Celebrating local business leaders
Martin Cooper Focused on Fostering Success and Excellence
Paul Cameron & Booktrack
Bob McGuigan & MSC Consulting
Inside
10,450
Feature Interviews with Local Business Leaders
10,450 copies posted and distributed to Businesses North of the Harbour Bridge.
SEPTEMBER 2013 - Issue 13
Out & About on Business on the Shore
The Business Channel is published bi-monthly, 5 issues a year – March, May, July, September and November.
Published and printed by
Feature Columns from Business Specialists
With support from
International Freight & Shipping With Oceanbridge
Dean O’Cass is CEO with Oceanbridge Shipping in Takapuna. Oceanbridge is one of NZ’s premier freight & shipping companies, privately owned for 30 years and based in Takapuna. Email: deano@oceanbridge.co.nz
Oceanbridge appointed New Zealand agent for APL It is a thrill to announce that Oceanbridge Shipping has been appointed the New Zealand agent for APL (APL stands for American President Lines, the now 7th largest container line in the world). As agents we will support APL’s New Zealand-Asia Express (NAX) service, which was scheduled to begin on September 1st this year. A partnership between APL, ANL and Hanjin Shipping, the NAX covers Auckland, Tauranga, Port Kang and Singapore. The service will also call at Brisbane northbound as well as Brisbane and Sydney southbound, affording shippers some of the fastest transit times between New Zealand and Australia. We are certainly excited about bringing APL to the New Zealand market. The international shipping market in New Zealand has been static for many years, and both exporters and importers are hungry for new alternatives. In this regard, the arrival of APL with its global reach, excellent reputation and extensive service offerings is very welcome. APL Australia managing director Bernie Yu says that APL has considered the New Zealand market for a number of years. “Given the current opportunity to enter this market as part of a new consortium, we feel the time is ripe for APL to introduce the NAX and help connect New Zealand to key Asian destinations and beyond.” The NAX will cater for all types of containerised cargo, including high-value refrigerated commodities. Bernie Yu is confident the competitive transit times as well as links to Asia, the Indian Sub-Continent and the Middle East that this service offers will benefit New Zealand’s fast growing trade with those regions. It was hugely satisfying for our team that Mr Yu detailed that the professional reputation and profile of Oceanbridge Shipping across New Zealand’s import and export market was an important deciding factor in APL’s agency selection. Overall the addition of APL and the service enhancements with Marfret (another international container line we represent) add considerable new options to New Zealand’s export and import communities. Potentially a game changer for the industry which hasn’t seen any changes for quite some time. And it’s all happening right here and right now at Takapuna on the Shore!
Some facts about Oceanbridge Shipping:• 32 year old privately owned company based in central Takapuna. And with offices in Tauranga and Christchurch. • 115 staff. 102 of which are in Takapuna. • Main business is an NVOCC providing global shipping and airfreight services for exporters and importers. Services include sea freight and airfreight, part container load to multiple container loads, also over size pieces and large yachts, full door to door services including Customs. • Oceanbridge shipping agency division also looks after another international container line named Marfret Compagnie Maritime which is just about to increased its frequency in servicing New Zealand from fortnightly to weekly and also add a new direct call to the South Island (Lyttelton).
Visit: www.oceanbridge.co.nz
The international shipping market in New Zealand has been static for many years, and both exporters and importers are hungry for new alternatives.
• Oceanbridge Shipping has represented Tasman Pulp & Paper; PIL (Brisbane trade); Kambara Kisen; CHL; and for the past 13 years, Marfret Compagnie Maritime.
Oceanbridge is your globally connected logistics partner empowering business growth.
Auckland | P: (09) 489 6070 | F: (09) 489 6071 E: calw@oceanbridge.co.nz | www.oceanbridge.co.nz
Issue 13 - September 2013
THE BUSINESS CHANNEL
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Clean Up your business community us with your ideas and 8-15 September contact learn more at www.nhba.org.nz
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THE BUSINESS CHANNEL
Issue 13 - September 2013
Out & About On Business On The Shore
All About Boosting Business Members of the local business community met for the Takapuna Business Association monthly event at Jerry Clayton BMW on Lake Road. Guests enjoyed fine wine and delicious canapĂŠs while having the chance to mix and mingle with other business minds. Auckland mayoral candidate John Palino was the guest speaker. The New York native told the crowd tales about his background and his bid to become the city's mayor.
Belinda van de Bos, Kevin McLean, Aidan Bennett.
Graeme Conning, Gary Monk, Lesley Monk, Joe Bergin.
Kylie MacDonald, Lauren Garrity, Matthew Harley, Abbey McGrath.
Mea Baxter, Walter Lim, Rose Li, John Palino, Michael Hart, Luigi Wewege, Nick Morse.
Olivia Blaycock, Gavin Leonard, Lance Wickenst.
Paul Lawrence, Nancy Sirisena, Wendy Rawlinson, Tina Heelas.
Rose Hunt, Jan O'Connor, Christina Forrest.
Wayne Cameron, Mike McMinn, Wayne Piper.
Karen Maree McLeary, Muj Blake, Chris Paget, MacKenzie, Adele Carlisle, John McLeay.
Looking Good - Cars and Clothes! Style for on and off the road was showcased at Tristram European VW on the North Shore last month when the dealership presented the new Golf GTI along with a fabulous fashion show. The catwalk show gave customers a peek at some stylish Volkswagen clothing, set to live music. Guests also enjoyed some delicious food sampling and the luxury of valet parking.
Guest speaker
John Palino.
Quentin DeGroot, Wayne Leach, Penny Thorne.
Suzie Eade, Douglas Blair, Debs Jack, Hunter Blair.
Bernadete Morrison, Gareth and Beulah Thomson.
Kristine Elliot, Hilary Hunt, Jenny Smith.
Dave Foley, Ross Hall, Alissa Smith.
Barry and Soraja Thompson, Michelle and Willie Walker.
Contact Stephen James of The Alternative Board today. T: 09 446 0963. M: 021 606 934. E: sjames@TheAlternativeBoard.co.nz www.TheAlternativeBoard.co.nz
Imagine having 70 percent of allaccess business Small business owners drive to your own board like the challenges are common to Take your company plans our economy - but access to big companies. all businesses. from the kitchen table experienced governance has been Call us today and we can Deal with them the way to boardroom table without beyond most ofeasy them. explain how this is within - bybreaking joining anthe affordable bank. Until now! your reach. peer board. Stephen James
Issue 13 - September 2013
THE BUSINESS CHANNEL
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Out & About On Business On The Shore
10 Year Milestone for NHBA The North Harbour Business Association celebrated their 10th anniversary with a function held at North Shore Golf Club on Tuesday July 30th. A large crowd attended and the association acknowledged those who have supported the NHBA throughout the years.
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Kevin Moore, Warren Kitchin, George Wood.
Janet Marshall and Joe Hoye.
Gary Morrison, Les Probert, Steve Morrison.
Jala Shekho, Sarah Cronwright, Benno Koahler, Brigid Rogers.
Cheriette Ede, Sue Kohn-Taylor, Richard Ede, David Wright, Janine Brinsdon, Sue Retter.
Stephen James, Vicky and Peter Dunne.
Adam Elliott-Dilks, Oliver McDermott, Lewis Hurst.
Chris Baker, Steve Bristow, Geoff and Sandy Ashenden, Andy Jaquet.
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THE BUSINESS CHANNEL
Land Development Consultants Project Managers -
Issue 13 - September 2013
Ross Barnett, Matthew Bellingham.
In The Business Channel
Big month for business north of the bridge Welcome to our September 2013 issue of The Business Channel. It is unbelievable that it is now September – 2013 has gone so quick! This month is an interesting one for business people north of the bridge. The Westpac Auckland North Business Awards programme culminates at the end of the month with the awards dinner held at the Bruce Mason Centre in Takapuna. Good luck to all the finalists who are detailed in this issue. I know from the judges that the calibre of entries have been higher than ever, making their job a challenging one. In this issue we have some great profiles on some interesting people and their successful businesses. Catherine Murray has done a great piece on Booktrack, a local company that has developed the technology to add synchronised music, sound effects and ambient sound to the text of e-books, automatically paced to an individual’s reading speed. The company, founded by brothers Paul and Mark Cameron and based in Takapuna, has enjoyed great success since its launch in 2011. Catherine had an interesting month. From one extreme to another – a local start-up to a high achieving local business that has been around for more than three decades. She has also done an interesting feature on MSC Consulting Group, one of New Zealand’s most respected civil and structural engineering consultancies. I have always admired MSC as a business and I know that Catherine really enjoyed putting together this feature. A local business person I have always heard good things about is Martin Cooper, the dynamo behind the highly successful Harcourts Cooper & Co real estate business based on the North Shore. I spent an enjoyable morning grilling him about how he has grown his business to encompass 13 offices, a team of over 300 people and a market share of around 30% in a very competitive market. His is a great story. He’s a neat guy. Over the past few weeks I have put my name forward to get elected to the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board. I have a strong belief that we need some fresh blood on the local board and am thrilled to be part of the well-balanced Shore Future team along with Dave Donaldson, Allison Roe and others. Some have said I’m mad, but I feel it is important that business people are involved in local body decision making that can have a big impact on our lifestyles and the future. If you are voting in the Devonport-Takapuna area make sure you give your ticks to myself and our Shore Future team. Have a great September and October. - Aidan and the team at Benefitz Email: aidan@benefitz.co.nz Twitter: @AidanLBennett / @channelmag
Inside this is sue… 1
International Freight & Shipping with Oceanbridge
3
Out & About On Business On The Shore
6
ATEED News
12 Innovative Local Business: Booktrack 14 Channel Interview: Martin Cooper, Harcourts Cooper & Co. 16 Business Profile: MSC Consulting Group 18 Employment Law: with Nicole Duncan, Davenports 18 Education: with Peter Clague, Kristin School Supplement: Colliers North Shore Commercial and Industrial Selection 44 Project Spotlight: Goodman’s Orchard Park Development, Albany 46 The Legal Column with Schnauer & Co 47 Talking Trusts: Tammy Mcleod, Davenports 48 North Harbour Club: News 50 BNZ: In The Community 51 Corporate Apparel and Promo Items: Davis Doherty Corporate Apparel Superstore 54 Banking with BNZ 56 Talking Tax: with Chris Lindsay, Lindsay Tax Solutions Shore Matters: with Maggie Barry 57 North Harbour Business Association: News 58 Accountancy: with Matthew Bellingham, Bellingham Wallace 59 Building & Construction: with Phil Brosnan, Brosnan Construction 60 Upcoming Events & Important Dates
The BUSINESS CHANNEL is printed five times a year by Benefitz, PO Box 33-1630, Takapuna. Telephone 09 477 4700, www.benefitz.co.nz. The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily the views of the publishers. For further details on the magazine please contact one of our team detailed below.
Aidan Bennett Publisher/Advertising
Ulla Bennett Advertising/Photographer
DDI: 477 4701 Cell: 021 500 997 aidan@benefitz.co.nz
Cell: 021 411 667 ulla@benefitz.co.nz
Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development Ltd www.ens.org.nz / Ph (09) 354 0059. Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development Ltd is an Auckland Council organisation, which incorporates the business of Enterprise North Shore and a number of other development agencies. For further information please go to www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
Aaron Morrison Web Designer DDI: 477 4731 aaron@benefitz.co.nz
Jared Trice/ Eddie van den Broek Graphic Designers DDI: 477 4707 or 477 4710 jared@benefitz.co.nz eddie@benefitz.co.nz
The entire content of this publication is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without the prior permission, in writing, of the copyright owner. Colour transparencies & manuscripts submitted are sent at the owner’s risk; neither the publisher nor its agents accept any responsibility for loss or damage. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, the publisher can accept no liability for any inaccuracies that may occur.
Issue 13 - September 2013
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ATEED News
Booktrack among Auckland companies leveraging
America’s Cup Zane Taylor.
A message from Zane... This is an exciting time for the North area office team, with the finalists in the Westpac Auckland North Business Awards named, some fantastic upcoming opportunities to promote business growth in the region, and new team appointments. My name is Zane Taylor, and I am delighted to be your new ATEED Area Manager North, permanently stepping into the shoes which Chris Lock has filled superbly in an acting capacity. I have been Area Manager West for ATEED, and am excited to have been given new challenges to address – in the same role, but North of ‘the Bridge’. I live in the North and have many relationships here already, so it has been great to hit the ground running. Many of you will know by now that Chris has been appointed ATEED Area Manager Central, based in the Quay St office. I would like to thank Chris for his work driving R&D in the north and overseeing the North team while a new manager was found. I find it hugely rewarding to work with so many of Auckland’s innovative and dynamic companies, and look forward to continuing that in the North. I am also delighted that ATEED has found an extremely capable replacement for me as Area Manager West – Jane Finlayson. Many of you will know Jane from her work as a highly skilled and experienced Business Advisor in the North office. Jane was also influential in driving ATEED North’s outstanding business networking programmes, particularly with The Effective Network and in the Rodney/Hibiscus district. While the North team and Jane’s many clients will miss her, please join me in wishing her future success. I’m also delighted to announce that experienced business growth practitioner Tom McLeod has joined the team as R&D Advisor, replacing Chris. Tom moved to ATEED from his role as a senior investment manager at Callaghan Innovation – the government agency which controls the R&D grants businesses access with ATEED’s help. Jane’s promotion means I now have two business growth advisor roles to fill, and getting the North team up to full strength is a priority. ATEED is committed to building and maintaining a strong presence and a full suite of business support programmes in the area. There is a clear mandate from ATEED’s board to grow our engagement and partnership with the strong and important North business community. We will continue to work closely with Chris’ Central team, Jane and the West team, and our colleagues in the South office to drive economic growth across Auckland. I look forward to meeting you in the near future. Zane Taylor Area Manager North Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development
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Issue 13 - September 2013
The growing buzz around New Zealand’s challenge at the 34th America’s Cup in San Francisco will be the perfect backdrop for this month’s event at Emirates Team New Zealand’s base to showcase Auckland’s innovation. Booktrack, one of Auckland North’s technology high achievers, has already been part of the ATEED’s July-to-September regatta to showcase Auckland’s innovative companies, forge new business relationships, host established contacts and broker deals that will bring an estimated $20 million dollars of deals into the Auckland economic growth pipeline. New Zealand business greats such as Sir Stephen Tindall will be part of the 9 September event at the striking and distinct Waka Maori – which has been established at ETNZ’s base during the challenge. Booktrack CEO Paul Cameron says at least one important deal – for the company’s synchronised soundtracks for e-books – has resulted from being part of Auckland’s America’s Cup showcasing and hosting so far. “Booktrack established a San Francisco office at the Kiwi Landing Pad in 2013, and the America’s Cup has been a great way to showcase Booktrack’s technology to our key Silicon Valley based clients and investors while enjoying the unique Kiwi atmosphere that Auckland and Emirates Team New Zealand have created beside San Francisco Bay,” says Paul Cameron. ATEED has had a representative based in San Francisco for the regatta, acting in a co-ordination and liaison role with the concurrent NZ Trade & Enterprise programme, and assisting the many Auckland businesses which have spent time in San Francisco. With San Francisco’s proximity to Silicon Valley, high-tech Auckland businesses have been able to develop relationships and pursue deals on the doorstep of California’s famed information and communication technology (ICT) region. Other key industry sectors focused on have been: marine, food and beverage (including wine), and health technology – all of which feature in Auckland’s keystone Economic Development Strategy. ATEED General Manager Business Growth, Patrick McVeigh says: “The Cup is the perfect opportunity to attract and retain overseas investment in the Auckland region. It is a chance to highlight Auckland’s new ranking in Asia-Pacific’s five most innovative cities and create business growth opportunities across a range of the region’s most important economic sectors”. ATEED has an extensive programme to welcome multi-nationals to Auckland, and engage them in a productive long-term relationship, and the America’s Cup has fitted well with that work.
ATEED News
Finalists counting down to
North business awards Just a few weeks’ suspense remains for the 18 businesses in contention for this year’s Westpac Auckland North Business Awards, organised by ATEED. More than 200 people, including Mayor Len Brown, attended a special Finalist Celebration held at the Bruce Mason Centre last month. The winners will be announced at a glittering gala dinner on 26 September – a highlight of the local business calendar. ATEED’s Chief Executive Brett O’Riley believes the annual awards are an important growth programme for Auckland. “Businesses looking for long-term growth and sustainability should regularly review their performance and look for opportunities to improve. ATEED’s business awards are designed to help businesses reflect, assess their position, build their capability and celebrate their successes. Congratulations to all the finalists,” he says. This year’s North finalists include a broad mix of businesses stretching from Omaha to Birkenhead and from a range of sectors including finance, education, marine, IT, health, and food and beverage. This year’s awards attracted almost 90 entries across eight categories in a revitalised format and a judging system based on an internationally recognised criteria. Tickets for the awards gala dinner are available at BusinessAucklandNZ.com/Awards. ulates m Zeald congrat Evan Cooper fro ing Ltd arn Le 3P m fro Karen Rolleston nalist in the Zeald on becoming a fi of the Year. Small Business
Babcock Excellence in Leadership • DogHQ Limited • Singh Corporation Ltd (trading as McDonald’s Glenfield Restaurants) • Partners Life Ltd Massey University Excellence in Innovation • Partners Life Ltd • Chocolate Brown Limited • Northern Arena
Booktrack’s Jonathan Wrait congratulates this year’s finalists for the Booktrack Excellence in Exporting award – Shannon Auton (oob), Ross Pratt (Railblaza) and Simon Waterer (SnapComms).
Easiyo’s Paul O’Brian congratulates two of this year’s finalists in the Easiyo Best Medium-Large Business – Shannon Auton (oob) and Naomi Ballantyne (Partners Life Ltd).
2013 Westpac Auckland North Business Awards – Finalists RSM Prince Excellence in Strategy and Planning • Railblaza Limited • Oob • Tiger Coffee Ltd
The FoodBowl Excellence in Research and Development • SnapComms • Run4it Limited • CPE Systems NZ Ltd
The EcoPro Cleaning co. Excellence in Social Responsibility and Sustainability • Northern Arena • Laser Plus Ltd • Naturally Organic Limited
Zeald Small Business of the Year • BRAVEday Limited • Barker Business Brokerage Ltd • 3P Learning Ltd
Eclipse Recruitment Employer of Choice • BRAVEday Limited • Web Drive Ltd • KiwiOz Childcare Ltd
Telecom Business Hub North Shore Best Emerging Business of the Year • Run4it Limited • Railblaza Limited • DogHQ Limited
Easiyo Best Med-Lge Business of the Year • Partners Life Ltd • Oob • Web Drive Ltd Booktrack Excellence in Exporting • SnapComms • Railblaza Limited • Oob Simpson Western Excellence in Customer Engagement • BRAVEday Limited • Singh Corporation Ltd (trading as McDonald’s Glenfield Restaurants) • Partners Life Ltd
ATEED scores U20 Football World Cup final for Harbour North Harbour Stadium will be in the world sporting spotlight in 2015 thanks to ATEED. FIFA (the international governing body of football) confirmed last month that North Harbour Stadium will host the final and key matches in the FIFA U20 Football World Cup 2015. ATEED managed Auckland’s U20 World Cup bid on behalf of Auckland Council, and will invest $2.5 million into the tournament from its Major Events Fund. North Harbour Stadium will host all matches being played in Auckland, including the final, bronze medal playoff, a quarter-final and semi-final, the opening and closing ceremonies and four pool matches. Rachael Carroll, ATEED General Manager Destination & Marketing, says it’s great to see major events being spread around the Auckland region. “The North Shore has a successful history with FIFA events, having hosted matches at the Women’s U17 World Cup in 2008 and the FIFA U17 World Championship in 1999. The stadium knows what it
Mayor Len Brown celebrates with New Zealand Under-20 player Simon Arms at the FIFA U20 Football World Cup announcement. PHOTO: Photosport.
takes to host quality international football.” The U20 World Cup is the second most important FIFA tournament behind the senior World Cup. Held in May-June 2015, it will showcase some of the best young professional and amateur stars in the world. About 170 million viewers from more than 100 countries are expected to tune in to watch matches, providing great exposure for Auckland in key destination and investment markets.
Rachael Carroll says securing the tournament is an excellent outcome, given the highly competitive bid process involving other New Zealand cities and the level of benefit to the host. “This is another big win for Auckland, and adds to a packed events calendar for 2015. We’ve got the Volvo Ocean Race stopover, the ITM 400, and the 2015 Cricket World Cup already confirmed,” says Rachael Carroll. “People from all over the world will be lining up to visit Auckland in 2015. For the U20 World Cup alone, we’re expecting about 10,000 fans and 800 officials to travel to support the 24 teams taking part, which will have a significant economic benefit for Auckland.” Independent economic consultants Covec, estimate the tournament will result in an additional 47,000 international and domestic visitor nights for Auckland and inject $6 million into the region’s economy.
Issue 13 - September 2013
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ATEED News
Aim for nothing
and you’ll achieve it! When helping owners grow their businesses, there are a couple of very good questions ATEED business growth specialists can use to kick off the conversation. “What’s your long-term goal?”, and “do you have a long-term strategic plan?”, usually prompt interesting replies. We are surprised by the number of people who start a business without a clear picture of where they want to end up. It’s a bit like jumping on a boat and not really being bothered about the nature of the journey ahead or your end destination. You could potentially end up at a tropical paradise or the coldest outpost on the planet. American author, salesman, and motivational speaker ‘Zig’ Ziglar famously said: “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.” ATEED occasionally hears of a person who – by good luck, not good management – builds up and sells a business for far more than it’s worth. However, that’s the exception rather than the rule and certainly not recommended. Having a long-term goal – let’s call it a ‘Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG)’ – is useful for a number of reasons. It provides everyone involved in the company a goal to strive for as a team – like a rowing crew all pulling oars in the same direction. Some business owners want to achieve their BHAG in a relatively short time. Their goal may be to rapidly grow the business, float on the stock exchange within five years, and exit. Some take a much longer-term view – perhaps to grow the business over 15 or more years to $20 million turnover, and grow staff capability to enable the business to run independently of the owners so
they can pursue other ventures. A BHAG may be included in a long-term plan which covers two, five, 10, 15 or more years. Defining the purpose of your company is equally important because in most cases purpose inspires people, not money. It’s what gets us out of bed in the morning. ATEED asks business owners “What difference do you want to make in the world?”. If they run a cafe, their job is to sell coffee and food at a profit. But their purpose may be to “provide an environment where love and friendship can be shared”. When owners agree that kind of purpose with staff, suddenly they have engaged employees suggesting ideas as to how that purpose can be realised. Companies usually express their purpose in a ‘vision statement’. But there is no point having a BHAG or purpose/ vision which is not based on reality. A BHAG must be at least remotely achievable. “Be careful what you wish for” is sound advice when setting a BHAG, as there are inevitably personal costs associated with trying to achieve business goals. Staff become disillusioned if a company has a BHAG without a clear, realistic plan in place. Strategic business planning fills that gap. A good strategic plan will break things which need to be done into ‘bite-sized’ chunks. These should have clear milestones – perhaps every 3 or 6 months, or year – that indicate whether or not a business is on track. Without a clear BHAG and strategic plan there’s no compass guiding the team’s daily decisions. Making decisions without considering the BHAG or plan can lead the business down a wrong track. With a BHAG and strategic plan the question to be asked: “Is what we are about to decide going to take this business
towards our BHAG or away from it?” If the big goal is considered audacious at the beginning, it soon won’t when the early objectives in the strategic plan are met. The team begins to see that the BHAG is possible and the effort to achieve it inevitably gains momentum. A company’s culture and brand must also align with the purpose/vision. For instance, if the purpose/ vision is to “raise the bar on people’s wellbeing in New Zealand” and owners expect staff to work 12 hours a day with no breaks and work under constant unrealistic pressure, a company is not ‘walking the talk’. Disillusioned employees typically vent their frustration by telling anyone in earshot about their employer’s hypocrisy. Conversely, a company that reflects internally what it is saying externally inevitably attracts like-minded people. Recruitment becomes easier. ATEED’s goal is to find business owners with the aspiration to grow their businesses either through export markets or increasing their presence in domestic markets – both will grow Auckland’s economy. ATEED connects business owners with resources which can help them figure out what they want through its free Business Assistance Programme. Our business advisors ask the right questions, help owners achieve their business goals, and help prioritise the things which will increase the likelihood of long-term success. If you want to find out more, contact your local ATEED office at Level 1, 61 Constellation Drive, Rosedale. Ph 09 354 0059 or email Team.North@AucklandNZ.com
One who asks Imagine having 70experienced percent ofdirector allaccess business the right question at the right time, Small business owners drive to youryour own are board like the challenges common to Take company plans canour lift aeconomy small company toaccess greatness, but to big companies. all businesses. table orfrom save it the from kitchen a drastic mistake.
Contact Stephen James of The Alternative Board today. T: 09 446 0963. M: 021 606 934. E: sjames@TheAlternativeBoard.co.nz www.TheAlternativeBoard.co.nz
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THE BUSINESS CHANNEL
Issue 13 - September 2013
experienced governance has been Call us today and we can Deal with them the easy way to boardroom table without beyond most of them. How would you like access to explain how this is within - that bybreaking joining an affordable wisdom every the month bank. Until now! your reach. peer board. without paying the earth?
Stephen James
WESTPAC AUCKLAND NORTH BUSINESS AWARDS 2013
presented by
Take your seat among Auckland’s best local businesses Join hundreds of local business people to celebrate business excellence and find out who the winners of this year’s Westpac Auckland North Business Awards are at a glittering gala dinner.
North Gala DiNNer Thursday, 26 September 2013 Visit BusinessAucklandNZ.com/Awards/north-finalists to see this year’s finalists and book tickets. Seats are strictly limited.
proudly supported by
Prince
Chartered Accountants business hub North Shore
ATEED News
House designed by Kathy Torkington.
Sound mentor advice boosts business Architectural designer Kathy Torkington needed a boost to her confidence and strategic business growth skills to tackle the challenges of operating in a changing construction industry. So she turned to the Business Mentor NZ (BMNZ) programme run through Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development’s (ATEED) North office. ATEED North’s business mentors coordinator Carley Duncan recruits experienced mentors and matches them with a diverse range of businesses. Kathy had been in business for nearly two decades before she approached ATEED in March 2012 and Carley matched her with mentor Mark O’Shaughnessy: “I was initially a bit concerned that a mentor wouldn’t understand the industryspecific challenges of construction, but Mark did. Just having a calm, logical expert to use as a sounding board enabled me to analyse my situation and find the best path forward.” “Mark enabled me to see beyond the obstacles I faced, and helped rejuvenate my passion for designing houses which had waned as the industry hit a low point. He gave me confidence in myself and the knowledge my business could have a strong future.” Mark also gave Kathy guidance regarding limited liability companies and basic business structure – areas which weren’t her strong point. “I am grateful to all mentors who give their time to small businesses. It can be a lonely road when the results do not reflect the hard work you are putting in, and it can seem like a dog-eat-dog world,” says Kathy. Thanks to Mark’s help, her business’ forecast turnover is more than double last year’s, and with the industry moving towards a boom cycle Kathy has put foundations in place for a bright business future. “To have someone give their time and wisdom can make a huge difference. I can’t speak highly enough of the Business Mentors programme and my experience with it.” Mark says he has also found being part of the programme rewarding. “As a mentor, listening to a client such as Kathy and advising based on my past business experience hopefully helps her make the choices. And she also knows she
Zane Taylor ATEED’s Area Manager North, encourages more businesses to take advantage of the expert advice from BMNZ mentors and contact Carley Duncan. is not alone, she can call me when required.” “When I met Kathy she was at a cross roads. Was she going to stay in the industry? Once we talked through Kathy’s situation, I felt staying was the right option, and it has turned out to be a good move. I’m very pleased for Kathy, and it’s good to have been able to help her. I urge other experienced business people to become a mentor,” says Mark. Most small to medium size businesses employing fewer than 25 people are eligible for confidential mentor assistance through ATEED. Zane Taylor ATEED’s Area Manager North, encourages more businesses to take advantage of the expert advice from BMNZ mentors and contact Carley Duncan. “Linking with a mentor offers many benefits including independent, impartial advice that may challenge owners and managers to go further, and set new business goals. Mentors can also help to identify business strategies and opportunities for growth,” says Zane. ATEED’s business mentor service is free, apart from an initial one-off registration fee valid for up to two years. The business mentors are volunteers. Many have backgrounds with leading New Zealand businesses and start-ups. ATEED North offices in Albany and Orewa offer a suite of services directly to companies. For more information on ATEED’s business programmes visit: www.BusinessAucklandNZ.com or phone Carley on 09 354 0050.
Imagine having access to youryour own company board like the Take plans big companies. from the kitchen table Contact Stephen James of The Alternative Board today. T: 09 446 0963. M: 021 606 934. E: sjames@TheAlternativeBoard.co.nz www.TheAlternativeBoard.co.nz
us today and we can toCall boardroom table without explain how this is within breaking the bank. your reach.
Stephen James
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THE BUSINESS CHANNEL
Issue 13 - September 2013
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A new class of 5 door hatch.
per month plus GST
Euro S: 1.8L i-VTEC engine, Bluetooth HFT, 5 star safety, reversing camera,5 door hatch, with Honda’s unique i-MID and magic seat system. Euro L : Leather, integrated Bluetooth HFT, auto lights and wipers. Non maintained operating lease based on Euro Civic S Auto, 45 months/55,000kms. Honda Lease Direct lending criteria apply. L model shown
Accord.
Helping Hand technology.
664
$
from
per month plus GST S: 2.4L i-VTEC engine, Bluetooth, premium audio, auto lights/wipers, reversing and blindspot cameras, 17”alloys, and more. NT: Adds Helping Hand+ technology, navigation, sunroof, leather, 18”alloys, and more. V6NT: Adds 3.5L V6 i-VTEC engine with VCM. Non maintained operating lease based on 2.4L S, 45 months/55,000kms. Other terms available. Honda Lease Direct lending criteria apply. NT model shown.
Civic Sedan.
411
$
from
40 years of innovation.
per month plus GST
1.8S: 1.8L i-VTEC engine, Bluetooth HFT, 5 star safety, reversing camera,with Honda’s unique i-MID. 2.0S: 2.0L i-VTEC engine, Leather, sunroof, navigation, auto lights and wipers. IMA: i-VTEC hybrid powertrain, leather, auto lights and wipers. Non maintained operating lease based on Civic 1.8S Auto, 45 months/55,000kms. Honda Lease Direct lending criteria apply. 1.8S model shown.
CRV.
Spontaneous is back.
473
$
from
per month plus GST CRV S: 2.0L i-VTEC engine, 2WD, Bluetooth HFT, 5 star safety, reversing camera. CRV N: 2.4L i-VTEC engine, 4WD, navigation, 5 star safety. CRV Sport N: Adds leather, sunroof, 18”alloys and more. CRV Sport NT: Adds Helping Hand+ technology. Non maintained operating lease based on CRV S Auto, 45 months/55,000kms. Other terms available. Honda Lease Direct lending criteria apply. Sport N model shown.
LEASE CALCULATOR ONLINE honda.co.nz/lease
Honda Cars North Shore 148 Wairau Rd, Glenfield. Ph:09 444 1489 Hours (for New and Used car sales): Mon to Fri: 7:30am – 6:00pm, Sat: 9:00am – 5:00pm, Sun: 10:00am – 5:00pm
www.honda.co.nz
0800 382 382
Innovative Local Business: Booktrack
Paul Cameron.
Lending an Ear to Innovation E-reading as we know it is about to turn a new page. Booktrack is a North Shore company that has developed the technology to add synchronised music, sound effects and ambient sound to the text of e-books, automatically paced to an individual’s reading speed. Brothers Paul and Mark Cameron are co-founders in Booktrack, a product that in a few short years has gained global recognition. Catherine Murray visited co-founder and CEO Paul Cameron at Booktrack’s offices in central Takapuna, to learn more about the business behind this innovative software. North Shore company Booktrack is Paul Cameron. inviting people to take a new look at reading. “While we still physically read the same way we have done for over 2000 years, the distribution of what we read has changed massively,” says CEO Paul Cameron. Booktrack provides soundtracks to e-books, but takes the reading experience even further. While most enhanced books remove the user from the reading experience while they view a video or game, Booktrack enables the user to remain engaged whilst the synchronised soundtrack matches their reading speed. The app is currently available in the iTunes App Store, and once downloaded, users can access a range of titles. The premiere free title was The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Speckled Band, and it was downloaded 100 000 times in its first three months. “Booktrack doesn’t distract from the reading experience and it doesn’t overwhelm it,” says Paul. “What it does do is get you into the book quicker, and it keeps you there longer. People say it’s like 3D for books – it’s a really fun product.” Paul says that as well as providing an enhanced reading experience, Booktrack is providing a tool to improve reading rates in children. “We
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can carry a whole library around in our pocket, yet at the same time reading rates are plummeting, and I think that’s a problem. We’re seeing a pattern emerge right around the world where children are being turned off reading for pleasure by the time they leave primary school.” Therefore Booktrack is conducting, in partnership with those in the education sector, several studies on how using Booktrack influences reading engagement, comprehension and retention in children, including those with learning difficulties. The use of Booktrack as a way to improve and enhance the educative needs of children seems a long way from the first glimmer of an idea back in 2008. The catalyst for Booktrack was a moment on a ferry in Hong Kong. Co-founder Mark Cameron noticed that music on his playlist would sometimes relate to what he was reading, enhancing the experience. Looking around, he noticed many other commuters also simultaneously reading e-books and listening to music. His brother Paul then took the idea and commenced development of prototypes. “We worked out how to add music to a physical book using a remote and a mobile phone,” recalls Paul. “We actually got it working, but realised it was too clunky to be a mainstream solution.” After completing some IP and patent work, the concept was shelved until the iPad was launched. “That’s when we thought, OK, now we have a device we can use for our software.” Initially Paul and Mark managed and funded the business themselves, their diverse backgrounds providing them with extensive business acumen and skills. Trained as an aeronautical engineer, Paul flew as an officer
The use of Booktrack as a way to improve and enhance the educative needs of children seems a long way from the first glimmer of an idea back in 2008. in the Royal New Zealand Air Force for over a decade. He then founded Marops Defence Projects Divisions in 2006, a high-tech electronics and software company that provides products and services to the global defence industry. Mark is a successful entrepreneur and business leader based in Hong Kong, and owns and operates a chain of health clinics - Sports & Spinal Physiotherapy Centre Limited. They came to the conclusion that in order to realise their vision, further investment needed to be sought. Local investors included the Sparkbox Venture Group, and the Seed Co-Investment Fund managed by the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund. “At that point we struggled to find any others who were willing to invest,” recalls Paul. “No one else was willing to try and understand the concept. You have to remember that when we were doing this, the iPad was brand new. E-reading was not mainstream at all, and people were generally very sceptical about it, especially in New Zealand. As much as we tried, no one could really see our vision.” Gate crashing a meeting of Hyperfactory CEO Derek Handley while he was visiting New Zealand proved a good move for Paul, who had spoken to the entrepreneur on several prior occasions. “After ten minutes of reading with Booktrack, he said to me that it was one of the most exciting products he had seen in years, and he just had to take it to New York,” recalls Paul. “Derek was instrumental in opening doors and making introductions. I spent a lot of time working with him in New York, getting Booktrack through the first phase and to market.” The Booktrack Board now comprises Directors Paul, Mark, Chairman Derek Handley, Tom Greally, and Greg Sitters. Booktrack also managed to attract investment from people like Peter Thiel and Sir Stephen Tindall. Key management staff include Craig Wilson, Chief Technical Officer; Jason Hovey, VP Business Development; Jennifer Chapin, VP of Marketing, and Poojitha “Pooj” Preena, Strategic Business Development. The North Shore office is the hub of software research and development, and has grown from one developer to a staff of 12. Staff in the US are focused on the sales and marketing of the product. Booktrack has enjoyed great success since its launch in 2011. In 2012, Booktrack was the winner of the New Zealand Innovators Award for Innovation in Media, Music, and Entertainment, and it was also the winner of the Most Innovative Software Product and Most Innovative Mobile Technology categories in the New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards. “Awards are a validation of what we are doing,” says Paul. “They are great for the team, great for investors, and they show us that we’re moving in the right direction.” Paul says that, ultimately, their story is one of innovation. “Innovation is simply people solving a problem. One issue in New Zealand, and indeed around the world, is that the big companies are banks, insurance companies, accounting firms and lawyers – all service providers that are administering our money or helping us with our money. They are not creating products or adding value. Wouldn’t it be great if all of our best and brightest, instead of going and working for the big service provider companies, worked for businesses that grow products, are innovative, are doing interesting things and creating something.” Paul says that there is so much opportunity that can be accessed in and from New Zealand. “You don’t always have to build the infrastructure; you just need to have smart people and really good ideas. You also need
to go offshore. One thing that New Zealanders know but don’t really understand is the true size of the overseas markets. Every time I hit the ground in cities like New York or San Francisco, I am reminded of the scale of opportunity. It is really just phenomenal. As a company we always say we’re taking on the world, from the other side of the world – and we are. We can do it all from New Zealand.” www.booktrack.com
Maggie Barry
ONZM North Shore MP
Maggie’s Monday Meetings Strong voice for the Shore Here to help you Please phone Monika at my Ta T kapuna offi f ce to make an ffi appointment to discuss any specific issues.
| p 09 486 0005 15 Anzac Street,Takapuna T Takapuna e northshore@parliament.govt.nz | w maggiebarry.co.nz facebook.com/maggiebarrynz Funded by the Parliamentary Service and authorised by Maggie Barry MP 15 Anzac St, Takapuna
Issue 13 - September 2013
@maggiebarry
www.national.org.nz
THE BUSINESS CHANNEL
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Feature Interview: Martin Cooper
Martin Cooper:
Focused on Fostering Success and Excellence The great thing about producing a publication celebrating local business is you get to meet some neat people. Most of the people we engage with are leaders who are doing exceptional things in their businesses and inspiring the people around them. Martin Cooper, the majority owner and Managing Director of leading local real estate group Harcourts Cooper & Co is a prime example. Under Martin's leadership, since 2001, Harcourts Cooper & Co has grown from a market share of 3.4% to 32% of the market and a team of 340 people distributed across 13 offices. Martin Cooper was brought up in Queenstown. His first job was in hospitality in the deep South and that was followed by a stint as a South Island Rep for Fisher and Paykel, but he tired of all the driving and after 28 trips he threw in the towel to move into real estate in Dunedin. He has been in it ever since. In 1983 he joined Don Kindley Real Estate and completed a nine year apprenticeship in residential sales before setting up his own gig – the first Cooper & Co office. "I spent $100,000 on the fitout of that first office, which was a lot of money back then," reflected Martin. "I overdid it a bit as we ended up with big premises that were initially home to just myself, one admin person and one computer." Between 1991 and 1995 Martin Cooper grew that business from zero to a 25% share of the Dunedin market. But he was yearning for bigger things so he moved north to Auckland and the North Shore, where he has been ever since. His entry into the market was via the purchase of Vision Real Estate with offices in Birkenhead, Glenfield, Milford, Mairangi Bay, Browns Bay and Hobsonville. Martin says he arrived with high hopes but experienced quite a few setbacks through the difficult period that was the late ‘90s. In 1998 no less than 68 real estate offices closed in the Auckland region and Martin owned four of them. He rationalised to an office in Glenfield and one in Milford, and consolidated to hold the 3.4% market share by 2001. What has been achieved since that time has been very impressive. There are now 13 residential real estate offices with 1400 properties under management, plus the NAI Harcourts commercial real estate operation in Takapuna. I had never met Martin Cooper prior to interviewing him for this article at his Milford office. But what I had heard about him had impressed me and he has done a fantastic job of making his Harcourts Cooper & Co brand part of the North Shore community. Being involved in the community is something he is clearly passionate about, as Harcourts Cooper & Co seem to be involved in just about everything. "That's where we do business, in the local community, so we have a strong
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North Shore focus," said Martin when asked the question about the connection with the community. "At last count we have over 170 schools, clubs and community groups that we are involved with. Where possible we try to ensure members of our team are involved with these entities as well. It is an enjoyable part of this business which is really about people more than property." So why has Martin Cooper been so successful in what is a very competitive business sector? "I have a good attention to detail and have things pretty organised. I back myself to make good decisions. Good systems are hugely important and I place a big emphasis on the customer experience, being innovative in terms of technology and bringing new ideas to the industry. I have a pretty simple philosophy as a leader, which is to provide an environment for all members of my team to achieve success and excellence. I concentrate on providing the very best in offices, administration, management and technology. Having one leadership team makes things easier as well." "I also get a thrill out of the success achieved by members of our team, with Matty Ma of our Albany office being a prime example. Matty came to New Zealand from Northern China 15 years ago and is now the top residential agent for the entire country and is number one for Harcourts internationally." "Innovation also plays a part in our success. We have the very best team of auctioneers and we concentrate on conducting onsite auctions, while most of our competitors have central auctions. I believe this approach to auctions offers greater success. Just this past weekend we held 22 onsite auctions with 20 of those properties selling under the hammer." "We are big on training and staff development, running close to 50 of our own training sessions a year and we are fortunate to have the Harcourts group training on top of this." Martin Cooper has become a fan of highly sought-after international motivational speaker Robin Banks, who is one of the world’s leading authorities on the subject of Mind Power and Personal Mastery. Martin had a good number of his team attend a Robin Banks session at the Bruce Mason Centre in Takapuna in June and was thrilled by the results. "It all really comes down to the realisation that what you dwell on grows and your perception is your reality," explains
Martin. "Robin spoke at a Harcourts conference and I just knew he would be good for members of my team. So I brought him to the Bruce Mason Centre and he did a session for just about our entire team and quite a few others, and it made an impression. He made a profound difference to their thinking, with one of my team who had been a little in the doldrums going on to list nine properties in just nine days after being motivated by Robin's techniques. Robin's all about affirmations and self belief and getting rid of that little voice that is telling you those negative things. Most of us have experienced it when we are stepping up to whack a golf ball with a whole lot of people looking on. This thinking is holding a large proportion of us back in our everyday lives." "It is great that he is coming back in October to present at Massey University. I'm sending 100 of my people along and it is open to others to attend as well. Believe me, it will be money well spent." (see inset piece).
I have a pretty simple philosophy as a leader, which is to provide an environment for all members of my team to achieve success and excellence. I concentrate on providing the very best in offices, administration, management and technology. So what does Martin Cooper love about the North Shore? "The real sense of community. We have a very welcoming community with most people having moved here from somewhere else at some stage. You can't beat the lifestyle either. We are spoilt being surrounded by water and it is a great place to bring up children with great schools and universities. We are also really close to the city without all the hustle and bustle. I love the fact our economy is growing as that's good for our business. Mayor Len Brown tells us that the population is due to double and if he is right, that will make for real estate heaven!" What does Martin Cooper feel the North Shore can do better? "We can do much better with our architecture and the development of our public spaces. I would also like to see more ferries, with wharves at Browns Bay and Takapuna. How good would that be?"
How does Martin Cooper relax? "I have a paddle board and love to get out on the water as much as I can. I also enjoy mountain biking and road cycling. I'm not really into sitting still and reading. I find that paddling or cycling gives me time to relax and catch up with my thoughts." Any predictions for the real estate market over the next two to five years? "I believe there is lots of opportunity coming in real estate. We recently surveyed our last 150 sales and 47% of these were to first home buyers and investors who continue to fuel the market. There are also lots of buyers trading up. It is a good sign as well when only a handful of the 1400 properties that we have under management are empty. The demand on the Shore is very strong and I see this continuing for the next few years, with the positive immigration flow also being good for the market. This is good because when the property market is going well, money tends to go round a bit more and go into purchases like vehicles, home improvement and holidays."
Robin Banks – Mind Power Courses in Albany in October Wednesday 16 October; Tuesday 22 October; Tuesday 29 October; Wednesday 7 November Sir Neil Walters Auditorium, Massey University Albany Campus, 6pm for 6.30pm - 10.30pm. The October Mind Power course in Albany came about when businessman Martin Cooper of Harcourts Cooper & Co saw how it would benefit his company for his team to be all Mind Powering. Martin has already seen the results from the members of his team having attended the Mind Power course held in June. We live in the most technologically advanced society that mankind has ever known, yet we remain in ignorance of the most powerful laws that govern our lives. Mind Power is a practice based on scientific principles! It is said that we think well over 50,000 thoughts a day. How many of these thoughts are creative, how many are productive and how many of them are consciously inserted by us? The Mind Power course has been designed to awaken the powers of the mind. By studying and observing your conscious and subconscious mind, as well as mastering your power of thought, you consciously create your life. If you want to make changes in your life, you must look to the cause. Change the way you are thinking! The Mind Power course is offered over four weeks, one session per week consecutively. Session One: Thoughts are real forces! Session Two: Who’s in control? Session Three: Clarity is power! Session Four: Creating a new reality!
To book visit: www.rockyourlifeevents.com
Issue 13 - September 2013
THE BUSINESS CHANNEL
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Business Profile: MSC Consulting Group
MSC Consulting executive team outside their Como Street, Takapuna headquarters. Bob McGuigan (Director), Murray Lockwood (CEO), Geoff Chilcott (Director), Paul Culley (Associate), Nelson Cull (Non-Executive Chairman), Tom Donald (Director) and Kevin Wyborn (Director). Anil Krishnan (Director) was absent.
MSC Consulting:
Building the Path to Success People, passion, performance. These three simple words provide the ethos behind one of the North Shore’s success stories, MSC Consulting Group Limited. The firm has spent over 30 years providing civil and structural engineering services to the North Shore, and further afield throughout New Zealand. The foundations of this independently and locally-owned company are firmly cast in the North Shore environs, evident not only in the buildings they have developed, but also the relationships they have built along the way. Catherine Murray visited the MSC offices in the Takapuna CBD to speak with members of the Executive Team, and find out more about this successful firm. It’s hard to imagine that the company we know today as MSC Consulting started out as a one-man band. The company now employs 49 staff - 23 professional engineers, 20 technicians and 6 administrative support persons - and has recently opened a second office in Christchurch. The Executive Team comprises: Directors Geoff Chilcott, Tom Donald, Anil Krishnan, Bob McGuigan, and Kevin Wyborn; Associate Paul Culley; Non-Executive Chairman Nelson Cull; and CEO Murray Lockwood. Bob McGuigan began working from home in 1980, before moving into an office on Lake Road, where Tom Donald joined him. As his workload increased, so did the need to source the expertise of others, and to
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find premises to accommodate their growth. A defining moment in the development of the company was the Takapuna Village project that they worked on in the early 1980s, which was located on what is now the site of the Sentinel. “Part of the Village was going to be a 19 storey building, and that threw me into a bit of a spin,” says Bob. “I was too busy on other projects, and didn’t really have the expertise at the time to design a 19 storey building. But it’s always a case of never saying never. I spoke with one of my engineering school friends, John Syme, who was also too busy working on his own, and he joined me. That was how the original company McGuigan Syme started - from a job that was only ever partially built and has since been demolished!” From Lake Road the company relocated to Esmonde Road, a little house/ office that pumped out a huge volume of work and saw long time stalwarts of MSC join the staff - Geoff Chilcott current Senior Director, a young Paul Culley now a shareholder, and Mike Hope, who is still on the drawing board. It was then on to Fred Thomas Drive, where they bought commercial premises. “The offices were custom built, and something we were very proud of,” recalls Bob. “It was from those offices that we were able to let the business grow, and really take off.”
While the firm has grown physically over the years, the culture within the firm remains the same. For MSC, building relationships with their clients is just as important as completing a project. In September 2005 MSC moved to their current location on Como Street, with 650 square meters of purpose-fitted offices and a car-stacking parking solution. As the size of the firm has increased over the years, those early days and the relationships built have stood MSC in solid ground. “We are a North Shore firm,” says Bob. “We have contributed to the building of the North Shore through the years, and have worked with some of the well-known names in the industry. Gordon Stern, Haydn & Rollett, David McAlpine from Kea Property Group, Terry Randell from Design Architectural, and Alan Wiltshire have all made a huge impact on the North Shore with the buildings they’ve designed or developed. We’ve been part of that – and we haven’t forgotten our roots.” While the firm has grown physically over the years, the culture within the firm remains the same. For MSC, building relationships with their clients is just as important as completing a project. Anil Krishnan says that the personal approach that all of the staff and Directors bring to their clients is an essential element in the way MSC conducts business. “What has always impressed me is the personal attention. When we were at Fred Thomas Drive, people would just walk in off the street, without an appointment. Whoever they needed to speak to would down their tools right away, and go and spend ten minutes talking with them.” CEO Murray Lockwood agrees, and says that the relationships that staff at all levels have with their clients underpin every aspect of their business. “All of our Directors are engineers; they actively manage the projects in their team, and continue to remain hands-on within the business.” The past few years have seen some new developments at MSC. There’s been John Syme’s retirement, having started the company with Bob in 1984. “John has made a huge impact on the industry,” states Bob. “A lot of his work has been with the smaller builder. I’d say that just about every builder on the North Shore, and even the greater Auckland area knows John. He’s someone they could go to if they had a tricky site or build – he was always there for those types of projects.” While John concedes that it’s a time of major change, a move to Nelson enables him to be closer to family, and acting as a consultant to MSC means he still maintains strong ties with the firm. Anil Krishnan, who joined MSC in 1999 and became an Associate in 2006, has furthered his progression within the company by being appointed a Director in April. “It is certainly an honour to step up into a directorship,” he says. “My fellow directors are great role models and have provided motivation. We’ve got a great bunch of people, who are all really well-respected throughout the community, and throughout New Zealand.” Anil has also been instrumental in setting up the new MSC office in Christchurch, which opened in February 2012. The office, with two permanent staff, was established to meet the needs of their Auckland-based clients who have business in the city, and to help foster new relationships. “Following the earthquake in February 2011, we saw that there was going to be a need for vast engineering rebuilds in Christchurch,” explains Anil. “It seemed prudent to open an office down there. Christchurch is going to grow due to the influx of the labour that is required. There will be a population growth in the city, and ongoing work, long after the earthquake matters have been dealt with. We are
Contact Stephen James of The Alternative Board today. T: 09 446 0963. M: 021 606 934. E: sjames@TheAlternativeBoard.co.nz www.TheAlternativeBoard.co.nz
in Christchurch for the long haul, and eventually will have a manager running the office with 5-8 staff.” As the firm continues to grow its business, it’s the staff of MSC and the values that they adhere to that ensures ongoing success. “We have a very good team of dedicated people at MSC,” says Murray. “They all put in more than 100% right across the board, and I think that’s a major success factor of the firm. Our philosophy is very much what we hang our hat on. The way that Bob started the company is the way we continue to be today. It is all about the relationships we build with our clients.” Visit www.msc.co.nz
Anil Krishnan.
John Syme.
Bob McGuigan.
Imagine having access Small business owners drive to youryour own company board like the Take plans our economy but access to big the companies. from kitchen table experienced governance has been us today and we can toCall boardroom table without beyond most of them. explain how this is within breaking the bank. Until now! your reach. Stephen James
Issue 13 - September 2013
THE BUSINESS CHANNEL
17
Employment Law: with Nicole Duncan, Davenports Nicole Duncan (LLB/BA) is an intellectual property, franchising and employment lawyer at Davenports Harbour Lawyers. She advises clients on all aspects of intellectual property protection including registration of trade marks and domain names.
Mike shows no restraint
Contact Nicole Duncan, Email: nicole.duncan@davenportsharbour.co.nz
DAVENPORTS L A W Y E R S
331 Rosedale Road, Albany. Phone: 915 4380 Email: tammy.mcleod@davenportsharbour.co.nz www.davenportsharbour.co.nz
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THE BUSINESS CHANNEL
Kristin School's Executive Principal, Peter Clague, challenges the culture of accepting and even admiring excessive inebriation.
Wasted
Mike always loved coffee and decided to give up his budding career as a Steel Fabricator to perfect the art of coffee making. Within only days of starting his barista course, he was awarded “Coffee Apprentice of the Year”. With this title firmly under his belt, he knew that finding a full-time job on completion of the course would be relatively easy. Cuppa Joe Coffee was a successful drive-through coffee franchise with 15 drivethrough coffee outlets throughout New Zealand, 5 outlets scattered strategically across Auckland. The Head Barista position at the newly opened Devonport outlet, only 200 metres from Mike’s flat, was advertised on a notice board at the campus and Mike applied for the job. After a quick demo on the coffee machine and a skim read of Mike’s CV, the outlet’s Manager offered Mike the job and told him that he would be receiving his employment agreement within the next few days. Mike didn’t really understand much of the legal jargon contained in the employment agreement that the general manager sent through to him, but saw that the agreement included a clause that was titled “Restraints of Trade”. The clause stated that Mike was not to: (a) Be involved in any capacity with any coffee bar, café or coffee company within 10 kilometres of any Cuppa Joe Coffee outlet for a period of 12 months from the date of his termination of his employment with Cuppa Joe Coffee; and (b) Solicit or carry out any work of the same or similar nature for any of Cuppa Joe Coffee’s customers that Mike had any dealings with during his employment for a period of 12 months from the date of termination of his employment with Cuppa Joe Coffee. Mike’s mother, who had worked as a part-time legal secretary before Mike was born, told Mike the restraints weren’t worth the paper they were written on. Keen to get back into paid employment, Mike signed his employment agreement and started work the following week. After only three months working at Cuppa Joe Coffee Devonport, Mike knew all of the regular customers by name (and coffee of choice) and knew the Cuppa Joe Coffee business like the back of his hand. Mike saw potential in the growing drive-through coffee market and started investigating the possibility about opening his own drive-through coffee business. Mike’s parents agreed to a low-interest loan to help Mike set up his own drive-through coffee outlet in Belmont, just up the hill from Cuppa Joe Coffee Devonport. An old school friend helped Mike design a logo for his new business venture “Grab A Cuppa”, Mike signed a lengthy lease for the Belmont outlet and promptly handed in his resignation. In his final days at Cuppa Joe Coffee Devonport, Mike informed all of the regulars about his new business venture and handed out ‘Buy One Get One Free’ Grab A Cuppa coffee cards. Business started well for Mike at Grab A Cuppa. However, two weeks and hundreds of takeaway coffee cups later, Mike got the fright of his life when he received a letter from Cuppa Joe Coffee’s lawyer threatening Employment Relations Authority proceedings to prevent Mike from operating his drive-through coffee business in breach of the “Restraints of Trade” in his employment agreement and seeking a large sum of money as a penalty for the breach, lost profits and legal expenses incurred. To discuss employment-related restraints of trade (including the enforceability of such provisions) contact Nicole Duncan at Davenports Harbour Lawyers on 9156144 or Nicole. Duncan@davenportsharbour.co.nz
H A R B O U R
Education: Peter Clague, Kristin School
Issue 13 - September 2013
Peter Clague, Executive Principal.
I remember once hearing a story about an early contact between Australian Aboriginals and a ship of English sailors in the late 1700’s. The ship had anchored on a remote stretch of coast before reaching its final destination of Sydney, for the purpose of dispensing justice to two men on board who had committed some crime. A suitable tree was found and the men were summarily hung as punishment. A local tribe of Aboriginal people gathered to watch the proceedings with growing amazement. When it was over, they approached the European sailors and asked “Why have you wasted these men?” Today of course, that question might not have seemed all that unusual. Thanks to Hollywood, our modern culture often uses the term “wasted” to mean killed, usually violently. But to the sailors, it was an odd concept. They had simply been dispensing justice. In the eyes of the locals though, for whom every person had a contribution to make to the health of the tribe, the deliberate killing of anyone was definitely a waste of resources. No matter what they had done, why would a society deliberately squander the potential of a human being? My intention however, is not to make a case against capital punishment but rather to draw attention to another equally ironic modern meaning of the word “wasted”. That is, using the word to describe a person who is incapacitated by drugs or alcohol. Although we probably don’t think of it in those terms, excessive alcohol or drug use, particularly by young people, does indeed leave them wasted. It wastes their potential, their emotions, their chance to mature. It also wastes their financial resources, their time, and sadly sometimes, even their lives. As someone who works amongst young adults every day, I am growing sick of hearing the word “wasted” used as some sort of accolade. Next time you hear someone describing with perverse pride that they or an acquaintance got wasted, challenge them to tally up exactly what got wasted. How much money, how much memory, how much time lost to hangover and illness? Whose car, relationship, liver or sexual health was irrevocably damaged? Was what they wasted worth what they gained? Can they even remember what they got for their over-indulgence? There is nothing admirable about being wasted, the word itself is a mockery of the condition. From teenage binge drinking to politicians normalising cannabis use, to the insidious arrival of “P” and other methamphetamines, we have an ever increasing battle to stop the waste of our children. I wonder what an outside culture would make of our practice of getting so drugged or inebriated that we could not function, let alone fulfil our potential. Like those Aborigines on the coast some two hundred years ago, they would probably walk away, shaking their heads in disbelief, muttering “What a waste.”
There is nothing admirable about being wasted, the word itself is a mockery of the condition.
Vote for the Future
CHRIS
DIanne
aIDan IDan IDan
aLLISOn
www.shorefuture.co.nz
shorefuture
DaV Da DaVe aVe
TRaCY TRa TRaCY aCY
DARBY hAle hAle Bennett ennett ROe ROe DOnAlDSOn DOn nAlDSO AlDSOn tAlBOt tAllBO tA BOt @shorefuture2013
CHRIS DaRbY
DIanne HaLe
aIDan benneTT
“I want the Shore to be a place where people come first, with vibrant communities, thriving town centres, great public transport and clean environment.”
“I consider that we are blessed to live in this area, and from Sunnynook in the north to Devonport in the south I want to ensure that we continue to deliver sound financial outcomes to meet our communities’ expectations”
“We need to cherish the surroundings nature has provided for us, enhance the area through well managed progress and make sure this provides a great lifestyle for our kids and their kids and the generations ahead.”
aLLISOn ROe
DaVe DOnaLDSOn
TRaCY TaLbOT
“I am passionate about our coastline, green spaces, lifestyle and the exciting opportunities for beautifying our natural and built environment.”
“Your tick for me will elect a practical, fresh thinker devoted to providing a place where both current residents and future generations will want to live, work and play.”
“Our community needs well-built and well maintained parks and reserves and alternative transport networks that are balanced with careful and considered spending to keep our rates in check.”
Make your vote count at these 2013 local elections. Give your six ticks to the Shore Future candidates for the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board.
Voting papers will be sent out from 20th September. The last day for posting your vote is 9th October (to ensure receipt by noon on closing day, 12th October).
The new commercial focal point Recognising the potential of the Albany basin, Goodman is excited to be involved in the next stage of Albany’s growth
“We like to build lasting relationships with our customers and offer flexible lease structures with competitive market rentals. A simple freehold ownership structure provides land options for
after acquiring one of the largest remaining land parcels.
those who have their own
Bordered by the new Northern Motorway and old Albany
vision and are happy to
Highway, Orchard Park is strategically located. Surrounded
work within Orchard Park’s
by Albany Shopping Centre, Albany Supa Centre, Massey
design parameters and
University and North Harbour Stadium.
quality guidelines.”
Offering a mix of commercial, light commercial and retail, Orchard Park is the new commercial focal point of Albany.
Mike Prentice, Project Director, Orchard Park
Goodman refers to the ASX listed Goodman group, a global property investor and fund manager with around NZ$25 billion of assets under management. In New Zealand Goodman manages, and is the cornerstone investor in Goodman Property Trust, one of the NZX’s largest listed entities with around $2 billion of property assets invested in Auckland and Christchurch. Goodman is developing Orchard Park directly, independently of Goodman Property Trust.
www.orchardpark.co.nz
Site Map
Lease Goodman offers design-build solutions for light commercial and office users who want quality facilities tailored to their operations. With a proven and capable development team, and access to the best consultants, Goodman ensures your property solution is as efficient as possible. Goodman also offer these design-build options on a turn-key purchase basis.
Corinthian Retail Centre
Buy and Own For the ultimate flexibility, individually serviced sites are also being offered for sale.
For further information contact your preferred local
Video
commercial real estate specialist, or contact: Mike Prentice 09 966 3528 021 562 906 mike.prentice@goodman.com
www.orchardpark.co.nz
Legally Speaking with Schnauer and Co
Legal implications for bank lending restrictions
Nick Kearney is an Associate with Schnauer & Co. Limited in Milford. NKearney@schnauer.com www.schnauer.com Nick Kearney.
The Reserve Bank has announced that from 1 October, banks will be subject to restrictions on high loan-to-value ratio (LVR) housing mortgage loans. They will be required to restrict new residential mortgage lending at LVRs of over 80 percent to no more than 10 percent of the dollar value of their new housing lending flows. If a bank’s new home lending book is one hundred million dollars, then no more than ten million can be at greater than 80 percent under the new rules. A LVR means if a property is valued at $100,000, an 80 percent restriction means the bank cannot lend more than $80,000 against it. Presently, some banks go to 95 percent, depending on the type of property and the nature of the borrowers. Those relatively high LVR thresholds are going to be tested under the new regime. What might this mean for ordinary folk? The restriction has come to try and curb out of control house prices. But the problem is really only exacerbated in Auckland, and to an extent in Christchurch. Both cities have supply issues, yet these restrictions address the demand side. Recent figures show the median price for Auckland at $670,000. That means the median deposit now required will be $140,000. Presently, some of that comes from Kiwisaver contributions, and that is not expected to change from 1 October. But it is expected second-tier lenders and families will need to contribute to the initial contribution/deposit. Or, sellers may leave money in the property for a few years, which won’t be common. For family members lending money to sons and daughters, various issues will arise. Gift duty is now abolished, so any amount of money can be given without tax liability. But once it is given, it is gone and unable to be recovered.
Established in 1988, Schnauer and Co is a well established boutique law firm located on the North Shore. Our expertise lies in the following areas of the law: • Relationship Property and Family Law • Trusts/Asset Protection and Estate Planning • Property • Commercial
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If a young couple are the recipients, and the relationship doesn’t last, it is possible half of the gift could go to the other party at separation. For this reason, it might be better for parents, if they do assist their children, record it as a loan, rather than a gift. Whether it is a loan or a gift, the bank lender will need to know of the arrangement. Because a gift doesn’t need to be repaid, that will be beneficial to the parties. But a loan might make it problematic for all concerned, depending on the loan repayment requirements, if any. A related issue is whether that second loan is to be secured against the property by way of a second mortgage, registered or unregistered. Again, the bank lender is going to be very interested in this information. Mortgage lenders, if more than one, are allowed to arrange their affairs in a way that regulates who gets how much money in the event of enforcement. These are called priority arrangements. These could come into play a lot more under the new restrictions. And what about second tier lenders? The global financial crisis saw a lot of these lenders disappear, and a lot are still yet to resurrect. They ordinarily charge much higher interest rates, making loan repayments more difficult for first home buyers already facing high entry levels in Auckland. They certainly will want their loan secured against the property. Proper legal advice from the outset will assist all parties under these new arrangements. Visit www.schnauer.com
At Schnauer and Co we: • Deliver first class quality legal advice. • Build close relationships with our clients. • Provide practical and sensible advice. • Avoid excessive delegation by providing personal service. • Avoid a “make-work” approach by delivering advice only when it is truly needed, and when it will add value. • Charge reasonably and in proportion to the value our advice has added.
Talking Trusts: Tammy McLeod, Davenports This monthly column is provided by Tammy Mcleod (BA LLB), a partner at Davenports Harbour Lawyers. Tammy leads the Davenports Harbour Trust Team and enjoys providing clients with advice and assistance on a broad range of issues involving the establishment and structuring of asset plans, interpretation of trust deeds, duties of trustees and the management and administration of trust funds. A key part of Tammy’s practice is reviewing existing asset holding structures to ensure they achieve the needs and requirements they were established to meet. She is also experienced in Property (Relationships) Act issues and believes that the provisions of the Act are an important consideration in personal asset planning. Tammy is a past president of the Auckland Women’s Lawyers’ Association and is a current co-convenor of the NZICA Tammy McLeod. Trust Special Interest Group.
Jenny & Tim, Bill & Mark! Jenny and Tim, together with their other brother, Bill, were beneficiaries of the trust their parents had set up twenty years ago. Their parents had subsequently died and upon their father’s death, Bill, the eldest child was appointed as a trustee to act alongside the family accountant. The trust owned a commercial property, a couple of residential properties and had some cash in the bank. For the first few years after their father died, things were ok – Jenny and Tim each received some money from the trust each year which they assumed was income from the various properties. Jenny and Tim didn’t expect that the income to the trust was that much. The interest earned on bank deposits these days was low and they had no idea how much income the properties generated. They were grateful for the wee bonus the trust paid each of them at Christmas each year. Until one day Jenny was driving past one of the trust’s properties in Forrest Hill and she noticed Bill’s son, Mark, getting into his car. Jenny hadn’t seen Mark for a while and stopped to say hello, wondering what he was doing at the trust’s property. Mark was pleased to see his aunty and told her that he was now living in the trust property with his girlfriend. He said it was great because the rent was really cheap, only $200 per week. Alarm bells went off in Jenny’s head. While she had no idea how much market rent was in the area, she knew that $200 was incredibly cheap for a house in that area. She went home and rang Tim who suggested that they ring the accountant who was the other trustee for the trust. The accountant was very cagey when Jenny rang him. He told her that he had assumed that Bill was giving Jenny and Tim information about the trust. He said she should really talk to Bill. Instead of ringing Bill, Jenny rang her lawyer. Her lawyer told her that she and Tim were entitled to see the financials to the trust and that she would request them from the accountant. Two weeks later Jenny and Tim met with Jenny’s lawyer to look at the accounts for the trust. They couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw the amount of income the trust was receiving from the commercial property it owned and the amount of money the trust had in the bank was far more they imagined. They also saw that the amounts which had been paid to Bill and his children over the years, far exceeded anything Jenny and Tim had ever received. What could Jenny and Tim do? By favouring himself and his family, Bill was clearly in breach of his trustee duties. Jenny’s lawyer advised Jenny and Tim that if talking to Bill about his failings as a trustee failed, they should make an application to the court to remove Bill and the accountant as trustees and appoint neutral trustees. To ensure you don't make similar mistakes, take advice. Contact: Tammy McLeod, Email: tammy.mcleod@davenportsharbour.co.nz or visit: www.davenportsharbour.co.nz
DAVENPORTS H A R B O U R
DAVENPORTS HARBOUR LAWYERS
OCTOBER
SEMINAR SERIES Davenports Harbour Lawyers are holding a seminar series the week starting October 14th – be in quick to register your interest. Monday October 14th
7.30am: Trademarks – The importance of protecting your brand 5.30pm: The Personal Property Securities Act – Your terms of trade and the enforcement of your security
Tuesday October 15th
7.30am: Employment Law – Why bother with an employment contract? 5.30pm: Trust Administration – Would your trust survive if challenged?
Wednesday October 16th
7.30am: Enduring Powers of Attorney – Who, what and why? 5.30pm: Commercial Leases – 7 things you need to know
Thursday October 17th
7.30am: Franchises – How to franchise your business 5.30pm: Purchasing Residential Property – The A to Z of purchasing residential property Numbers are limited Refreshments provided. Register your interest today by calling Jess on 915 6142 or by e-mail to “jaj@davensportsharbour.co.nz”.
DAVENPORTS H A R B O U R
L A W Y E R S
L A W Y E R S
331 Rosedale Road, Albany. Phone: 915 4380 Email: tammy.mcleod@davenportsharbour.co.nz www.davenportsharbour.co.nz
331 Rosedale Road, Albany. Phone: 915 4380 www.davenportsharbour.co.nz
Issue 13 - September 2013
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North Harbour Club: News
2012 North Harbour Club AIMES Awards Winners.
AIMES Awards 2013 Judging under way Lydia Ko was presented with Judging for the 2013 North Harbour Club her Supreme AIMES Award at the 2012 Gala Dinner by North Harbour Club Patron Peter Menzies (right) and Pres ident Matthew Bellingham. AIMES Awards is well under way. This year the club has had 73 applications to receive awards and grants to the value of over $110,000.
The North Harbour Club AIMES Awards have been held every year since 1995. A total in excess of $1.5 million has been awarded in grants to young people, aged between 13 and 15 years old, who are deemed to be achieving excellence in their field. AIMES stands for Arts; Innovation Technology & Science; Music; Education; Sport; Service to the Community. Each year the North Harbour Club provides one award in each of these categories to the value of $10,000. One of these category winners goes on to receive the supreme North Harbour Club AIMES Award and a further grant in excess of $15,000. In addition to these awards the North Harbour Club also provides grants of $5000 to a group of applicants deemed to be in the Emerging Talent category. Many of these have gone on to win AIMES Awards in future years. The overall AIMES Award winner in 2012, golfer Lydia Ko, is a prime example. Lydia won an Emerging Talent Award in 2011 before winning both the AIMES Sport and AIMES Supreme Award (and $25,000) in 2012. "The first stage of our judging process is to look at all the submissions and select around four or five people in each category to go through to the second judging stage," explained judging panel chairman Simon Lamb in late August. "We have just done this over the past week and now have a short-list of 28. Due to the high calibre of applicants there are some tricky decisions for the panel to make. This year we have had
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a mixture of previous applicants and winners reapplying as well as some high quality new applicants." Simon Lamb (Principal of Takapuna Grammar) is joined on the AIMES judging panel by Andrea Davies (Campus Registrar at Massey University, Albany); Jan Dawson (Company Director and former Chief Executive and Chair of KPMG); Sue Stanaway (Residential Operations Manager for Bayleys Real Estate); Mike Stanley (CEO of the AUT Millennium Institute). All are members of the North Harbour Club. "The judging panel is very well balanced with knowledge right across the categories," added Simon Lamb. "It needs to be as the calibre of the submissions is very high across all the categories, so it is essential that the judging panel have knowledge right across the spectrum – education, sport, the arts, academia etc." "Sport is always strong, but we are also thrilled with the even spread of quality submissions right across all categories this year." The final step for the judging panel – who can meet up to five or six times during the judging period – is to choose the AIMES winners and Emerging Talent recipients from the shortlist of 28 and submit these recommendations to the North Harbour Club trustees. This was due to be completed by mid-September. North Harbour Club AIMES Awards sponsors are: The Arts - Bruce Mason Centre, IT Innovation and Science - Massey University, Music - Albany Toyota,
Issue 13 - September 2013
Education - Kristin School, Sport - AUT AWARDS Millennium, Service to the Community - ASB, Emerging Talent Awards BellinghamWallace. Channel Magazine publisher and Benefitz Managing Director Aidan Bennett, who is a Trustee and Vice President of the North Harbour Club is passionate about the organisation. “The North Harbour Club is a unique organsation that many other regions would love to have," says Aidan. "The ethos of supporting excellence, and helping our brilliant young people achieve their lofty goals, is really very special. You just need to look back at the list of our past winners to understand the impact that the club has made since its inception in 1995. Many of the high profile winners are sports people, but the club has provided equal support to all the other areas as well – such as musicians, business people, academics, performers, artists and those working in the community." The North Harbour Club AIMES Awards are presented at a black tie gala dinner that will be held this year on Saturday November 9th at the Bruce Mason Centre in Takapuna. For more information visit: www.northharbourclub.co.nz.
The North Harbour Club & Charitable Trust acknowledges the ongoing support of our fantastic sponsors… NorTH Harbour Club aiMes awards spoNsors
we’re buildiNg NorTH Harbour spoNsors
civil & structural engineers
Prince
proud spoNsor of THe aiMes aluMNi NeTwork
CHARITY LUNCHES
NorTH Harbour Club eveNT & supporT spoNsors
www.northharbourclub.co.nz
BNZ: In The Community
House of dreams finished and up FOR SALE! BNZ head office staff, North Shore store managers and Birkenhead store managers have all done volunteer work at the house of dreams project that is nearing completion at Beachhaven. This has included painting, clearing the section, cleaning etc. Around 10 months ago Ray White Beachhaven purchased a 1940’s house at 43 Rangatira Road, with a plan to renovate and re-sell to raise money for Beachhaven Plunket as they are in dire need for better facilities. They had been looking for a while and as soon as they saw it they knew it was the right one. It was original in many respects and there were certain aspects of the property that had not been taken advantage of which they felt could be accentuated, and a building inspection revealed that this old girl had great bones and would respond well to a makeover. This has been no quick and cheap do up. The team have achieved a high quality renovation that is evident when you visit the property. The weatherboards were stripped and the whole exterior, except the roof, completely repainted. The interior was stripped to the framing, fully re-wired, re-plumbed and insulated in all the exterior walls, ceilings and under the floor - toasty warm! New GIB board and classy looking GIB coving was applied to the nine foot high walls, all new “government” architraves and skirting’s were added to match the era, and the window joinery was stripped and painted
in classic gloss white. The bedrooms and family room have new carpet, and the stunning original Rimu floors have been exposed in the lounge, kitchen, entrance and dining area. A beautiful white kitchen with stone bench-top really ads class, as do the two new bathrooms with tiled floors. The home sits on a site of more than 900 square metres with a great entertaining area and the essential double garage. “The BNZ team are thrilled to be involved in such a neat project,” says Denise Fletcher, BNZ Store Manager Birkenhead. “We plan to have a good presence at the open homes and also on the auction day. This will be both team members from BNZ Birkenhead, other stores and BNZ head office.” Sponsors of the House of Dreams Project: Ray White Beachhaven, BNZ, Grove Mitre 10 Mega Glenfield, GIB, Wattle Paints, Mammoth Insulation, Kitchen Studios, Orange Scaffolding, Lamp Specialists, Contract Landscapes Ltd, Flooring Direct, Heritage Tiles, Foreno Tapware, Tree Fellas, Parmco and Betta Electrical, PS Electrical, Hi-Qual Doors and Stairs, Tradextra, Schnauer & Co, Orion Signs, Ambient Air, McDermond Plumbing, Mokoia Developments, Ideal Electrical, JTMedia, Marley, BCW Design, Bescene Interiors and Refresh Home Staging. ALL proceeds are going directly into the Beach Haven Plunket rooms.
BEFORE...
AFTER...
DATES... • First Open Homes - Saturday 31 August and Sunday 1st September 1pm-2pm • Second Open Homes - Saturday and Sunday 7th and 8th September 1pm – 2pm • Third Open Homes - Saturday and Sunday 14th and 15th September 1pm – 2pm • Auction Date - Saturday 21st September at 2.00pm, Onsite
CONNECT NOW through nHBa Guest Speaker:
Guest Speaker:
Member of Parliament
company Director & Business leader
Hon SteVen Joyce
SiR RalPH noRRiS
FRiDay 20 SePteMBeR 12.30 – 2PM
weD 16 octoBeR 7 – 8.30aM
noRtH HaRBouR StaDiuM
noRtH HaRBouR StaDiuM
RSVP now www.nhba.org.nz/events 50
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Issue 13 - September 2013
Corporate Apparel and Promo Items: Davis Doherty Corporate Apparel Superstore
BIG WINTER SALE!! at Davis Doherty
To mark the end of Winter Davis Doherty is offering some HOT SPECIALS on Winter coats, soft shell jackets, merino pullovers and even rugged work boots! These items are featured below: Plaza Melton Wool Coat This a great looking woollen coat and is fully lined with nylon twill. It is a classic fit garment with 5 button placket front and generous side pockets. It is extremely warm and comfortable. Superb for that corporate winter wardrobe. Available in charcoal. This is on special at $119.95 +GST (normally $166.75 +GST). Merino Crew Pullover This is a 100% merino wool 260 gsm weight pullover. Merino combines warmth and breathability with moisture wicking properties to regulate your body temperature throughout a range of climates. This is a very smart looking garment with a classic fit, a crew neck, and tailored hem. Available in black or charcoal/black and on special at $69.95 +GST (normally $102.00 +GST). Geneva Softshell Jacket The Geneva is a lighter and more comfortable softshell jacket with a stylish coloured collar trim and matching side zippered pockets with toggles. It is made of 100% breathable polyester and lined with bonded micro-ribbed fleece. This is a very modern softshell with good looks and a great cut (it also has a scalloped longer back tail). Colour trim choices include black/red, black/cyan, black/graphite, and navy/graphite. This jacket is on special at $59.00 +GST (normally $72.95 +GST). Jack Sole of Steel Boots These are rugged leather work boots with not only a steel cap but also a steel mid-sole for extra protection from sharp objects underfoot. They are padded for comfort, and built to last. We have an end of line shipment of these boots and are selling them at an AMAZINGLY LOW price of $59.00 +GST (normal retail for these boots is over $180 .00 +GST). CLEARANCE SHOP We have reduced all items in our clearance shop to $10 OR LESS. These include mens and ladies business shirts. Please call in and take advantage of these great prices.
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Leasing now: Takapuna gateway A $6 million revamp of 2 Fred Thomas Drive brings a golden opportunity to lease high profile space in the gateway to Takapuna, including signage rights. Prime office space is now available for lease in this arterial street, which forms the main entrance way into Takapuna. It’s a ten minute walk to the beach, or to the shops and bars in the heart of the Takapuna dining area. This site has more than 330 car parks. There’s easy access to the Northern motorway network, with motorway interchanges at Esmonde Road to the South and Northcote Road to the North. TA H
A R O T
O R O A D
FR
LA
E ED THOMAS DRIV
CK
ND –
W AI
W ER
A M O TO R W AY
This is a great opportunity to lease A-grade office space, fully refurbished inside and out. High-profile signage rights and plenty of parking make this a must-see.
AU
Smales Farm’s multimillion dollar revamp of the site includes a café and a purpose-built family medical centre called Fred Thomas Health. The medical centre houses general practitioners, pharmacy, physiotherapy clinic, radiology and other medical imaging services.
ES
New Zealand’s best place to work and do business.
M
O
N
D
E
R
O
AD
2 Fred Thomas Drive, Takapuna • Fully refurbished inside and out • Brand new café onsite • Brand new medical centre onsite • Ample parking for staff and visitors • Signage rights
How much space is available?
A newly-planted boulevard of Pin Oak trees stretches from Taharoto Road to Des Swann Drive, giving this main entrance into Takapuna a well-deserved sense of formality and drama.
Where
Area
Top Floor, level 2
1300m2
Level 1
320m2
Level 1
500m2
Please contact Smales Farm General Manager Daniel Henderson on 09 488 2300 or contact your preferred agent.
Banking with BNZ
Talking business before A chat with Neil Craigen, Senior Partner, BNZ Partners North Harbour
Neil Craigen is one of two Senior Partners at BNZ Partners North Harbour. A Zimbabwean by birth, Neil and his wife Debbie came to New Zealand due to the economic and political instability in Zimbabwe 13 years ago, in 2000. They love it. Neil says the attraction is the safe and stable environment that offers their youngsters (aged nine and 14) great opportunities. They are a sporting family as well so the fit is very good. Neil first got into the finance sector as an agent for the Barclay’s Bank finance house in Zimbabwe. When he came to New Zealand he went into private enterprise, buying a franchise business which he later sold to move back into finance. His finance roles have been with major banks, including a period as a mortgage broker, a mobile manager, and Neil Craigen. in leading roles in retail banking before the desire to get back into the business side led him to a Senior Partner position with BNZ Partners as the concept was launched in South Auckland. Over three years in South Auckland was followed by an operational role with BNZ Partners in the city. But Neil loves dealing with customers best, so jumped at the recent opportunity to become a Senior Partner at BNZ Partners on the Shore, replacing Ros Stewart. The Business Channel’s Aidan Bennett put these questions to Neil Craigen in mid-August. AIDAN BENNETT: What is the single biggest issue facing businesses in a financial sense at present? NEIL CRAIGEN: The biggest challenge is really adjusting to the after affects of the GFC. There has been a lot of consolidation in most business segments and many have made the adjustments and are now gearing up for growth. As a result of the GFC tightening, the general lack of business governance in many smaller companies has highlighted issues, particularly in the critical finance and cash flow areas. Many companies are running month to month rather than taking a strategic approach so some of the decision making can be quite narrow. BNZ Partners can help and I find this personally very rewarding. Being able to take our Education Partners in to customers who need assistance and seeing the results is heartwarming. It is essential that our customers are well prepared and informed for key decisions around capital expenditure and cashflow. It is much healthier for them to be involved in this process than leaving things entirely to their accountants. AB: You mentioned that you are not really a banker. What did you mean by that? NC: My real strengths are around leadership and sales, rather than technical banking. So I like to talk business before I talk banking and customers do relate to that approach. It is all about focussing on the people and their business. The great strength of our offering is that we can involve our specialists with customers as they need them. We have got real good people and my style is to lead them from the front, support them and ensure as a team we are delivering for our customers.
Call us on 0800 955 455 Visit bnzpartners.co.nz
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AB: The North Shore/Harbour area must be an exciting place for a bank to do business in with so many innovative and growing businesses? NC: South Auckland was quite a different market with a bigger focus on manufacturing and it really is the foodbowl of Auckland. The Shore on the other hand has a very progressive technical and innovative sector, with ICT, education and health being prominent. I am amazed at what some of the companies on the Shore are doing on the global stage. As the area grows it is also becoming more self-sufficient with less reliance on the city. There is a very strong business community with some great organisations such as ATEED, the North Harbour Club, Takapuna Beach Business Association, North Harbour Business Association, tertiary educational institutions and strong business associations helping to foster business growth. AB: You are a firm convert to the “Partners” concept. Why does it work so well? NC: Yes, five years on the model is starting to mature with great results. It is a fantastic model for relationship banking. The old bank manager used to be like a decathlete. Now we have relationship bankers who lead the process and they are backed up by a whole range of specialists in areas such as cashflow, foreign exchange risk, transactional etc. We can have six to seven people working with customers so the relationships are much deeper and the results better. We also have some pretty good facilities that are available to customers nationwide through the BNZ Partners network of 33 centres.
banking AB: What growth areas are you seeing at present for BNZ Partners in the business sector? NC: The growth sectors I have mentioned above (ICT, education and health) offer great opportunities for not only BNZ Partners, but the North Harbour region and New Zealand on the global stage. AB: Tell us about BNZ’s involvement in The Icehouse programmes. You host a regular Icehouse Owner Manager Programme (OMP) Alumni get together. What does that involve? NC: BNZ has been working with The Icehouse for over a decade now and the relationship is continuing to evolve. It is a great fit helping them with their innovative business education programmes. Hosting the Alumni who have completed The Icehouse programmes is hugely enlightening for members of our BNZ Partners team. It is very interesting engaging about the progress they are making with their diverse range of businesses as a result of completing the challenging programmes. The intention is to take our relationship with The Icehouse to the next level with business education and encouraging business owners to use their Businesses of International Quality (BIQ) tool to benchmark their own business. This initiative will undoubtedly involve local North Harbour businesses, benchmarking and preparing them to compete on the world business stage. AB: If you were providing one piece of wisdom to business people at present, what would that be? NC: Continue to educate yourself. Remember that change is a constant and that rate of change is accelerating due to technology so professional development is more important than ever before. AB: What does Neil Craigen do to relax? NC: Whatever the kids are doing. We are a sporting family and I get a real thrill out of spending time with them doing things they enjoy. Debbie and I have been very involved with their cricket, coaching and managing and cycling is also very popular at the moment. I also enjoy following The Blues and the All Blacks. If you are interested in talking to Neil Craigen about your banking requirements, you can call him on 09 924 3893 or 029 222 0742 or email: Neil_Craigen@bnz.co.nz
Neil Craigen.
About BNZ Partners… North Harbour was the first BNZ Partners Centre launched in New Zealand, and has been the blueprint for refining the Partners Centre proposition, and getting customer feedback, as the concept has been rolled out throughout New Zealand. If you haven’t been to take a look at this facility, you should do. It is impressive. It is on the third floor of one of the Candida Office Park buildings on Constellation Drive. As well as being the home of a team of 30 plus people, with expertise across business banking, property finance, private banking, asset finance, trade finance, and commercial insurance, it is also a facility that hosts many business networking events and is happily shared with BNZ Partners’ customers. It is described as ‘an office away from the office,’ with boardroom and office facilities available for all BNZ Partners’ customers. BNZ Partners takes up the entire top floor of the building. Half of the floor is office space, while the other half is a big area, including four board/meeting rooms of varying sizes, which are totally dedicated to making BNZ Partners’ customers feel right at home. Regular functions held at the BNZ Partners North Harbour Centre include presentations by well-known economists, Exporters Lunches, Business Owners Forums (in conjunction with ATEED), ICEHOUSE Alumni get-togethers and Rising Stars of Business lunches. From time to time, there are also Business Growth courses (with 30 across New Zealand annually) and other seminars such as Women in Business and an introduction to Kaizan manufacturing methods.
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Talking Tax: Chris Lindsay, Lindsay Tax Solutions This regular column is provided by Chris Lindsay (B.Com CA), a Director at Lindsay Tax Solutions Ltd. Chris is a Chartered Accountant and tax specialist based on the North Shore. Chris has worked in the tax field for over 20 years and advises businesses on a range of tax issues including structuring when buying and selling businesses, handling IRD audits, expanding overseas and reviewing existing structures.
Building Business Confidence Chris Lindsay.
Are Your Interest Payments Tax Deductible? A recent tax case has re-affirmed the importance of correctly structuring bank debt, when seeking to claim interest deductions on that debt. In the case, the taxpayer borrowed significant amounts from a bank and on-lent to related parties. The on-lending was on terms that interest was only payable if demanded by the lender. The lender did not demand interest. The Court held that the interest paid to the bank was non-deductible, as there was no income derived from the use of those borrowed funds. This scenario is common in back-to-back loan situations, where an individual may borrow from a bank and on-lend to a company or trust which uses the funds to derive income. If interest is not charged on the on-lending arrangement, the bank interest is non-deductible. For example, John and Julie borrow funds from a bank in their personal names. The funds are used in their company’s business (the company is owned by their family trust). John and Julie do not document their loan to the company, and do not charge interest on that loan. In this situation, the interest would be non-deductible. John and Julie should have documented their loan to the company and charged interest on that loan. Another common scenario which can lead to interest being non-deductible is where shareholders lend money to a company in proportion to their shareholding percentages and charge interest on those loans under a written loan agreement. The tax legislation generally deems these loans to be share capital rather than loan capital, with the consequence that the interest paid by the company is deemed to be non-deductible dividend payments, rather than interest payments. This is not a good outcome as the payments are non-deductible but the receipts remain taxable. Other key points to note regarding interest deductibility: • Most companies (not Qualifying Companies or Look-Through Companies) have an automatic deduction for interest. However, interest incurred on funds lent by shareholders relative to their shareholding percentages is likely to be non-deductible. • For borrowers who are not companies, it is critical to show that the funds have been used by the borrower to generate income to the borrower, or in a business being carried on by the borrower. • Don’t assume your interest payments will be deductible. Take advice to ensure they are. If you would like to discuss this issue, or any tax issue, please contact Chris Lindsay on chris@lindsaytax.co.nz or 021829400
LINDSAY TAX SOLUTIONS LTD Chartered Accountants and Tax Specialists Website: www.lindsaytax.co.nz
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THE BUSINESS CHANNEL
Shore Matters: with Maggie Barry
Issue 13 - September 2013
The fact that the North Shore is a vibrant centre for business development can be measured by the increasing number of dynamic and growing businesses basing themselves here. This Government is working hard to build confidence and has a strong plan for the economy, which can only benefit local businesses across the region. Economic growth is now the highest in five years – Maggie Barry. comparable to Australia and higher than almost every other developed country. Our economy is forecast to grow between 2 and 3 per cent a year over the next four years. In turn business confidence is the highest it has been for more than 14 years. I recently met with the owners of Booktrack, based in Takapuna, which is a tech start-up company with offices in San Francisco. They have developed the technology for a new genre of entertainment digital content that provides synchronized movie-style soundtracks to eBooks. It’s a very impressive product with cutting edge interactive technology and is already increasing comprehension and retention rates as readers get a totally new immersive reading experience. One of this Government’s priorities is to build a more competitive and productive economy and under the Business Growth Agenda, the Government has set a target to increase exports to 40 percent of GDP by 2025. The establishment of Callaghan Innovation supports this. It encourages greater business investment in R&D, lifts R&D co-funding to $142 million per year, and helps to better commercialise smart ideas into successful products. One local Takapuna business that has benefited from an R&D Grant is the highly successful AFT Pharmaceuticals which was awarded a grant as part of the Government’s Technology Development Grants programme. Their success continues with company founder and CEO, Dr Hartley Atkinson, recently named as one of the finalists in the prestigious 2013 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. Hartley started the business in his home after he was made redundant in 1997 and the company now has licensing and distribution agreements in 42 countries. If your business is interested in learning more about the R&D Grants I’d encourage you to apply for a grant and to visit the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s science website www.msi.govt.nz, and apply for a grant. Congratulations also to the 18 finalists in the Westpac Auckland North Business Awards proving again that the North Shore business community is in very good heart. Visit Maggie’s website: www.maggiebarry.co.nz Keep up to date with Maggie on facebook: www.facebook.com/maggiebarrynz Follow Maggie on Twitter: @maggiebarry
Our economy is forecast to grow between 2 and 3 per cent a year over the next four years. In turn business confidence is the highest it has been for more than 14 years.
North Harbour Business Association: News
Celebrating 10 years of service Recently NHBA celebrated a further milestone – 10 years of service to the local North Harbour business community. The evening we had at the North Shore Golf Club (photos feature in this issue) gave us the chance to acknowledge the contribution of our voluntary Executive Committee and the time these local business owners or managers provide, to enhance and enable good governance. It also provided NHBA with an occasion to formally recognise the substantial stakeholder resources and contribution that we have attracted over the years – which has enabled NHBA to become sustainable while still increasing the depth of member programmes, without any increase of the targeted rate collected from their members. However without the ongoing validation of our members, we would not have been able to grow from 30 to over 4000 since 2003. It is these members we exist for, and will continue to focus our efforts upon.
NHBA Seminars Speaking of which; NHBA recently launched a series of seminars which will be held during the day, aimed at supporting and up-skilling women in work. The first speaker was international communication consultant – Maggie Eyre and she shared with over 65 women how to make a positive impression. You can read the full report at www.nhba.org.nz. Future events are being finalised and will be published on our events calendar.
Clean Up Your Business NHBA will help you clean up during September with a series of initiatives from the 8th to the 15th – as promoted in an advert in this issue. This will include pallet pick up, recycling information, a general community clean-up and e-waste collection. Visit www.nhba.org.nz for more info.
Prevent Shoplifting Workshop For those businesses involved in the retail sector, you are invited to attend a workshop to help prevent shoplifting. This will be an informative and interactive workshop so we encourage you to attend and gain ideas as to how to protect your business ahead of the busy pre-Christmas trading period. ‘Prevent Shoplifting’, 24th September, 5.15pm, Pickles on Apollo, Corner Antares Place and Apollo Drive, Mairangi Bay. RSVP’s required – www.nhba.org.nz.
NHBA Business Breakfast and Luncheons NHBA has an exciting range of speakers lined up for our Business Breakfast and Luncheons. Keep up to date with these by visiting www.nhba.org.nz/events. Key events for the diary are:
Sir Ralph Norris will speak at the October NHBA Business Breakfast.
Cabinet Minister Hon. Steven Joyce will address the NHBA Business Luncheon to be held on September 20th.
• Hon. Steven Joyce Business Luncheon 20th September 2013, 12.30pm-2pm, North Harbour Stadium, Albany. Guest Speaker: Hon. Steven Joyce, Minister for Economic Development, Minister of Science and Innovation, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment, Associate Minister of Finance. RSVP’s required – www.nhba.org.nz. • Sir Ralph Norris Business Breakfast 16th October, 7am-8:30am, North Harbour Stadium, Albany. Guest speaker: Sir Ralph Norris. Over a career spanning in excess of 40 years, Sir Ralph Norris has successfully led a number of large organisations through periods of change and development. He is credited with leading the Commonwealth Bank of Australia through the global financial crisis; turning around Air New Zealand by creating a customer focused culture and leading the ASB through a period of national expansion - increasing market share by 60 per cent. Sir Ralph Norris is currently serving on the Board of both Fonterra and Origin Energy. He was made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2009 and a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business in 2006. RSVP’s required – www.nhba.org.nz.
NZTA Public Meeting Later in the year, we will host a public meeting at which NZTA will update you on their plans for the multi-million dollar investment within the Upper Harbour/Albany area. We continue to lobby for additional investment to support the growth and efficiency of your business. This meeting will provide you with the facts you need for future planning. For a full update about our programmes, please read the latest FYI magazine online at www.nhba.org.nz/magazine. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding our programmes, or wish to be added to our FYI Online e-newsletter. Visit: www.nhba.org.nz
Imagine having access to your own board like the big companies. Contact Stephen James of The Alternative Board today. T: 09 446 0963. M: 021 606 934. E: sjames@TheAlternativeBoard.co.nz www.TheAlternativeBoard.co.nz
Call us today and we can explain how this is within your reach. Stephen James
Issue 13 - September 2013
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Accountancy: with Matthew Bellingham, Bellingham Wallace Bellingham Wallace Accountancy Director Matt Bellingham is Chairman of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants’ Public Practice Advisory Board. This month he gives Channel readers an expert insight into the recent tightening of security procedures in banking.
Cashing in on R&D tax losses We first touched on the Government’s commitment to investigate the refund of tax losses from Research and Development (R&D) expenditure back in May, as part of our 2013 Budget commentary (www.bellinghamwallace.co.nz/budget2013). I’m delighted to report that the last of the submissions were received on the 30th August and the proposal is now under review. So what exactly has been proposed and why? It all starts with the theory that New Zealand is only able to sustain higher incomes and the associated standard of living if our businesses are able to compete internationally by offering new and advantaged products and services. Innovation is therefore essential, but it requires businesses to first invest and go through a period of R&D and this isn’t a cheap exercise. As a result it can take a couple of years, sometimes more, before these businesses return a profit. Undertaking R&D is therefore a risky exercise that many emerging (or for that matter established) businesses are not willing to take. Those that do often face uncertain cash flows and this can put the entire business at risk. Compounding this are our current tax rules, which have no additional incentives for making an R&D spend, combined with the requirement of a tax loss to be carried forward and deducted against future taxable income. As a result emerging R&D intensive businesses are unable to use their tax losses in a timely fashion, or in some cases, at all, further starving them of cash. The proposal aims to give these businesses early access their R&D tax losses in an attempt to alleviate some of their capital and cash flow constraints. But to be eligible: • The business’ (and also group) R&D spend on wages and salaries must be at least 20% of the business’ total spend on wages and salaries. • The business (and also group) must be in a tax-loss position for the applicable income year. • The applicant must be a company resident in New Zealand. Look-through companies, listed companies, qualifying companies or special corporate entities are not eligible.
Limits have also been suggested. The amount of the tax loss that can be “cashed out” under the proposal will be the lesser of: • 1.5 times the company’s eligible R&D salary and wage expenditure in the relevant year; • total qualifying R&D expenditure in the relevant year; and • total tax losses in the relevant year. This will initially be capped at $140,000 and rise incrementally each year to a maximum cap on eligible losses of $2 million. However, early pay-outs would need to be paid back from the returns received if: • The business is sold (all shares). • Some of the business’ shares are sold. • Any Intellectual property is sold. Having just completed the 2013 round of judging for the Northern Region Business Excellence awards, I think that innovation in business is absolutely critical to keeping ahead of the game and developing a sustainable competitive advantage on the world stage. I also think that it was a mistake to abolish the R&D tax credits that used to be in place, and welcome the Government’s display of empathy towards small ventures that are striving to be innovative. To keep updated with the progress of this proposal sign up to our newsletter by visiting www.belllinghamwallace.co.nz. The Bellingham Wallace team are ready to help and can be contacted on 09 309 7851. www.bellinghamwallace.co.nz
Aaron, Mike and Matt get up everyday to make a positive difference to their clients’ lives. Can you say the same about your accountant? Yes, we bring best practice accountancy to the table. But we excel at inspiring positive change through fresh thinking and expansive strategies that challenge convention. Call 09 309 7851 to arrange a coffee (on us) to find out exactly what you’ve been missing. www.bellinghamwallace.co.nz
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THE BUSINESS CHANNEL
Issue 13 - September 2013
Building & Construction With Phil Brosnan Phil Brosnan is the Managing Director of North Shore based company, Brosnan Construction. Since setting up Brosnan Construction in 2010, the company has built a strong team of qualified individuals who work collaboratively and are focused on ‘making a positive difference’. The team at Brosnan understands the importance of strong relationships, quality, and reliability within the industry and has been able to deliver consistent results through the application of these principles to all areas of their work.
There’s no place like home I have recently returned from two trips out of the country and seeing what is going on in the industry outside New Zealand’s borders I have to say, there’s no place like home. My first journey took me to Ireland and Wales on a recruitment drive. My first stop was Belfast and I landed shortly after the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne – a battle in 1690 between two kings, one Protestant and the other, Catholic. The atmosphere is always a little tense during and shortly after the anniversary so this may have brought the tempo down a notch or two but things are still tough there. Though I did not see it first-hand the stories of empty housing estates facing the wrecking ball pervaded many conversations. My next stop, in Dublin, was a short one and although the people I spoke to talked of an incredibly gloomy industry, the city seemed to be relatively vibrant. This was my first visit but I was impressed by the number of people milling around the city probably fuelled by a combination of tourists at the top of the season and what is still a relatively buoyant pharmaceuticals industry. As I carried on down the country into Limerick and Cork the message was clear, the industry and the economy has a long way to recovery. Fortunately for those that are left behind, history has repeated itself and the downturn has mobilised the young who have travelled around the globe in search of better opportunities. This has limited the current unemployment to 13.5% but no doubt it will hinder their export led recovery.
My second trip took me to Tasmania and while the story here was not nearly as bad as it was in Ireland, their current economic conditions reminded me of where we were three years ago. As I stated earlier, there is no place like home. I have been talking about the oncoming recovery in our industry now for a number of months and I can confirm that it has arrived. Every contractor I talk to now has excellent forward orders, many with ‘full books.’ Again at the risk of repeating myself, now is the time to work closely with your preferred contractor, get them engaged early in the project development stage and among others, get the benefits of their early advice, have them booked in and get a better deal. Contact: Phil Brosnan, Brosnan Construction, Phone: (09) 479 4347, phil.brosnan@brosnanconstruction.co.nz.
Though I did not see it firsthand the stories of empty housing estates facing the wrecking ball were a pervaded many conversations.
www.brosnanconstruction.co.nz Issue 13 - September 2013
THE BUSINESS CHANNEL
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SEPTEMBER 2013 - Issue
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Upcoming Events & Important Dates BEN Breakfast Speaker: Adrian Littlewood CEO, Auckland International Airport Ltd Tuesday September 10th, 2013. 7.15am – 9am Bruce Mason Centre, The Promenade, Takapuna Every second month more than 170 business owners and senior business managers gather for breakfast to network and enjoy a keynote speaker. Sponsored jointly by Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development, Westpac, BDO and Schnauer & Co, the breakfasts are a hugely successful meeting ground for business owners; introductions during the breakfast further increase networking benefits. Visit: businessaucklandnz.com North Harbour Club Lexus of North Shore - Rugby Lunch Friday September 13th, 12 noon North Harbour Stadium Held the day prior to the All Blacks versus Springboks match at Eden Park. www.northharbourclub.co.nz Westpac Auckland North Business Awards - Gala Dinner Thursday 26th September, 6pm - late. Individual tickets $170+GST / Table of 10 $1,600+GST Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna. This glittering black-tie event is the pinnacle of the awards season. Hundreds of local business people join in the celebration as the year’s winners are announced. This is the perfect opportunity to come together with the business community and celebrate local success. Visit: businessaucklandnz.com
Target Shore People Channel Magazine. Published monthly, 24,760 copies distributed to homes and businesses in Devonport, Bayswater, Belmont, Takapuna, Milford, Forrest Hill, Westlake, Castor Bay, Campbells Bay, Mairangi Bay, Murrays Bay, Northcote Point, Birkenhead Point and to selected businesses outside these areas.
www.channelmag.co.nz For all enquiries contact: Aidan Bennett, aidan@benefitz.co.nz, 021-500-997 Proudly published and printed by
‘Starting Off Right’ Seminar Friday 4th October, 9.15am-1pm ATEED North: Level 1, Building 1, 61 Constellation Drive, Mairangi Bay Starting Off Right is a seminar for local Auckland start-up businesses to empower, inform and help with networking. Many new businesses struggle due to a variety of challenges that could have been avoided or handled better. If additional time is taken - by following the Starting off Right programme - in upskilling, planning and preparing for possible hurdles, success is more likely. This four hour workshop will provide information about the many concerns business owners have when starting a business. It also provides an opportunity to network with others who have similar queries and challenges. Visit: businessaucklandnz.com The Effective Network (TEN) Business Breakfast Series This month’s topic: Trends affecting your business
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THE BUSINESS CHANNEL
Issue 13 - September 2013
Wednesday 23rd October (Breakfast), 7am – 9am Location: Orewa (TBC) $40+GST The Effective Network offers networking opportunities for business owners to the north of Auckland. This is an opportunity to meet with other medium to large business owners based in the Rodney/ Hibiscus Coast area, make valuable contacts, learn something new and have some fun. Andrew Patterson, RadioLIVE’s expert Business Editor and host of Sunday Business - New Zealand’s only weekly radio programme dedicated exclusively to business news and issues - provides insight into the world of commerce. Andrew presents an entertaining and informative take on current business trends, the economic climate, how New Zealand and its regions are affected, what opportunities there might be - and shares his predictions for the future. Visit: businessaucklandnz.com BEN Breakfast Speaker: Simon Moutter CEO, Telecom New Zealand Limited Tuesday November 6th, 2013. 7.15am – 9am Bruce Mason Centre, The Promenade, Takapuna Every second month more than 170 business owners and senior business managers gather for breakfast to network and enjoy a keynote speaker. Sponsored jointly by Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development, Westpac, BDO and Schnauer & Co, the breakfasts are a hugely successful meeting ground for business owners; introductions during the breakfast further increase networking benefits. Visit: businessaucklandnz.com North Harbour Club AIMES AWARDS Gala Dinner Saturday 9th November, Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna www.northharbourclub.co.nz The Effective Network (TEN) Business Breakfast Series This month’s topic: Marketing/Selling Wednesday 20th November (Breakfast), 7am – 9am Location: Puhoi (TBC) $40+GST The Effective Network offers evening networking opportunities for business owners to the north of Auckland. Visit: businessaucklandnz.com ‘Starting Off Right’ Seminar Friday 6th December, 9.15am-1pm ATEED North: Level 1, Building 1, 61 Constellation Drive, Mairangi Bay Starting Off Right is a seminar for local Auckland start-up businesses to empower, inform and help with networking. Visit: businessaucklandnz.com
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