First Aid

What advice would you give to a young man setting up his own business.

“Fake it until you make it, then believe in yourself 100%”. Look after your people and they’ll look after you.

Do you think there are advantages of being in business and if so what these are.

“Absolutely! Be your own boss, work when you like, where you like. Total autonomy.”

What gave you the confidence to go out on your own.

“Seeing that other providers were not even close to the experience level required”. Most first aid providers are first aid trained. There are some tricks only a Paramedic can teach. When a restaurant is fully booked out months in advance you know they have a great product. Our last four courses in Warkworth we’re sold out. We currently only have a few spaces left before November.”

What do you wish to achieve most in your business and where would you like your business to be in 10 years.

“To be there for the customer when they need it. It’s very hard to say no. But for self-preservation you have to sometimes. That primal drive to help and succeed can be very hard to override. In 10 years, I hope to still be doing what we are doing, that is providing quality First aid and emergency management training. I have also retained my Paramedic registration, so really enjoy being on-call at events e.g. Kowhai Festival, Motocross, A&P shows ... It is so great when people support local. In the current climate many people are struggling. By supporting local providers instead of big corporates in the city truly does make a difference! Keep it local folks and support the smaller providers.

What advice would you give to a young man setting up his own business.

It’s not going to be easy so be prepared to do the hard yards – you only get out what you put in!

Do you think there are advantages of being in business and if so what these are.

The advantages are work life balance and gaining a better financial position, it won’t happen overnight but more of a long game.

What gave you the confidence to go out on your own

You don’t know if you don’t try, If your not moving forward your going backwards

What do you wish to achieve most in your business and where would you like your business to be in 10 years .

I hope to achieve a wide base of satisfied customers by providing quality products to them.

Browne

10 Years haha I would like to think I won’t be doing 60+ hour weeks more family time.

Ph 09 945 3989 | sales@rodneyhonda.co.nz

74 Hudson Rd, Warkworth | www.rodneyhonda.co.nz

When did you realise you wanted to be your own boss?

I knew right from when I left school and began my apprenticeship, being in charge of what jobs I choose to do…when and how I worked and the potential freedom it allowed. I knew it would require a lot of hard work but I was young and up to the challenge.

What gave you the confidence to go out on your own?

During my apprenticeship and for a couple of years after I became a qualified plumber, gasfitter and drain layer I had a number of supportive employers and mentors that were willing to share their knowledge and guide me on the path to becoming self-employed.

What are some of the struggles you’ve faced?

Dealing with Covid and staff recruitment/retention has been tough. Staff wellbeing and mental health has been a huge learning curve, and the balance with looking after team and our customers can be a juggle. Taking on apprentices can be costly when once training is complete the employee decides to leave to do something totally different!

What makes your business unique?

We are a locally owned and operated one-stop-shop for plumbing, drainlaying and gasfitting. I was born and raised in Warkworth, am fourth generation and have a vast knowledge of the area. Using this knowledge we’ve added site works to our business which can be an advantage with new builds occurring in the area.

AUTO REFINISHERS LTD

Glenmore Drive, Warkworth

Contact Andrew 021 425 928

Opening

MEN IN BUSINESS

When did you realise you wanted to be your own boss?

When did you realise you wanted to be your own boss?

Steve Reynolds

What gave you the confidence to go out on your own?

I knew quite a few people from different car clubs who could be potential clients and when this business originally came up for sale I knew that the panel-beater next door would be needing a painter meaning guaranteed work each month.

What are some of the struggles you have faced?

The first economic downturn was difficult and then, of course, came Covid with its lock downs. Also the constant inflation of materials and having to keep rising overheads down while trying to give the best price possible to my customers is challenging.

What makes your business unique?

Working on my own means I am the first and last person a customer has to deal with and they don’t have to explain their vehicle to countless people which can cause frustration. It’s that personal touch. I can also be available anytime to open up my shop for deliveries and pick-up of vehicles outside or normal working hours. Customers are welcome to have a good look through the shop and I communicate openly about the process. It’s also not uncommon for me to photograph the whole painting process so they can have a whole record of the job to keep.

When did you realise you wanted to be your own boss?

Quite simply I wanted to design and manufacture one off custom made Jewellery under my own name. In order to do that and have my own Creative outlet I had to start my own Company.

What gave you the confidence to go out on your own?

My confidence came from having 20 years of experience in Jewellery design and manufacturing coupled with incredible support from my mentors. What are some of the struggles you’ve faced? One of the challenges of running your own business is juggling the many hats you have to wear to run a successful business.

What makes your business unique?

What gave you the confidence to go out on your own?

I have managed SME companies for other people and so was confident that I could grow what I could see was a great local business. My plan was to set the business up to sell franchises across NZ. We sold our first franchise shortly before Covid hit and are now starting to take enquiries about selling further franchise areas.

What are some of the struggles you’ve faced?

I suppose the biggest struggle was Covid, with lockdowns and not being able to work for prolonged periods this hit us hard like other businesses. I had to downsize from being the manager of skilled guys working on site to being an owner operator on the tools. But to be honest this is the best thing that could have happened as I love being on site meeting clients and exceeding their expectations.

What makes your business unique?

Greenwash as you can infer from the name is an eco-friendly business. We only use non bleach derived detergents. Ours are made in NZ from extracts of citrus, vinegars and plant oils. They are safe on our environment, the people in the houses and me.

What advice would you give to a young man setting up his own business.

First and foremost be a “good man” as then that flows into being a good “business man”. If your core values and ethics are good this will shine through and others will want to be involved in your business.

Secondly, get someone to help you you with your book keeping, it’s unsustainable and false economy to think that you can work all day on the tools (or whatever you do) then come home and send invoices, do GST. It may be seem doable for years however your relationships and mental health will suffer ultimately leading to your business suffering.

Do you think there are advantages of being in business and if so what these are. Yes definitely, the biggest advantage in my opinion is being able to be the master of your own destiny, if you own your own business there doesn’t need to be a imposed cap on your earning or work conditions or basically anything, you are only limited by your own drive and ambition, if either of these are waning you have the ability to do something about. If you are working for someone else and they impose any form of cap on you it can be out of your control to change it.

Todd Rochford

022 EXTERIOR CLEANING & WATERBLASTING

Andy Edmunds andy@greenwash.co.nz

What gave you the confidence to go out on your own.

For me, I had a question I needed to answer - ‘Do I have what it takes to run a business’? Over time the question morphed into “Do I have what it takes to run a successful business” - because that is another thing entirely. What do you wish to achieve most in your

What do you wish to achieve most in your business and where would you like your business to be in 10 years.

Basically I would like us to be recognised as the largest and most trusted landscaping firm north of the bridge. Within 10 years time I would like the day to day running business to be run by a board of directors (all of whom have a stake in the business), I would like the business to maintain and grow the ability to employ and train staff offering real opportunities to young people wanting to build there skills and experience in our trade. Ultimately I am aiming to set the business up as a self sustaining entity which will give me the ability to let go of the reigns a bit and let me smell the roses .

Corner Whitaker Road & Mill Lane, Warkworth Call Steve today 0212 787 427 0800 278 288 www.aquaworks.co.nz

&Section Maintenance

Small Tree Services Hedge trimming

Graham Rauner

Mob: 021 225 9885

Quartet plays debut concerts

The Ākarana Piano Quartet will make its debut at the Warkworth Town Hall on Saturday, August 26.

The quartet consists of award-winning musicians Andrew Beer (violin), Robert Ashworth (viola), Chen Cao (cello) and Sarah Watkins (piano).

The Auckland-based quartet is promising to deliver an overall experience of rich, vibrant storytelling, connecting the key figures of European music with Aotearoa.

“The concert will be an opportunity to celebrate intimate music-making of the highest quality from internationallyacclaimed performers,” a Warkworth Music spokesperson said.

“These world-class musicians will bring a colourful offering of piano quartets, including Mozart’s charming Piano Quartet No 1 in G minor and Englishman Frank

Bridge’s passionate Phantasy Quartet. “A sublime, large-scale chamber work by Dvořák, full of rich lyricism and romantic sweep, also hints at the composer’s Bohemian roots with dazzling folk-like material.”

The programme will also feature a new commission from New Zealander Janet Jennings called Twelve Colours: Homage to Paul Klee, a piano quartet inspired by the artist’s abstract oil on canvas, New Harmony.

Ākarana Piano Quartet encompasses four distinct solo performers who will undoubtedly keep audiences on the edge of their seat.

The concert is part of Warkworth Music’s winter programme and is presented in partnership with Chamber Music New Zealand.

It starts at 4pm. Cash sales only at the door.