Venture Taranaki Business Toolkit
YOUR GUIDE TO ACCESSING SERVICES AND RESOURCES TO GROW AND DEVELOP YOUR BUSINESS
www.business.taranaki.info
Doing Business in Taranaki Welcome to Venture Taranaki’s Business Toolkit. At Venture Taranaki, we want to help your business grow. Our team is equipped with knowledge and tools to help you succeed, whether your business is just an idea or if it’s well-established and looking to expand. There are a lot of services and resources available so we have developed the Business Toolkit to help you understand how Venture Taranaki can help your business. We want to inspire you to think of different ways to grow your business by highlighting the opportunities that are available.
Venture Taranaki Trust is Taranaki’s Regional Development Agency. Incorporated as a charitable trust, Venture Taranaki is a dynamic organisation which has facilitated business success from enterprise inception through to sustainable growth based on international competitiveness. Venture Taranaki is an initiative founded by New Plymouth District Council. In addition, Venture Taranaki is also supported by South Taranaki District Council, Stratford District Council, Taranaki Electricity Trust, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Callaghan Innovation, Business Mentors New Zealand and numerous other organisations.
What’s more, almost all of our services are free. If you have any queries, please get in touch with the team here at Venture Taranaki.
Taranaki’s Regional Development Agency 9 Robe St, PO Box 670, New Plymouth 4340 Phone: 06 759 5150 Email: info@venture.org.nz www.business.taranaki.info
Welcome & Contents
Contents Welcome
Talent 12
Business Start-up & Business Investment 02
Export Assistance & Massey University Partnership
13
Sector Support
14
Regional Intelligence
15
Additional Venture Taranaki Resources
16
More Resources
17
Business Support
04
Business Mentoring
06
Business Capability
08
Research & Development
10
Talk to the team at Venture Taranaki today for assistance growing your business or organisation: phone: 06 759 5150, email: info@venture.org.nz or visit www.business.taranaki.info
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Business Start-up
Business Investment
Translating your ideas into a successful business takes time, resources and energy. At Venture Taranaki, we understand it can be daunting to start up a new business so we are there for newly established businesses, and all those considering taking the plunge by offering support, advice and assistance through Business Start-Up Clinics.
Taranaki has an extensive record of successfully attracting international investment, from global companies involved in the oil and gas industry to niche and innovative businesses. Venture Taranaki has been utilised by many investors as a key point of initial contact to discuss their assessment criteria, regional intelligence requirements, supply chain linkages, infrastructure and referrals to assist their decision making process.
Business Start-Up Clinics offer a confidential, free, one-on-one consultation with our experienced Startup Business Advisor. The clinic gives you the chance to ask any business questions on everything ranging from business planning to sales and marketing.
For more information, visit www.business.taranaki. info or contact our business development team – call 06 759 5150 or email info@venture.org.nz.
Business Start-up Clinics are offered in New Plymouth, Hawera and Stratford, and elsewhere in Taranaki on demand. If you have an idea for a business and need help getting started, get in touch with our Business Startup Clinic Coordinator to book an appointment – call 06 759 5163 or email startup@venture.org.nz.
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Virtuous Skincare
Despite doctors saying that her son would have permanent scarring, Lisa’s new skin treatment restored his skin to full health. Lisa got in touch with the team at Venture Taranaki to see if this innovative new product could be built into a business and booked an appointment to attend a free, one-on-one start-up clinic with a Business Advisor. “Venture Taranaki were the first port of call as soon as I decided to build a business around my new herbal skin cream,” Lisa says.
At the Business Start-up Clinic, Lisa received advice on budgeting, advertising, market research, sales and marketing and business planning. “I attended at least half a dozen clinic appointments and each one was very helpful as I had numerous questions about the requirements for starting a small business.” “The advice and encouragement I received from Venture Taranaki gave me so much more knowledge and confidence to not only start a business, but to maintain the running of it.” “I would recommend anyone with a new business idea to contact Venture Taranaki for start-up advice, that’s what I did and I haven’t looked back!”
“I would recommend anyone with a new business idea to contact Venture Taranaki for start-up advice, that’s what I did and I haven’t looked back!”
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Business Start-up & Business Investment
New Plymouth Naturopath and Herbalist Lisa West started her business Virtuous Skincare, after she developed a skin treatment to help heal her son’s burns.
Business Support The mobile business advisory team at Venture Taranaki is available to meet with you anywhere in Taranaki and offer a customised approach to helping your business succeed. It’s not always easy to figure out what kind of business assistance you might need. When you meet with a Venture Taranaki Business Advisor for the first time, they will take you through a business overview. You will have the opportunity to discuss all aspects of your business planning, marketing planning and any export or growth strategies you have in place.
Whether you need help finding contacts, suppliers, partners, staff or are interested in finding out if there are relevant opportunities available that could help your business, we can help or refer you to the appropriate source of advice. Venture Taranaki works with many businesses from all sectors, of all sizes, and at all stages of development. Venture Taranaki is a one-stop shop for business assistance so don’t hesitate to make the most of the support we offer and give us a call today.
These consultations are free and confidential, and will help you to identify the strengths and weaknesses in your business, and provide you with an action plan to set you in the right direction.
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If you’re interested in knowing more about any of the business opportunities included in this toolkit or have any queries about what might work for your business, talk to the team at Venture Taranaki – call 06 759 5150 or email business@venture.org.nz. We’d be happy to assist.
Green Meadows Beef The vouchers were used to connect Nick to strategic planning advice from Staples Rodway’s expert business advisory team, enabling them to develop a strategic plan, goals and targets and put a strategy in place to sustainably grow the business.
The business began as a family affair but in just two years has transformed to encompass a dedicated processing plant in Bell Block, innovative packaging designs and a very well positioned brand across traditional and social media.
“We now have priority areas to focus on, clear targets across a range of areas and plans in place for the next 5 to 10 years,” says Nick.
Such rapid growth can often bring its own set of challenges, so co-owner Nick Carey turned to Venture Taranaki for business support. Through Venture Taranaki’s business advisors, he accessed the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Capability Development Voucher scheme, delivered by Venture Taranaki.
“Having a clear strategy has meant we have been able to open our first butchery, bring on staff and seriously look towards export opportunities.” Venture Taranaki is continuing to work with Nick and Green Meadows Beef to help them become yet another great Taranaki success story.
“We now have priority areas to focus on, clear targets across a range of areas and plans in place for the next 5 to 10 years.”
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Business Support
Originating from a farm near Opunake, Green Meadows Beef has grown rapidly into a brand found in many of the nation’s top boutique food stores and in the kitchens of discerning home cooks.
Business Mentoring If you could use some extra advice when making business decisions, then the Business Mentoring Programme could be for you. This programme matches people in small businesses with experienced mentors who offer independent and impartial advice, a fresh perspective, inspiration or simply a sounding board for ideas about growing and sustaining your business. Venture Taranaki facilitates Business Mentors New Zealand in Taranaki, and has been matching businesses with mentors for over a decade.
When finding a mentor for you, Venture Taranaki takes into account your industry and business needs to make sure you have a mentor who can help your business achieve its goals. Your mentor will take the time to understand the challenges you face and can help you take your business further, set new targets and achieve better results. If you think your business would benefit from extra guidance by meeting regularly with a mentor, please contact our Business Mentoring coordinator – call 06 759 5163 or email mentoring@venture.org.nz.
If you have or currently run a business, work or have worked in a key role in business, or have particular business skills, you could have what it takes to help guide other Taranaki businesses on the path to growth. Becoming a mentor is a very rewarding experience so if you’re an experienced business person who understands the challenges small businesses face, please contact our Business Mentoring coordinator – call 06 759 5163 or email mentoring@venture.org.nz. www.businessmentors.org.nz
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Liquorland New Plymouth’s Amie Murphy approached Venture Taranaki to sign up to the business mentoring programme after she launched her business, Liquorland Fitzroy. “I’d heard the mentoring programme being advertised but it probably really came in to play when discussing the concept with my dad who is also my business partner,” says Amie. Venture Taranaki, the agency for Business Mentors New Zealand in Taranaki, matched Amie with a mentor who had the business experience to help Liquorland grow. “The major challenge with growing a business from zero is that you’ve got to figure out how to build a good loyal
customer base. I certainly needed help with gaining the tools to be able to do that.” After catching up with her mentor for a few hours each month, Amie has found the programme motivating and the advice given from her mentor invaluable. “Joining up to the Business Mentoring Programme has been pretty amazing. I now look at the growth and the new focusses and I’m pretty excited about the plans I have for the future.” Amie encourages anyone looking to expand their business to approach Venture Taranaki’s business advisors to see if the Business Mentoring programme is a good option for them.
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Business Mentoring
“Joining up to the Business Mentoring Programme has been pretty amazing. I now look at the growth and the new focusses and I’m pretty excited about the plans I have for the future.”
Business Capability If you’re looking to boost your business by stepping up your skillset, a Venture Taranaki Business Advisor can point you in the right direction.
management, governance, sustainability, lean business, business operations and export development. In order to be considered for voucher funding, your business will need to meet these basic criteria:
If you need business training, then the personalised business action plan that Venture Taranaki will create for you will include a range of training options available either here in the region or elsewhere, from short courses to one-on-one coaching programmes. You will then have the opportunity to meet with the training providers directly before committing to a course of action. Your Business Advisor will be there to help you weigh up your options, and will follow up with you to ensure you are getting the help you need to grow your business.
• Operating with 50 or fewer FTEs
Your Business Advisor may also be able to provide you with a voucher to cover up to 50% of the cost of your training, through the NZTE Capability Development Voucher Scheme.
• Be GST registered in New Zealand • Currently trading in a commercial environment • Be privately owned or a Maori trust or incorporation or similar organisation managing Maori assets under multiple ownership • Be able to demonstrate both willingness and capacity to grow • Have undergone a business overview with a Venture Taranaki Business Advisor Your Business Advisor will be able to talk you through the criteria for voucher funding, and will generally be able to confirm whether your business is eligible right from the outset, so you can plan your training budget.
Venture Taranaki is part of the nationwide Regional Business Partner Network, which includes New Zealand Trade & Enterprise and Callaghan Innovation. The Capability Development Vouchers can be put towards a wide range of business training, including business planning, marketing, finance, business systems, staff
Please get in touch with a Venture Taranaki Business Advisor if you would like to find out more – call 06 759 5150 or email countmein@venture.org.nz.
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TrackGrip After featuring a new product called TrackGrip at an international expo, Taranaki engineering company Carac Couplings was inundated with export orders. The TrackGrip product attaches to diggers, bulldozers and other tracked vehicles to increase traction and safety, particularly in hard-to-access or steep terrain. Venture Taranaki was able to help Carac Couplings with its export orders by linking the company to a number of targeted training opportunities through the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Capability Development Voucher scheme. “Working with Venture Taranaki has made it really easy to engage the right people to help us grow. Having up to 50 percent of the training funded by the vouchers has
made a big difference, as has the support and information to enable us to choose the best solutions,” says Carac Couplings’ Sonia Kiser. The company has improved many aspects of the business, including marketing, lean manufacturing, and strategic planning. “The voucher scheme is fantastic and we wouldn’t have been able to do a lot of the things we have if it wasn’t for the funding provided. It’s a great asset for any Taranaki business. “We are now a lot more structured and organised in the way we approach promotion and as a result we’ve had a lot of success from our marketing initiatives. I’m learning a lot and really enjoying it plus we’re generating sales both here and overseas,” says Sonia.
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Business Capability
“The voucher scheme is fantastic and we wouldn’t have been able to do a lot of the things we have if it wasn’t for the funding provided. It’s a great asset for any Taranaki business.”
Research and Development • Growth Grants
If you’re looking to grow your business or are already actively involved in research and development, a Venture Taranaki Business Advisor may be able to assist.
This grant programme is specifically designed for businesses with a strong track record in research and development and that are investing significantly in research and development.
Venture Taranaki partners with Callaghan Innovation (a Crown Entity supporting research and development, innovation and commercialisation) to support research and development activity in Taranaki.
• Global Expert Global Expert is a fast and confidential search service that connects businesses with experts from around New Zealand and the world.
Whether your research and development is focused on new products or processes or you just need help with intellectual property or identifying expertise, a Venture Taranaki Business Advisor can point you in the right direction.
The service links into a huge network of expertise from leading universities, research institutions and specialised companies who can help validate new technologies, assess market opportunities and solve technical challenges.
The partnership currently offers:
• Project Grants If you’re considering a research and development project focused on either new product, service or processes, we may be able to help. Dependent on the nature of your project and your business, co-funding of up to 50% is available to support eligible projects, and projects can range in size from as little as $1,000 to several million.
• Student Grants Venture Taranaki has access to grants (via Callaghan Innovation) that can be used to employ tertiary students of all levels (undergraduate, postgraduate, Masters and PhD) to work on research and development projects in your business.
Venture Taranaki is happy to discuss your needs with you to assess whether Global Expert would be beneficial for your business or query.
• Better by Lean If you want to improve the way your business operates and become more efficient, then the Better by Lean programme could be of interest. This programme offers co-funding of up to $20,000 to help businesses develop and introduce Lean principles into their day-to-day operations. The co-funding covers consultant and trainer costs for Lean planning and implementation over a 12 month period. If you would like to find out more about research and development support, contact a Venture Taranaki Business Advisor – call 06 759 5150 or email R&D@venture.org.nz.
These grants are a great way for future innovators to bring the added value of their expertise into your business, and in return the students gain valuable experience working in a commercial environment.
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Bremner Music Bremner Music has gone from backyard workshop to global market leader, with an idea borne out of an old suitcase. The idea is the sshhMute, a mute device that when inserted into the end of a brass instrument enables pitch and airflow to be maintained while dramatically reducing the volume – a first in the world of mutes. After three and a half years fine tuning the prototype, business owners Trevor and Betty Bremner had their ssshMute in full production and in daily use by some of the world’s leading brass musicians. They wanted to take their business further so approached Venture Taranaki for assistance in the research and development phase
of introducing a new range of practice mutes, called ‘Gold Series.’ “In many cases players are required to play softer than the natural sound of the instrument. There is nothing on the market to compete with the ‘Gold Series’ mutes,” says Trevor. Bremner Music received Research and Development funding for the new product which has now been launched. Since the introduction of the ‘Gold Series’ mutes, Bremner Music has seen exports increase by 36%. “Venture Taranaki has helped us on so many levels. Anyone who gets into business and doesn’t go and see them is just mad.”
“Venture Taranaki has helped us on so many levels. Anyone who gets into business and doesn’t go and see them is just mad.”
Research & Development
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Talent In order to grow the region’s economy, Taranaki needs to continue to grow its population and keep pace with New Zealand. Taranaki businesses need talented people to help them grow their business and drive them forward. Venture Taranaki works across the talent space – focusing on talent attraction, talent retention, growing talent and inspiring talented people to live and work in the region. Working with employers and job seekers, as well as profiling the region as a great place to live and work, Venture Taranaki has developed a range of services to assist with growing the region’s talent pool including:
seekers with the ability to upload CVs for viewing by potential employers, and allows them to search and apply for roles. Additionally, the site offers a wealth of information on what it’s like to live and work in Taranaki. • Taranaki Lifestyle Toolkit – a great guide to living and working in the region, available in either hard copy or electronically. Ideal for employers when recruiting new staff, potential new residents and jobseekers alike, the toolkit includes a range of information on what it’s like to live and work in the region, from events to real estate, schools to transport, and much more. All these resources are complemented by Venture Taranaki’s Project Manager for Talent, who works actively with employers, agencies and job seekers to assist with meeting talent needs, and providing access to an extensive range of tools and resources over and above those listed.
• Marketing campaigns – identifying and targeting talented people and encouraging them to relocate to Taranaki, Venture Taranaki regularly runs marketing campaigns to attract and capture the interest of the talent the region needs. These include the swapsides and rediscover talent attraction campaigns • Regional jobs website – Venture Taranaki provides a regional jobs website www.liveandwork.taranaki. info which offers employers the opportunity to post jobs and search talent pools, provides job
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If you would like to find out more about the range of support available in this area, contact Venture Taranaki’s Talent Project Manager – call 06 759 5158 or email talent@venture.org.nz.
Export Assistance If you would like to take your business global or already do so, talk to Venture Taranaki about how we can assist with development of your export activity. Our networks can provide you with up to the minute market information and resources, and may also be able to help you expand the business skills you’ll need when operating in export markets.
In addition, Venture Taranaki coordinates the Taranaki export forum ‘ExporTar’, which helps exporters learn from each other, increase their knowledge of export markets, and develop the skills required to grow a successful export business. ExporTar also provides information on events, resources, referrals and more. To find out more, talk to one of Venture Taranaki’s Business Advisors – call 06 759 5150 or email business@venture.org.nz.
Massey University Partnership Venture Taranaki has partnered with Massey University to encourage Taranaki businesses and industry sectors to access Massey University’s expertise, knowledge and innovation when looking to grow. This means that not only can Venture Taranaki help support Taranaki businesses in gaining access to Massey’s expert team for information or research and development expertise, but we also have strong ties with capable students who can be engaged for internships or jobs in Taranaki. The partnership builds on the long association Massey University has with Taranaki and aims to expand longstanding research, teaching and alumni connections
between Massey and Taranaki’s business sector and wider communities. The economic drivers for Taranaki are also amongst Massey’s strengths – food, agriculture, engineering and sustainability. And with Massey’s drive to support innovation and to work on some of the big challenges for NZ, it’s an exceptionally good fit. We have a Massey University staff member based in the Venture Taranaki office, who is here to help Taranaki businesses identify opportunities where the University’s faculties, staff and research centres can be of assistance. If you have any queries or would like to talk about Massey University’s resources, call 06 759 5162 or email massey@venture.org.nz.
Talent, Export & University Partnership
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Sector Support Venture Taranaki doesn’t just work with individual businesses, it also works closely with groups of businesses and organisations, and sectors to grow collective capability and capacity, as well as overcome industry challenges.
and gas industry. To find out more about EnergyStream go to www.energystream.co.nz or email energystream@venture.org.nz. Additionally, Venture Taranaki facilitates Oil and Gas Specialist Technologies (OGST), a multi-disciplined group of New Zealand companies providing a dynamic range of technical and specialist support to the oil and gas and energy sectors.
Venture Taranaki can provide customised support to many industries and has done so for the oil and gas, visitor, primary, dairy, food processing, engineering, creative and horticultural industries to name just some of the sectors assisted. As an example, Venture Taranaki’s online hub, EnergyStream.co.nz brings together a community of industry professionals operating in the oil and gas sector, is free to join and offers networking and education sessions, monthly updates, offshore trade missions to promote the region’s oil and gas export capabilities, and much more. EnergyStream.co.nz is also home to the New Zealand Oil and Gas Capability Database, which lists many of the New Zealand companies that provide services to the oil
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Members of OGST have the experience, expertise and capacity to deliver world class solutions to both the upstream and downstream industry, and offer a single port of call to a broad range of expertise for supply chain related services. For more information on OGST go to www.oilandgas. co.nz or contact Venture Taranaki’s OGST facilitator – call 06 759 5158 or email ogst@venture.org.nz. If you would like to find out more about possible support into your industry sector, contact Venture Taranaki’s GM Economic Development – call 06 759 5167 or email info@venture.org.nz.
Regional Intelligence Venture Taranaki compiles and offers a comprehensive range of business intelligence publications to help ensure your planning is based on the latest available data.
benefit of a range of major events, activities or projects for the region.
Taranaki Trends
Other Studies
Venture Taranaki’s Taranaki Trends publication is produced twice a year and pulls together the latest statistical data from a wide range of sources. It measures the region’s performance against a number of standard indicators as well as profiling topical issues in every edition and provides useful benchmarking for local businesses.
Venture Taranaki also undertakes studies into industry and infrastructural areas of importance and/or potential to the region’s growth and sustainability. Previous studies are available at www.business.taranaki.info.
Taranaki Business Survey The Taranaki Business Survey is sent to more than 1,500 of Taranaki’s businesses, and covers a cross section of business sectors and sizes throughout the region. The survey has been conducted every six months since 1999 and evaluates the economic conditions in Taranaki – from the number of businesses expecting a rise in employee numbers, to the level of expected sales in the next six months as well as current issues.
Examples include Rugby World Cup 2011, Fleetwood Mac concerts and All Blacks games.
Visitor and Retail Statistics Venture Taranaki commissions statistical data about the region’s visitor and retail industries regularly to help businesses with their planning and evaluating and to track and support these sectors’ development. If you would like more information about our statistics and reports or wish to pick up a hardcopy of any of the publications, please get in touch with the team at Venture Taranaki – info@venture.org.nz or 06 759 5150. They are also available for download at www.business.taranaki.info.
Venture Taranaki has commissioned a number of economic impact assessments to help measure the
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Sector Support & Regional Intelligence
Economic Impact Reports
Additional Venture Taranaki Resources In addition to all of the services already profiled, Venture Taranaki offers a range of other services that can assist your business.
you promote it through our channels. Also let us know if you want your business to get involved in the social space. We have resources and tips available to help you become more confident promoting your business on social media.
E-Newsletters Stay connected with what’s going on in Taranaki by subscribing to one or more of Venture Taranaki’s free electronic newsletters. Enterprise News is the general business e-newsletter but there are also industry-specific e-newsletters that you can access online – to subscribe go to www.business.taranaki.info.
Business Website Round the clock information is available on Venture Taranaki’s website www.business.taranaki.info. Stay up to date with news, events, market intelligence, industry updates and more.
Conventions and Events If you’re looking at holding an event or conference in Taranaki, Venture Taranaki can provide support. For larger events, we have access to a Major Events Fund if you fit the requirements and for smaller events, we can help with Taranaki collateral for goody bags, presentations, welcome letters, etc. We can also assist with bid documents. Contact visit@venture.org.nz or 06 759 5150 if you would like to find out more.
Regional Brand
Social Media Venture Taranaki currently runs pages on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube. If there’s anything relevant to the pages that has been happening at your business, get in touch with the team and we can help
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Venture Taranaki manages the ‘Taranaki Like No Other’ regional brand. The logos and artwork are available for you to include on your business’ website or collateral and incorporating it is a great way to add regional credibility to your business. For more information or to download artwork and our brand guidelines, visit www.visit.taranaki.info.
More Resources Here are just some of the many regional and national organisations that can help your business grow. For more resources and contacts, visit www.business.taranaki.info or speak to a member of Venture Taranaki’s economic development team – call 06 759 5150 or email info@venture.org.nz. Business.govt.nz www.business.govt.nz
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise www.nzte.govt.nz
Callaghan Innovation www.callaghaninnovation.govt.nz
South Taranaki District Council www.southtaranaki.com or phone 0800 111 323.
Engineering Taranaki Consortium www.engineeringtaranaki.co.nz
Statistics NZ www.stats.govt.nz
Franchise Association www.franchiseassociation.org.nz
Stratford District Council www.stratford.govt.nz or phone 06 765 6099.
Human Resources Institute of New Zealand (HRINZ) www.hrinz.org.nz
Taranaki Chamber of Commerce www.taranakichamber.co.nz
Immigration New Zealand www.immigration.govt.nz
Taranaki Futures www.taranakifutures.org.nz
Inland Revenue Department www.ird.govt.nz
Taranaki Regional Council www.trc.govt.nz or phone 06 765 7127.
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment www.mbie.govt.nz
Taranaki Young Professionals www.typ.co.nz
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment – Labour information www.dol.govt.nz
The Intellectual Property Office (IPONZ) www.iponz.govt.nz
New Plymouth District Council www.newplymouthnz.com or phone 06 759 6060.
Worksafe New Zealand www.business.govt.nz/worksafe
Taranaki’s Regional Development Agency 9 Robe St, PO Box 670 New Plymouth 4340 Phone: 06 759 5150 Email: info@venture.org.nz www.taranaki.info
C7/VT0358/0614 Photos: Rob Tucker, Mark Harris, Anand Rose & Supplied