good common sense and more about applying a process to an opportunity – a structured approach about how you go about it. For example at Nestle there were good systems, processes and principles and when you apply these consistently there is no reason why you shouldn’t grow your business,” says Jim. Jim believes an effective mentor is “someone who has good business experience, preferably a wealth of it. Broad experience is good – you are not there to push your ideas, you need to be non-judgmental and encouraging but firm about why someone shouldn’t go in this or that direction. It is not a mentor’s decision but more of a way of recognition of the logic in decision-making. In Kyle’s case, he brought some of the things he should be doing from his Cocoa Cola experience – they have good systems and processes which are highly relevant to all businesses.” According to Jim, during the time he has been mentoring Kyle, revenue has more than doubled, well exceeding the targets they set for customerstickers.co.nz. Kyle’s advice to anyone seeking a mentor? “Do it for sure – it helps. But be honest with the type of business you have and your expertise. You have to want to learn. Especially if you are doing your own thing – it can be quite isolating, so it is great to have a mentor to bounce off ideas and for justification of your decisions.” To join the Business Mentoring team to support businesses in the Auckland Central region, register on the website www.businessmentors.org.nz Or if you are looking for mentoring support, registration costs $150 + GST for up to two years. Find out more at www.businessmentors.org.nz For more information phone Kerry Carr on (09) 374 2265.

CHAMBER SPOTLIGHT

People Your best business asset Take the risk out of employing and managing your staff, get the right advice right from the start

Charles in Charge The Chamber welcomes our new marketing communications manager, Charles Fairbairn. Charles joins the Chamber marketing team after thirteen years in publishing. He worked for Capital Publishing in Wellington, where he sold advertising and wrote films reviews from 2000 until 2003. In 2005 he joined TPL Media as sales manager of NZ Local Government Magazine. With a background in sales and marketing, he believes in engagement and exploring all marketing channels – with social media platforms particularly relevant in today’s market for the dissemination of information. Charles looks forward to meeting and getting to know members at Chamber events. He is keen to hear from you about issues affecting your businesses, and identifying the key ways the Chamber can assist. In the few months he has been at the Chamber, Charles has been instrumental in developing comprehensive LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube profiles and engaging with followers and members alike on our social media platforms. Look out for him when you are visiting our pages and profiles!

Congratulations to our 500 CadetMax career starters Congratulations to the 500 cadets who have started their careers through CadetMax. The CadetMax team celebrated a milestone recently when they placed the 500th cadet into full-time employment. Adrian Tamata, was placed with Converga, an information logistics company which has hired 15 cadets through the CadetMax service in the last 3 years. Skye Nichols, general manager of Converga employs cadets with attitude. "People are our most valuable asset. We look to attract candidates that have the right attitude, attitude that is aligned with our company values. We provide opportunities for people to achieve their own personal goals, whilst at the same time providing high levels of customer service," he says. PHOTO: Left to right, Adrian Tamata, Skye Nichols, general manager of Converga.

Call Business HR Advice for professional employment and HR assistance Your business may not have access to HR services. With Business HR Advice – now you do. Chamber members can call Business HR Advice to get dedicated HR advice – providing up-to-date and relevant advice on employment and HR issues. Get the right advice right from the start and save time, money and potential legal wrangles. For more complex issues, or extra support, there is an extensive range of DIY tools and consultancy services available on a fee-paying basis.

Call Business HR Advice

0800 CHAMBER (0800 24 26 23) www.aucklandchamber.co.nz

Exporters | Franchisors | Owners of IP

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Exhibit in the NZ Pavilion (26-28.9.13) You can attend or we will manage your display Over thirty foreign countries pavilions represented World Brands China (Guangzhou) (Puzhou) Import Fair Promoters Chimport assisted by the Auckland & GuangDong Chamber of Commerce and China Foreign Trade & Economic Corporation Authority Potential 20,000 distributors, importers & investors with 150,000 database Attendees expressions of interest provided to exhibitors or followed up by our group Exhibitorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s profile promoted in 20,000 copies of a free high quality 200-page magazine Long term website with your profile & marketing promotion by our partners located in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuhan, Changsha, Chengdu, Qindao, Heibei & Guangzhou Promoters have successfully achieved large contracts with Chinese distributors & investors A trade delegation is being organised by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce for those interested

Phone 09 215 8879 or email info@chinanzexpo.co.nz

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Business Coach & Mentor

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E vulmar@xtra.co.nz

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W http://nz.linkedin.com/pub/mario-vulinovich/9/249/128

ANDREW BARKER Talent Placement Manager

Introduce | Connect | Evolve Graduate, Postgraduate and Young Professionals M: +6421 850 675 P: + 649 557 1450 E: andrew@theicebase.com

Tell us what YOU want cleaned Call Pete Morrow now on 09 479 8663 www.crowncleaners.co.nz

Your products and services here. Promote your business for only $225.00 + GST To book your space now, or for more information please contact innovate@chamber.co.nz or call 09 309 6100.

August 2013 Innovate

BUSINESS SAVINGS

Savings simply from being a member Take advantage of exclusive business savings and discounts available to Auckland Chamber of Commerce members through our Alliance Partners and special relationships.

Mercury Energy: As an Auckland Chamber member, when you show Mercury a recent price your electricity supplier is currently offering you for your Auckland based business premises, they promise to either meet that price or go one better, and beat it! They’ll also fix the price of your energy at that super low rate for two years. Email chamber@mercury.co.nz Noel Leeming Group: Noel Leeming has partnered with Auckland Chamber of Commerce to bring you fantastic savings on products in Noel Leeming stores nationwide. Use your Chamber membership card or quote your membership number to access trade discounts across the entire range*. *Does not include already discounted items

Connect with us Keep in touch with Auckland Chamber of Commerce • Ask about your membership • Find out about exporting • Book for events • Find staff • Advertise in Innovate or utilise other marketing services

OfficeMax: As a Chamber member, save up to 60% off the retail price of hundreds of products from OfficeMax, including stationery, office furniture, computing and technology products and much more. Call 0800 426 473 or email chamber@officemax.co.nz, or show your Chamber card in-store.

• Find training courses to upskill

Vodafone: As a Chamber member, you will receive a bonus of half price on your monthly access fees for three months. Available when you sign up or re-sign on a 24 month Vodafone Business Smart or Business Smart Data plan. To take advantage of this great deal, call us on 0800 888 129 or talk to your local Business Sales Consultant today.

Westpac Bank: Westpac has developed a range of preferential merchant and terminal deals in partnership with the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. These special deals are aimed at giving you the best value across your merchant and EFTPOS terminal business. To find out more, contact the Westpac team on 0800 888 066 (option 3) or at eftpos.direct@westpac.co.nz and say you're a member of Auckland Chamber of Commerce. Z Energy: Get 5¢ per litre off the pump price on petrol and diesel at participating Z service stations nationwide. Visit www.z.co.nz to apply for your Chamber Z Card. Terms and conditions apply to all offers. For more information on our Business Savings Programmes contact us on 09 309 6100, email savings@chamber.co.nz or visit www.aucklandchamber.co.nz.

Innovate August 2013

• Save money through Alliance Partners • Find resources to help improve your business

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@aklchamber facebook.com/AKLChamber www.linkedin.com/company/ auckland-chamber-of-commerce

Visit us at www.aucklandchamber.co.nz Call us on 09 309 6100 For business advice call 0800 CHAMBER (0800 242 623)

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22 weeks ‘til Christmas...

... it’s already snowing paperwork and you still need to sort out that well-earned break for you and the family. Luckily, you’ve used your Z Card.

Z Card is the only fuel card that offers you Fly Buys points or Airpoints Dollars on fuel purchases, so you can turn a year of hard work into real rewards. It’s just one of the ways a Z Card adds benefits for Chamber of Commerce members. It also gives you a discount off the pump price at over 200 Z service stations nationwide. Plus, you can add things like car washes, in-store purchases and more, which we’ll itemise into one simple invoice. Visit z.co.nz/ZCard and turn your fuelling needs into smooth sailing, or flying, as the case may be.

Fuel your business your way.